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| “ | Now, I know that some of you would want to see the back of me, but unfortunately, I’m staying. I hope you’ll join me. | „ |
| ~ Harris to the Undercover unit when he becomes their boss. |
Detective Inspector Luke Patrick Harris is one of the four deuteragonists (alongside Ellen “Mac” MacKenzie, Oscar Stone and Danni Mayo) of Stingers. He is also the eluquent but eccentric Head of the Special Investigations squad and the Undercover unit of Victoria Police and one of the love interests, later the husband, then ex-husband of Angie Piper and the father of Angie's son Josh Harris.
He served as a major antagonist turned anti-hero in season six, and as one of the main protagonists/anti-heroes (alongside Peter Church and Angie Piper) from season seven to season eight.
He is portrayed by Gary Sweet.
Early History[]
Not too much is known about Harris’ past. He was originally married to his first wife, who later gave birth to his daughter Katherine. However, he left them when Katherine was three. Sometime after he left his first wife, he discovered that he had bipolar disorder, which was carried over genetically from his mother Marilyn. He later married a second time to a woman named Helene, but they later divorced.
He originally worked as a Crown Prosecutor, being responsible for sending serial rapist Brett Linton to prison for several years, before later moving to Sydney to work as a federal police officer in the National Crime Authority, where he tried to investigate businessman Stig Enquist for three years over his drug interests, as well as asset stripping. However, before he could take down Enquist, Harris was falsely accused of professional misconduct, and was soon suspended and later kicked out of the NCA by Piers Renshall, a good friend and political connection of Enquist’s, forcing Harris to return to state police in Victoria.
Personality[]
Harris is often shown to be eloquent, sophisticated, intelligent, and at times eccentric, while also initially appearing to appear cold and distant. He is later revealed to be a stern but fair individual when he later gets along with the rest of the unit. He is also shown to be an effective unit commander and undercover cop.
On the several occasions when he’s stopped taking his medication to treat his bipolar symptoms, he is shown to be mentally and emotionally unstable, becoming prone to delusions, as well as verbal and violent outbursts.
Despite distrusting one another in season six, Harris becomes close and eventually starts a romantic relationship with Angie Piper, which has its complications due to Angie trying to come to terms with Harris’ bipolar disorder. Eventually, they get married, but Angie later breaks Harris’ heart when she decides to leave him following the situation with Brett Linton. However, they remain close following the birth of their son Josh.
Harris has an on-off adversarial relationship with Peter Church, with neither of them getting along initially when Harris joined the unit, and was complicated further when both men mistakenly believed that the other was working for Stig Enquist, leading to Harris almost killing Church. However, when Church later discovers that Harris is suffering from bipolar disorder, he and Harris start to begrudgingly get along on a professional level. However, they still often clashed with one another regarding each other’s decisions during investigations, as well as later becoming rivals over Angie's affection.
Notable storylines[]
Harris makes his first appearance in the season six premiere, when he meets Peter Church at the unit headquarters and informs him that the Undercover unit is being disbanded. He later reveals this information to the rest of the unit, while also revealing that Ellen MacKenzie had resigned from both the unit and the police force entirely, surprising Angie Piper and Danni Mayo completely. He later angers Church and Angie when he recommends that Oscar Stone’s killer, Kieran Frances Conrad, be given a plea deal for manslaughter after Church’s outburst towards Conrad in court weakens the case. However, Conrad later escapes from police custody. Harris later reveals to Church, Angie and Danni that the Undercover unit will be retained, but will now be part of a new Special Investigations squad and relocated to Police HQ, with him now in charge of the unit. He soon takes Church and Angie off the search for Conrad after he expresses his belief that they are both letting their emotions get the better of them, and later stops them both from torturing Dr. Lawrence Moody for information about Conrad, and instead tells Moody to keep him informed if Conrad returns. Harris later recruits Christina Dichiera into the unit after she mistakenly arrests Church and Angie during an undercover sting, and causes Danni to resign after he withholds information related to her case that inadvertently causes a young boy to be killed and later her target as well. Eventually, Harris meets several times with Stig Enquist, unaware that Church and Angie are tailing him, suspecting him to be involved with Enquist’s criminal activities. Harris later meets with Moody once again, which Moody later reveals to Church and Angie that he informed Harris that Conrad was back in the country, and was told by Harris to let Conrad know that he had a job for him. Harris, who by now had stopped taking his medication, becomes more deranged and believes that Church is out to kill him. When Rick Tyson takes Church hostage, Harris kills Tyson in cold blood without even sparing a thought for Church’s safety, he then tries to arrest Church, but is stopped by Enquist’s lawyer Ingrid Burton, whom Church has been in a relationship with. Harris then decides to call Church and tells him to meet up at the rooftop of Police HQ. When Church arrives, Harris ambushes him at gunpoint, accusing Church of working with Enquist. However, when he finds out from Church that he believed that Harris was working with both Enquist and Conrad. Harris becomes confused and bewildered by the revelation while Church disarms him. A now-frightened Harris then worries that Enquist will get him again like he did when he was in the NCA, when Church tries to reassure him, Harris, believing Church is only humouring him, becomes an emotional wreck and tries to commit suicide by going over the roof of Police HQ, only to be stopped by Church. Harris then asks Church to take him to his doctor, Dr. Dan Fraser, who explains to Church about Harris’ bipolar disorder and tells him that Harris will undergo shock treatment therapy, also known as ECT, to combat the severe manic symptoms. Following the therapy, Harris explains to Church that he kept his intentions a secret because he didn’t know who to trust due to Enquist's political connections, and also explaining that he wanted to make a deal with Conrad in order to take down Enquist. Church then suggests that they work together to bring down both Enquist and Conrad, which Harris agrees to. At the same time however, Harris and Church become falsely targeted by the Integrity Review Panel, and Harris is suspended by his long-time adversary Piers Renshaw. Despite this, Harris and Church are able to entrap Renshaw the help of Oscar Stone’s former girlfriend Lauren Davies, and Harris is later reinstated, giving him and Church the opportunity to take down Enquist. While Church is undercover with Enquist, Harris stages a fake assassination attempt on Enquist while he is at the courthouse. Prompting Enquist to blame Conrad for the attempted hit and places a bounty on him. However, Harris decides to put the investigation's focus entirely on Enquist after Conrad’s failed assassination attempt almost puts Church and Angie at risk. He also convinces Chris not to resign from the unit. Eventually, Harris is alerted by Angie that Church is in danger from Enquist, and they rush to Enquist’s mansion where they rescue Church while also arresting Enquist moments after he kills Conrad. Harris later discovers that Enquist is released on bail, and decides to have Ingrid Burton face disbarment by sending a tape that Church recorded of her admitting that her clients are guilty to the bar association. Burton later leaves to go overseas to avoid Enquist's grasp, but not before giving Church a CD, which he and Harris later discover contains a complete inventory of Enquist’s businesses in Australia and overseas, which is the final nail in the coffin for Enquist. Harris and Church also find some amusement when they discover that Ingrid withdrew $3,000,000 from Enquist’s account for her own benefit, ruining any chance of Enquist being bailed before trial, with Harris silently smiling at this revelation.
Harris with Angie Piper.
Harris and Angie get married.
In season seven, Harris and Angie begin dating shortly after a siege at Police HQ that nearly kills them, and he later reveals to her his bipolar diagnosis after being convinced to by Church. However, Harris later becomes re-acquainted with serial rapist Brett Linton, who he put away in prison several years prior and still has a grudge towards Harris. Harris later discovers from Dr. Fraser that the hard copy of his medical file was stolen. Harris immediately suspects that Linton was responsible for the theft, which is later confirmed when Linton starts to blackmail him, demanding $50,000 at first, before toying with Harris by upping the price to $70,000. Harris once again begins to stop taking his medication by this point. Harris soon finds out from Brian Gray that Linton’s responsible for a number of recent sexual assaults, including previous victim Faye Anderson, whose testimony helped Harris send Linton to prison years back, and Linton changes his blackmail ransom from money to getting Harris to convince Gray to back off from him. At the same time, Harris and Angie decide to get married, but a few days before the wedding, Linton crosses the line by attacking and almost sexually assaulting Angie, although she manages to fight him off. When Harris discovers this, he tracks down Linton and seemingly kills him. On the day his and Angie’s wedding, Harris disappears for a while, as he hallucinates that he buried Linton’s body in a forest, and goes back to dig it back up, only to find that Linton’s body isn’t there. He soon returns to his apartment, only to find Church there, who is at first confused to why Harris is covered in mud, before getting angry at Harris for almost ruining the most important day of Angie’s life. They soon make it to the chapel, where Harris and Angie finally get married in front of their friends and family. However, on the night of the wedding, Angie finds Harris on the floor repeatedly saying that he killed Linton. Harris later makes it to Police HQ, trying to hand himself in for Linton’s murder, but is stopped by Church, who takes Harris into his office and calls Angie. The three of them then make it to Dr. Fraser’s clinic, where he tells Angie and Church that Harris is suffering from acute depressive phase and will have to undergo ECT therapy. It is later discovered that Linton is in fact still alive, and tries to kill Harris while he is recovering in the clinic. Harris later finds out that Linton had kidnapped Angie, and along with Church and Leo Flynn, manages to track down where she is being held and rescues her, while also shooting Linton dead. However, Harris is later devastated when Angie, who by now had transferred to the Homicide unit, decides to break up with him as she feels that she can’t trust him anymore. Harris later tries to win her back, but to no avail. However, Harris later finds out from Angie that she’s pregnant with their baby, and is later present when Angie gives birth to their son Josh. The birth of their son helps Harris and Angie mend their relationship, although they opt just to remain friends. Harris later accepts Angie's request to return to the Undercover unit, with both of them expressing their excitement to work together once again.
In season eight, Harris goes through a personal dilemma with the arrival of Katherine Marks, who clashes with Harris while investigating the death of criminal Jake Taylor at the hands of his domestically abused wife Veronica, whom Angie had earlier convinced to give evidence against Jake in a seperate investigation of hers. Harris is later shocked to discover that Katherine is in fact, his daughter from his first marriage, who holds a significant animosity towards him for abandoning her when she was three. Harris later reveals this to Angie, leaving her upset at him once again for keeping secrets from her and ending any hopes of reconcilliation between them. However, Angie convinces Harris to tell Katherine about his bipolar disorder, as it's possible that she may or may not have it as well. When Harris reveals this to Katherine, she reacts dismissively at first, but after another argument, Harris finds out that Katherine had in fact decided to talk to a psychiatrist, and confirmed that she is also bipolar. Harris tries to comfort her when she starts to freak out after telling him, only for Katherine to suddenly kiss Harris, which makes him uncomfortable. Despite this, they soon manage to end the animosity towards each other and finally begin to get along. Harris later helps Katherine when she suffers a breakdown after it appears that she messed up her autopsy report on a suspicious death that Harris was investigating. However, he becomes uncomfortable once again when Katherine exhibits romantic feelings towards him, prompting him to later suggest that they keep their distance as he confesses that he can't trust himself around her. Katherine later tells Harris that she's applied for a transfer to the Homicide unit in Perth, and they share a tearful goodbye to each other with a kiss before she leaves.
Around the same time, Harris develops an addiction to opium after being forced to use it during a sting operation to maintain his cover. Some time later, Harris is manipulated by his informant and opium supplier Menios Sarellis into scaring off one of his dealers named Frank Mornain into keeping quiet after he is arrested by local cops. However, Mornain is later found dead in jail, and when Church suggests that Sarellis has a motive for Mornain's murder, Harris reacts dismissively to this. However, some time after Harris meets with Sarellis while at a massage parlour, he is confronted by Church shortly after Sarellis leaves, who becomes angry when he discovers Harris' opium addiction, along with the fact that he allowed Sarellis to use the unit to take down his competition. Harris tries to convince Church that locking up Sarellis' is of no value due to his information being valuable, but Church is unconvinced, and gives Harris an ultimatium; resign from the force by noon the following day, otherwise he'll go to the Chief Commissioner to tell her about his drug use. Sarellis later becomes the target of investigation into Mornain's murder by Homicide, and Harris alerts him about this, offering to help Sarellis if he tells him who killed Mornain, but Sarellis recieves a call and leaves. Prompting Harris to follow him, where he discovers that Sarellis had set Church up in an ambush in an attempt to kill him. But before Sarellis can finish off Church, Harris appears, telling him to put the gun down. When Sarellis refuses, Harris shoots him twice, killing him and saving Church. Harris later politely rebukes Church's ultimatium towards him by revealing that he explained to the Police Commissioner why he had to use opium during the Sarellis case.
In the final episodes, tensions begin to build between Harris and Angie as she begins dating her now-ex psychiatrist Sean Hunter, whom Harris had earlier recommended for Angie to visit for counselling after the murder of her sister Sam. Especially as Harris suspects Hunter to be responsible for the deaths of three of his former patients. He tells Angie to stay away from Hunter, but she refuses to listen to him. Harris begins to stop taking his medication once again, and tries to convince the Homicide unit's Eric Chatterly to look into the serial killer theory, but is unable to convince him. Harris later sends his receptionist Sophie Novak to investigate Hunter, but when she fails to show up for work a couple of days later, Harris and Church soon find her barely alive in a bathtub with her wrists slit. Believing that Hunter is responsible for her attack, Harris confronts Hunter in hospital in front of Angie, leading to another argument between them two. Angie finally asks Harris for a divorce, and he later visits her at Hunter’s place with the signed divorce papers. However, Harris plants traces of Sophie’s hair in the bathroom, and later shows up to arrest Hunter, much to Angie’s dismay and anger. However, Harris’ manic tendencies start to surface once again, and when he is interviewing Hunter in jail, he attacks him when it seems that Hunter had provoked him. Harris is later suspended for this, and Church is placed in charge of the unit in his absence. When he discovers that Angie and Church are investigating Richard Kline for Sophie’s attack, Harris tips him off. Which inadvertently leads to a stand-off some time later between the unit and Kline, with Church killing him in self-defence. Despite this, Angie and Church find the victim’s items at Kline’s place, proving that he was the real serial killer. But, Harris, now completely suffering a breakdown, later shows up back at Police HQ claiming that he found the victims items at Hunter’s place in a box, but Angie and Church point out that it’s just random junk that Angie was going to throw out. Harris refuses to accept this, and in a manic state, later tries to take Josh away from Angie shortly after Hunter is released from custody, but she and Church stop him in the process, and Harris is forcefully taken into emergency psychiatric care. Harris is later visited by Church, who tells him that Sophie had woken up from coma and will recover, while also informing him that he arrested Hunter as Sophie had implicated him in her attack. Angie then arrives with Josh, and Church leaves them to allow them to spend some time with Harris. Harris and Angie both apologize to each other and make amends before Harris spends some time with Josh, while Angie looks on and smiles.
Trivia[]
- Harris appeared in 82 episodes of Stingers from 2002 to 2004, first appearing in the season six premiere.
- Harris is a fan of the Aussie Rules/AFL football team, the Collingwood Football Club.
- Gary Sweet's performance as Harris earned him a Silver Logie nomination for Most Outstanding Actor at the 2003 and 2004 TV Week Logie Awards.
- Prior to his role as Harris, Gary Sweet previously appeared in a season three episode of Stingers in 2000, in a villainous role as hitman Bobby Tait.
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