Maggie Doyle
| Margaret Ann 'Maggie' Doyle | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Blue Heelers character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Lisa McCune | ||||||
| Duration | 255 episodes | ||||||
| First appearance |
A Women's Place Ep. 1 (Pilot), 18/1/1994 | ||||||
| Last appearance |
One More Day Ep. 255, 16/2/2000 | ||||||
| Profile | |||||||
| Occupation |
Constable -> Senior Constable -> Acting Sergeant | ||||||
| |||||||
Margaret Ann "Maggie" Doyle is a fictional character portrayed by Lisa McCune in the long-running Australian police show Blue Heelers. She first appeared in 1994, and exited in 2000.
Maggie arrived in Mount Thomas in the debut episode 'A Woman's Place'. She was driving into town and was pulled over by P.J. (Martin Sacks) and Nick (William McInnes). P.J. gave her a breathalyser test and realised she was a cop. She then went on to the Imperial Hotel, where she was staying, and finds out that Wayne Patterson (an old love of hers) was living and working in Mount Thomas. She then goes to the police station and introduced herself to Sergeant Tom Croydon. (It was shown that Tom and Maggie's father, Pat Doyle had also once been posted at the same station.) This episode saw Maggie trying to convince a girl who had been raped to press charges. She also shoots Mick Doherty's dog as it was going to attack and kill Wayne.
The debut episode of the series showed us Maggie's good nature and how opposed she is to sexism. Prior to her arrival in Mount Thomas, all of the police officers were men, and the town seemed to find the idea of a female police officer funny. This changed, of course, over the course of the series as more female officers were posted to Mount Thomas. She is the fifth longest character behind Tom, Chris, PJ and Ben
Ranking
Maggie was a constable when the series began. In Series 2 (1995) she filled in as police prosecutor and passed her Senior Constable's exam (Wayne Patterson failed the same exam). Maggie was promoted to Senior Constable in Season 5 (1998) when a position finally became available, and was Acting Sergeant from later in Season 5 (1998) to mid-season 6. She returned as Senior Constable when she returned from witness protection until her departure in Season 7 (2000).
Relationships
It was revealed in the first episode that Maggie and Wayne had a relationship while they were at the academy together.
It was clear from the start of the series that P.J. was interested in Maggie and they kissed at the end of Season 2 but decided it meant nothing and it didn't continue. They had a one-night stand in season 4 in a mine shaft but Maggie got scared and the relationship ended.
Maggie and P.J first kiss in the Season 2 finale. While P.J. wants to pursue a relationship, Maggie is more cynical about relationships started at work. After the two are trapped in a mine together in season 4, they decided again not to start a relationship. They finally get together at the end of Season 4, keeping it a secret from their colleagues.
Maggie's first actual relationship doesn't start until the start of Season 5 when Ben Stewart arrived in Mount Thomas and immediately falls for Maggie, and he and P.J. compete to win Maggie over.
Maggie and P.J. became engaged at the end of Season 6.
Maggie's fate
In 2000 (Season 7 episode "One More Day"), Maggie, aided by P.J. and her brother Mick, arrive at the point of cracking the ring that killed Robbie.
When this was done, Maggie realised that she would have to go into Witness Protection and staged a break up with P.J. and announced she would be leaving Mount Thomas to take up a job in Melbourne. She then nervously waited for her escort. P.J. realised that she had been tricked and arrived to see Maggie shot dead in a shower of bullets. P.J. was arrested for her murder and sought desperately to prove he had been framed.
In Episode 10 of Season 7 "Out Of The Shadows" it is revealed that Maggie's killer is her brother Mick. Her father Pat ended up shooting Mick before P.J. had a chance to arrest him. After Pat Doyle was arrested, P.J. and he sprinkled Maggie's ashes.
Maggie's death and the episodes that followed are some of the most watched moments in Australian television history.
Other appearances
In the 2004 episode 'Echoes' many old scenes were used of Maggie. PJ also began to have visions and dreams of Maggie, which ended his relationship with his new fiancée Senior Constable Jo Parrish.
Birthday
In Episode "Damage Control" Maggie's birthday is confirmed to be: 10 April 1969.