Posts : 1804 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 62 Location : Northern California
Subject: What would Lom do? Thu Jan 15, 2015 3:42 pm
What would Lom do if the governor said "enough's enough - time to arrest Heyes and Curry and put them in prison where they belong." Would he do it?
_________________ h "Do you ever get the feeling that nothing right is ever going to happen to us again?" - Kid Curry
stormr
Posts : 101 Join date : 2012-04-22 Location : USA
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:54 am
Knowing everything the boys had done in good faith, I don't think he would arrest them. I think he would tell them to run - go to Mexico. Then he would tell the Governor he didn't know where they were.
Kattayl likes this post
BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:25 pm
I agree with storm, which is why I think the governor would never have this discussion with Lom in the first place. Why would he want to place a well-respected lawman in this predicament? If the governor really felt it was time to arrest Heyes and Curry why would he tell a friend of theirs knowing there would be an excellent chance the friend would warn them? Why not simply ask Lom to deliver a message to them, and then have Lom shadowed by other lawmen. Tell those lawmen to wait until Lom has left Heyes and Curry, and then arrest them.
_________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn
Calico
Posts : 873 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 59 Location : Birmingham
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Sat Jan 17, 2015 1:37 am
Oooh oohh Bunny alert
Suppose the governor WANTED the boys to give up and go to South America He can't grant amnesty for political reasons But he knows a lot of mud will fly if he arrests them as the amnesty offer story will come out He's under a lot of pressure to arrest them from some massed big wigs He thinks - lightbulb - I'll give the order to Lom, he'll warn 'em - but not say so - so I can take my oath I'm in clear Lom DOES warn 'em Heyes works out the convoluted motives Boys don't run Get arrested = but are going to sell their story (or Clem is gonna sell it for them) So Governor has to arrange a jail break And - the deal is where it always was 'Call that a good deal'
Oohhh . Mulls.
stormr
Posts : 101 Join date : 2012-04-22 Location : USA
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:50 am
Oooo - you conspiracy theorist (sort of)! I like that Calico and can't wait to read your story all about it!
WichitaRed Moderator
Posts : 522 Join date : 2012-12-07 Location : Wichita
Subject: WWLD Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:50 am
I too do not believe Lom would arrest them. They have done too much helping out the governor with odd jobs to friends and have proven themselves to be honestly trying to be good.
However, if this came to pass...I reckon Heyes should go ahead and pull Big Jim's Denver Mint job. If 'n the boys have to go live in South America, well, do it with style and go out with style.
_________________ Wichita Red, "I'm not really a rebel, but I take chances. I have a good time, and I live life the way I want to live it."
InsideOutlaw
Posts : 882 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 68 Location : Colorado
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:29 am
I think Lom would react badly to the governor's order. After all, he put his own friendship with the boys on the line by acting as the go-between. IMHO, he would be torn between duty to the law and loyalty to his ex-gang leaders. Perhaps he would do something sneaky and clever, like going through the motions of carrying out the governor's plan, but casually blabbing the plan to the right 'chatty' person who might let it slip out (Harker) and alert the press.
_________________ *****************
"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature." —Dave Barry
Penski Moderator
Posts : 1804 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 62 Location : Northern California
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Sun Jul 05, 2020 7:53 pm
I find it interesting how my Letter of the Law challenge brought up discussions about Lom. Would Lom arrest them?
In this challenge, I had Lom mad when he received the telegram from the sheriff saying Heyes and Curry robbed his bank. Everyone knew it was Heyes - only he has successfully opened a P&H '78. Lom felt betrayed by the boys. He stuck his neck out for them asking for amnesty and playing the go between. And this is how they repay him? He's determined to bring them in. His first reaction when he sees them is to arrest them, after all, they went against their amnesty agreement.
He's cautious around them, but he's willing to hear their side of the story that seems pretty one-sided. Notice how he takes their guns, but doesn't tie them up or use handcuffs? Because Heyes actually broke his amnesty agreement by robbing a bank, Lom realizes they need to go to the governor and tell their side of the story to salvage any agreement.
Personally, I see Lom as someone who tried his hand at outlawing, but wasn't cut out for it. Heyes encourages him to leave and go straight. The boys later admire that he was able to turn his life around - something they both want to do. I see Lom as one who hopes they can abide by the amnesty agreement and get it, but not sure they'll be able to. I think the season 3 Lom is off character from the other times we've seen Lom. I'm kinda surprised Roy Huggins went in that direction.
_________________ h "Do you ever get the feeling that nothing right is ever going to happen to us again?" - Kid Curry
Gan Ainm
Posts : 13 Join date : 2020-06-26 Age : 55 Location : Scotland
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:06 am
I guess, I have a somewhat more negative opinion of Lom. I don't see him as a true friend of the boys. More a former acquaintance, a former colleague of sorts. The only one they could think of who might be in a position to act as go-between with the Governor for them. I base this opinion on how they don't trust him in the pilot not to arrest them on sight. Kid needs to sneak in the back, and good thing he did, for Lom's first instinct was to try and arrest Heyes. The boys have to sort of blackmail him into going to the Governor. Lom clearly does not trust them - otherwise he would not have instructed Harker to put "the transients" in jail. I don't think this ever changes fundamentally. He may hope they have changed, but he is never certain. Once they have roped him into sticking out his neck for them at the Governor's, he is caught up in the situation and cannot gracefully back out again. The next encounter, during the diamond con, shows how much he is willing to believe the worst of them. The boys had some convincing to do to not get arrested. Later, at Diablo Station, part of the reason they decide they have to try and save Lom is that they need him as their go-between. It is not only for friendship. I think Lom is put into a difficult position by our boys as the go-between with the Governor. I could imagine he would come to resent the extra stress they have brought to his quiet, cushy job. Getting pressured into repeatedly having to go to the Governor to speak for them, bringing himself to the attention of the highest Wyoming official, possibly annoying him and thus maybe even bringing ill will down on himself. Fearing every time their names get mentioned with regards to some crime that they are guilty and how it will reflect on him. Having to stick out his neck on occasion, when he is called in as a reference for Smith and Jones; helping the boys out of sticky situations without obstructing the law. Due to the situations the boys keep finding themselves in, he continuously gets forced to straddle the thin line between right and wrong, sort out what is lawful and what is just,... I could imagine, the longer the quest goes on, the more resentful Lom becomes. Resentful of both the Governor and "Smith & Jones". Therefore, I don't see his portrayal in the third season as out of character, more of a logical progression.
It's an interesting question what he would do if the Governor ordered him to arrest the boys. I agree that the Governor would probably not order him to, unless he wanted to get rid of Lom (and his annoying reminder of the amnesty agreement) and hoped Lom would refuse or botch the job (thus giving the authorities an excuse to dismiss or even arrest him). But if Lom was ordered, I think he would do it. Not gladly, probably feeling really bad about it. But I see him as a lawman first, a lawman who might still feel he has to prove himself because he started out on the other side and can't afford to be seen to waver, a lawman who has too much to lose. I think it would also depend on the circumstances. If it looked like they had slipped back into their old ways, he would feel betrayed and come down like a ton of bricks on them. I think if the Governor truly wanted to have the boys arrested, he might use Lom to lure them (unknowingly) into a trap and then use other sheriffs or marshals for the actual arrest. In this scenario, I would imagine that Lom would protest, probably be quite mad about having been used, but I doubt he would fight and try to help the boys get away.
I really cannot understand where some fanfiction authors get the idea that Lom is a close friend or that the boys would feel safe staying with him for any period of time.
_________________ I can resist everything, except temptation - Oscar Wilde
EleanorW
Posts : 64 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 101 Location : UK
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Wed Aug 12, 2020 2:31 pm
I haven't posted on here in a while, so just doing a spot of catching up.
I agree with Storm. I think he would tip them off and give them chance to leave the country and then tell the Governor he'd lost track of them.
Posts : 179 Join date : 2020-06-29 Age : 49 Location : United Kingdom
Subject: Re: What would Lom do? Fri Aug 14, 2020 2:33 pm
I don't think the boys and Lom are really that close. I think fanfiction has them closer, because it's easier than writing in an original character. I think if it were a case of his career vs the boys, his career would win every time. He is more than capable of arresting them, but I see him doing something similar to Norrington in POTC. Giving them a head start to get the hell outta dodge. I mean in the pilot he was part of the posse tracking them. He had to be basically blackmailed to help them, very easily believes the worst of them. I think S3 is a realistic depiction of how he'd find the boys useful. The boys and he are in a relationship of convenience or necessity, not real friendship least IMHO.