Line #63 Characters/TheMcGurkOrganization


1	'''Note: Due to the amount of AdaptationNameChange between British and North American editions, both names will be listed, but the British names take priority.'''
2
3	----
4	[[foldercontrol]]
5	!!The [=McGurk Organization=]
6	[[folder:As a whole]]
7	* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The original four members of the Organization. [=McGurk=] (choleric), Joey (melancholic), Willie (phlegmatic), and Wanda (sanguine).
8	* KidDetective: The original four were nine or ten at the time of ''The Nose Knows'', with the oldest of them being around twelve in the later books.
9	* VitriolicBestBuds: They squabble quite a bit in each book, but at the end of the day, they ''always'' have each other's backs.
10	[[/folder]]
11
12	[[folder:Jack P. [=McGurk=]]]
13	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Nose Knows''
14	The freckled, fiery, redheaded (not necessarily in that order) leader of the [=McGurk=] Organization.
15	----
16	* BrattyHalfPint: He has his moments – especially in the early books when he's ten years old.
17	* EmbarrassingMiddleName: In ''The Case of the Weeping Witch'', his middle name is outed as being [[MeaningfulName Perseverance]].
18	* FieryRedhead: A male example. He's easily the most vivacious and tenacious of the Organization.
19	* GutFeeling: His hunches are his biggest asset, but they've also been known to get him (and the other members of the Organization) into trouble more often than not.
20	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Is pretty bossy and domineering, but he ''never'' abandons his officers in their time of need.
21	* LastNameBasis: Only his family actually calls him Jack.
22	* TheLeader: Of the Organization – and won't hesitate to let you know that.
23	* LetsGetDangerous: For all of his bragging, his hunches are usually what clinches the case in the end.
24	* RedIsHeroic: Redheaded [=McGurk=] would certainly think so!
25	* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: The leader of the band.
26	* WaxOnWaxOff: Frequently came up with "training exercises" that also got the other kids to do his work for him. For example, raking the yard to match leaves. The point, as [=McGurk=] explained, was to look for leaves that didn't match the trees in the yard. Really, he was just getting the others to rake the yard so he didn't have to.
27	* YouthfulFreckles: Apart from his red hair, it's the most likely physical trait of his that Joey will mention.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Joey Rockwell / Joey Rockaway]]
31	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Nose Knows''
32	"Word Expert" of the [=McGurk=] Organization and the narrator of every book.
33	----
34	* {{Bookworm}}: The reason he's the Organization's "Word Expert."
35	* FirstPersonSmartass: Joey never passes up an opportunity to criticize [=McGurk=]'s more misguided or selfish decisions.
36	* TheLancer: Was [=McGurk=]'s best friend before he started the Organization, and is much more grounded than him.
37	* NerdGlasses: The bookworm of the bunch, and a notable glasses-wearer.
38	* NotSoAboveItAll: Compared to many of the others, he's more reserved, but there are occasional moments when he joins in the chaos.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Willie Sanders / Willie Sandowsky]]
42	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Nose Knows''
43	"Smells Expert" of the Organization.
44	----
45	* AgentMulder: By virtue of his more CloudCuckooLander impulses.
46	* CloudCuckooLander: Willie tends to be the one to come up with the most outlandish theories of the bunch.
47	* TheBigGuy: The tallest member of the Organization, and there are moments when he's shown to have the most stamina of them, like at the end of ''The Case of the Snowbound Spy'', where [[spoiler:when he, Wanda, and Brains get the idea of shovelling snow onto the driveway and porch of the titular spy's house to prevent him from leaving, Willie "shoveled like ten men" according to Wanda]].
48	* TheNoseKnows: Willie's greatest asset is his keen sense of smell. In ''The Case of the Bashful Bank Robber'', Brains even devises a system to quantify the different properties of smells to help classify what Willie smells.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Wanda Grieg]]
52	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Nose Knows''
53	"Tree Expert" of the Organization.
54	----
55	* DeadpanSnarker: When [=McGurk=] makes a blunder or pulls a jerk move, expect Wanda to make her displeasure known.
56	* TheHeart: Despite her sarcastic nature, she's probably the member of the Organization most considerate of people's emotional welfare. After Mari joins, the two of them effectively share the role.
57	* SourSupporter: The member of the organization most likely to pour cold water on [=McGurk=]'s hunches.
58	* TeamMom: Sometimes has to act as the grounding influence for the Organization.
59	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: When Mari joins, Wanda becomes the tomboy to Mari's girly girl.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Gerald "Brains" Bellingham]]
63	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Great Rabbit Robbery''\
64	'''Joined Organization:''' ''The Case of the Invisible Dog''
65	"Science Expert" of the Organization.
66	----
67	* AgentScully: By far the member of the Organization most skeptical of apparent paranormal happenings.
68	* GadgeteerGenius: {{Downplayed}}. He's good at inventing things to help the Organization's work, but there's only so much he can do.
69	* HomemadeInventions: His specialty.
70	* InsufferableGenius: Doesn't hesitate to let others know he's smarter than them.
71	* NerdGlasses: The smartest character in the organization, and a notable glasses-wearer.
72	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Mostly goes by "Brains."
73	* TheShortGuyWithGlasses: The smartest member of the Organization, and also the shortest and youngest (until Mari joins), and who naturally dons a pair of glasses.
74	* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Has a noticeably large pair.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Mari Yoshimura]]
78	->'''First appeared and joined Organization:''' ''The Case of the Vanishing Ventriloquist''
79	"Sound Expert" of the Organization.
80	----
81	* ForgotFlandersCouldDoThat: In ''The Case of the Vanishing Ventriloquist'', Mari martial arts kicks a man unconscious. This was handled fairly realistically[[note]]Mari kicked him in the back of the head when he was completely unsuspecting, and insisted that she'd have had no chance in an actual fight[[/note]]. Her martial arts ability wasn't even mentioned again until 4 books later in the series, when she was able to use an armlock to subdue a boy her own size, and never again after that.
82	* TheHeart: Shares this role with Wanda once she joins the Organization. She's shown to dislike it when the others argue, and tends to be a mediating influence between [=McGurk=] and Wanda.
83	* LivingLieDetector: With her knowledge of human voices, Mari is able to tell different kinds of lie.
84	* SixthRanger: The sixth and final person to join the organization.
85	* SpoiledSweet: Her father owns a major electronics company, and she's one of the most good-natured members of the Organization.
86	* TokenMinority: The only non-white member.
87	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Once she joins, she becomes the girly girl to Wanda's tomboy.
88	* {{Ventriloquism}}: Part of the reason she's the "Sound Expert."
89	* VoiceChangeling: Mari has a profound ability to change her voice.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	!!Other Significant Characters
93	[[folder:Sandra Ennis ('''Unmarked spoilers!''')]]
94	->'''First appearance:''' ''Deadline for [=McGurk=]''
95
96	A recurring adversary of the [=McGurk=] Organization's. Attempts to humiliate them twice, being the only character to be the culprit of two novels.
97
98	First, in ''Deadline for [=McGurk=]'', after getting turned down for Organization membership, she decided to get even with them by stealing neighborhood kids' dolls and only promising to return them if the Organization admitted it was no good. Instead, she got found out by the Organization.
99
100	Then, in ''The Case of the Treetop Treasure'', she uses a convoluted scheme involving stashing a bunch of odds and ends, followed by a valuable silver bowl to implicate Wanda for its theft.
101
102	It looks as though she's trying to frame the Organization again in ''The Case of the Fantastic Footprints''. But after the [=McGurk=] Organization investigates, they soon realize the actual culprit was a cousin of Sandra's trying to frame ''her'' for framing the Organization to try and get Sandra's aunt to disinherit her and leave him her money.
103	----
104	* {{Foil}}: To Wanda. Both are quick-witted female characters, [[TenderTomboyishnessFoulFemininity but while Wanda is a good-natured tomboy, Sandra is more feminine, and more antagonistic]].
105	* FrameUp:
106	** Tries to frame members of the Organization ''twice'' – first [=McGurk=] for the doll thefts in ''Dolls in Danger'', then Wanda for stealing a silver bowl in ''The Case of the Treetop Treasure''.
107	** In ''The Case of the Fantastic Footprints'', it seems like she's trying to make it a hat trick, attempting to frame the Organization for the titular acts of vandalism. But this time it turns out she's on the ''[[NotMeThisTime receiving]]'' end of this trope, with the real culprit's goal being to frame ''her'' for framing [=McGurk=] and co.
108	* MisterBig: In her ransom notes in ''Dolls in Danger'', she identifies as "Mr. Big." But Sandra is a {{Downplayed}} example in that she isn't very big, but she's not exactly small either.
109	* NothingNiceAboutSugarAndSpice: Projects the image of a sweet little girl, but she's the only character to be the culprit of two different books.
110	* PragmaticVillainy: While there's no love lost between her and the [=McGurk=] Organization, in ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad'', when Robinson Hackett tries to impress her by humiliating the Organization at their open house – where Patrolman Cassidy was a guest of honour – Sandra wants no part in it, and insults Robinson for his troubles. [=McGurk=] and co. figure that because Sandra had previously gotten in trouble with the police for her antics in ''The Case of the Treetop Treasure'', she likely wanted to avoid getting in hot water with the police a second time.
111	* TheRival: Forms this to the [=McGurk=] Organization – to [=McGurk=] and Wanda in particular.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Patrolman Cassidy]]
115	!!!Patrolman Kevin Cassidy
116	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Nervous Newsboy''
117
118	An officer of the West Milford Police Department and a friend of the Organization's.
119	----
120	* FriendOnTheForce: Forms this to the Organization.
121	* FriendToAllChildren: Joey soon realizes that the reason Cassidy's the town's school liason officer is that he's very savvy at handling kids. Still, [=McGurk=] can and does test his patience now and again.
122	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Good at mediating between [=McGurk=]'s impulsive behavior and the realities of the situation on the ground. He also isn't afraid to put his foot down when it comes to [=McGurk=] potentially putting himself and the other members of the Organization in danger.
123	* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Likes to jokingly get [=McGurk=]'s name wrong to knock his ego down a peg. The Organization can tell he's being dead serious when he ''doesn't'' get it wrong.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Lieutenant Kaspar]]
127	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Nervous Newsboy''
128
129	Patrolman Cassidy's boss. Decidedly ''less'' friendly with the Organization.
130	----
131	* DaChief: Strict, by-the-book, and with little patience for [=McGurk=] and his antics.
132	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He learns to accept ([[ThisIsGonnaSuck and fear]]) when [=McGurk=] is being dead serious.
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Ed Greig]]
136	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Great Rabbit Robbery''
137
138	Wanda's older brother.
139	----
140	* TheAce: He's regarded as the high school's sports ace to the point where some (himself included) call him "Grieg the Greatest."
141	* BigBrotherBully: {{Downplayed}}. He and Wanda can be pretty vitriolic, but it's evident that despite it all, [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther they do care for one another]].
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Joanne Cooper & Donny Towers]]
145	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Great Rabbit Robbery''
146
147	Some friends of the Organization. Joanne works at the town museum. Her fiancé, Donny, is a social worker.
148	----
149	* CrazyJealousGuy: Donny has some shades of this in ''The Case of the Muttering Mummy''.
150	* NiceGirl: Joanne is one of the friendliest adults in town as far as the Organization is concerned.
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:"The Flying Fingers"]]
154	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Four Flying Fingers''
155
156	A quartet of mischievous kids that were being paid by Lady Thumb to knock over people's garbage cans to "finger" the houses for her robberies. Later call on the [=McGurk=] Organization's aid in ''The Case of the Slingshot Sniper''.
157	----
158	* BrattyHalfPint: All of them, to an even greater extent than [=McGurk=].
159	* ThePsychoRangers: Joey notes a number of uncanny similarities between the titular "Fingers" and the male members of the Organization,[[note]]Sam with [=McGurk=], Jackie with Joey, the "Dopey Kid" for Willie, and "the Glasses Kid" for Brains[[/note]] wondering if they have a Shadow Wanda somewhere. They sort of do… in the form of Lady Thumb.
160	* UnwittingPawn: They were all completely in the dark about Lady Thumb's break-ins.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:"Lady Thumb" '''(Unmarked spoilers!)''']]
164	!!!Erika Smith, aka. "Lady Thumb"
165	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Four Flying Fingers''
166
167	A housebreaker who paid the "Flying Fingers" to knock over garbage cans all over town, using them to identify houses where the residents weren't there so she could burgle them.
168
169	She later makes a reappearance in ''The Case of the Absent Author'', where it's revealed she's the daughter of eminent mystery writer Bill Smith (aka. Bill Legrand).
170	----
171	* TheBusCameBack: Reappears ten books and 13 years after her debut,[[note]]not counting ''The Case of the Dragon in Distress'', where "Lady Polly" [[AndYouWereThere bears an uncanny resemblance to her]][[/note]] becoming the only adult culprit to go to jail to make a return.
172	* TheCharmer: Manages to con the Organization into her van to try and abduct them (that is, drive them as far as the state line) after being found out by pretending she was about to turn herself in. It works! Even after she's caught, she manages to flatter [=McGurk=] enough that Joey has to snap him out of it.
173	* TheNicknamer: Calls [=McGurk=] "Red," Joey "The Professor," Wanda "Wondergirl," Willie "Beaky," and Brains "Little Fuzz." Joey compares it to a witch using special names for people when they want to get them completely in their power.
174	** Humorously enough, her father winds up using these names for characters based off of the Organization in one of his novels.
175	* NotMeThisTime: Is innocent when she reappears in ''The Case of the Absent Author''.
176	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Is only referred to as "Lady Thumb" in her debut appearance. We only learn her actual name in ''The Case of the Absent Author''.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Robinson Hackett]]
180	->'''First appearance:''' ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad''
181
182	A local thirteen-year-old whiz-kid.
183
184	After [[spoiler:turning out to be the culprit]] in ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad'', the Organization enlists his aid in ''The Case of the Slingshot Sniper''.
185	----
186	* BigEater: To the point where in ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad'', [[spoiler:[=McGurk=] "sweats" him into confessing to his crimes with the promise of food]].
187	* GeekPhysique: He's a local savant and he's on the fat side.
188	* JustLikeRobinHood: [[spoiler:Wanted to cultivate this image in ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad'', stealing the handcuffs given to Organization by Patrolman Cassidy and disposing of them by slipping it into a Salvation Army drop-off. However, his plan hit a snag when his intended "Maid Marian" wanted nothing to do with him]].
189	* InsufferableGenius: To an extent.
190	* LoveMakesYouEvil: In ''[=McGurk=] Gets Good and Mad'', [[spoiler:what causes the whole affair is when he developed a crush on the Organization's old enemy, Sandra Ennis, and tried to impress her by making fools of them in front of the neighbourhood and Patrolman Cassidy. When Robinson tells Sandra about this however, she chews him out and insults him, wanting no part in it]]. At the end of the book, [=McGurk=] discusses this trope briefly.
191	[[/folder]]
192
193	[[folder:Gwyneth Owen/Mistress Brown & Gareth Owen]]
194	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Dragon in Distress''
195
196	A pair of twin siblings the Organization befriend in medieval Wales in 1175 in ''The Case of the Dragon in Distress'', later finding out that they too are time-travellers, this time from the year 1610.
197
198	The Organization run into Gwyneth again in 1692 in ''The Case of the Weeping Witch'', now an old woman, having married a man named Brown in the interim.
199	----
200	* HalfIdenticalTwins: Joey notes that they have a number of striking similarities.
201	* KilledOffscreen: Gareth has died years before the events of ''The Case of the Weeping Witch''.
202	[[/folder]]
203
204	[[folder:Hester Bidgood]]
205	->'''First appearance:''' ''The Case of the Weeping Witch''
206
207	A thirteen-year-old girl the Organization befriends in 1692, Hester is something of a detective herself. Later becomes the protagonist of her own book, ''Hester Bidgood, Investigatrix of Evill Deedes''.
208	----
209	* KidDetective: Several centuries before the [=McGurk=] Organization.

Context Characters / TheMcGurkOrganization