"One of the difficulties of not knowing for so long whether we were doing a fifth season or not was that we weren't really allowed to go out shopping for work"

In this quote, Claudia Black is revealing the obstacles she dealt with while waiting to learn if her show would be renewed for a 5th season. She describes that due to the fact that of this unpredictability, she and her fellow cast members were not able to actively look for other task chances. This lack of task security and stability can be difficult for stars, as they rely on consistent work to support themselves. Black's usage of the expression "not understanding for so long" highlights the prolonged duration of unpredictability they faced, which likely contributed to the stress and aggravation of the scenario. In general, this quote clarifies the behind-the-scenes struggles that stars deal with in the show business.