Jess Harper + Whump (Part 2)

a few notes on jess and roany in "glory road" :

when i first watched this episode i was impressed by the rather intense and kind of strange storyline for jess, especially considering it was only the second episode of the series! andy calls it like he sees it - and he's right - jess is very afraid of roany, so much so that he is willing to leave Sherman ranch peaceably (rather than say, physically fight roany to get him to leave) i think its quite interesting that the show allows jess to be "afraid" so early on (or at all, honestly) considering that he is, ostensibly, a fairly macho gunslinger-figure, and this is a western tv show made in the fifties (there is a bit of the 1950s "sad-boy" type à la james dean about jess, so perhaps the writers were tapping into that style of on-screen masculinity?)

anyway, we quickly learn exactly why jess is so afraid of roany - he is a reckless tyrant, extremely emotionally unstable, and prone to brutally violent outbursts - the show literally compares him to a rabid animal, seemingly docile one moment and vicious the next

but it's the tone of roany's interactions with jess that really get under my skin...there's a layer of uncomfortableness there that suggests jess is afraid of more than plain old physical violence from roany...

for instance, the bar scene - why have the writers phrased roany's threat in such a way? "almost anything" what, exactly, would jess be willing to do for roany to repay his debt? perform violent acts for him? fight or kill a man? or perhaps something else entirely, as the writers (and jess' stricken expression) seems to be insinuating here - something completely unmentionable

but just in case all that subtext wasn't unsettling enough, later in the episode roany even goes into jess' hotel room in the middle of the night to threaten him some more! jess is literally in bed, vulnerable, being coerced into doing something he doesn't want to do - going beyond the textual reasons for roany's late-night visit, the sexual overtones of this scene are pretty obvious (and again, placing jess in such a vulnerable position so early in the show is such a wildly interesting choice, i would love to know what influenced the writers to go this direction with his character)

+bonus for @harper-sherman, jess looking longingly at slim (and his lips) in the first pic :)

#feral Jess Harper is my favourite kind

Obsessed with Jess Harper’s inability to hold eye contact. That man is Feral.

SlimJess + Assorted Text Posts (Part 12)

Little Joe Cartwright + His Dark Side

struggle city population Jess Harper pt 1000

Manhandling king slim sherman

@99point9percentwhump

“I’m what?”

If it meant saving his life, I’d be willing to be wrong all the time.

Little Joe Cartwright (Michael Landon) in every season of Bonanza (1959-1973).

s1:e23 - Duel at Alta Mesa

Thank you, @sportstudfan, for this GIF! When Jess is chasing the thief in Mexico, he ends up jumping from the balcony onto his horse to catch up with him.

And for those curious, yes, Robert Fuller actually did this stunt! I have confirmation from the man himself. 🤠

Laramie (1959-1963): S04E29 The Marshals