Brodie Upton
Brodie Upton (2011)
Guy Edmonds
Episodes: 5236–5307
Brodie was one of the first River Boys who came to Summer Bay after the Braxtons began to make it their base. He was admonished by Charlie for drinking in public and was later winding up Colleen when Charlie turned up looking for his associates Pee Wee and Rick, who had abandoned Dexter in the bush. As a result, Colleen refused to serve him at the Diner. He turned up again a few days later where he wound Liam up about his failed gig at Angelo’s and also clashed with Colleen again, following her home to the caravan park, where she was staying in a van while her mobile home was renovated. Next morning, Colleen woke up to find her van had been left in the middle of nowhere. Charlie questioned Brodie, who denied involvement. However, he admitted to Brax and Heath that he was responsible. Brax told him he’d broken their code, since they didn’t pick on old people, and had him beaten as punishment. Brodie was refused service by Irene. Without admitting guilt, he offered Colleen money to cover the cost of the van being towed back but she refused.
Despite this, Brodie was a key part of Brax’s later attempts to test whether new business partner Angelo would keep quiet about their activities. He and Brax allowed Angelo to overhear them talking about a delivery but when Charlie interrupted Brodie and another River Boy exchanging a package it turned out to be jelly beans. Brodie was present with Brax and Heath when Liam turned up looking to buy drugs from Heath. He later accompanied the pair and Angelo on a pig hunting expedition, where Angelo was shot at in a supposed accident.
When Angelo was struck over the head by Heath after stumbling upon the River Boys’ drug crop, Brodie was assigned by Brax to take care of it. He dumped Angelo outside a hospital and buried his wallet and phone in the bush, meaning it took time for him to be identified. Charlie spotted Brodie on the CCTV footage and, when she questioned him, found drugs on him. Brax and Heath confronted Brodie, who admitted taking some of the drug crop to sell himself. Telling him he needed to make it up to them, Brax gave him a gun and sent him to the crop to do a deal, then arranged for the police to find him there. Brodie gave them the slip and held Brax and Heath at gunpoint in Angelo’s. Brax told him someone needed to take the blame for the crop and, when Brodie asked what would happened to his old lady (presumably his mother), promised they’d look after her. Brodie surrendered to the police.
However, Brodie quickly went off the idea of going to jail. He claimed to have abdominal pains and was taken to hospital where Sid and Nurse Julie examined him. He then grabbed a scalpel and held Nicole as a hostage, forcing Angelo and his guard to let him go (although he immediately released her). He went to Brax and demanded he smuggle him out of the country. Brax refused but hid him when Charlie turned up. Overhearing their conversation, Brodie realised the pair were romantically involved and threatened to tell the other River Boys if Brax didn’t help him. Brax agreed, sending the police the wrong way with a fake tip-off, and Brodie told him if he really cared about Charlie he’d break up with her. Brax had Brodie smuggled out of the area in a van, telling him to never come back.