Jim Hardy was a resident of Collinsport who became Sheriff of the town in 1973.
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| Jim Hardy | |
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| Production Information | |
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| Last appearance | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Name |
Jim Hardy |
| Date of birth |
c1943 (contemporary with Maggie Evans) |
| Year of death |
1973 |
| Manner of death |
Suicide |
| Profession | |
| Family members |
Mother (mentioned in Beyond the Grave) Grandfather (mentioned in Beyond the Grave) |
| We have 0 images of Dark Shadows Jim Hardy | |
Childhood[]
Jim grew up in Collinsport. He was friends with Joe Haskell, Tom Jennings, Cyrus Longworth and Tony Peterson. They used to play together including hide go seek and cops and robbers in Seaview. Jim always wanted to be the cop while Tony was always the robber (The Devil Cat).
At the age of 7, Jim was playing with Tony on the beach, when he met Maggie Evans (aged 8) for the first time. A few years later, prior to 1957 (12), they met again in Eagle Hill Cemetery. Maggie was visiting the grave of her mother, who had recently died. She was going to run away from home because her father wouldn't stop crying. Jim persuaded her to stay. Later still, when Jim was on the football team at school, Maggie was attempting to help start up a cheerleading squad. Jim tentatively asked her to go for a milkshake with him the following evening. Maggie agreed but couldn't make the date after her father was admitted to hospital because of his drinking (The Harvest of Souls).
When they were older, Jim saved Cyrus's life after his friend almost killed himself (The Enemy Within).
Later Life[]
In 1966, Jim returned to Collinsport after having moved away to study. He was now one of the Sheriff's deputies. He visited Maggie Evans who was working in the Collinsport Inn. The two hadn't seen each other since the day they'd planned their failed date a few years before. Maggie had dyed her hair blonde but, after Jim said she suited her natural color better, she decided to return to being a brunette (The Harvest of Souls, 20).
In 1967, Jim was working for Sheriff Jonas Carter and was assigned to investigate the site of Roger Collins' car crash (16).
By the Summer of 1973, Jim was working for Sheriff George Patterson. One night, in the Blue Whale, he met Alfie Chapman and Emma Finney who were visiting Collinsport. He bought them a drink and welcomed them to town. Emma thought he was sweet but, after Jim left, Alfie mocked him for his physical size, referring to him as "Lennie". The following morning, Jim spoke to Alfie, Emma and Eve in connection with the death of Brett Hawker whose body had been found in Eagle Hill Cemetery. Jim believed that Brett had been murdered by the same person who had recently killed two doctors from Windcliff Sanitarium - Bernard Kear and Anton Thompson. Later that day, Alfie and Emma stumbled over the body of George Patterson who had been repeatedly stabbed. Jim discovered them at the scene and arrested them. He was clearly distraught by George's death. He released Alfie and Emma later that day. (Beneath the Veil).
Following George's death, Jim became the Sheriff of Collinsport. Cyrus Longworth called him from Bangor, asking him what he knew about Sabrina Jennings (The Enemy Within). At around this time, Doctor Miles Wellington telephoned the Sheriff's department from his sanitarium in New York to check the credentials of Cassandra Collins, who was pretending to be the aunt of one his patients. He spoke to Jim, who told him what he needed to know (The Mystery of West Vale Sanitarium).
Later that week, Jim was driving a drunk Carolyn Stoddard back from Brett's funeral. He misunderstood her when she spoke to him about Maggie Evans, believing that she wanted their friendship to be something more. He politely declined before she revealed she was talking about Maggie. Jim and Carolyn, arriving at Collinwood, discovered Amy Jennings having a nightmare. He listened to her talk about her brother, Chris, and offered to investigate his death for her (The Lucifer Gambit).
Not long afterwards, on the night before Halloween, Jim was spending an evening in the Blue Whale with Carolyn, Maggie and Amy. He was embarrassed and ready to leave when Carolyn said it was a girl's night out but she told him to stay. Jonah Rooney's parallel counterpart spoke to Jim telepathically and teased him that Carolyn would reveal to Maggie how he felt about her and that she saw him as "big and stupid". Later that evening, he was out walking with Maggie and Sabrina and bought a pumpkin from the Collins General Store. Jonah's parallel time counterpart telepathically forced Sabrina to stand in the road where she was hit by a car. He called Carolyn at the Blue Whale to tell her but the call was ended abruptly. Later that night, he visited Amy and Sabrina in the hospital to inform them that the Blue Whale had burned down and that the bodies of Bob Rooney and Jonah had been found in the remains. Later still, he came to visit Carolyn in the hospital who told him he needed to talk to Maggie before it was too late - following her experiences that evening she now realised how short life could be (The Flip Side).
Death[]
On Halloween 1973, the British television series Beyond the Grave broadcast live from Collinsport, where they were investigating, amongst other supernatural occurrences, the mystery of 'Mad Jack'. In the days leading up to the broadcast, presenter Tom Lacey interviewed a number of residents of the town, including Jim. Jim shared the police records on the murder of Jack's family and also told Tom that his own grandfather had told him that Jack's wife, Annie, "wore the pants" in their marriage. On the night of Halloween itself Tom, and his cameraman Andy Gardner, went to Eagle Hill Cemetery and broadcast from there. The programme was interrupted by Maggie Evans who crashed her car into the cemetery. She claimed that something had taken control of her car but also that the television broadcast should be stopped because of her recent nightmares. Jim came to the cemetery and Maggie pleaded with him to stop the broadcast. Jim used the recent murders to justify his attempts to shut the programme down. He also suggested that a patient might have escaped Windcliff. Maggie could hear a woman screaming from the cemetery and, despite nobody else being able to hear it, Jim believed her. He tried to take her home but she insisted on investigating. Deputy Verne Haggerty contacted Jim to say that violence was breaking out in the town - at the same time as Tom seemed to become temporarily possessed by Jack. Maggie ran into the cemetery, with Jim, Tom and Andy following her. They went to the Collins mausoleum where they briefly encountered the cemetery caretaker, Reverend Hartswood, who warned them that Tom would hurt Maggie. Tom then became possessed and attacked Maggie before running into the mausoleum. After Tom killed Andy, Jim and Maggie were trapped in the mausoleum with him. Tom revealed he wasn't just possessed by Jack but by something much older. Jim shot him to save Maggie but Tom was able to pass his possession onto him before he died. Jim realised what he would do and, after telling Maggie he wished he'd told her how he felt, shot himself. (Beyond the Grave).
Immediately following his death, an image of Jim appeared to Maggie in a series of visions caused by Nicholas Blair. Nicholas, who was working with the Leviathans at the time, was trying to save Maggie who was suicidal following the events of Halloween. He showed her the life she could have had as Jim's wife. Maggie realized that she had never loved Jim - she had always loved Joe Haskell - but that Jim was a good man and a friend (The Harvest of Souls).
Jim was buried in Eagle Hill Cemetery (Bloodlust).
Afterlife[]
Jim's spirit visited Maggie in one of Nicholas's visions and selflessly told her that, even though he was alive in the vision, Maggie should live in the real world. She kissed him and his spirit was released (The Harvest of Souls).
Family & Relationships[]
Family[]
Jim's 'grandpa' lived in Collinsport. He had told Jim about 'Mad Jack'. He died sometime prior to 1973. His 'momma' always taught him to be a gentleman (Beyond the Grave).
Cyrus Longworth[]
Jim was friends with Cyrus Longworth - known as Cy - when they were children. Cyrus said that Jim was his only friend. After Cyrus left Collinsport, in 1971, the two didn't speak to each other for two years (The Enemy Within).
George Patterson[]
Emma Finney said that George Patterson was like a father to Jim. He was clearly devastated by his death (Beneath the Veil).
Maggie Evans[]
Jim first met Maggie Evans when he was playing with Tony Peterson on the beach. He was seven years old and was pretending to be the Sheriff (The Harvest of Souls).
Jim was in love with Maggie Evans but was too afraid to tell her. She only ever saw him as a friend. He walked her home from the Blue Whale and hoped she would ask him in, but she didn't (Beneath the Veil). Cyrus Longworth later asked Jim if he had ever asked "that waitress" out (The Enemy Within). Carolyn Stoddard told him that nothing would happen unless he asked her out - saying that everyone in Collinsport knew he liked her and that life was too short (The Lucifer Gambit and The Flip Side). Before killing himself to save both of them he asked Maggie if she would have said yes if he'd asked her to go for a drink, and she said she would have done (Beyond the Grave).
Life[]
Jim played football at school (The Harvest of Souls).
Jim's intimidating physical size was often referred to. Maggie Evans described teenage Jim as taller even than Joe Haskell (The Harvest of Souls). In 1973, Alfie Chapman and Emma Finney commented on his appearance a few times (Beneath the Veil). Jonah Rooney's parallel counterpart telepathically taunted him, saying he was "big and stupid" and later described bumping into him as like being hit by a train (The Flip Side).
Despite his height and build, Jim was polite, gentle, kind and shy. He didn't like to discuss crime scene details in front of women (Beneath the Veil) and managed to stop his friend Cyrus from trying to kill himself (The Enemy Within). Carolyn Stoddard described him as her "knight in shining armor" (The Lucifer Gambit). He would usually refer to people by their title and surname (eg: Miss Evans or Miss Jennings as opposed to Maggie or Amy).
Jim was not a fan of modern music, preferring Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra (The Lucifer Gambit).
Jim would usually drink a pint of Collinsport Special in the Blue Whale (The Flip Side).
Background information and notes[]
- Jim was mentioned in the original television series but did not appear on screen.
- Jonathon Marx portrayed Jim in Big Finish Productions' audio dramas, making his first appearance in Beneath the Veil. Following the death of George Patterson, Jim became the new Sheriff of Collinsport.
- Following his death, Jim was succeeded, as Sheriff, by one of his deputies, Verne Haggerty.