One of the more poignant touches of the past week was a message from the Horgan family that closed with the salute made famous by the series: “Live long and prosper.”

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VICTORIA — When B.C. Finance Minister Carole James retired for health reasons four years ago, Premier John Horgan was notable for his absence from the news conference at the legislature.

Everyone in attendance knew why. James was a friend and one of Horgan’s closest confidants. The premier would have broken down in tears.

Horgan didn’t want that display to detract from a day that belonged to James.

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He always wore his emotions close to the surface. “Angry John” was real as well, as more than a few reporters discovered during Horgan’s Opposition days.

Some anger-management work from staffer Marie Della Mattia (“the John Whisperer”) got angry John under control for the 2017 election. The satisfactions of governing did the rest.

Still, there were moments when his restraint faltered — and understandably so.

In early 2020, environmental protesters showed up at the Horgan home in the Victoria suburb of Langford. They banged on the front door, demanding that Horgan........

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