“That Character” Returns
Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi has been teasing fans on his Q&A thread and blog at GateWorld that Robert C. Cooper’s “Crusade” will see the return of “THAT CHARACTER”. Speculation ran high that this character was Vala Mal Doran. Those attending the convention in Chicago this past weekend said that Michael Shanks said that Vala would return in the nineteenth episode. Now, Matt Roush, TV critic at TV Guide, has done the rest of the investigation for us and, based on all of this information, we may expect that Vala will appear in the two-part cliffhanger, “Crusade” and “Camelot”:
Question: I love your column! Is the character of Vala on Stargate SG-1 now a permanent cast member? I think she is a great addition to the cast, and I hope she isn’t gone forever (after last week’s episode). I think she adds more fun to SG-1 and would love to see her again. — Niki
Matt Roush: As I asked around about this, I dug up a little scoop that Claudia Black, who plays Vala, will return for two episodes in the back half of SG-1’s season, to air in the winter. I agree that she’s a blast, even if some of the show’s longtime fans seem disgruntled that other characters were marginalized during the Vala-Daniel Jackson arc, including new cast member Ben Browder. (For all those Farscape fans who’ve been writing in to grouse that Browder has been underutilized, I’ve been assured that he’ll be more prominent in upcoming episodes.) As for Vala’s becoming a permanent fixture, that would have to wait for next season, if then, and there’s not even a deal in place yet for a 10th season (although I have no reason to doubt there will be one).
Filming for Season Nine will end October 17. Producers are hoping that they’ll be announcing a record-breaking tenth season soon since they’ll be leaving their audience with a cliffhanger at the end of this season.
Ask Matt at TV Guide
Solutions Season Nine Episode Guides
[Thanks to Eliza Cat for the tip — DeeKayP]