Line #183 Characters/TheBrokenwoodMysteries


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!Police
4
5	[[folder:D.S.S. Mike Shepherd]]
6	!!D.S.S. Mike Shepherd
7	!!!Portrayed by Neill Rea
8
9	The new head detective of the Brokenwood Police Department and an avid country music fan.
10	----
11	* DoesntLikeGuns: Rarely carries a gun, even in hostage situations.
12	* HerosClassicCar: He's head detective and drives an original 1971 Holden Kingswood.
13	* HiddenDepths: While out-of-shape in the present day, he is a former junior tennis champion and still has the skills.
14	* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Jared, his friendly young neighbor.
15	* TheLostLenore: Is averse to boats because one of his ex-wives drowned at sea.
16	* MarriedToTheJob: Has cost him marriages.
17	* SerialSpouse: He's been married four times; three ended in divorce, and a fourth in her untimely demise.
18	* TalkingToTheDead: Mike tends to crouch down and speak to the victim at the crime scene.
19	* WorkingWithTheEx: One of his ex-wives is the head of media relations for the police, who he dreads working with.
20	[[/folder]]
21
22	[[folder:Det. Kristin Sims]]
23	!!Det. Kristin Sims
24	!!!Portrayed by Fern Sutherland
25
26	Second-in-command to Mike, having moved to Brokenwood three years prior to his arrival.
27	----
28	* ActionGirl: Likeliest to wield a gun of the main three, she's the team's fleeing-suspect-tackler. One early episode sees her punt her armed kidnapper [[GroinAttack between the legs]] while gagged and strung from a pole.
29	* CulturedBadass: She's well-versed in Shakespeare, having taken a course at university. She also knows some Latin.
30	* FairCop: Sims is young and strikingly beautiful.
31	* LethalChef: The show's biggest RunningGag is her inability to make good coffee. She's the only one who sees no problem with its taste.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:D.C. Sam Breen]]
35	!!D.C. Sam Breen
36	!!!Portrayed by Nic Sampson
37
38	A young cop and the only member of the trio to have grown up in Brokenwood.
39	----
40	* ButtMonkey: Is always assigned the dullest or flat-out unappealing parts of the case, such as interviewing [[MountainMan Smelly Nellie]] or doing ForensicAccounting work. His superiors also tease him for his phobias and odd hypotheses.
41	* FieryRedhead: Has flaming red hair and temper that flares when interviewees are being difficult.
42	* PutOnABus: Leaves the show after the second episode of the seventh series.
43	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Has arachnophobia and a fear of clowns, though he tries to play off his phobias as less serious than they are.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Dr. Gina Kadinsky]]
47	!!Dr. Gina Kadinsky
48	!!!Portrayed by Cristina Ionda
49
50	The forensic pathologist, who is a Russian immigrant.
51	----
52	* TheCoroner: Called to figure out the cause of death for each episode's victim(s), which sometimes leads her to conduct experiments involving food products.
53	* DoggedNiceGirl: Becomes this to Mike as the series progresses. He is put off by her unsubtle flirting, having zero interest in her romantically.
54	* {{Flanderization}}: What begins as a crush on Mike grows to the point where she's completely uncooperative to any detective that isn't him. [[spoiler:This comes to a halt when she accepts that he has a girlfriend.]]
55	* FunnyForeigner: She's prone to odd Russia-tinged sayings, mannerisms, and behavior regarding dead bodies. Some of her behavior causes the detectives to clear up third-party confusion by explaining "She's Russian."
56	* GloriousMotherRussia: Tells many anecdotes that portray Russia as a harsh place with lots of vodka, snow, and machismo.
57	* SingleTargetSexuality: Mike. She is even disinterested in the handsome author who all the other women swoon over, even when he made passes at her through written correspondence.
58	* TookALevelInJerkass: Starts to hate Kristin as she grows into an AbhorrentAdmirer to Mike, despite there not being any romantic interest between the two. [[spoiler:Once she accepts that Mike has a girlfriend, Gina becomes friendly to Kristin again.]]
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Hughes]]
62	!!Simon Hughes
63	!!!Portrayed by Colin Moy
64
65	Mike's superior, whose appearances are usually him calling about the case from his office in the city.
66	----
67	* BaldHeadOfToughness: Is bald and an imposing superior. His mentioned hobbies are of an athletic nature, so despite the desk-bound nature of his job, he is still physically fit.
68	* LastNameBasis: The character is credited as "Hughes" and his first name is almost never mentioned.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:D.C. Daniel Chalmers]]
72	!!D.C. Daniel Chalmers
73	!!!Portrayed by Jarod Rawiri
74
75	A cop who joins the Brokenwood force following Breen's departure. Despite being a Brokenwood native, he had been away from the town for two decades.
76	----
77	* BadassBiker: Gets to bring out his motorbike for a case.
78	* ConvenientReplacementCharacter: Arrives during Breen's farewell party.
79	* FairCop: Chalmers is young and fit.
80	* MinorityPoliceOfficer: Chalmers is Māori. All the other detectives have been pākehā.
81	* TokenMinorityCouple: Chalmers's LoveInterest, Missy, is also Māori.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	!Residents of Brokenwood
85	[[folder:Jared Morehu]]
86	!!Jared Morehu
87	!!!Portrayed by Pana Hema Taylor
88
89	Mike's neighbor who does a variety of odd jobs around the town.
90	----
91	* ArmsDealer: Occasionally deals black-market guns. Mike pointedly looks the other way.
92	* ChickMagnet: Many women over the course of the show are interested in him, including his married ex and his Hamlet co-star.
93	* IntergenerationalFriendship: With middle-aged Mike.
94	* JackOfAllTrades: Has skills in wine-tasting, gardening, horse-riding, Shakespearean acting, electrical engineering, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick cat-burglary]], among many things.
95	* MysteriousStranger: Before he's introduced as a friendly neighbor, Jared appears as a mysterious young man casing and breaking into the victim's house.
96	* {{Nephewism}}: With a DisappearedDad and a mother who died in childbirth, he was raised by his whānau. An aunt and uncle appear in a couple episodes.
97	* OnlyMostlyDead: He is found unconscious with a major head injury and a stab wound that barely missed its intended artery. Thankfully, he recovers.
98	* ParentalAbandonment: His mother died in childbirth and his father's identity is unknown.
99	* PutOnABus: Does not appear in the fourth series, or the seventh onward.
100	* WineIsClassy: Jared is an erudite manual laborer/wine taster who loves a good glass of red.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Mrs. Marlowe]]
104	!!Mrs. Jean Marlowe
105	!!!Portrayed by Elizabeth [=McRae=]
106
107	A kindly old woman who always wants to chat with the detectives.
108	----
109	* CoolOldLady: A fan of classic rock and extreme sports, in addition to her more typical grandmotherly interests like sewing and baking.
110	* GossipEvolution: What she hears through the grapevine about the cases at hand are typically rather off.
111	* GossipyHens: She is quite the gossiper, always having at least some idea of the episode's murder. Her chats with the detectives always reveal some detail about the people involved in the case.
112	* IWasQuiteALooker: In her youth, she was an actress's body double for a nude scene.
113	* PutOnABus: She doesn't appear after the seventh series.
114	* SupremeChef: Her cheese rolls are a favorite of Brokenwood residents, though everything she makes is well-received.
115	* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Defied by the people of Brokenwood. She asks people to call her Jean, but everyone calls her Mrs. Marlowe anyway.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Frodo]]
119	!!Frankie "Frodo" Oades
120	!!!Portrayed by Karl Willetts
121
122	A well-intentioned but not-particularly-bright resident of Brokenwood who, after working a variety of jobs, settles into steady ownership of a coffee cart.
123	----
124	* AbhorrentAdmirer: To his coffee cart associate Kimberly, who repeatedly rebuffs his advances. Any woman who he has interest in is simulatenously off-put and pitying of poor, simple Frodo.
125	* GuiltComplex: Goes on a three-day bender thinking that a murder is his fault until it's explicitly explained to him how he could not have been the murderer.
126	* KindheartedSimpleton: He is a loyal friend and always means well, but is rather dim and easily taken advantage of as a result.
127	* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: While he eventually settles into his work as a barista (who's conveniently parked at plot-relevant locations or serving coffee to persons of interest), the first few series see him working a variety of jobs ranging from apprentice mechanic to corndog entrepreneur that place him near the scene of the crime.
128	* OnlyKnownByHisNickname: Frodo is rarely addressed with his given name after his first appearance and he prefers not to be called by it.
129	* ShipperOnDeck: The coffees he serves Mike and Beth have heart-shaped coffee art on them.
130	* TangledFamilyTree: He delivers a eulogy to his "god-auntie-mum" Janis, as she had at various points been his godmother, step-mother, and aunt. His father admits that he may not even be Frodo's dad, as there was overlap between him and Frodo's uncle.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Ray Neilson]]
134	!!Ray Neilson
135	!!!Portrayed by Jason Hoyte
136
137	The local publican who runs a handful of [[AnimalThemeNaming thematically-named]] bars in town.
138	----
139	* TheBartender: Tends bar at his own establishments.
140	* BrotherSisterTeam: With his sister Trudy, who runs his establishments with him. They always have each others backs when the detectives come calling.
141	* ConMan: Runs tours that prey on non-English-speaking tourists who want to see Lord of the Rings sites.
142	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Is fine ripping off non-English speakers, but draws the line at shark fin soup.
143	* TheLostLenore: His first wife died of a spider bite on their OE. His second wife dying of the same cause sends him into complete denial.
144	[[/folder]]
145
146	[[folder:Trudy Neilson]]
147	!!Trudy Neilson
148	!!!Portrayed by Tracy Lee Gray
149
150	Ray's sister who works at his bars and is rather intimidating.
151	----
152	* BrawnHilda: She's intimdating, strong, and somewhat churlishly masculine in her comportment.
153	* TheBartender: Tends bar at her brother's establishments.
154	* BrotherSisterTeam: With her brother Ray. They always have each others backs when the detectives come calling.
155	* IDidntMeanToKillHim: She meant to scare [[spoiler:Phillip Henderson]] but accidentally killed him.
156	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite her typical unfriendliness, she does seem to genuinely care for some of the women in her cell block.
157	* ManipulativeBastard: Arranges the successful public humiliation of one of her fellow inmates (as a test of trust) by lying to both her and Ray. While never leaving prison herself.
158	* NeverGoingBackToPrison: A stickler about her parole terms, she becomes very strict about legal adherence when bartending after her stint in Brokenwood Women's.
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:Dennis Buchanan]]
162	!!Dennis Buchanan
163	!!!Portrayed by Shane Cortese
164
165	A local lawyer who is often called in to represent suspects, much to the detectives' chagrin.
166	----
167	* AmoralAttorney: A slick-talking slimeball of a lawyer, though his clients never seem to heed his advice [[DontAnswerThat not to say anything]] to the detectives.
168	* HiddenDepths: He takes care of his mentally-ill brother and runs a charity fundraiser for mental health. As such, the topic of mental illness is no laughing matter to him.
169	* {{Polyamory}}: His first appearance has him in a relationship with both the episode's victim and the victim's wife.
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Kimberly]]
173	!!Kimberly Mason
174	!!!Portrayed by Zara Cormack
175
176	Frodo's associate in his various entrepreneurial ventures who teaches fitness classes on the side.
177	----
178	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She's a beautiful young blonde who is genuinely sweet and charitable in all her appearances.
179	* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] compared to Frodo, but she works at his food ventures and is found to be teaching exercise classes at murder-relevant locations on two occasions.
180	* NiceGirl: Even her high school friends describe her as a peacemaker in the group. She's just ''nice''.
181	* PutOnABus: She doesn't appear after the seventh series, with Frodo explaining that Kimberly is fully a city girl now.
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Rev. Greene]]
185	!!Rev. Lucas Greene
186	!!!Portrayed by Roy Ward
187
188	Brokenwood's reverend, who presides over funeral services.
189	----
190	* ClosetKey: For his husband, Roger, who divorces his wife to be with him.
191	* CovertPervert: For a man of the cloth, his debut mystery novel is very steamy.
192	* GoodShepherd: Kindly and always wanting to help those in need of spiritual guidance.
193	* StraightGay: Not particularly effeminate, but very much gay.
194	[[/folder]]
195
196	[[folder:Neil Bloom]]
197	!!Neil Bloom
198	!!!Portrayed by Phil Peleton
199
200	Brokenwood's pharmacist and eventual first gay mayor.
201	----
202	* InsistentTerminology: He's a pharmacist, not a chemist.
203	* MayDecemberRomance: His partner, Gray, appears to be markedly older than him.
204	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Though he doesn't quite understand steampunk, he's willing to host a festival anyway because it's diverse, harmless, and makes his nephew happy.
205	[[/folder]]
206
207	[[folder:Kahu Taylor]]
208	!!Kahu Taylor
209	!!!Portrayed by Rawiri Jobe
210
211	A plumber who becomes Kristin's LoveInterest.
212	----
213	* MistakenForRomance: Twice. The first is his pregnant sister, who Kristin mistakenly assumes is his girlfriend. The second is his doubles partner Chontelle, with whom his relationship is entirely platonic.
214	* PutOnABus: Said to have taken a job on an offshore oil rig.
215	* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Bonds with Kristin over games of chess, showing they're both sharp.
216	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Kahu is a handsome young Māori man who works manual labor, knows a lot of the town's goings-on, and has a handful of disparate plot-relevant hobbies. Jared is even stated to be his relative.

Context Characters / TheBrokenwoodMysteries