John Smith - Tumblr Posts

s1e8 - General Delivery

Jess seems a little bit distracted by those lips of Slim's...and can you blame him? Slim is gorgeous!

s1:e9 - The Run to Tumavaca

JH - "Aren't you getting tired of getting me out of scrapes?"

SS - "Good ranch hands are hard to come by. Besides, you promised Andy you'd come back."

Andy's face in the first screenshot cracks me up, he knows they're in trouble for skipping chores.

Not me trying to go through all of John Smith's works 😭

What The Fuck Did I Just Watch For You: a memoir by a fan of actors with terrible filmographies

s1:e10 - The General Must Die

This episode doesn't have many Slim & Jess moments until towards the end, because Jess is away on ranch business when the family is taken hostage. But thankfully he does show up in time, just a little worse for wear.

SPOILER BELOW??? (the show is 60 years old, for Christ's sake)

I'm crazy about the look Jess gives Slim as they're being walked into the side yard to be executed. He's looking to Slim for a sign of a plan, but you can also see he's wondering if this is really going to be the end of the road for them. Honestly, the body language between all three of them is really good. Andy looking to his hero Jess, Jess looking to Slim as the leader, Slim looking ahead stoically to not betray his emotions... 🥺❤️💙

s1:e11 - Dark Verdict

Ok @otterfire & @bird-lord1993, this one's for you!!!

There is so much that can be said about this episode. It's a hard-hitting look at a miscarriage of justice. Slim and Jess both have a very strong moral compass but how they choose to exercise their convictions could not be more opposite. Jess is ready again and again in this episode to fight and even kill to save Mac and later avenge his murder. Slim's belief in law and order unfortunately fails him twice, as Mac is hung by the false "court" and then the same murderers walk away with a Not Guilty verdict.

This episode also does really well to develop the relationship between Slim and Jess. Slim doesn't know Mac but can see how strongly Jess feels about him and backs him up without question. He's there through all of Jess' grief, allowing Jess to shout at him for not saving Mac, and then following Jess to the saloon to prevent him from making any rash decisions. Even after Jess punches Slim to stop him from following him to Judge Hedrick's house, Slim trails after him. And finally at the end, Slim tells Jess to come home after Jess tries leaving due to the trouble he's caused.

In conclusion: I love them, Your Honor. ❤️💙

s1:e12 - Man of God

There aren't a lot of good Slim and Jess scenes from this episode because it focuses more on the family interacting with Father Elliot and then Jess going alone to help him. But I was able to get a few nice family shots, as well as a good look at Jess' assets...

s1:e13 - Bare Knuckles

The actual synopsis of this episode is unimportant, as I choose to sum it up as "Slim and Jess go on a date to see a boxing match."

Although, it's thanks to Jonesy going off to earn the mortgage money that we get to see Jess mending one of Andy's shirts, which is cute.

And Slim gets to do some boxing of his own later in the episode!

s1:e14 - The Lonesome Gun

This episode centers around Jonesy and Slim because a former friend of Slim's father intends on killing Slim as revenge, and Jonesy does his best (in his comically misguided ways) to prevent it. As a result, we get a lot of Jess present but mainly lounging around listening, and looking way too fine in the process. This includes watching Jess indulge his oral fixation via a matchstick, which is quite the scene-stealer.

Weird the way he just pushes his head down like that. I made this with Gif Brewery 3

Slim's got a little mean streak, hasn't he? 😂

s1:e15 - Night of the Quiet Man

This episode is woefully short on Slim/Jess moments, but it does have a few nice scenes of them together. Slim stays behind while Jess goes on a cattle drive, and it's apparent that they're not looking forward to the separation. I get the sense that they would've said more to each other if they had not been in mixed company.

SS - "Jess? Wish I was going with ya." JH - "Yeah, so do I. But, somebody's gotta stay here and take care of the dull routine!"

Later, Jess comes back through the relay station on his way to town with the earnings, and they're clearly excited to see each other, no matter how brief. Unfortunately, the team is ambushed and the money is stolen. Jess' horse comes home without him, blood on the pommel of his saddle, and Slim rides out to find Jess injured on the side of the road. Of course Jess is OK, but it's a very tense scene as Slim encounters him face-down, not knowing if Jess is alive or not.

s1:e16 - The Pass

Hey pards, it's been a minute! Hope you're all doing well. Anyway, jumping right into this episode:

Wyoming Territory is right in the middle of a Sioux-Cheyenne war in this one, so Jonesy and Andy are sent off to safety while Slim and Jess aid the Army. Jess falls quickly back into old military mannerisms in front of the Major, which Slim ribs him pretty ruthlessly for.

SS - "Say, you make a pretty good soldier boy. Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir!"

JH - "What did you want me to do, tell him to go find Custer himself?"

SS - "Now you're talking about my kind of Army! You know, it looks like they were holding off the war, just waiting for Jess Harper to get here."

JH - "Naturally! One thing worries me though, Slim. What's the Army gonna do with you now?"

SS - "Well there's one thing sure, they're not gonna make a cook out of me. The cavalry's got trouble enough."

Of course, this lighthearted exchange probably serves to hide Slim's concern for Jess as they are forced to part ways.

Later on, their units cross paths, and the two of them have eyes only for each other, even in the presence of Col. Custer. We get another fun exchange before they separate. (I know the screenshots are somewhat similar, but these two just would not stop staring at each other!)

And finally at the end of the episode, when everyone is back home, they're discussing the recent events of the battle, including a young woman who was killed during the mission. I detect a hint of jealousy in Jess' expression when he says, "I heard about the girl, Slim. What was she like?". However, the episode ends on a light note when the boys head outside to look at some stock Jonesy purchased. And for just a brief moment, Jess lands his hand on Slim's hip as they walk out the door. ❤️💙

s1:e17 - Trail Drive

There's not a lot for me to say about this episode...it centers around a trail drive that Slim, Jess, and Jonesy undertake when they fall on hard times during a drought. Of course, like in many episodes things aren't as straightforward as they seem, but you'll just have to watch to see what I mean.

Anyway, enjoy some shots of Slim and Jess looking cute together!

s1:e18 - Day of Vengeance

In this episode, Jess is a sheriff's deputy for a prisoner transport. When the stage Jess is riding doesn't show up in Laramie, Slim goes to find it/Jess (of course) and gets shot by a bandito (of course). I'm not a huge fan of this episode because it focuses more on the relationships of other characters, and Slim and Jess are barely together in it. However, honorable mention goes to the cutest calf on the ranch, and the guys standing closer to each other than necessary for the end scene.

s1:e19 - The Legend of Lily

Ok, so I had forgotten until I re-watched it just how fun this episode is. Buckle up, because this is going to be a deep dive!

Laramie is buzzing over the impending visit of entertainer Lily Langford, especially Jonesy, who met her years before and is obviously still smitten. Even Jess is literally leaning out of the saddle to look at the poster of her (check the expression on Slim's face at that!). Jess walks over to take another look, and we get an excellent bit of dialogue between him and Lily's promoter/husband Ben Carson after Jess turns down a ticket.

Carson - "'Scuse me, for a minute I thought I was talking to a man. I can see now you're just a buffalo, strayed from your herd." JH - "Mister, have you ever been stomped on by a buffalo?"

This won't be the first time that Jess butts heads with Carson (more on that in a minute). Jess "The Buffalo" Harper does in fact intend to see Lily perform, because he heads to the barber after Carson walks away. That's right folks, Jess willingly submits to a haircut!

Around the same time, outlaw Shanghai Pierce has also recently arrived in Laramie with his gang, and decides he needs to visit the barber as well. He literally throws Jess out of the barber's chair, which turns into a pretty great fight. Unfortunately, Shanghai's gang surrounds Jess, putting it to a quick end. But Jess isn't worried because Slim shows up on horseback to break things up and take him home. Advantages of having a big, strong boyfriend, right? ;)

Meanwhile, Ben Carson ends up tagging along with Jonesy to escape Shanghai. Once they're back at the ranch, Jonesy plays "Marry Me in Laramie" for Carson because he wants to see if Lily will sing it. I love watching Jess in this scene because he gives Slim just the biggest glowing grin across the table while they listen to Jonesy play. After dinner, Carson and Jess start playing poker, and Jess catches on to him cheating. Jess wastes no time in marching over to Slim to get him to kick Carson out of the house. There Jess goes taking advantage of his big, strong boyfriend again!

Before that can happen, Shanghai's gang arrives at the ranch, having followed Carson's trail. The impending altercation is interrupted by the arrival of Lily's stagecoach, and Shanghai of all people is totally taken with her. He abandons his vendetta against Carson to personally escort her into Laramie.

The next day, Jonesy finishes up Jess' haircut, with a bunch of whining and grumbling from you-know-who. Then the three of them are off to town to watch Lily's performance. Jonesy heads to Lily's room to tell her about Carson cheating at poker with Jess, and ends up telling Carson off as he insults Lily about her age and appearance.

Once Lily is up on stage, Shanghai starts heckling her, also focusing on her age. Encouraged by Jonesy's previous words to her, she turns the heckling back on Shanghai like a total badass.

Lily - "If that grizzled hide you're wearing for a face isn't old, you must be mighty sick with something."

Eventually the crowd gets riled up enough for a fight to start, but it's over pretty quickly and Shanghai's gang is jailed for the night. The next morning, as Lily leaves Shanghai comes up to her carriage and apologizes for his behavior. He offers to escort her on to the next town, which she gladly accepts. And on the way out, she blows a kiss to Jonesy, much to the amusement of Slim and Jess.

This analysis really got away from me, but as I thought more about this episode I started to really appreciate how good it is on multiple levels. It's a very fun, lighthearted episode. No one dies or gets seriously hurt, Slim and Jess don't get separated, and it's just downright funny throughout. And more seriously, it takes a good look at ageism, particularly towards women. It was refreshing to see a female character stand up for herself.

Of course my favorite thing about this episode, like every Laramie episode, is seeing Slim and Jess together. ❤️💙

s1:e20 - Death Wind

This is another episode that focuses on a bunch of tertiary characters from the stagecoach, because it ends up having to stay at the ranch when severe weather rolls in.

I can't get over the image of Jess brushing his thumb up against Slim's wrist. Also, this episode has a fun bit of dialogue as Slim and Jess are fixing the porch post-storm:

JH - "C'mon Slim, push!" SS - "What do you think I'm doing?" JH - "You're big enough to eat hay, push harder!"

Jess, is that a threat or a promise?

Jess walks up to Slim who is shelling peas on the porch (in remission after an injury). Jess steals a pea to eat and says "If you're not careful, someone's gonna up and marry you."

You're telling me a writer put that in their fucking typewriter and was like "yes, this is how straight men talk to one another in the wild west" ????????

s1:e21 - Company Man

Y'all, this is the episode for angsty Jess expressions. And Slim looks so beautiful in these shots, too. ❤️💙

Long story short, a new stage line superintendent, Jack Slade (excellent character name, btw) shows up to fire Jess due to his "history". Slim of course jumps in to defend him, which leads to this hilarious exchange:

JH - "Thanks, Slim." SS - "Don't thank me. The privilege of firing you belongs to me, and nobody else."

Unfortunately, Slade won't be deterred, and hangs around for the entire episode, assisting with getting back their stage line horses from thieves who struck the night before.

One of my favorite conversations between Slim and Jess happens in this episode. Jess is brooding in their bedroom and Slim comes in to see what's going on. Slim gets straight to the root of the issue: Jess isn't worried about being killed by Slade, despite Slade's reputation. He's worried about killing Slade and bringing the ire of the stage line down on Slim.

SS - "This place wouldn't be the same without you and your troubles." JH - "You really mean that?" SS - "Yes, I really mean that."

At the end of the episode, Slade endangers the entire household in a standoff with the horse thieves, but fortunately everyone is OK except for Slade. He thanks Jess for his service to the stage line before dying, so we get kind of a mini-redemption thing and almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost.

P.S.: It's worth noting that a fictionalized Samuel Clemens (yes, Mark Twain) is a stage passenger in this episode, and gets some fun snarky dialogue, especially with Slade.

s1e22 - Rope of Steel

Jess is completely absent from this episode, which is a total bummer. But at least Slim's showing off his "rope of steel" if y'know what I mean...

s1:e23 - Duel at Alta Mesa

This is another episode that unfortunately does not have Slim and Jess interacting. However, when Jess heads to Mexico to track the thief who shot Mr. Patterson and stole the stage line's money, he sends a letter to the ranch. There's a cute sequence of Slim reading the letter to Andy.

AS - There's a P.S.! SS - [annoyed] I see it. SS reading from JH's letter - P.S.: Tell Andy and Jonesy I'll bring 'em back a hatful of scorpions if they let you hire anybody to take my place.

For Jess, I think that's basically the equivalent of "I miss you, hope you miss me too."

s1:e24 - Street of Hate

Hey y'all, it's been a while! Life has gotten in the way of posting (of course) but I'm going to try to be more consistent, even if that means I just post once a week. Anyway, on to the episode!

This is a solid "pards" episode of Laramie, and has some really great scenes. A townsperson/old friend is paroled out to Slim after serving a manslaughter sentence. The victim's father is quite upset about this guy returning to town and tries to make all sorts of issues, which of course Slim and ultimately Jess get involved in. Charles Bronson plays parolee Frank Buckley; if you're into him, there's a good shirtless scene. I won't go too far into the plot synopsis because this is really one worth watching and I don't want to spoil it. However, I will definitely talk about these screenshots. :)

Early in the episode, Slim and Jess are playing cards in the saloon while waiting for Frank's stage to come in. It looks like Jess is playing solitaire with some input from Slim, which is ridiculously cute. I never paid much attention to this scene until one of my mutuals pointed it out (you know who you are, lol), and I see why it's one of their favorites.

Later on, Jess is breaking in a horse, which leads to a very strange scene of Andy sewing the torn seat of his pants while he's still wearing them. Andy accidentally pokes Jess with the needle, and both Jess' and Slim's reactions are priceless.

We also get a fantastic tandem fight scene that ends with washing up in a water trough after the boys have kicked some ass.

Finally, the episode closes with Slim and Jess sitting on their porch, tattered boots up on the railing...and touching, of course. ❤️💙