{{short description|Fictional character in Stargate}} {{Italic disambiguation}} {{Infobox character | name = George S. Hammond | image = 250px | caption = Don S. Davis in his final appearance as George S. Hammond in the Stargate SG-1 movie, "Stargate Continuum". | first = "Children of the Gods" (''SG-1'') | last = ''Stargate: Continuum'' | portrayer = Don S. Davis<br />Aaron Pearl (young George Hammond in "1969") | species = Human | occupation = United States Air Force<br/>30px Major General<br/>30px Lieutenant General | nationality = American }} Lieutenant General '''George S. Hammond''', USAF (Ret.) is a fictional character in the ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by American actor Don S. Davis, General Hammond serves as the commander of Stargate Command (SGC) in the first seven seasons of the 1997 television series ''Stargate SG-1''. He is relieved of command in the series' season 7 finale "Lost City", but becomes head of the new Homeworld Security department at the beginning of season 8. Hammond's off-screen retirement is confirmed in ''SG-1''{{'}}s season 10, and the character's death is mentioned in the series finale of ''SG-1''{{'}}s spin-off series ''Stargate Atlantis'', "Enemy at the Gate".
Don S. Davis left the regular role after the seventh season of ''SG-1'' due to health problems, but appeared in later seasons as well as in a season 1 episode of ''Stargate Atlantis''. Davis died from a heart attack in June 2008, making his appearance in the 2008 direct-to-DVD film ''Stargate: Continuum'' his last. For his portrayal of Hammond, Don S. Davis was nominated for a 2004 Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male" for the season 7 episode "Heroes, Part 2".
==Role in ''Stargate''== ===Character arc=== George S. Hammond is a United States Air Force Major General (later Lieutenant General) from Texas,<ref name="Bloodlines" /> who commands Stargate Command (SGC) in the first seven seasons of ''Stargate SG-1''. The series pilot introduces Hammond as the successor of Major General West, the commander of the Stargate Project in the original ''Stargate'' film.<ref name="Children of the Gods" /> Hammond had been stationed as a Lieutenant at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex (the present-day location of Stargate Command) in 1969,<ref name="ep1969" /><ref name="Chain Reaction" /> Hammond's mentioned relatives include his wife, who had died of cancer four years before the events of the series began, and his granddaughters named Kayla and Tessa (whose telephone number occupies Hammond's first speed dial button above the President of the United States which occupies the second).<ref name="Tin Man" /> His father is also mentioned in the Season 2 episode entitled ''1969''.<ref name="ep1969" />
General Hammond has control over each SG mission,<ref name=dvdprofile /> but is rarely directly involved with the off-world adventures of SG teams. He is only shown off-world in season 2's "Prisoners", season 3's "Into the Fire" and "Forever in a Day", and the season 7 premiere "Fallen"; he also commands the Earth spaceship ''Prometheus'' in season 7's "Lost City" and season 8's "Prometheus Unbound". Hammond's command of the SGC is interrupted once in season 4's "Chain Reaction", where Hammond retires under duress and is temporarily replaced by Major General Bauer.<ref name="Chain Reaction" /> The series never clearly establishes Hammond's second-in-command, although producer Joseph Mallozzi stated in season 7 that "if Hammond were to retire, there's a strong possibility that [Colonel Jack O'Neill] could take over command of the [Stargate Command] base".<ref name="gw_interview_jm3" />
In the season 7 finale "Lost City", newly inaugurated President Henry Hayes is pressured into replacing General Hammond with Dr. Elizabeth Weir for a three-month review process of the SGC.<ref name="Lost City" /> Hammond is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and is placed in command of the new Homeworld Security department afterwards; Brigadier General Jack O'Neill takes over command of Stargate Command in the season 8 opener "New Order".<ref name="New Order" /> Hammond appears in the season 1 episode "Home" of ''Stargate Atlantis'' (although this was an illusion of Hammond created by telepathic aliens), and appears in seasons 8 through 10 of ''Stargate SG-1''. After Hammond appears in season 9's "The Fourth Horseman" in a civilian suit instead of a military uniform, Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter confirms Hammond's retired status in season 10's "The Road Not Taken" when meeting an alternate version of Hammond who remains in charge of the SGC.<ref name="The Road Not Taken" /> In his last appearance in the alternate timeline film ''Stargate: Continuum'', General Hammond acts as a military advisor to President Henry Hayes. Carter reports to Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard in the ''Stargate Atlantis'' Season 5 finale/series finale episode, "Enemy at the Gate" that Hammond recently died from a heart attack and that the ''Daedalus''-class ship ''Phoenix'' was renamed the ''George Hammond'' in his honor.<ref name=enemygate />
===Characterization and relationships=== According to ''Approaching The Possible'' by Jo Storm, the season 2 episode "1969" showed that Hammond climbed the military ladder "by being shrewd, intelligent, and [by being] possessed of a long vision" despite being a "spouted bottom-line pragmatis[t]".<ref name=approaching /> Don S. Davis described General Hammond as initially "hard-nosed and straight-ahead",<ref name=dvdprofile /> and later as seemingly "stern and straight-laced".<ref name=companion /> Recognizing the need to fulfill the role as a General, Davis still tried to "bring a few levels to him that show some understanding and that make him a little more likeable."<ref name=dvdprofile /> The welfare of the men and women under Hammond's command is paramount in the general's mind.<ref name=companion /> Besides knowing that people may not return from his sanctioned missions, General Hammond has to decide when to forgo rescue attempts to not put more lives in danger, even if he "always does so reluctantly and with regret".<ref name=tvzones46_30 /> As shown in "Chain Reaction", Hammond would rather leave the military quietly than risk the careers and lives of his staff and his family, "which must go against all his blustery Texas background".<ref name=approaching2 />
Davis appreciated Hammond's closeness to the SG-1 team and his willingness to compromise.<ref name=tvzones46_30 /> At the beginning of the series, Hammond does not accept the alien warrior Teal'c but comes to trust and respect him after realizing Teal'c's devotion to the Stargate Program.<ref name=tvzones46_30 /> Despite his admiration for Dr. Daniel Jackson's enthusiasm in the beginning, Hammond has a hard time understanding Daniel's unorthodox and non-military approach to problems until Hammond comes to realize the importance of a civilian viewpoint to SG-1's mission.<ref name=tvzones46_30 /> When the alien Jonas Quinn joins SG-1 in season 6, Davis compared Hammond's response to Jonas to his reaction to Teal'c in season 1. Although Hammond does not blame Jonas for Daniel's death in "Meridian", "the situation does make it difficult for [Hammond] to totally take the young man under his wing and embrace him like family as he has the rest of SG-1".<ref name=tvzones46_30 /> Davis named the NID as Hammond's only source of frustration, since they regularly outflank Hammond and SG-1. Hammond's only option is to call the President for support, but most cases end with SG-1 or Hammond breaking the rules to assure the survival of humanity, so "Hammond will do whatever he must to get things done".<ref name=tvzones55_56 />
==Conceptual history== Don S. Davis was a stand-in and stunt-double for Dana Elcar in ''MacGyver'', a 1985–1992 television series that starred Richard Dean Anderson (who also portrayed ''Stargate SG-1''{{'}}s lead character Jack O'Neill).<ref name=dvdprofile /> At the time, Davis had suffered burnout from teaching acting classes at the University of British Columbia for ten years, and later considered the work on ''MacGyver'' "a new lease on life".<ref name=tvzones55_56 /><ref name=gw_intimate1 /> When the producers cast ''Stargate SG-1'' in 1996, they asked Davis to read for the role of George Hammond and contracted him for multiple years. Davis considered General Hammond in the initial character breakdown as a two-dimensional by-the-book character and a mere foil for O'Neill, and was dissatisfied with the view of the pilot episode's director, Mario Azzopardi, who in particular wanted Hammond to be a military stereotype. Davis, who had served as an army Captain in Korea in the 1960s, felt that the character breakdown did not mirror the reality of military service, and he was reluctant to portray such a role for several years. The producers eventually allowed Davis to humanize the character during the run of the show.<ref name=gw_intimate1 />
The producers wrote season 4's "Chain Reaction" as "a bit of a Hammond episode"<ref name="gw_chat_jm" /> after they had not devoted an episode to Hammond during the first three seasons. The episode ended up "very different" from writer Joseph Mallozzi's original pitch, which he had envisioned as "a Hammond story in which the general faces a court martial after being implicated in the death of an off-world SG team leader".<ref name="gw_interview_jm1" /> When no more Hammond episodes were written in the following seasons, Davis cited ''Stargate SG-1''{{'}}s focus on the off-world adventures of the SG team, the military framework and the general's knowledge for why Hammond "can be nothing more than peripheral to that action."<ref name=departing />
After playing General Hammond for nearly 150 episodes in seven seasons, Don S. Davis decided to leave ''Stargate SG-1'' in late 2003. He had suffered from prolonged health problems and was grateful that the ''Stargate SG-1'' producers had previously continued his employment and had scheduled episodes around his surgeries.<ref name=gw_intimate2 /> Davis turned towards painting and sculpting, but continued to work in the film and television industry including the ''Stargate'' franchise, continuing to appear in every season of ''Stargate SG-1''.<ref name=gw_intimate1 /> Davis died from a heart attack at the age of 65 on June 29, 2008, shortly before the release of ''Stargate: Continuum'', his last on-screen appearance as General Hammond.<ref name=gw_death /> The ''Stargate'' producers closed the final ''Stargate Atlantis'' episode, "Enemy at the Gate", with a dedication card to Don S. Davis; the episode also mentions the off-screen passing of General Hammond, with Earth's newest ship being named in his honor.<ref name=enemygate /><ref name=levine />
==Reception== Jo Storm commended Don S. Davis in her book ''Approaching The Possible'' for "bring[ing] out his character's actions and motivations with the confidence and thoughtfulness that only a professional of many years can".<ref name=approaching /> In the ''Stargate SG-1'' pilot, Hammond "set[s] up things as advantageously as he can" and proved to be a "competent" and "believable" commander.<ref name=approaching /> Talking about Hammond in the season 2 time-travel episode "1969", Storm also credited actor Aaron Pearl, who had done "an amazing job as the younger George Hammond, right down to the slight head tilt and speech lilt".<ref name=approaching /> For his portrayal of Hammond, Don S. Davis was nominated for a 2004 Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male" for the season 7 episode "Heroes, Part 2".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2004/04/sixteenleonominationsforis.shtml |title=Sixteen Leo nominations for SG-1 |publisher=GateWorld |date=April 29, 2004 |access-date=2009-03-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021131122/http://www.gateworld.net/news/2004/04/sixteenleonominationsforis.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2012 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="Bloodlines">{{cite episode|title=Bloodlines|episode-link=Bloodlines (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Mario Azzopardi (director); Jeffrey F. King (writer)|network=Showtime|season=1|number=12}} * '''Bra'tac:''' "So this Hammond is..." / '''O'Neill:''' "Just a man. A very good, very bald man... from Texas."</ref> <ref name="Children of the Gods">{{cite episode|title=Children of the Gods|episode-link=Children of the Gods|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Mario Azzopardi (director); Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright (writers)|network=Showtime|season=1|number=1&2}} * '''Samuels:''' "I'm under orders to bring you to see General Hammond, sir." / '''O'Neill:''' "Never heard of him." / '''Samuels:''' "He replaced General West." * '''Hammond:''' "Me, I'm on my last tour. Time to start getting my thoughts together, maybe write a book."</ref> <ref name="ep1969">{{cite episode|title=1969|episode-link=1969 (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Charles Correll (director); Brad Wright (writer)|network=Showtime|season=2|number=21}} * '''O'Neill:''' "Thanks to one sparky young Lieutenant Hammond." and took over command of the inoperative SGC base as his supposed last assignment before retirement.</ref> <ref name="Chain Reaction">{{cite episode|title=Chain Reaction|episode-link=Chain Reaction (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Martin Wood (director); Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie (writers)|network=Showtime|season=4|number=15}} * '''Hammond:''' "When I took over this command, the Stargate was inactive. This was supposed to be a quick and easy assignment on my way to retiring." * '''Bauer:''' "My name is Major General Bauer. I'll be your new commanding officer."</ref> <ref name="Tin Man">{{cite episode|title=Tin Man|episode-link=Tin Man (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Jimmy Kaufman (director); Jeffrey F. King (writer)|network=Showtime|season=1|number=18}} * '''O'Neill''' (to Hammond): "Your wife died of cancer 4 years ago! [...] Your granddaughters' names are Tessa and Kayla!"</ref> <ref name=dvdprofile>{{cite video |people=Davis, Don. S |date=2001 |title=Profile On General Hammond | medium = DVD – Stargate SG-1: Season 1 Disc 3 |publisher=Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer}}</ref> <ref name="gw_interview_jm3">{{cite web|last=Sumner|first=Darren|url=https://www.gateworld.net/news/2002/12/joseph-mallozzi-live-chat-3/|title=Interviews: Joseph Mallozzi|publisher=GateWorld|date=December 7, 2002|access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref> <ref name="Lost City">{{cite episode|title=Lost City|episode-link=Lost City (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Martin Wood (director); Brad Wright & Robert C. Cooper (writers)|network=Sci-Fi Channel|season=7|number=21&22}} * '''Hammond:''' "I've been relieved of command. [...] The President has effectively shut down the SGC for a three month review process. [...] During which time a newly formed government department will take the place of Stargate Command. [...] / '''Teal'c:''' "How could this happen?" / '''Daniel:''' "Kinsey."/ '''Carter:''' "Who's replacing you, sir?" / '''Hammond:''' "Her name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir."</ref> <ref name="New Order">{{cite episode|title=New Order|episode-link=New Order (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Andy Mikita (director); Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie (writers)|network=Sci-Fi Channel|season=8|number=2}} * '''Weir:''' "No, General Hammond is being promoted. He'll be overseeing all things relating to Earth's defence on behalf of the Pentagon and Washington – the SGC, the 303 program, the Antarctic site. Unofficially, it's being called ''Homeworld Security''." * '''Weir:''' "So without further ado, it is with great pleasure I introduce you to your new Commanding Officer. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill."</ref> <ref name="The Road Not Taken">{{cite episode|title=The Road Not Taken|episode-link=The Road Not Taken (Stargate SG-1)|series=Stargate SG-1|series-link=Stargate SG-1|credits=Andy Mikita (director); Alan McCullough (writer)|network=Sci-Fi Channel|season=10|number=13}} * '''Carter:''' "The General Hammond I know is retired from active service."</ref> <ref name=enemygate>{{cite episode|title=Enemy at the Gate|episode-link=Enemy at the Gate (Stargate Atlantis)|series=Stargate Atlantis|series-link=Stargate Atlantis|credits=Andy Mikita (director); Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie (writers)|network=Sci-Fi Channel|season=5|number=20}} * '''Carter:''' "My next position is to take command of our new ''Daedalus'' class ship." / '''Sheppard:''' "The ''Phoenix''?" / '''Carter:''' "Actually we're renaming it the ''General Hammond''". / '''Sheppard:''' "Oh yeah, I heard about that. Sorry. It was kind of sudden." / '''Carter:''' "Heart attack. I was off-world at the time." / '''Sheppard:''' "He was a good man."</ref> <ref name=approaching>{{cite book|last=Storm|first=Jo|title=Approaching the Possible: The World of Stargate SG-1|publisher=ECW Press|location=Toronto, Canada|date=2005|page=204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T196lU-jXI8C|isbn=1-55022-705-X}}</ref> <ref name=companion>{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=Thomasina|title=Stargate SG-1: The Illustrated Companion Seasons 5 and 6|publisher=Titan Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-84023-606-4|pages=122–126|chapter=Recurring Characters|date=June 2003|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/stargatesg1illus00gibs/page/122}}</ref> <ref name=tvzones46_30>{{cite journal|last=Eramo|first=Steven|title=Don S. Davis - The Don - General Hammond|journal=TV Zone|issue=Special 46|pages=30–33|date=July 2002}}</ref> <ref name=approaching2>{{cite book|last=Storm|first=Jo|title=Approaching the Possible: The World of Stargate SG-1|publisher=ECW Press|location=Toronto, Canada|date=2005|page=289|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T196lU-jXI8C|isbn=1-55022-705-X}}</ref> <ref name=tvzones55_56>{{cite journal|last=Eramo|first=Steven|title=Don S.Davis - Fighting Fit|journal=TV Zone|issue=Special 55|pages=54–56|date=February 2004}}</ref> <ref name=gw_intimate1>{{cite web|last=Read|first=David|url=https://gateworld.net/news/2006/09/intimate-portrait-part-1/|title=Intimate Portrait: GateWorld talks with Don S. Davis (Part 1)|publisher=GateWorld|date=September 9, 2006|access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref> <ref name="gw_chat_jm">{{cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/001028_1.shtml |title=Joseph Mallozzi chat transcript |publisher=GateWorld |date=October 28, 2000 |access-date=2008-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021105202/http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/001028_1.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2012 }}</ref> <ref name="gw_interview_jm1">{{cite web|last=Sumner|first=Darren|url=https://gateworld.net/news/2002/05/qa-with-joseph-mallozzi-2/|title=Q&A with Joseph Mallozzi|publisher=GateWorld|date=May 14, 2002|access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref> <ref name=departing>{{cite web|url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/0312_actorwatch.shtml |title=Davis on departing Stargate |publisher=GateWorld, originally Sky One |date=December 1, 2003 |access-date=2008-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303003156/http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/0312_actorwatch.shtml |archive-date=March 3, 2007 }}</ref> <ref name=gw_intimate2>{{cite web|last=Read|first=David|url=https://gateworld.net/news/2006/09/intimate-portrait-part-2/|title=Intimate Portrait: GateWorld talks with Don S. Davis (Part 2)|publisher=GateWorld|date=September 10, 2006|access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref> <ref name=gw_death>{{cite web|last=Sumner|first=David|url=https://gateworld.net/news/2008/06/don-s-davis-1942-2008/|title=Don S. Davis: 1942-2008|publisher=GateWorld|date=June 30, 2008|access-date=2008-11-20}}</ref> <ref name=levine>{{cite web|last=Levine|first=Alex|url=http://blogs.scifi.com/stargate/archives/2009/01/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410042242/http://blogs.scifi.com/stargate/archives/2009/01/|title=Not the End|publisher=scifi.com|date=January 6, 2009|access-date=2009-01-07|archive-date=April 10, 2009|url-status=unfit}}</ref> }}
==External links== *[http://www.scifi.com/stargate/cast/hammond/index.html George Hammond] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325002343/http://www.scifi.com/stargate/cast/hammond/index.html |date=2009-03-25 }} at Syfy
{{Stargate}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, George}} Category:Fictional characters from Texas Category:Fictional Vietnam War veterans Category:Fictional Gulf War veterans Category:Fictional major generals Category:Fictional lieutenant generals Category:Fictional United States Air Force personnel Category:Stargate characters Category:Television characters introduced in 1997