The Make-Up Heavy Stargate Atlantis Episode That Was Difficult For Rachel Luttrell

This post contains spoilers for "Stargate Atlantis."

The Atlantis expedition demanded a skilled, versatile crew in "Stargate Atlantis," as these individuals would be responsible for shouldering an unpredictable space adventure with limitless possibilities. The Stargate Command made the right decision to appoint Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) as expedition leader, as his pragmatic nature (mixed in with the right amount of rebelliousness) drew in a smart, highly-skilled group who would go on to alter the trajectory of franchise history forever.

Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell) is a good example of a dedicated crew member — she chose the Atlantis expedition over leadership in her homeworld, as her goal has always been to make the galaxy a safer place for everyone. Teyla brings a lot to the table, as her Wraith DNA allows her to tap into powerful abilities, which have helped save her friends on more than one occasion in the course of the show's five seasons.

Luttrell's Teyla has been riveting to watch since the show's inception, but things get especially intriguing for this character in Season 5 of "Stargate Atlantis." In the season's eighth episode, titled "The Queen," a string of previously established events lines up to create a uniquely complex (and extremely risky) situation. For starters, Teyla realizes that her Wraith DNA provides her with an advantage that her team members do not have, allowing her to infiltrate enemy ranks when the occasion demands. After the death of the Wraith Queen, an opportunity opens up for Teyla to pose as a Hive Queen, which is necessary to tip the odds of the mission in their favor. A Wraith whom Sheppard calls Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) helps Teyla alter her appearance with plastic surgery (!), which allows her to convincingly pose as a Hive Queen.

The behind-the-scenes aspect of this episode obviously involved a ton of makeup and prosthetics, which was understandably challenging for Luttrell due to the sheer amount of time the entire process would take. Speaking to GateWorld, Luttrell explained why filming "The Queen" was difficult, even though the episode was a lot of fun from a storytelling perspective.

The Wraith in "Stargate Atlantis" usually sport a pale humanoid appearance with distinct patterns on their face that help identify individual rank amid their hive-based social structure. To help Teyla succeed in her mission, Todd alters her appearance significantly to make her seem like a high-ranking Queen, which is supplemented by etiquette lessons that help her evade suspicion. The logistics of filming this episode were expectedly tricky, with Luttrell explaining why it was "very difficult" to sit in makeup and prosthetics for long hours:

"Oh, my goodness. That was a very, very difficult episode. I think my longest day was 20 hours all told [...] Yeah, from the time that I got there on set and I got the prosthetics and did all the shooting to the time I got the last bit of makeup removed and was able to go home, I think it was about 20 hours [...] It was very trying, and I was there with my little one, and I've got pictures of myself nursing my son as a Wraith."

When asked about Teyla's arc in the series, Luttrell stated that she wished that the show had explored the character's background a bit more, as most of our understanding of Teyla stems from her usefulness as an Atlantis crew member. While we do learn about her roots as the leader of the Athosians (and the guilt she often harbors for choosing the Atlantis mission instead), it would've been interesting to linger in her past for a bit. Luttrell feels the same, as Teyla's family-oriented backstory was one of the reasons why she felt connected to the character in the first place:

"One of the things that I loved about Teyla in the beginning, and even going as far back as the initial audition, was that [...] so much of it had to do with her history and her ties to her people and her ties to her family and how she came about being their central leader. And there was so much strength in that. And I loved it."

Nevertheless, Teyla is a beloved "Stargate Atlantis" character, and the show's abrupt cancellation after five seasons might've put an end to any plans to explore her arc further. There are still plenty of great Teyla moments worth savoring, and "The Queen" is definitely one of them.