Save Vala Mal Doran in the SG-1 movies!

[aboleyn24]

I was so saddened to read that Claudia Black would not be in the third movie. I actually started watching SG-1 at season 9, loved it and went back and watched the previous 8 seasons. I was not a Farscape fan, had never seen it but was so impressed with Ben Browder and Claudia Black that I've started watching that as well.

I don't know the reason that Vala will not be in the next movie. I like others feel its unlikely that it is just availability reasons. But for me Vala adds so much to this team that I will feel her absence. I will still watch the movie, but with the news about how Jack-centric it is I have less excitement for it. I have nothing against Jack, he is a great character but certainly not my personal favorite.

I really wish that we could change BW's decision but I don't have much hope for that. From that same Q & A it seems unlikely that he will take seriously what he deems such a small percentage of the viewers of SG. I sincerly hope I am wrong and that this campaign is successful and Vala is included because to me she is as much a team member as any of the rest. She belongs.

Not just like the others though.

Mitchell, O'Neill and Carter were posted to SG1 as a duty. Daniel and Teal'c joined at the start.

Vala joined in S10 (not S9 let's remember) in order to help battle the Ori. This was concluded with AoT. It was nice that she had a role in Continuum, but her reasons for being on SG1 are complete. Heck, even Teal'c's is and I wouldn't be suprised if he's not on SG1 in the new movie.

Just because Vala was part of the team for a season does not mean that she automatically has a place any more in the storyline, particularly if it doesn't fit with the one planned.

Using that logic, you are correct. The Jaffa are now free and Teal'c should leave the team as his initial reason for joining is no longer applicable. Somehow I doubt that is going to happen though.

Just because the Ori story is finished doesn't mean that Vala has lost all purpose for being in the show. I think that she could contribute to this movie but it seems BW disagrees and he opinion seems to be the only one that matters at the moment.

This is the best season of Atlantis, what are you talking about? The ratings went down because of DVR's. What I would like to know is how does recording and watching later still not count as watching it then? How does the Nielsen box distinguish between the two? Shouldn't the ratings reflect it?

The Nielsen box does distinguish. My family was offered one but I wasn't allowed to DVR anything and since that is pretty much the only way I watch TV I declined. The reason it doesn't count (well they do have a separate count of those that record and watch later) is because those like me who DVR fast forward the commercials. Advertisers pay for the commercials based on viewers actually watching "live" and viewing their product. Those fast-forwarding past their products are meaningless to them. Why should they care about viewers of a particular program unless they are potential consumers for their product? It makes sense to them, it sucks for us.

[Crazedwraith]

New characters got a lot of time in Continuum at the expense of others already. I don't want to see it again.

Say... what? Seriously I can barely think of any characters in Continuum that we had not seen before.


I'll admit on that I'm not a huge fan of the character of Vala. I'd be interesting in hearing what people thing she adds to the show other than being a 'sexy female alien' and an endless source of bad innuendo and bickering with Daniel.

On the other hand, I also in no way, like the sound of bad Wright's statement; just not including characters you don't like is really really bad form when it comes to writing. If CB doesn't appear at all: it'll at best be explained via a throw away line or at worst, if latter Atlantis seasons are any indication simply won't explain it all. She'll just be gone. That's just lazy.

[Mclean]

Ach you're right there. I made a bad mistake with rankings.
Also yes Claudia Black does have some other commitments, she's doing voice over work for Uncharted 2, a PS3 game. But that's not scheduled for release until the end of 2009.
I doubt that would eat up all her time so she couldn't do the film.

Surely it could be scheduled to fit her in. I think she still has a lot to offer. She see's the simple things in a problem when everyone is looking for a technical solution (that probably sounds like an insult but it's not meant to be ).

[Anjirika]

I know that I'm preaching to the choir here but this just stinks. I mean in season 10 they made a big deal about Vala joining the team and at the end of Ark of Truth like it has been stated before she makes a big deal about staying on Earth to find her place with the team. *sigh*

And because she's a part of the team by not having her it's like not having Daniel, or Sam, or Teal'c. I don't understand why Brad Wright hates the character so much.

Bottom line, guess this means that I won't be watching the third movie--even if it is to be a Jack centric movie if it takes place after continuum (which does take place after season four) then it stands to reason that Vala would still be around and therefore would be part of it.

*sigh* Makes me very sad.

[Stef]

I agree, Anjirika. Why spend all of that time building up her character in S10 and giving the 'becoming part of something' arc if this was going to be the end result? To get fans invested in a character that they were just going to ditch at the drop of that hat if it didn't suit their needs. The thing is, the thing that irks me the most, is that she should have been respected enough to at least be in the movie in some capacity. I didn't need for her to be the star, or even have a particularly big role. This is Jack's film, I understand that. But I don't understand why she can't appear in the same capacity she did in something like "Talion" which was Teal'c-centric or heck, I would have been okay with "The Road Not Taken." But to completely dismiss and/or ignore the character is just a jerk move.

-Stef

[Falcon Horus]

What the frell is wrong with these people?

Okay, if this 3rd movie is set before the SGC came in contact with Vala or Qetesh, I can understand that decision. But if it's just another continuation from their last adventures, it's not.

And why does this always have to happen to characters I favor above the others? I consider Vala to be the reason why I didn't give up on SG1 around the time of season 9. She was my personal SG1-savior. She even made me like Daniel again, I'd say she has to stick around.

And I love to hear those reasons BW has not to include Vala in this next instalment. He ain't making himself very popular with this with me.

[Stef]

TPTB did say a while ago that all of SG-1 may not be present in future SG-1 movies due to actor availability. We should really count our selves lucky if we get the main four together for this movie now they are all doing their own projects

That is true. But usually when an actor declines to participate (like TH did in S5) they usually mention something about that. Either way, BW point blank said who he considered necessary and/or hoped he could get for the movies and CB was suspiciously absent from that list. Trust me, I'd much rather this be CB's decision, it would make me a lot happier.

I agree! If one character must be dropped than that's Mitchell! He doesn't bring nothing to the team! Anything he can do Teal'c and Sam can do better!

The problem with that is it's basically doing the same thing to Mitchell that's being done to Vala. The point of all of this is that Mitchell, Sam, Teal'c, Vala, Daniel, and at times Jack ARE part of SG-1. To keep all of those sans one is a slap in the face of that one character/actor and the fans who support him or her. I wouldn't be any happier if they dropped Cam.

I agree, if the story doesn't dictate it, I don't see the point of her inclusion. I think Vala'a a great character, I really do, but seeing her character shoehorned in would probably be a disservice to both the movie and the character.

Vala, while you've gotta love her, is a character who kind of, for lack of a better term, thrusts herself into the limelight, she's a scene-stealer. And that's not a bad thing! That's just who the character is. In the next movie, I'm hoping for some real team moments, where all the characters get a chance to shine, and I think it is hard to do that with Vala around. Again, love the character, really I honestly do, and I hope I don't sound like I'm bashing her here, but is the assembly instructions don't require a screw, you don't use a screw. Maybe for the story that this movie is to tell, Vala is a screw.

I guess I don't understand why a member of the team would have to be 'shoe-horned' into the story any more than any other member? This is a Jack-centric movie, which means that the rest of the team is there to support that storyline in either specific or generic ways. How would Vala be any less a part of that? She shouldn't be treated as a separate entity or widget they have to fit it - she's just one more member of the team.

-Stef

[DJFavorite]

What the frell is wrong with these people?

Okay, if this 3rd movie is set before the SGC came in contact with Vala or Qetesh, I can understand that decision. But if it's just another continuation from their last adventures, it's not.

I really hope it isn't a 'time travel', AU or just some pre Cam/Vala storyline. They have overused those types of stories. Even if it is a Jack centric movie, and if Cam's going to be in it, they need Vala. Both characters were introduced at the same time, (not counting PU).

[ori soldier]

this decision shows the mistakes the writers have made since atlantis series 4 when they have just stopped caring about the characters, teyla for instance and they just see them all as expendable, the reasone sg-1 did so well as it was a constant team based round them, the whole franchise is based around the characters.

This is disgraceful and we deserve an explanation, id rather have no RDA than no CB, i prefer jack but he left and we cant get rid of existing cast members to bring him back i am rely annoyed

[silly sally]

Does anyone think that the 3rd Jack-centric movie might not really involve the team SG-1? If it's really Jack centric maybe it takes place on Earth and is a NID/politics related plot so while Sam, Daniel and Teal'c can be involved as Jack's friends and for T as the Jaffa ambassador to Earth, there's little to do for Vala or Cam?

[Automission]

Does anyone think that the 3rd Jack-centric movie might not really involve the team SG-1? If it's really Jack centric maybe it takes place on Earth and is a NID/politics related plot so while Sam, Daniel and Teal'c can be involved as Jack's friends and for T as the Jaffa ambassador to Earth, there's little to do for Vala or Cam?

If we get a feature film of politics, I will definitely avoid it!

[fyere]

(My following comment is assuming it's simply Brad Wright's idea not to include Vala in the next movie, and not because Claudia Black had some other commitment or if it was otherwise her decision - if she herself says that she is just not available, I'm sad she won't be there, but I understand completely. Moving on.....)

I love Vala. I love the Daniel/Vala dynamic, and the dynamic she has with the other characters, when she's allowed to interact with them. I think Vala's fantastic and Claudia's fantastic and that Claudia was a smart and welcome addition to the cast. But I kind of get why Brad Wright wouldn't have a place for her in a movie that revolves around neither the Ori nor Ba'al/Qetesh (assuming there's no Ori or Ba'al in the new movie, which is likely). The trouble is this - the writers have tended to write Vala into a corner. More often than not she was just an accessory to Daniel (or occasionally to Cam or Teal'c) or she was just used for comic relief or to add a bit of sexiness, and that was a shame. They can't think of anything else to do with her - nearly every other area of expertise, from the scientific to the cultural to the military, is already covered by the other members of SG-1. Vala did have a slyness and a dangerous, street-smart edge to her, but the writers toned that way down in favour of the more harmless and SGC-law-abiding 'Pigtails Vala'. The Vala of 'Prometheus Unbound' or even of 'Beachhead' would never have been allowed to join the team.

It was a double-edged sword, and the writers' downfall with the character. We got her as a show regular, but by sacrificing some of the traits that made her *different* in the first place, and they never gave her any other particular functions or special talents which would be useful to SG-1 or to moving a plot along on a regular basis. There's always going to be technology for Sam to figure out, and people for Daniel to reason with and learn about, and things for Cam and Teal'c to shoot or fight with, but any story with Vala has to be specifically tailored to her character for her to have any real use within that story, and when the story is centered around Jack O'Neill - citizen of Earth, U.S. Military, who has no particular history of friendship with Vala and has never even spoken to her on-screen - there's just no real use for her. That's something the showrunners (movierunners, I suppose they'd be called now) need to remedy in the future, rather than just casting her aside because they see her as - rather, they've *made her* - superfluous.

I hope (for people who have lasted this long, through my endless blathering ) I haven't gone too off-topic. The thread is 'Save Vala Mal Doran in the SG-1 movies', and I really hope they do - it's just that this is what, in my opinion, they need to do to 'save' her. She's a character without a function anymore. Give her one, then sit back and watch how great she can be.

[shinykat]

It seems to me that when other shows/movies have an ensemble cast they manage to include everyone. Granted not every person will be the star, but isn't that what an ensemble cast means??

I love Vala, would love to see her interact with Jack, think it would be hysterical, and would love to see her be treated like the smart, quirky character that she is, and not get relegated to bimbo status. That being said I hope the 3rd movie storyline would only not include her because it made sense, not because she was off shopping.

But I must say, not excited at all now for movie #3....

[Stormtrooper]

Great. All my favorite Stargate ladies have officially got the shaft.

Third movie: O'Neill and Landry play chess at a rest home. Old friends pay a visit and together they recall past glories.

Should be an interesting final movie for SG-1.

[DJFavorite]

Thanks Jumper One, for easing my mind with the time travel/AU. I'm glad they aren't taking that route.

Now then, because it is 'present day', I really wish BW would reconsider Vala.