How Teyla Emmagan Actress Rachel Luttrell Reacted To Stargate Atlantis' Cancellation

The outpouring of love enjoyed by the 10-season series "Stargate SG-1" is rooted in many factors. The allure of "SG-1" lies in its competent expansion of an existing foundation — namely, Roland Emmerich's "Stargate," which failed to expand into a sci-fi film trilogy. Moreover, "SG-1" is representative of long-form genre television associated with wondrous nostalgia, where nuanced character building goes hand in hand with its world-building elements.

So when Syfy and MGM announced a "SG-1" spin-off series, "Stargate Atlantis," the cast of this new show was understandably anxious about the kind of reception they would receive. Thankfully, "Atlantis" was received with enthusiastic warmth, as the show succeeds in staying true to the "Stargate" ethos while also bringing something novel to the table. The adventures that take place over the five seasons of "Atlantis" feel special as a result, with the show's cancelation regrettably axing various storylines that had to be condensed within the final season. Rachel Luttrell, who played Atlantis expedition member Teyla Emmagan in the show, spoke to GateWorld about the cast's surprised reaction to "Stargate Atlantis" being canceled:

"Myself and my fellow cast mates, we were hedging bets about what was going to happen, whether or not there was going to be a season 6. We kept flipping. There were days when we thought, 'Oh, gosh. Absolutely, it's going to go.' And then there were days when we would meet and talk about it and say, 'It's not going to go.' So we were flipping back and forth, but just prior to finding out about the news, we all felt pretty certain that we were going to go for another season. So it was a bit of a surprise. It sank in. It is what it is."

Luttrell also likened the show's longstanding production to a "home" for an actor, explaining how difficult it is "for an actor to lose a home," as it isn't very often that an actor "feels like they have a place where they can hang their hat." While every production has its challenges, including creative clashes with one's peers, Luttrell looks back on the experience fondly, calling the "Atlantis" crew "a big, sometimes dysfunctional, family."

In the same interview, Luttrell highlights "The Queen," a Teyla-centered season 5 episode that was incredibly difficult to shoot due to the heavy prosthetics that the actor had to don during filming. That said, Luttrell seems happy with Teyla's arc, which is not as lore-heavy as one would expect, but provides a spirited glimpse into her roots and priorities as a central character. "I was satisfied with the growth of Teyla and the growth of the character, but I think that there would've been a lot of other things I could've explored," Luttrell added, highlighting the bittersweetness that came with the premature conclusion of the beloved sci-fi series.

While "Atlantis" was succeeded by other franchise projects, including the gritty, promising "Stargate Universe," these endeavors were short-lived, as MGM halted all efforts to expand the franchise in 2011. "SG-1" and its offshoot movies might've been the franchise's brightest spark, but "Atlantis" kept the torch aflame, airing on Syfy alongside its predecessor to offer a different "Stargate" experience. We must also keep in mind that "Atlantis" sports a completely fresh premise, one that doesn't draw anything from Emmerich's original because it was meant to widen the scope of the franchise's intricate world-building (which has been brilliantly cemented by "SG-1" across its 10 seasons).

Luttrell's final words about "Stargate Atlantis" sum up her experience with the series, and how the show's halted run directly clashes with the accolades it received, denoting how popular and well-liked it was:

"It was wonderful [...] As I said, it wasn't always perfect, but it was a wonderful experience and I can certainly say that I really loved the rest of my cast mates [...] And we were surprised when we finally heard the news. We were surprised because we were doing well. We had just won the People's Choice Awards [...] But ultimately, that decision is not one that landed in our hands...the decisions were made for whatever reasons they were made for."

All five seasons of "Stargate Atlantis" are currently streaming on Prime Video and Hulu.