Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
What Would’ve Happened in a Sixth Season of Stargate Atlantis? Long-Lost Plan Revealed
Digging into the archive to find out what would've happened to Shepard, McKay, and the gang.
When fan favorite SYFY original series Stargate Atlantis wrapped up after five seasons, way back in 2009, the creators still had a few ideas on where the series might’ve gone next. So what would a potential sixth season have looked like?
The series, a spinoff of genre-defining SYFY original Stargate SG-1, followed a new team of space explorers as they set up shop in the Pegasus Galaxy in the mythical city of Atlantis — which is actually an Ancient city-sized space ship. The series starred Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, and a young Jason Momoa as the flagship team exploring this new galaxy and taking on the vampire-esque monster baddies, the Wraith.
RELATED: The Stargate Connections Behind the Scenes of SYFY’s New Series The Ark
Season 5 ended with the city of Atlantis trekking all the way to our galaxy and landing on Earth, part of a risky plan to avert a potential Wraith invasion of our home galaxy. The series ended with a happy, open ending, with the Atlantis crew looking out over San Francisco with the city parked (and of course cloaked) in the bay. At the time, the creative team had planned to continue the story with at least one direct-to-DVD movie, though the original direct-to-DVD movie business flatlined pretty much exactly when that project was supposed to get off the ground, and it never came to be.
So instead, that hopeful San Francisco view from Atlantis on Earth proved to be the final shot of the Atlantis saga.
But now, former producer Joseph Mallozzi has dusted off his old notebook to reveal what a potential sixth season could have looked like, including some of the key episodes and plots they wanted to explore if the show had returned for a new season, or a series of DVD movies. Check out his full, super-deep rundown on Reddit, along with a deep dive on fan site Gateworld.
But here are the key highlights of where the series could have gone.
Rundown of the “Lost” Final Season of Stargate Atlantis
The season premiere would’ve been titled “Now What,” and followed Atlantis as it was relocated to serve as a Moon base before making the trip back toward the Pegasus Galaxy. But along they way they become stranded in a different galaxy in-between, where they grapple with a future-version of recurring foe Todd the Wraith and a mysterious new civilization.
Other episode ideas on the planning board for the first half of the season included a story with the team discovering a derelict ship full of mysterious children in stasis; a story bringing back the longtime SG-1 enemies the Replicators; and an episode called “The Red Shirt Diaries” that would’ve followed a no-name member of the Atlantis expedition for a day.
The midseason two-parter would’ve found the team returning to Atlantis from a mission only to discover the entire expedition crew has been turned into Wraith-human hybrids by recurring enemy Michael, with the team tasked with reversing the attack and saving the crew.
Want More on Stargate?
Watch: Stargate Atlantis' Jason Momoa and Joe Flanigan Have Surprise Reunion - and a Few Drinks
The Abandoned Stargate Movie That Would’ve Combined Atlantis, SG-1 & Universe
Rodney McKay Wasn’t Supposed to Be on Stargate Atlantis - Here’s How He Ended Up There Anyway
The back half of the season would’ve featured a time traveling episode bringing back the time-traveling puddle jumper space ship, with the crew trying to warn themselves of a future attack; an episode where Sheppard (Flanigan) is cursed with bad luck by a mystic; an episode that would’ve brought back original series co-star Rainbow Sun Francks as Lt. Aidan Ford, a former team member who went rogue after the show’s first season; and the return of former expedition leader Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) as the team discovers a hidden cache of Ancient technology.
The season finale would’ve featured one of the biggest space battles in franchise history, as Atlantis takes on a sister-city (basically another Atlantis-sized city ship) being piloted by recurring antagonists the Genii, a rival human civilization in the Pegasus Galaxy. The finale would’ve been an hour-long battle, with Shepard and his crew infiltrating the sister-city ship to destroy it — with their old frenemy Todd the Wraith swooping in to save the day with his own fleet of Wrath ships at the eleventh hour to assist in the battle.
The finale would’ve ended with the rival city-ship destroyed, our heroes victorious, and an uneasy peace in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Stargate Creators Unite For New SYFY Series The Ark
Still missing Stargate? Some of the key creatives behind SG-1 and the Stargate film have reunited for the new SYFY original series The Ark, which was co-created by Dean Devlin (co-writer and producer of the original Stargate film) and Jonathan Glassner (co-creator and longtime producer on SG-1).
The series has much of the same charm, following a team traveling through space the old fashioned way: on a ship, instead of a ‘gate. The Ark is set a century in the future and follows the ragtag crew of a spaceship searching for a new planet to call home. The series stars Christie Burke, Richard Fleeshman, and Reece Ritchie. Season 2 premieres Wednesday, July 17 at 10/9c. Catch up on Season 1 of The Ark streaming now on Peacock.
