Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell (born 1970) is a fictional character on the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1, played by Ben Browder. His callsign is "Shaft", from camshaft, a pun on his first name.
History
Life before the SGC
Mitchell's father was a test pilot for the Air Force until an accident cost him both legs. Mitchell would admit years later that seeing his dad without legs for the first time scared him.[1] His father is later revealed to have recovered mobility with the aid of a pair of forearm crutches.
The episode "Bounty" reveals that Cameron graduated in 1987 from a high school in Auburn, Kansas, which is where his parents currently reside. The entrance sign into Auburn shows a population of 21,211, about 20 times the actual size. During high school, Cameron had a crush on one Amy Vanderburg, though he didn't admit it to her until their 20-year reunion, at which point they realized that the crush had been mutual. He sometimes mentions his Bible-thumping grandmother.
Cameron had a crisis of conscience several years before becoming a F-302 pilot. During a sortie, Mitchell, when he was captain, piloting an F-16 Fighting Falcon, was ordered to fire upon a convoy of vehicles believed to be carrying enemy fighters. However, almost immediately after he dropped his payload he was ordered not to fire, because it was determined that the convoy was actually refugees fleeing to safety. His bomb found its mark. Even though he was absolved of any wrongdoing, having received direct orders to fire and assured to the validity of the target, he was still wracked with guilt and almost resigned.
F-302 Pilot
Mitchell led the squadron of F-302 fighters in the battle against Anubis' forces in Antarctica at the end of Season 7. He was shot down and suffered damage to what was likely his spine, as he was told he would be unlikely to walk again. (It should be noted that Cameron's role in these events were not shown until Ben Browder joined the cast in season 9.) However, Mitchell pushed himself to his limits, and was able to walk again. He was then able to use his experience of enduring pain in his duel with the knight.[2]He was promised any assignment he wanted should he recover, and chose to take a place on SG-1. He read and memorized every one of their missions reports. In Season 9 Mitchell is assigned as SG-1's new commanding officer.
SGC and SG-1
Upon making his entry at the SGC he is upset to learn that the rest of SG-1 has moved on. After several valiant tries, he concludes he is "not gonna get the band back together".
When Mitchell leads Dr. Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, and a reluctant Teal'c on a quest to gain knowledge and riches, they find an Ancient Communication Device, buried in an Arthurian tomb – complete with holo-Merlin.
Subsequently, when Daniel and Vala inadvertently alert the Ori—ascended beings—to the presence of humans in the Milky Way, Mitchell's prospects looked a little less dim. With such a dangerous new enemy both Daniel and Sam were eager to return to the front line. After a botched attempt to capture Ba'al, it became clear that Teal'c had fallen into disfavor with the Jaffa High Council. This binds him more strongly to the Tau'ri, ensuring both his return to the SGC's flagship team and Mitchell's satisfaction. With SG-1 reunited under his command, Mitchell proudly proclaimed that he had finally "gotten the band back together."
It is unknown whether the Chinese Mitchell used while Jackson was conversing with Chinese IOA delegate Dr. Chen Xiaoyi is indicative of an actual knowledge of Chinese or simply a word he picked up. The phrase used ("Qu ni de") roughly translates as "Screw you".
Trivia
- More often than not, it seems that Mitchell prefers to use a G36K assault rifle instead of the team's normal P90 submachine gun.
- In the 200th episode of Stargate SG1, Mitchell is joked to have been fathered by Gen. Jack O'Neill. When Carter and Jackson explained the story of how they travelled back in time to 1969 (in the SG1 episode of the same name), Cameron replied that it had nothing to do with him since he was born a year later. They then remarked that it was the 60's and that Jack has taken quite an interest in the otherwise unremarkable boy. (Mitchell's reaction--"Wait a minute, am I being Punk'd here?")
References
- ^ "Collateral Damage". Stargate SG-1.
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External links
- Character description from GateWorld. Visited May 14, 2006.
- Character biography from StargateWiki. Visited May 14, 2006.
- Shaft – The Cam Mitchell Fansite A German Cam Mitchell Fansite, with lots of Screencaps, Wallpapers, Icons and more.