The Cam and Vala discussion thread

[B O Y S C O U T]

Vala and Cameron did not kill SG1

They are in fact a brilliant addition to the show and the reason (allow with Landry) that the show survived after Jack left.

Now that isnt saying that no-one likes Teal'c, Sam and Daniel.
But the three characters wouldn't be able to sustain the show after loosing Jack who is in himself three other characters. So IO would say Cam and Vala (and landry too) have all been positive additions to the show.

[the fifth man]

Vala and Cameron did not kill SG1

They are in fact a brilliant addition to the show and the reason (allow with Landry) that the show survived after Jack left.

Now that isnt saying that no-one likes Teal'c, Sam and Daniel.
But the three characters wouldn't be able to sustain the show after loosing Jack who is in himself three other characters. So IO would say Cam and Vala (and landry too) have all been positive additions to the show.

They have indeed been positive additions to the show. Nothing will ever change that for me. Such a shame too, because things have really been coming together for all the characters this season. Vala, Mitchell, and Landry seemed like they totally fit in with the rest of the "original" crew at last. Not that I didn't like them last season, but hopefully you get what I mean.

[Raptor 1]

I think sci-fi killed it. if they kept battlestar on fridays with Stargate I doubt ratings would have slipped. That was a killer block. Its the reason I waited for fridays to roll around.

[LORD MONK]

Yeah, but that cheesy show was on the air for seven years and was watched by over 13 million in it's final episode; and he successfully lead SG-1 for eight years. He may not be a real god, but fifteen years as a successful lead actor is pretty damn impressive; and with so many fans who worship the ground he walks on; I say he's pretty damn close.

As for Vala and Cam killing Stargate? If anything killed Stargate it was poor writing and Sci-Fi's lack of interest in anything other than a shiny new title. We can't blame the actors for any of that, they were simply doing the job they were paid to do.

True that in all ways. SciFi did exactly that , SciFi'd it up. Took actors from other shows and put them in other shows. People don't really like that. Although that has nothing to do with why it got dropped. It had to do with the shiney new tittle that they were pushing and that is all. If you read Entertainment weekly it will show SG anything is ahead of anything SciFi related. It's just not shiney anymore. They already got there trophy and it on to the next.

Good post.

They should have never brought in BB and Vala. BB can pull it of after the 200th. ep. but Vala is not military and if she wants to stay on the team she should act military. Or at least down go running off in the woods blabing when your leader tells you not to. It is a military team damn it.

Edit to add that TPTB can stll make it possible for the Vala character. They have to build it and build it fast. I know growing up young I didn't listen to my father until the first firework blew up in my face and then I listened.

[PG15]

Vala is an excellent character and very well written.

And acted!

[Mitchell82]

First off I hate all the Mitchell and Vala bashing and the calling the people thet like the new characters "traitors" or something. Now as anyone who reads my 700+ posts knows that I have been a fan since the begining. As alot of people here I was a Farscape fan and MacGyver fan. RDA is why i became a fan of Stargate SG-1. When he stated that he wanted some time off I was fine with it and found no problem with the eps that he wasn't in or the writting in general. When I heard that he would not be in season 9 and that Ben would come in as lead as Lt.Col Cameron Mitchell i wasn't sure about it, even though I liked him as John on Farscape. I loved when Claudia came on as Vala in Prometheus Unbound. When season 9 started it took a while (2 viewings of Avalon part 1) then I got used to him. In other words by Avalon part 2 I loved the new direction. I loved Vala from the start and while I was glad when Sam came back I was sad to see her go So I was glad to hear that she was signed on full time in season 10. I loved season 9 and am loving 10 even more. I am saddend with the cancelleation of SG-1 and blame it on Scifi not on characters or writing. The show is as good as it has ever been even better IMO. I am also thrilled that my favorite show has broken records and that it will likely continue in some form.

[MelbournePates]

My personal opinion is that they introduced to many new characters too fast.

In the first episode of season 9, so important to the new SG1 brand, we were straight away introduced to Cam Mitchell, Gen. Landry, and Dr. Lamb, not to mention the return of Vala who can come off quite "in your face" on the camera.

We were given no customary, as was with other seasons, transitional episode, it was just BAM; this is Col. Mitchell, this is Gen. Landry (he now runs the SGC), and this is Vala who is going to become a regular.

I no longer felt like it was SG1 anymore, i was able to keep myself interested long enough to see that they all brought something to the table but would've liked a chance to say goodbye to O'Neill and Carter (for that break).

[Cmdr. Perkins]

Hi there,
i think its the normal way long-time-series ends. Quick and Paynfull! Look at "The X-Files", look at "Baywatch". Killing Stargate isnt the fault of the characters, its the fault of to many changes of a long running series.

1) Stargate SG-1 was in the first year a mix between Adventure, riddles and Action .... the last years Action..Action...and wait Action...

2) Killing - without sence - beloved characters like Dr. Frasier....

3) RDA out Ben Browder In .... that has NOTHING to do with the Actor, but with the Change! Its the "Baywatch-Syndrom". Baywatch was canncelt after David Hasselhoff has left the show ...
SG-1 was cancelt early after RDA was out...


I think its time to say good bye! The Story-Arc should finish, if there is not enough time, make a Mini-Series and then a good Movie ..or three

[smurf]

I don't think the characters killed it so much as made it really easy (for me) to give up on the show. Although, if a lot of people thought the same as me then the subsequent low ratings mean they did.

In season 8 the writing was bad but I still enjoyed the characters enough to keep watching, then at the beginning of season 9 they decided to introduce this character that was such a poor fit for the Stargate universe that I couldn't even enjoy the show for the shallow fun it could sometimes be (well, it stopped doing deep a few seasons back).
I don't understand why they brought in a new lead character who came across as so weak - a hero-worshipping, inexperienced, good ol' boy - and expect it could ever feel right that this person can give orders to a group of people who have been doing the job longer than he's been alive (technically, they've been stargate travelling since 1969 ). If they wanted him to (co-)lead the team they should have brought in a strong character with the equivalent (made up) background as the current 3 (this is where I dismiss the flashbacks as pointless information dumps. Yes, I know who he was, but how does that inform who he is now?). A gate-experienced equal (the CMOH? The writers trying to take a shortcut to equality), who knows them, respects them, but knows they are real people not planet saving heroes. They could have kept the good ol' boy as long as it was shown he knew when it was and wasn't appropriate - like O'Neill before his final few seasons.
If they absolutely must have their hero-worshipping, inexperienced, "fun" character then they should have made him a major. He doesn't have to lead the team to lead the show.

Vala, for me, hasn't been so much of a problem, because she wasn't a regular when I decided I'd had enough. Cam is a huge mountain of illogic with flashing lights, shouting "look at me!". It is really distracting, and sucks all the enjoyment out of the show.

[shester]

Vala, for me, hasn't been so much of a problem, because she wasn't a regular when I decided I'd had enough. Cam is a huge mountain of illogic with flashing lights, shouting "look at me!". It is really distracting, and sucks all the enjoyment out of the show.

Well, now you won't have to worry about it. Your show is cancelled.

I personally loved Cam and Vala. And doubt very seriously if their characters had anything to do with it. If that were so then there would have been no season 10.

Sybil

[Naonak]

Mitchell and Vala had nothing to do with it. They're both great characters.
Sci-Fi cancelled it because they had there big shiny record and don't want Stargate anymore - not now that they have there shiny new shows, Galactica and Eureka. I mean no disrespect to those shows, they're both good, it's just the way Sci-Fi has treated them and Stargate.

[smurf]

Well, now you won't have to worry about it. Your show is cancelled.

I personally loved Cam and Vala. And doubt very seriously if their characters had anything to do with it. If that were so then there would have been no season 10.

Sybil

"My show" bit the dust around season 7. SG-1 is no more my show than it is anyone elses here. Remember this is in your opinion. There are others on this thread who think otherwise.
Season 10 was always likely as soon as Sci Fi wanted to keep the name SG-1. Not much point aiming for the longest running title if you stop 8 episodes before the record. Whether there would have been a season 2 of Stargate Command is open to debate.

[MelbournePates]

Well, now you won't have to worry about it. Your show is cancelled.

I personally loved Cam and Vala. And doubt very seriously if their characters had anything to do with it. If that were so then there would have been no season 10.

Sybil

I think there were some loyal viewers who had decided that they would give it a go for one season, but they couldn't get attatched to the new characters and the different directions that the story was going in. Plus they might be thinking, "how many times can these people actually save Earth from impending doom!".

[ScullySayer]

I don't think the characters killed it so much as made it really easy (for me) to give up on the show. Although, if a lot of people thought the same as me then the subsequent low ratings mean they did.

In season 8 the writing was bad but I still enjoyed the characters enough to keep watching, then at the beginning of season 9 they decided to introduce this character that was such a poor fit for the Stargate universe that I couldn't even enjoy the show for the shallow fun it could sometimes be (well, it stopped doing deep a few seasons back).

You just summarised my entire thought process in two paragraphs, thank you.
No - Mitchell and Vala did not "kill" SG-1, as IMO it had already been dead at least a season before they were introduced. The only reason I kept watching in Season 8 was because of my devotion to the characters. Bringing in two new characters who I couldn't at all identify with just gave me a reason not to bother any more. I know there are fans who like the new team, but there are also a lot who felt the way I did... in the end Mitchell and Vala were just symptoms of a much deeper problem with the series that eventually lead to its demise.

[Mackan]

Mitchell is doing an good job, he is growing. But I do not know about Vala. I feel she is just annoying with her less than smart comments all the time. The writers even write the other characters in the SG-1 team to get annoyed of her... At the same time the writers say "we love Vala". My logic is failing a little here.

There is no way these characters have killed Stargate. They are doing a great job. But personally, the Vala character is not what I want to see in Stargate.