Walter Buckley

" *Chief, you've been at it a long time. 25 years. My point is, a man of your experience knows that from time to time, our courts, judges-- our laws can fail to deliver true justice. At those times, it falls to us in the executive branch to pick up the slack, as it were.*"
—Buckley to Chief Flanagan[src]
**Walter Franklin Buckley** became the acting Mayor of San Francisco following Mayor Blake's death at the hands of a Chinese servant. Buckley has also been secretly conspiring with Mai Ling of the Long Zii to start a gang war with the Hop Wei.

## Biography

### Early life

Buckley fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War, where he suffered severe damage and had to have his leg amputated.

### Advising the Mayor

Buckley joins Mayor Blake and his wife, Penny, for breakfast to inform the mayor that two chinamen were killed last night; they were working on the Merriweather building, and a couple of labor thugs smashed their heads in with hammers. Mayor Blake wants to keep this as quiet as possible, meaning having to speak with Merriweather himself.

In an attempt to better police Chinatown, Buckley and Chief Flannagan have formed the Chinatown Squad, with Sergeant O'Hara set to lead.

Buckley rendezvous with Mai Ling, with whom he's apparently been meeting with regularly. She informs him that Long Zii intends to reach out to Father Jun to make peace, which doesn't serve either of them. With that said, Buckley will expedite the opium delivery, which her men can pick up tomorrow. Buckley also warns Mai Ling that he can take her out of the opium business just as fast as he brought her in.

Buckley and Blake meet with Byron Mercer to discuss how he's losing money while waiting for Mayor Blake's order. He made purchases based on the assurance that he would be awarded the exclusive contract to lay cable-car tracks across the city. If Mayor Blake doesn't come through with the order soon, Byron will be ruined. Buckley counters that Byron's company was already teetering prior to the mayor's assurances. Byron suspects that they intend to pull the rug from under him, but Mayor Blake insists that isn't true and that it's just taking them a bit longer than expected to get the funding approved. After Mercer leaves, Mayor Blake asks what exactly is the hold up. Buckley explains that he's simply doing his diligence.

Buckley urges Mayor Blake to pick a side in regards to Chinese labor and the Chinese in general, but Blake fears that condemning the Chinese, their greatest and cheapest resource, in public speech, would anger Merriweather, who would pull his support. Buckley tells Mayor Blake that he can only play the middle for so long, and eventually he'll have to pick a side.

Buckley has another meeting with Mai Ling, where they discuss the mayor and Buckley's ability to aim the metaphorical hammer that is eventually going to fall on Chinatown and the tongs. Mai Ling assures him that she will hold up her in, but in the meantime, all she needs from Buckley is a greater police presence against the Hop Wei. In addition to, she'll need another shipment of opium, promising Buckley that soon the streets of Chinatown will flow with blood.

### War on Chinatown

Buckley pays Chief Flannagan a visit regarding Ah Sahm's release after the courts failed to convict him of double murder. They have a very angry constituency demanding justice. From times to time, their courts can fail to deliver true justice. And when that happens, it's up to them to pick up the slack. With violence in Chinatown on the rise, Buckley explains that the mayor would like to send a message.

Buckley finds Mayor Blake at Ah Toy's whorehouse, which just so happens to be the target of a raid by the police department. Mayor Blake and Buckley then follow the officers back to the police station after the raid, where they reveal to the press that this raid will be one of many as part of the Chinatown initiative. They even get a photo for the newspaper with the Chinatown squad and Chief Flannagan, as they cut off the queues of the Chinese men they've arrested.

Mayor Blake and Deputy Mayor Buckley meet with Senator Crestwood after the bombing in Chinatown. With the recent events, not to mention the prostitution and gang wars, the senator is worried about the citizens of San Francisco. He wants to put an end to immigration and had a hand in drafting the Exclusion Act, but there is some strong opposition, which is why Crestwood intends to run for President, but it won't look good for him if citizens are being slaughtered in his own state. Mayor Blake gives his full support and plans to double their efforts in Chinatown. Despite scolding Mayor Blake for the bombing in Chinatown, Senator Crestwood privately tells Buckley that it feeds his agenda perfectly, and soon enough, Buckley will be applying his efforts alongside Crestwood in D.C.

Buckley and Mayor Blake get word of the war in Chinatown between the rivaling tongs. It would take a small army to establish true law and order, which they don't have. Buckley argues that the Exclusion Act is the only other solution, with Crestwood being the right man to deliver it. However, Blake isn't sure that he wants to back Senator Crestwood's play against the Chinese. Buckley advises Blake to take a stand and pick a side.

### Managing the administrative budget

Buckley pays Byron an unexpected visit and informs him that a late bidder is coming, and his pricing is hard to ignore. Byron argues that they can't pull the contract from up under him, but Buckley informs him that he was merely awarded the first purchase order, of which there will be many. Putting all of the city's business with a single vendor like Byron is a questionable move, and when a second vendor comes in a good 15% below him, it's hard to ignore. This mysterious second vendor must be cutting down on their cost by using Chinese labor, which Byron can't compete with. However, this is merely a ploy to ensure Blake doesn't exceed his administrative budget.

Buckley is confronted by Penny, who blames him for putting her father in an impossible situation and forcing him to hire Chinese labor, which resulted in a visit from Leary, which Penny fears will eventually turn violent. They need protection, but Buckley encourages her to take it up with her husband. When Penny threatens to have him fired, he reveals that he knows that Penny was at the duel in Chinatown between the tongs. While they can't be seen to be protecting a private company, as a kind gesture, Buckley can have a small squad of men on stand by, ready to go at a moment's notice.

After warning Mai Ling that she's just a Chinese woman of no consequence to anyone, Buckley is visited by Leary, who pulls out a knife and slams him against his carriage, but Buckley doesn't appear intimidated and tells Leary that they have similar goals. He's every bit opposed to Chinese labor as Leary, but he's looking at the bigger picture, whereas Leary is a common thug, who certainly can't influence state politics with threats and a pocket knife. Leary releases Buckley and says that he'll be seeing him around. After Leary leaves, Buckley vomits on the ground.

### An uneasy alliance with Mai Ling

With Blake's wife using coolie labor, their only other option is to take a harder stance against Chinese labor, Buckley advises. In the meantime, he will attempt to apply pressure to Penny from other fronts, with help from the workingmen. People are already beginning to turn on Blake and call him a hypocrite and view him as a man who can't control his wife. Later, Buckley picks up a red-headed working girl from the side of the road.

Mai Ling's truce with the Hop Wei is pushing Buckley's patience, but that truce has allowed them to increase their share of the molasses trade. Unfortunately, the other tongs are becoming restless, and it's only a matter of time before they get greedy and make a move. However, Buckley informs Mai Ling that he needs chaos, and he needs it quickly. He also reminds Mai Ling that they're not partners. He sells, and she buys. That's the simple nature of their arrangement.

After discovering that Penny has employed the Hop Wei as security for Mercer Steel and failing to convince her to fire them, Buckley picks up yet another red head prostitute for his pleasure. He takes her home, puts her in a bath, and shampoos her hair.

### Forcing Blake to pick a side

Buckley and Mayor Blake learn from Chief Flannagan that the home of Sergeant O'Hara was attacked by the Fung Hai. They're planning a counterattack to wipe out the Fung Hai, but Bill arrives and reveals that he gave his men the word to stand down after getting word that Fung Hai were expecting retaliation and have set a trap. Buckley advises Blake to address this with his constituents. How he reacts will determine his tenure as mayor. And with election just a few months away, Blake needs to pick a side, hopefully the one that aligns with Senator Crestwood.

During Blake's speech, Buckley notices Leary, who is starting to make more regular appearances. Leary isn't impressed. They took down one of may, with a lot more to go, but these things take time, Buckley explains. However, Leary and his men don't have time. They need work. Buckley advises Leary to reconsider his methods, as he has amassed a large enough base to have real influence, but arson and brute force will only get him so far. The mayor and president both need votes, which Leary can give.

### Mayor Blake's death

Buckley rushes over to the mayor's estate after learning he was killed by Penny's manservant, Jacob, though he ignores the fact that it was in Penny's defense and, as acting mayor, issues a state-wide manhunt for Jacob. Buckley is later sworn in as Mayor of San Francisco. Despite all that is currently on his plate, Buckley has to deal with Leary as well, who is concerned that the Chinese are straying from Chinatown more and more and proposes Buckley deputize a workingman for every cop he has to double his reach, but it's simply not a reasonable request, and he declines Leary's offer. Still, Leary takes the time to remind Buckley of Mayor Blake's promises to the workingmen. Buckley informs Leary that Mayor Blake never gave a speech that he didn't put in his mouth. But at the moment, he has more urgent matters to deal with.

Buckley meets with Mai Ling, who congratulates him on his promotion. He needs to find Jacob as soon as possible. If she doesn't help him find Jacob, it'll mean the end of her opium supply and the beginning of a new era in Chinatown, one in which the Long Zii no longer have immunity to prosecution. Mai Ling can find Jacob, but she needs Buckley to help her take down the Hop Wei when the time comes. They come to terms, and not long after, Buckley gets word of Jacob's location, which he gives to the police, resulting in Jacob's capture, only for him to be hanged by the workingmen.

### The aftermath of the riot

Buckley blames the riot in Chinatown on Mayor Blake's weak position on the Chinese problem. It's his position that the Chinese don't belong in America. Penny then comes barging in and confronts Buckley for Jacob's death. She blames his for not telling the truth, as he used Mayor Blake's death to cast himself as a hero for his new constituency. Penny is going to see that he pays for this. She does this by attempting to have an exclusive published, exposing her late husband and Buckley for making Jacob the political scapegoat, but due to his connections, he manages to get the story shut down, which leads to another confrontation with Penny, who slaps him in a fit of rage. In response, Buckley stabs himself and frames Penny, claiming she's on the brink of a psychotic break.

When Buckley neglects to show up to his meeting with Mai Ling, she decides to stake out the area where he often frequents to pick up redhead prostitutes. When he finally arrives, she confronts Buckley and presents him an old photograph of him fighting for the confederacy. She informs him that she has two more of the same photos for sale. Just like him, she simply wants blood in the streets. Backed into a corner, Buckley bends to Mai Ling's whim, and during the next council meeting, he announces his plans to wage war against the Hop Wei, who he describes as being the most powerful and brutally violent in Chinatown. They'll be fighting on their terms and will be using the justice system to do so. All the surrounding businesses are the Hop Wei, and Buckley intends to shut them down by using every long-neglected ordinances, which they will enforce by making arrests and shutting down business.

### Mayoral campaign

Buckley meets with Mai Ling after learning of the battle she ignited by trying to move into Hop Wei territory. Buckley is keeping the police off her back, per their arrangement, but expanding her operation was never a part of their agreement. He warns Mai Ling not to make any more moves or noise until after the election. The following day, he appoints Colonel Benjamin Atwood as the new Chief of Police, despite Bill being next in line.

Buckley and Stewart discuss his mayoral opponent, Franklin Thayer, who has a good deal of support among the industrialists. Stewart then reveals that the state attorney for Mayor Blake has been questioning some expenses. Buckley replies that Mayor Blake would've wanted for him to keep his legacy alive, as would his wife had she not fallen ill, which should be justification enough. Buckley then heads downstairs for a press conference to discuss Chief Atwood's successful raid in Chinatown. He follows this with another conference to discuss their Chinese dilemma. Afterward, he makes the acquaintance of Catherine Archer, who encourages Buckley to stay the course and offers to help his cause in whatever way she can.

## Appearances

* There's No China in the Bible
* John Chinaman
* The White Mountain
* The Blood and the Sh\*t (credit only)
* Chewed Up, Spit Out, and Stepped On
* The Tiger and the Fox (credit only)
* They Don't Pay Us Enough to Think
* Chinese Boxing
* If You're Going to Bow, Bow Low
* The Chinese Connection
* Not How We Do Business
* If You Don't See Blood, You Didn't Come to Play
* Not for a Drink, a F\*ck, or a G\*\*damn Prayer (credit only)
* To a Man with a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail (credit only)
* If You Wait by the River Long Enough
* All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic
* Enter the Dragon (credit only)
* Man on the Wall

### Season 3

* Exactly the Wrong Time to Get Proud
* Anything Short of a Blow to the Head
* No Time for F\*cking Chemistry

## Behind the scenes

* Buckley is portrayed by Langley Kirkwood.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Season 2, episode 8: ***All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic***
2. ↑ Season 1, episode 1: ***The Itchy Onion***
3. ↑ Season 1, episode 2: ***There's No China in the Bible***
4. ↑ Season 1, episode 3: ***John Chinaman***
5. ↑ Season 1, episode 4: ***The White Mountain***
6. ↑ Season 1, episode 5: ***The Blood and the Sh\*t***
7. ↑ Season 1, episode 7: ***The Tiger and the Fox***
8. ↑ Season 1, episode 9: ***Chinese Boxing***
9. ↑ Season 1, episode 10: ***If You're Going to Bow, Bow Low***
10. ↑ Season 2, episode 1: ***Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard***
11. ↑ Season 2, episode 2: ***The Chinese Connection***
12. ↑ Season 2, episode 3: ***Not How We Do Business***
13. ↑ Season 2, episode 4: ***If You Don't See Blood, You Didn't Come to Play***
14. ↑ Season 2, episode 7: ***If You Wait by the River Long Enough***
15. ↑ Season 2, episode 10: ***Man on the Wall***
16. ↑ Season 3, episode 1: ***Exactly the Wrong Time to Get Proud***
17. ↑ Season 3, episode 2: ***Anything Short of a Blow to the Head***