Ep 11. Abandoned

In season 1 episode 11 of Blue Heelers, titled "Abandoned," the focus shifts to the personal life of one of the show's lead characters. Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon, played by John Wood, finds himself at a crossroads as he receives news that his ex-wife Marilyn, played by Marcella Russo, has died.

The episode opens with Tom receiving the shocking news from his daughter, who tells him that Marilyn has died of a heart attack. Tom is visibly upset by the news, and his colleagues at the police station, including Constable Maggie Doyle (Lisa McCune) and Senior Constable Nick Schultz (William McInnes), do their best to offer support.

As Tom struggles to come to terms with Marilyn's death, he begins to delve into his memories of their marriage and their shared history. Throughout the course of the episode, we see flashbacks of their life together, from their wedding day to the birth of their daughter and the eventual breakdown of their relationship.

While Tom is dealing with his personal grief, the team at the police station is investigating a new case. A local resident has reported an abandoned car, which leads the Blue Heelers to a remote farmhouse on the outskirts of the town. There they find a group of squatters, including a young girl named Sarah.

As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the squatters have been living in the farmhouse for several months, without any means of support or contact with the outside world. The Blue Heelers, led by Maggie and Nick, must work to uncover the truth about the squatters' situation and determine whether or not they are in danger.

Throughout the episode, the themes of abandonment and loss are interwoven, as the characters grapple with their own emotional struggles while trying to solve a complex case. Tom's grief over Marilyn's death is juxtaposed with Sarah's sense of abandonment by her parents, and the Blue Heelers must navigate their own feelings of isolation and vulnerability in order to do their jobs effectively.

As the episode draws to a close, Tom makes a difficult decision about his future, while the case of the abandoned farmhouse reaches a surprising and emotional conclusion. "Abandoned" is a poignant and thought-provoking episode that showcases the range of talent and depth of storytelling that made Blue Heelers such a beloved Australian drama.