Jim Goose

“	Hey fella, stop! What a turkey. Hey fella, you're a turkey, y'know that?	”
– Jim Goose

Jim Goose, referred to as The Goose or simply Goose, was the best friend of pursuit officer Max Rockatansky, and an experienced motorcyclist and pursuit officer on the Main Force Patrol. He was portrayed by Steve Bisley and starred in George Miller's Mad Max.

Biography

Mad Max

Goose was a Main Force Patrol Pursuit Officer notable for his pursuit experience on an MFP Motorcycle. Goose is first seen at Fat Nancy's cafe, hearing some sirens wail past, he ran out to follow the pursuit. However, before Goose could catch up with the rest of the MFP, he skidded to a halt over the chassis left behind by The Nightrider and the others. Despite the crash, Goose remained alive - though injured, claiming to Max jokingly: "Nothing a year in the tropics can't fix."

The next day Goose was seen to be using crutches and leg braces due to his accident. It is here that Goose and the Mechanic, Barry, enticed Max with the Pursuit Special as eye candy to keep him on the force.

Later that day, Goose and Max came across a dismantled vehicle - the wreckage of a vicious encounter with Toecutter's gang. A woman remained, who seemed to have been sexually abused by one of the gang members, (Johnny the Boy), who had hung around the wreckage afterwards. Goose and Max arrest him and take him to the Halls of Justice for trial.

Goose then proceeded to violently abuse Johnny whilst he was being held captive in the Halls, mocking and humiliating him. However when it was revealed that no witnesses showed in the courtroom, the courts declared the case: "no contest" which released Johnny from imprisonment. Goose became irrational and furious with such news, attempting to beat Johnny to a pulp as he tried leaving the courtyard, but was held back by fellow officers.

A distressed Goose left for drinks at a nightclub where he managed to woo one of the singers. Meanwhile, the threatened Johnny managed to sabotage Goose's bike. The following morning as Goose left for work, Goose's bike cut out, resulting in him falling from it. The ever-strong Goose didn't suspect sabotage and called for help to carry himself and his bike away. However as he drove back once more along the Outback roads, Johnny managed to finally finish Goose off in cold-blooded revenge by throwing a brake drum through his windscreen - distracting Goose and resulting in his uncontrollable careening off of the road. As Goose lay helpless and upside down, Toecutter persuaded Johnny to finish Goose off, giving into his persuasion, Johnny lit a match and threw it in the direction of Goose's leaking fuel.

Although this looked to be the end of Goose, remarkably he managed to survive the explosion although became something completely unrecognisable by Max when he visited the hospital.

After Mad Max

It is uncertain what happened to Goose from here on, however if civilisation collapsed as the latter films speak of, it's unlikely Goose was kept in a stable condition at the hospital Max visited him and is presumed deceased as far as Max's life is concerned.

Abilities & Personality

Goose's main ability and well-known attribute is the easy riding of motorcycles. He's a humorous man, often making sarcastic jokes and laughing, so it seems, in the face of danger. He's portrayed as a comically-vulgar character, an example of such is when he told of some deadbeat who's face got ripped off during a pursuit, to someone as they eat their lunch. Goose also loves to eat.

Danger itself seems to avoid Goose as he narrowly misses a series of near death experiences, although it eventually catches up with him in a monstrous way. His ability to avoid it all seems to be a good metaphor for what the rest of the world was about to face with the collapse of civilisation - no matter how much humour and fun, no matter how much you can avoid the end - it eventually does come, as Max soon experiences himself.

Other attributes of Goose are his anger, his love of life and passion for justice, something which isn't seen by any other person in the film. Everyone else seems to have given up hope, especially with the release of Johnny the Boy. However, Goose maintains a sensibility that things will work out if people try. He refuses to believe the court system has failed, he comments about holidaying in the tropics if he could and constantly has an optimistic glow about him. He's talkative and lovable and attractive to the eye, drawing women in if he can. Such abilities make him such a lovable character to fans, however ultimately makes him a weak and doomed character in the Mad Max universe, and it makes it hard to think if Goose would have survived the wasteland that was to come.

Trivia

• Originally, Goose was to have survived and became Lord Humungus, the antagonist of the second film, but the idea was scrapped fairly early. This is the reason Lord Humungus' Marauders have police gear such as helmets, cars, and bullhorns.

References