Chief Officer Wilde (from 2012 Miniseries)

**Chief Officer Wilde** is a main character, minor antagonist in 2012 Miniseries and Senior Officer of *RMS Titanic*

## Appearance

Wilde was 5′ 10″ (1.77 m) tall, white male. He was balding with short, dark hair. He had green eyes. During his appearances on the show, he wore an officer's cap and uniform.

## Official Description

Wilde was Chief Officer for Captain Smith in *Olympic*, and is drafted in at the last minute to fulfil the same role on *Titanic* at Captain Smith's behest. This sudden change of personnel causes the so-called "officer reshuffle", which reassigns the rank and duties of the other officers just before the ship sails - not helpful when disaster strikes.

## Biography

Wilde is introduced in the second episode of the mini-series as he is brought onboard as the new Chief Officer on orders from the White Star Line. Lightoller (now demoted to Second Officer) express concern over the move to bring over a new officer since he, Murdoch, and David Blair have already have establish their positions. However, Wilde tells Lightoller that since he has experience as Chief Officer on the *RMS Olympic* and that since both ships are identical, he can handle to job. With that, David Blair is removed from the ship.

On April 14th, 1912; he is on the bridge with Murdoch, Captain Smith, and Bruce Ismay. Wilde doesn't seem amused about Ismay telling Captain Smith not to increase the speed of the *Titanic*. After Ismay leaves, Captain Smith announces they'll increase the speed which causes Wilde to smile. The smile diminishes when Murdoch reminds them of the icebergs in the area, but Captain Smith is confident that they are far south from the ice field. Lightoller arrives on the bridge and informs the Captain that he cannot find the binoculars for the lookouts in the crow's nest, Wilde jokingly says they'll form a search party to find the binoculars. Captain Smith and Lightoller leaves, but Captain Smith reminds the men he meant what he said about the speed. Later on, Wilde asks Murdoch how fast they are going. Murdoch says they are going 22 and half knots, Wilde says the Captain will be pleased. Murdoch asks about what Ismay said about not increasing the speed, but Wilde calls Ismay an old woman; Murdoch reminds Wilde that there is no wind or moon light out which will make spotting an iceberg more harder and calls the move to increase the speed "damned stupid". Wilde takes an opportunity to warn Murdoch to watch what he says or he'll be locked up in the brig.

Following the collision with the iceberg; Wilde informs Captain Smith that the *RMS Carpathia* is on their way, but she is four hours away. Lightoller arrives on the bridge and tries to get permission to launch the boats, but both Captain Smith and Wilde are in a state of shock. Captain Smith just looks out from the bridge asking out loud why *a ship* nearby is not responding to their distress calls and Wilde doesn't seem to know how to act. When Lightoller asks Wilde for permission to launch the boats, only Wilde telling Lightoller to wait for the Captain's orders, realizing they are no help Lightoller decides to launch the lifeboats while Wilde just watches him leave the bridge as he announces he'll launch the boats.

His last appearance is in the episode four is in a First Class corridor with Steward Taylor telling him to lock the cabins so none of the Third Class passengers would steal from the cabins. Taylor tells Wilde that they should allow the Third Class passengers to "go to the thieves as the fishes". Wilde finds Taylor's remark distasteful telling him "That's exactly the kind of talk we neither want nor need."

Wilde's death is not shown in the mini-series.

## Personality

Wilde is portrayed as an arrogant officer who thinks he is above his fellow officers (except for Captain Smith) and has enough guts to insult Bruce Ismay. However when disaster strikes, he seems to go into shock but still is able to hold his arrogant attitude when Lightoller asks to launch the boats.

However he is able to know the seriousness of the situation, since he warned Steward Taylor about his remark about the Steerage.

## Historical accuracy

This portrayal is the most antagonistic portrayal Chief Officer Wilde. In real-life, Captain Smith wanted Wilde as Chief Officer of the *Titanic* not the White Star Line. The mini-series shows that Wilde is confidant that he can work on *Titanic* as Chief Officer. However, Wilde did not want to go on the *Titanic* stating in a letter to his sister than he had a "queer feeling" about the *Titanic*. His family begged him to work on the *Titanic*, since he could get his masters license and might succeed as the second Captain of the *Titanic*.

Wilde in Episode 2 informing Captain Smith about the *RMS Carpathia* responding to their distress calls, but it was Harold Bride (who is not shown in the mini-series) the man who reported to Captain Smith about the *Carpathia* answering their distress calls and heading to rescue the survivors.

His attitude around Murdoch is also wrong, he was good friends with Murdoch in real life and felt bad about replacing Murdoch's original position.