Queer Women on Shortland Street in 2024

[aquila1nz]

We started 2024 on a fairly low ebb for queer women on Shortie. But Nicole and Maeve were still together, and happy.


And then Leanne returned for a visit, having broken up with Ros again. The storyline began with her seeing the ghost of her dead grandaughter and ended with her death from an untreatable cancer, and Jennifer Ludlam made the most of every scene. Ros did come back for to say goodbye.


Meanwhile, we discovered that Phil - the female half of a couple of two young surgeons in an open relationship who joined the show at the start of the year - was not straight when she kissed Harper.


They embarked on a will they won't they affair that proved earth shattering all around. It was glorious!


Billy has started school. Bonus best guest casting for the year - Alison Bruce as Olivia, Harper's mum.


Gia returned from Chicago to take over the community clinic. She briefly dated a guy involved in something criminal, and was also getting phone calls she tried to duck from a girl she dated before she transitioned who hadn't known.


Nicole was thrown for a loop by Leanne's death, and so were her and Maeve's finances. She got sucked into an online grief group, continued to be nasty to everyone; especially to Cassie who hasn't always managed to stay drug free. Then Louisa, whose husband kidnapped Knox last year, kidnapped Nicole and then Maeve and Nicole escaped and confronted Lousia who ended up dead. There was a court case, Nicole was found not guilty of Louisa's murder but afterwards remembered her guilt and handed herself in to the police again. It seems that she will be undergoing psychiatric inpatient treatment for the forseeable.


Harper regretted her affair with Phil and did everything she could to reconcile with her husband. Drew tried to kill himself but Boyd and Vili found him in time. Harper and Drew finally did get back together, planning to move to New York for a job Harper was offered, but were in a motorcycle accident and Harper died in the final episode of the year. Phil was devastated, not having had any closure on her relationship with Harper.

(Zara - we never saw her, but Boyd came and went a few times during the year - he had apparently cheated on her and they broke up, but were tentatively trying again by the year's end.)

Tally for the year - 1 intersex child and 7 queer women (one for only one episode), two of whom died and a third who killed someone and ended up in a mental hospital, leaving three broken relationships. The old cliches can still catch us when we least expect it.



Sally and Ria, that was so sudden, you will be missed.


Shortland Street lost some funding this year, so will be three episodes a week when it returns on the 10th February, which may be relevant to two long term cast members leaving.


There will be some new characters starting, so place your bets on who isn't straight.

2023
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2020