Blue Heelers S04E36

Playing Possum

Episode 4.36 (164)
October 14, 1997
Written by Judith Colquhoun
Directed by David Allen

PJ is on the trail of a cat burglar known as the Possum. This thief is responsible for a number of jewellery thefts in Mt. Thomas and has proven virtually impossible to catch. PJ enlists Maggie's help but she is having trouble focusing on the case as her thoughts are firmly fixed on her brother Robbie and her discovery that he is using heroin again. Maggie realises that the only way she can help her brother overcome his addiction is with the help of her family so asks their father, Sgt. Pat Doyle, up from Melbourne.

Maggie and Pat face Robbie who tries to convince them that he can stop using heroin whenever he likes. Maggie and Pat realise that this is just another junkie line and explain that they will help him any way they can if he is willing to combat his addiction. Robbie suggests that with their help he can go cold turkey. Maggie and Pat decide that they will take shifts in watching Robbie while he goes through withdrawal. However, this makes it even harder for Maggie to concentrate on the jewellery thefts.

Gail Russell, a victim of the Possum, arrives at the station claiming that she' seen her stolen emerald dress clip in a local jewellery shop. However, when PJ questions the shop owner he discovers the feature stone of this piece is a garnet, not an emerald. Could she be lying as part of an insurance scam?

Maggie discusses Robbie's heroin addiction with Dash but asks her to keep it to herself. However, PJ knows something is wrong and manages to heavy Dash into telling him about the heroin. With this knowledge he tries to lend support to Maggie but she shuts him out. She just wants him to keep quite about it and leave her alone, everything is fine. But everything is not fine. Robbie is going through the horrors of cold turkey, and there is little Maggie can do but watch her brother try to deal with the pain.

Meanwhile, PJ is making progress with the jewellery theft investigation. It now seems that Gail Russell could be right about her dress clip, the stones may have been swapped. This may be the piece of information PJ needs to unmask the Possum.

Maggie wakes the next morning to find that her brother has made it through the worst of the withdrawal and seems relieved to have his addiction behind him. Pat Doyle leaves Maggie and Robbie for Melbourne, sure that everything is under control. Then Dash announces that her CD player has gone missing. Is Robbie as clean as Maggie hopes?

Guest Starring: Brett Climo as Robbie Doyle, Dennis Miller as Sgt. Pat Doyle, Peta Brady as Anise Lightfoot, Jenny Lovell as Gail Russell, John Jacobs as Benny Danders, Mary Rose Casey as Gillian Casooyni, Rob Steele as George Ambrose, Wendy Strehlow as Maxine.

(encoded with Handbrake - Blue Heelers - from Complete Fifth Season DVD - the early years)

Duration: approximately 45 minutes
Aspect ratio: 4:3 standard
Audio: linear hi-fi/stereo
Size: 442MB
Video format: MPEG-4 (MP4)

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