#james wilder

[drinksattheendoftheworld]

State Park (1988, dir. Rafal Zielinski)

[gettyarchive]

[notforemmetophobes]

The Outer Limits (TV Series) - S2/E11 ’The Refuge’ (1996) M. Emmet Walsh as Sanford Vallé

[photoset #4 of 4]

[ogsherlockholmes]

15th October

The Priory School is complicated, because it can be argued that there are three antagonists in it, or one main one and two sidekicks. 

The man that I’m naming the ringleader is another J villain, James Wilder. Then we have ‘the brawn’, Reuben Hayes, and the bystander who didn’t really do anything illegal but I personally dislike, Lord Holdernesse.

Wilder is Holdernesse’s illegitimate son, and worked as his father’s secretary. He wanted to be heir to his father’s fortunes, but Lord Saltire, Holdernesse’s other son, was instead. So, Wilder wanted little Saltire to go. He planned to use Saltire’s parents ‘complicated’ relationship (i.e his mother hated his father so much so moved to France) and sent a message to Saltire asking him to go to the woods so he could be taken to his mother. 

Even in the nineteenth century there were cautionary tales about kids talking to strangers and being naive enough to actually go and meet them. (Though in fairness Wilder was pretending to be Saltire’s mother). 

Saltire went into the woods and was found by Reuben Hayes. 

Bit of background on this guy, he had nothing actually against Saltire or Holdernesse, but he became friends with Wilder and was asked to steal Saltire for money. As Holdernesse puts it: ‘The fellow was a rascal from the beginning; but in some extraordinary way James became intimate with him. He had always a taste for low company.’ I mean, everyone has their preferences I guess. Hayes is a general shitty person, and he doesn’t treat his wife well either, so we can agree that we don’t like him. He’s only in this whole situation for fun, essentially. 

Hayes kidnaps Saltire and hides him in his pub. In doing so, he ends up killing an unfortunate teacher who tried to help Saltire. Again, Hayes has no actual reason for doing this, other than he wants to. 

Wilder had no idea about the murder, so when he finds out, he confesses to Holdernesse. Not after, of course, he used Saltire’s kidnap as ransom for Holdernesse to make him his heir. Things can’t really work like that (no Holmes antagonist thinks everything through, they’d fall over if they had that many thoughts) so it doesn’t really go to plan. 

Hayes eventually gets arrested, but Holdernesse tries hard to cover up everything Wilder did when Sherlock confronts him. Holdernesse says his other son is still at the pub with Hayes’ wife, which Sherlock is very disgusted by, and good reason to: Wilder seems to be getting away with everything. Favourtism, much. If you need more proof, this is how Holdernesse talks about his sons to Sherlock and how he victimises Wilder. 

James was seized with horror at the news... James was so overwhelmed with grief and agitation that my suspicions, which had never been entirely absent, rose instantly to a certainty, and I taxed him with the deed. He made a complete voluntary confession. Then he implored me to keep his secret for three days longer, so as to give his wretched accomplice a chance of saving his guilty life. I yielded—as I have always yielded—to his prayers... I hurried off to see my dear Arthur. I found him safe and well... In deference to my promise, and much against my will, I consented to leave him there for three days under the charge of Mrs. Hayes, since it was evident that it was impossible to inform the police where he was without telling them also who was the murderer, and I could not see how that murderer could be punished without ruin to my unfortunate James.

So... your son kidnaps your other son, but you don’t want to punish him and actually help him escape, then you leave your kidnapped son for three days with a stranger?

Sherlock agrees. 

“This is indeed a most serious matter. Even more culpable in my opinion, your Grace, is your attitude towards your younger son. You leave him in this den for three days.” “Under solemn promises—”  “What are promises to such people as these? You have no guarantee that he will not be spirited away again. To humour your guilty elder son you have exposed your innocent younger son to imminent and unnecessary danger. It was a most unjustifiable action.”

Wilder was off the hook, and in Australia to ‘find his fortune’. I’m not sure if they were still doing this at this time, but in Victorian England, they used to send criminals to Australia since the prisons were too full. This might be a stretch, but ACD could have been suggesting that Wilder was still vulnerable to being held accountable? 

On Hayes, Sherlock says: ‘As to Hayes I say nothing. The gallows awaits him, and I would do nothing to save him from it. What he will divulge I cannot tell, but I have no doubt that your Grace could make him understand that it is to his interest to be silent. From the police point of view he will have kidnapped the boy for the purpose of ransom. If they do not themselves find it out I see no reason why I should prompt them to take a broader point of view.’

[comicbookcovers]

Planetary #4, July 1999, Pencils/Inks: John Cassaday, Colours: Laura Depuy

[soldierheartcd]

[notforemmetophobes]

The Outer Limits (TV Series) - S2/E11 ’The Refuge’ (1996) M. Emmet Walsh as Sanford Vallé

[photoset #2 of 4]

[oppaiokudasai]

A Movie A Day #273: Zombie High (1987, directed by Ron Link) Andrea (Virginia Madsen) is a small town teenager who has just received a scholarship to attend the Ettinger Academy, a formelyr all-male boarding school.