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 nearly axed after season 8 to make means for an additional 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 way in which 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 integrated components of the unique. In the end, nevertheless, the choice was made to proceed with “SG-1,” and concepts for “Command” have been built-in into the present’s remaining 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 modifications and last-minute selections 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 shortly scrapped after pushback from the actors and writers. These on-the-fly modifications 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 truly got here again for a six-episode arc earlier than changing into an everyday member of the SG-1 workforce.
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 stunned to have the ability to stroll onto a set and really feel so snug.” The previous “Farscape” actress praised the “social features” of being on-set and recalled how the crew even instructed her that she would most probably be again after her character survived the occasions of “Prometheus Unbound.”
In accordance with the Australian actress, whose character finally went on to change into a part of the principle solid in season 10, her preliminary debut on the present was shaky at finest. In truth, she revealed that she did not even assume she’d have the ability to seem in “Prometheus Unbound” as a consequence of her commitments to “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars,” which was taking pictures in Australia near the time she was as a consequence 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 could be very form to Australians they usually 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 once I first learn it, that it was simply self-contained story, that I would not should 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 wished to guarantee that they’d 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 way in which, 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 reduction 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 type of factor.”
In accordance 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 “army presence.” Bringing Vala again to change into a brand new member of the SG-1 crew was the proper resolution, including an entire new major solid member to the collection for its remaining season.
