Hank Landry

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Maj. Gen. Hank Landry

Summary

Hank Landry is a career military officer in the United States Air Force and the current commanding officer of Stargate Command. Divorced after twelve years of marriage, he has one daughter, Carolyn Lam.

Updated to the end of Season Ten.

Hank: A Visual History

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Comprehensive Character Biography

Little is known about Landry's early life, though he mentions having a grandmother with strong religious convictions (9.03 "Origin Part 3"). He was a "big boy" in his youth, and is still extremely sensitive when anyone makes "fat jokes" within his hearing (10.05 "Uninvited"). A career military man, Landry toured in Vietnam. He was flying air support out of Bien Hoa. On one occasion, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft artillery in the left engine and he had to eject. He ended up landing somewhere near the Laotian border, well north of the DMZ and injured his knee severely. "I was lost, bleeding badly, no food, no radio. Half a battalion of North Vietnamese regulars were combing the jungle looking for me." They tracked him day and night for eight days before he finally reached safety. Ever since that experience of being the hunted, he has had no desire to engage in hunting as a sporting activity.

Around this period (based on the age of his daughter), he married a woman, Kim Lam. They had one child, Carolyn. After twelve years of marriage, Hank and Kim divorced (10.18 "Family Ties"). The divorce was apparently acrimonious, and Carolyn held a great deal of resentment towards her father for putting work above family all her life. Her animosity was palpable when when she became Chief Medical Officer at the SGC under him (9.01 "Avalon Part 1").

After the divorce, Landry remained in the Air Force, rising through the ranks until reaching Major General. During some point in his career, he established a relationship with Jack O'Neill. Landry visited Jack's cabin with him at least once, when a black bear invaded the kitchen (10.05 "Uninvited"). Jack felt comfortable to allow Hank to use his cabin in his absence along with the new incarnation of SG-1, including probationary SGC member Vala Mal Doran. Jack O'Neill hand-picked Hank Landry to be his successor as head of Stargate Command, and later visited him at his home where the two played chess (9.01 "Avalon Part 1").

Hank Landry was astonished when Gen. Jack O'Neill came to Hank's home and revealed the existence of the Stargate program to him, and further asked him to become Jack's replacement as commander of the SGC while Gen. O'Neill was promoted and sent to Washington, D.C. (9.01 "Avalon Part 1"). Hank accepted. Although still getting used to dealing with aliens and alien technology and the well oiled machine of the SGC personnel, Hank rose to the challenge.

As leader of the SGC, Hank has had first-hand experience in the perils of leading a front-line intergalactic facility. He has encountered alternate dimensions and alternate realities (9.18 "Arthur's Mantle", 10.05 "Uninvited", and 9.13 "Ripple Effect"). He appeared amused when Samantha Carter returned from an alternate universe to report he was President of the United States there (10.16 "Bad Guys"). He has experienced foothold situation when Ba'al clones escaped custody (10.04 "Insiders"). Off-world, he was driven to first-hand contact with a Prior and exposed to the plague ravaging Earth (9.11 "The Fourth Horseman Part 2"). Only through the intercession of Gerak were he and others saved. He has dealt with intergalactic crises in the Pegasus Galaxy (Stargate Atlantis), and the loss of Earth's interstellar vessels Korolev and Prometheus (10.01 "Flesh and Blood", 9.14 "Ethon").

A Different Kind of Commander

Landry has a very dry sense of humor and a no-nonsense commanding style. Landry tends to become extremely gruff and demanding of his subordinates, to throw them off their game and test them; his technique of "yelling at people" was difficult at the SGC because as he pointed out to Lt. Col. Mitchell, everyone was so good at their jobs (9.01 "Avalon Part 1"). He has appeared impatient during long winded technical explanations of Dr. Daniel Jackson (9.01 "Avalon Part 1", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2"), Lt. Col. Samantha Carter (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1", 9.13 "Ripple Effect") and Bill Lee (9.17 "The Scourge", SGA 3.11 "The Return Part 2"). However, he has also appeared to absorb the knowledge they give and to respect their advice, such as when he had already accepted Daniel Jackson's arguments to explore the Ancient technology from Avalon more, or demanded Jack send Lt. Col. Carter back to the SGC to help them (9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.06 "Beachhead").

Despite his at times seemingly callous approach, Landry appears to genuinely care for the people under his command. His concern takes the form of barking impatient anger, such as when Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran were under the control of the Ancient Communication Device (9.03 "Origin") or when Cameron Mitchell was accused of murdering a native on another planet (9.12 "Collateral Damage"). Later, he was no-nonsense and interrogated the imprisoned Goa'uld Nerus directly when SG-1 went missing and Stargates started disappearing throughout the galaxy (9.16 "Off the Grid"). He was extremely frustrated and worried at the loss of the Odyssey and her crew when they were hijacked by the Lucian Alliance (10.09 "Company of Thieves").

Carolyn was visibly concerned for her father when he was working himself to exhaustion while worried about so many of the SGC personnel taken by the plague (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1"). When Teal'c was kidnapped, he ordered several teams on a difficult rescue mission because Teal'c was "family", and they don't forsake family (9.14 "Stronghold"). However, he gave Cameron Mitchell leave to be with a dying friend and not be part of the mission, and even pulled strings to allow Col. Mitchell access to the Galaran Memory Device (9.14 "Stronghold").

Although he will do whatever he can for his people, Landry is a military man, and as such will follow orders, even those he finds distasteful. He went to Washington, D.C. under Jack O'Neill's orders to appeal directly to the head of the Senate Appropriations Committee (9.04 "The Ties That Bind"). He disagreed with the IOA's meddling in the Khalek situation, but for a long time, followed their counsel (9.09 "Prototype"). He was quick to enact the protocol to stop the R-75 Prior Bug from escaping the Gamma Site after the last reports showed they had overtaken the base, though he appeared very concerned for the fate of all those there (9.17 "The Scourge"). He allowed Martin Lloyd into the SGC and access to SG-1 under the Pentagon's (and Jack O'Neill's) orders it would provide plausible deniability to the program (10.06 "200").

This does not mean Landry neglects his principles. Eventually he took the safety of the base as paramount and refused the IOA advice and if necessary their funds in order to remove Khalek (9.09 "Prototype"). Although moved by Dr. Janet Fraiser's speech, Landry still held the concerns of this universe paramount to others, including Dr. Fraiser's alternate, as well as concern to prevent teams from more universes from seeping through (9.13 "Ripple Effect"). Even in minor things, he tried to get SG-1 out of producer Martin Lloyd's clutches a few minutes after the meeting began, but their escape was foiled by a non-working Stargate (10.06 "200"). He vehemently voiced his opposition to Mr. Woolsey's recommendation to execute Daniel Jackson when he was retaken from the Ori and appeared a Prior, and later worked with Jack O'Neill to convince Woolsey to take other measures (10.14 "The Shroud"). When ordered from above to play ball with Ark'ad, and to prevent Teal'c from taking action against the suspected terrorist, Landry followed the letter of the orders and ordered SG-1 and another team to stop Teal'c by whatever means necessary (10.17 "Talion"). Later, Hank turned a blind eye to the suspicious mission report SG-1 turned in when they returned with Ark'ad dead and Teal'c critically injured, though he noted the report might be tough for the IOA to swallow.

In negotiations, General Landry tends to like to deal directly with the leaders of other groups, both of his allies and his enemies. When Teal'c described the newly elected leader of the Free Jaffa Nation, Hank asked him to set up a meeting (9.03 "Origin"). He met with Gerak and tried to bond with the Jaffa by exchanging stories and quotes. He dealt directly with the Goa'uld Nerus when Nerus arrived with intelligence regarding the Ori, although he did not trust the gluttonous Goa'uld (9.06 "Beachhead"). When Earth was threatened by a pandemic plague, Landry went offworld to directly confront the captured Prior who had started it (9.11 "The Fourth Horseman Part 2"). Planning ahead, he discussed options with the descended Ancient Orlin, who accompanied him to P9G-844. When Russia tried to blackmail the US and SGC regarding the lease of the Stargate program, Gen. Landry directly dealt with Col. Chekov with a no-nonsense approach (9.19 "Crusade"). After Gerak's death and relationships were once again tenuous between the Free Jaffa Nation and Earth, General Landry requested Bra'tac set up a meeting with the new leader to try and reestablish diplomatic relations (10.07 "Counterstrike"). When Odyssey was hijacked by members of the Lucian Alliance, Landry ordered word be sent out that he wanted to speak directly to the leader of the Lucian Alliance about this criminal act (10.09 "Company of Thieves"). He also met face to face with the charismatic and duplicitous Jaffa leader Ark'ad (10.17 "Talion"). Finally, when the Asgard requested an urgent and important summit on Orilla, General Landry commanded the Odyssey on its voyage to the Asgard homeworld (10.20 "Unending").

Carolyn Lam

A career officer, Landry spent most of his time away from home, which put a strain on his personal life. He eventually divorced after twelve years of marriage and was estranged from his daughter Carolyn (10.18 "Family Ties", 9.01 "Avalon Part 1" et seq.). Based upon how he often spoke about his "daughter", it appears Carolyn is Landry's only child.

Carolyn considered her father an absentee figure in her life, and was very resentful when she belatedly discovered her superior in her new position of Chief Medical Officer of the SGC was her father (9.01 "Avalon Part 1"). Hank however tried to take advantage of this new contact with Carolyn to reestablish relations, and they began to grow closer. He surprised her by showing his obvious pride and confidence in her abilities when she went with a hazmat team to help the population of P8X-412 with an unknown disease (9.05 "The Powers That Be"). Later during that mission, he teased her in his dry way as a way of raising her morale by saying "hey, you wanted to be a doctor." (9.05 "The Powers That Be"). Later, when Landry's spirits were low from dealing with command of the base during the pandemic on Earth, Lam echoed her father's teasing by noting "he wanted to be a general;" he smiled in response (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1").

When Carolyn almost lost her father to the pandemic plague, she tearily confessed she now understood the difficulties he had faced in juggling work and family now that she could not confide to her mother the true nature of the plague or even her father's condition (9.11 "The Fourth Horseman Part 2"). After Landry's brush with death, all acrimony between he and Carolyn had apparently ceased.

Eventually, Hank approached Carolyn to seek her advice as the best way to reestablish contact with his ex-wife, Kim (10.18 "Family Ties"). At this time, they had not spoken in over five years. Though surprised, Carolyn was willing to provide counsel and even set up a meeting between the pair. Hank was noticeably nervous at meeting Kim Lam again, and obviously still had affection for her by his expressions during their reunion.

Hobbies and Expressions

Landry enjoys playing chess and has spent time playing with General Jack O'Neill (9.01 "Avalon Part 1"). Because of his experience being hunted by the enemy in the Vietnam conflict, Landry had never enjoyed hunting wildlife as a hobby, at least not with a weapon (10.05 "Uninvited"). Instead, Landry is an avid bird watcher and enjoyed spending his time doing that while at Jack O'Neill's cabin. He also joined SG-1 in playing poker while the team was with him at O'Neill's cabin (10.05 "Uninvited"). He also enjoys gardening and has quite the green thumb when he has the time to devote to it (10.20 "Unending").

Landry has a large black dog, possibly a Labrador, and his home in Colorado Springs is very rustic (9.01 "Avalon Part 1").

Landry is a student of military history and enjoys quoting great military minds (9.01 "Avalon Part 1", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", etc.). He also apparently enjoys watching Dr. Phil, and will quote him on occasion as well (10.07 "Counterstrike").

Landry enjoys drinking coffee, and while off-duty, beer (9.01 "Avalon Part 1", 10.05 "Uninvited").

Written by Aurora Novarum.

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--Michelle 20:08, 18 April 2007 (PDT)

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