Character Relationship Map: Bad Eggs

Characters

• Ben Kinnear (played by Mick Molloy) — protagonist

  A former over-zealous detective demoted to uniform duties after a botched suicide investigation, who uncovers a deep-rooted police and political corruption conspiracy.

• Mike Paddock (played by Bob Franklin) — protagonist

  Kinnear's loyal partner and best friend, whose life is threatened by the corruption ring, yet he remains steadfast in exposing the conspiracy alongside his colleague.

• Julie Bale (played by Judith Lucy) — supporting

  An investigative journalist and former police officer who becomes a scapegoat for a corruption cover-up, ultimately playing a crucial role in bringing the conspirators down.

• Northey (played by Alan Brough) — supporting

  A tech-savvy IT operator who provides crucial digital support and rescue, enabling the detectives to access evidence and survive the corruption ring's attacks.

• Ted Pratt (played by Bill Hunter) — supporting

  The corrupt chief of the Zero Tolerance Unit who orchestrates a massive conspiracy involving blackmail, murder, and political cover-ups, ultimately leading to his downfall.

• Pendlebury (played by Steven Vidler) — supporting

  A police officer assigned to the magistrate's suicide case who is murdered by a corrupt colleague to silence him and protect the conspiracy.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ted Pratt → Pendlebury (Power Conspiracy Leader) — Pendlebury is positioned within the police corruption structure controlled by Pratt.

  Pratt is revealed to be the ringleader of the corruption operation involving the suppression of the magistrate case.

• Ted Pratt → Mike Paddock (Power Corrupt Commander) — Pratt treats Paddock as an expendable obstacle to the conspiracy.

  Pratt suspends Paddock and later participates in the plan to kill him after the detectives are captured.

• Ted Pratt → Ben Kinnear (Power Corrupt Commander) — Pratt abuses institutional authority to silence and frame Kinnear.

  Pratt, the returned chief of the Zero Tolerance Unit, suspends Kinnear and later confronts him as the conspiracy's ringleader.

• Ben Kinnear → Julie Bale (Former Romantic Partner) — Their past relationship becomes emotionally active again after Bale is cleared.

  Julie Bale is described as Kinnear's former police partner and one-time romantic connection; their old romance is re-ignited at the end.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Pendlebury → Ben Kinnear (Conflict Case Rival) — Pendlebury's compromised casework obstructs Kinnear's search for the truth.

  Pendlebury is one of the officers whose handling of the magistrate case becomes part of Kinnear's investigation into the altered evidence.

• Ted Pratt → Julie Bale (Conflict Persecutor) — Pratt targets Bale to divert attention from the corruption ring.

  Bale is used as a convenient scapegoat for the corruption allegations, and Pratt later abducts her.

• Northey → Ted Pratt (Conflict Adversary) — Northey directly undermines Pratt's control of the investigation.

  Northey helps the detectives escape the corruption operation led by Pratt and supports their exposure of him.

• Mike Paddock → Northey (Alliance Investigation Partner) — Their alliance combines field action with technical expertise.

  Northey assists both detectives in accessing the police database and later rescues them from their captors.

• Ben Kinnear → Northey (Alliance Investigation Partner) — Northey provides the technical capability needed to obtain evidence.

  With Northey's assistance, Kinnear and Paddock break into the police database and copy the original file.

• Mike Paddock → Julie Bale (Alliance Operational Ally) — Paddock helps protect Bale as part of the counter-operation.

  Paddock joins Kinnear in the plan to exchange the captured premier for Bale, and supports the final standoff.

• Ben Kinnear → Mike Paddock (Social Best Friend) — Their friendship anchors their partnership under professional and personal pressure.

  The plot identifies Paddock as Kinnear's best mate, and they remain together throughout the investigation.

Story Analysis

Two disgraced detectives uncover a police and political corruption network while trying to clear their names and rescue an innocent scapegoat.

Plot Progression

1. A Disastrous Investigation — Kinnear and Paddock mishandle a magistrate's death and are demoted after firing on the corpse. Their visit to the widow's house creates another damaging mistake.
2. The Missing Evidence — Bale is arrested while Kinnear grows suspicious of a tampered computer disc. Violence against the officers handling the case suggests that the investigation reaches into the police force.
3. The Corruption Trap — Suspended and framed by an altered file, Kinnear and Paddock rely on Northey to obtain evidence. The corruption ring escalates from manipulation to bombing and capture.
4. The Political Exposure — After Northey's rescue, the detectives record a conversation implicating the premier. They seize him and arrange an exchange for the abducted Bale.
5. The Roadside Reckoning — Bale and the detectives reverse the planned execution during a tense standoff. Pratt's organization collapses, the conspirators are arrested, and the detectives regain their careers.