Following its tenth season in 2007, “Stargate SG-1” was cancelled by the Sci-Fi channel. A ten-season run is spectacular, although, particularly contemplating “SG-1” was virtually axed after season 8 to make approach for one more collection. By season 8, star Richard Dean Anderson had determined to step away from his function as Jack O’Neill on “SG-1,” and a brand new collection appeared like the best way to go in his absence. A never-realized spin-off collection, entitled “Stargate Command,” would have seen Ben Browder’s Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Beau Bridges’ Main Basic Hank Landry lead an all-new present that included parts of the unique. In the end, nonetheless, the choice was made to proceed with “SG-1,” and concepts for “Command” have been built-in into the present’s ultimate two seasons. However this would not be the primary time “SG-1” writers pivoted from their unique plans.
All through the collection’ 10-year run, there have been a number of adjustments and last-minute choices made that altered the course of the present. For instance, the unique community, Showtime, initially tried to shoehorn nudity into “SG-1” however that strategy was rapidly scrapped after pushback from the actors and writers. These on-the-fly adjustments additionally prolonged to particular characters. Such was the case with Claudia Black’s Vala Mal Doran, who was launched within the eighth season. Initially set to look in that one installment, Vala really got here again for a six-episode arc earlier than turning into a daily member of the SG-1 group.
Vala was initially alleged to be a one-and-done Stargate character
Vala Mal Doran was a human with a Goa’uld background who first appeared within the season 8 episode of “Stargate SG-1” entitled “Prometheus Unbound.” She then returned in a recurring capability for season 9. In an interview with GateWorld throughout that ninth season, Claudia Black spoke about her return, saying, “I am shocked to have the ability to stroll onto a set and really feel so snug.” The previous “Farscape” actress praised the “social points” of being on-set and recalled how the crew even informed her that she would almost definitely be again after her character survived the occasions of “Prometheus Unbound.”
In line with the Australian actress, whose character in the end went on to develop into a part of the primary forged in season 10, her preliminary debut on the present was shaky at finest. In reality, she revealed that she did not even suppose she’d be capable of seem in “Prometheus Unbound” as a result of her commitments to “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars,” which was taking pictures in Australia near the time she was as a result of seem on “SG-1” over in Canada. As Black defined:
“It was simply fortunate timing that I completed my post-syncs for ‘Peacekeeper Wars’ in time to get on the airplane with two days discover and get the Canadian work allow and get right here. Properly, it was fortunate the Canadian authorities may be very type to Australians and so they expedite the method as a result of we’re a part of the commonwealth.”
Black added that “Prometheus Unbound” was alleged to be what she deemed a “bottle episode,” which she described as an episode with a “contained price range, nothing off-world, no costly places” and “simply one thing that was character-based.” Black continued, “I favored that after I first learn it, that it was simply self-contained story, that I would not must get used to the entire world straight-away, and be overwhelmed by it, probably. After all, Black must get used to the entire world when she returned for her six-episode arc in season 9.
Claudia Black impressed the Stargate SG-1 producers
In her GateWorld interview, Claudia Black spoke about her causes for accepting the function of Vala Mal Doran, saying that the “Prometheus Unbound” script “was actually humorous.” She continued:
“I simply needed to make it possible for that they had the identical intentions as I had inferred. And so I spoke to Andy Mikita and mentioned to him, ‘How far can I’m going with the comedy, as a result of I see some nice potential for the character. And he mentioned, ‘Oh, go all the best way, honey! Do no matter you need.'”
As such, Vala was very a lot supposed to not solely be a one-and-done character, however comedian aid for a self–contained episode. Clearly, although, Black made an impression on the producers. In a separate GateWorld interview, “SG-1” co-creator Brad Wright and producer Robert C. Cooper spoke about how the actress “got here in and simply blew us away.” Futhermore, her chemistry with Daniel Jackson actor Michael Shanks — who beforehand left “SG-1” for a season – was an enormous a part of why Black was introduced again. “We began instantly spinning, ‘How will we get her again and make her a much bigger half?'” mentioned Cooper. “As a result of what you do not need to do is totally soften her character and lose this dynamic that was so fantastic, that Moonlighting sort of factor.”
In line with Cooper, he and the opposite producers have been keenly conscious that Jack O’Neill actor Richard Dean Anderson would quickly be stepping away from “SG-1” and that meant they wanted a brand new addition to the “navy presence.” Bringing Vala again to develop into a brand new member of the SG-1 crew was the proper resolution, including an entire new principal forged member to the collection for its ultimate season.