One of Stargate Atlantis’ Best Episodes Started with a Completely Different Pitch

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In the early stages of Season 5, an entertaining diversion from the primary plot of the beloved SYFY original series Stargate Atlantis, came unexpectedly. This was the eccentric standalone episode titled “The Daedalus Variations,” which momentarily stepped aside from established continuity to weave an absurd alternate-reality narrative.

Surprised by the sudden appearance of a peculiar (yet strangely familiar) spaceship hovering over Atlantis, Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team uncover an astounding fact about their unexpected visitor. It’s an exact replica of their own Daedalus, hailing from a parallel universe – fueled, surprisingly, by an “alternate reality engine” that allows this strange duplicate of the Daedalus to traverse various undiscovered realities within another hidden cosmos.

Discussing lately on the “Dial the Gate” podcast (through GateWorld), Stargate Atlantis writer Alan McCullough shared some entertaining insights about the episode’s sudden dive into parallel-universe realms – including the lesser-known detail that the beloved episode initially began with a completely different concept.

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How an alternate reality version of the Daedalus entered the Stargate Atlantis universe

McCullough referred to ‘The Daedalus Variations’ as a symbol of persistence in storytelling. Originally, he conceived the episode not on a replica of the Daedalus, but rather as a scene set within Atlantis itself.

McCullough stated, “They found a room in Atlantis that supposedly transports you into different universes, but there’s a catch: what if you end up in a universe where Atlantis doesn’t even exist? It seemed illogical, but the idea that we had stumbled upon an ancient artifact capable of this was too intriguing for us to ignore.

Building on that initial concept, the rest of the SGA team further developed the idea. According to McCullough, they returned from lunch and Rob Cooper (the series’ co-creator, along with Brad Wright) proposed, “What if it’s a ship?” This suggestion resolved all the questions about size and layout, such as whether it extended beyond the drywall or included insulation. The idea of transforming it into a ship originated from Rob. They then decided to name it the Daedalus, and determined that it was on a specific trajectory.

For long-term fans of Stargate Atlantis, it’s no secret that the team encounters an alternate reality version of themselves at the start of an episode, then travels through multiple parallel realities. In these realms, their spaceship, the Daedalus, faces a new alien species attack. Jumping again with some of these hostile aliens on board, they enter another alternate universe where the threat intensifies due to this version of Atlantis being scorched by a massive red giant star.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my excitement about the intriguing alien species introduced in just one episode of the Stargate Universe, SGA. According to McCullough, the writing team was so enamored with these fresh creations that they were eager to bring them back if Stargate Atlantis had persisted beyond its fifth and final season. What a shame it didn’t!

He playfully suggested that they didn’t put much thought into the origins or identities of the aliens, but he did mention that they admired their appearance greatly. If they had continued with more seasons, there were plans to revisit these aliens. However, this aspect was only a small part of the episode. They adored the design and wished they could have brought them back in future episodes, but unfortunately, they didn’t get the opportunity.

Stargate alums Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner team up for SYFY’s The Ark

For fans yearning for more of the Stargate experience, SYFY offers another engaging sci-fi series brimming with similar DNA: original series The Ark, jointly conceived by Dean Devlin (writer and producer of the initial Stargate film) and Jonathan Glassner (co-creator and longtime producer on SG-1).

In a time a hundred years from now, the show carries a feel reminiscent of “Stargate”, as it chronicles the journey of a group of space explorers seeking a fresh world to inhabit due to Earth’s deteriorating environment. The cast includes Christie Burke, Richard Fleeshman, and Reece Ritchie. Currently, you can watch the first two seasons of “The Ark” on Peacock, with Season 3 premiering exclusively on SYFY in 2026.

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2025-07-11 21:47