James Bond/M
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | James Bond/M |
| Alternative name(s): | |
| Gender category: | het, f/m or slash, m/m |
| Fandom: | James Bond |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Rare |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
James Bond/M is a James Bond pairing. With both characters having been portrayed by different actors as slightly different versions, the by far most popular combination is Daniel Craig's James Bond with Judi Dench's M (Olivia Mansfield), followed by Daniel Craig's James Bond with Ralph Fiennes' M (Gareth Mallory). The combination of Pierce Brosnan's James Bond with Judi Dench's M, though existent, is very rare.
Canon
M is the head of the British secret service and thus James Bond's superior. When Judi Dench's M is first introduced in GoldenEye, her relationship with Bond seems strained. He admits that he sees her as an accountant, while she calls him a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur". Though they quickly warm up to each other, conflicts still arise, something that continues in the Craig era. In Daniel Craig's first movie, Casino Royale, she reprimands him for killing an unarmed man in an embassy and expresses doubts over promoting him to 00-status. In the same movie, he breaks into her house to use her computer, and in the process learns her real name. In Quantum of Solace, M suspends Bond from service after he unknowingly kills another agent, and when he refuses to leave the mission alone, tries to have him captured. At the end of the movie she seems to forgive his past missteps and says it's good to have him back. In Skyfall, after M orders a risky shot that ends up hitting Bond and he is presumed dead, she shows genuine grief at his loss. Upon his return, she declares him fit for service despite him failing all tests; another character comments that she's sentimental about him. After an attempt on her life, Bond kidnaps her, intending to use her as bait to lure out her would-be assassin and kill him, to which she agrees. They drive to Bond's old childhood home. The roadtrip includes playful banter between the two, and M shows interest in Bond's past. During the attack on the house, M is fatally wounded, and ends up dying in Bond's arms. She uses her last words to say that she was right in trusting Bond.
After the death of Judi Dench's M, Gareth Mallory takes over as the new head of MI6. He and Bond meet in Skyfall and immediately get into conflict when Mallory advises Bond to quit field duty because of his age and former injury. However, over the course of the movie they begin to respect each other, as Mallory helps Bond and Bond showcases that he's still fit for duty. When Mallory takes the position at the end of the movie, Bond accepts it without question.
Fandom
Popular Tropes
- Canon Divergence/Fix-it: Judi Dench's M survives the events of Skyfall.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanvids
Fanfiction
Archives & Resources
- James Bond/M | Olivia Mansfield tag at Archive of Our Own
- James Bond/M | Gareth Mallory tag at Archive of Our Own