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Mike Flynn (TV character)
Encyclopedia
Captain
Michael "Mike" Flynn, CSC, RAN, is a fictional TV character on the show Sea Patrol
, and is portrayed by Ian Stenlake
. In the first episode of 'Sea Patrol' season 4 Mike is promoted to Commander and in season 5 is promoted to Captain and is transferred to NAVCOM.
of the patrol boat HMAS Hammersley. He is forty-years-old and joined the Royal Australian Navy
when he was seventeen and has worked his way up through the ranks over the years.
He exudes a vigorous physicality combined with an air of quiet confidence, leavened by a laconic sense of humour. He is a man who by turns can be a laidback larrikin or dangerous when crossed. He has a drive to win at all costs and this can lead him into conflict with his colleagues and superiors when in pursuit of boats illegally intruding on Australian waters. As a result of this, he's gained a reputation as a 'wild man'.
Mike was posted to the Fremantle class HMAS Hammersley as a young sailor, and as other promotions and transfers came and went, he never imagined he would set foot on the old girl again. But he did, for the girl's last journeys as the commanding officer, before being decommissioned after twenty-five years of honourable service.
Now in the aftermath of the decommissioning, he is to command once again on the new Armidale class Patrol Boat HMAS Hammersley, with the majority of his crew joining him once again.
Which is why it was a surprise when she was posted to be his new Executive Officer
in the Hammersley's last six months. While they appear to have moved on from their history, it is quite obvious that what they had, meant so much to each of them, yet as working together, nothing can be done about it.
In the first season, Mike had a short-lived relationship with a marine biologist, Dr. Ursula Morrell (portrayed by Sibylla Budd
). While their presence and relationship quite obviously annoyed and irritated Kate, it became more of an annoyance when she went missing and Mike started obsessing that something not-right was going on with the Bright Island mystery. She is however, found in the captivity of Kate's current flame Rick Gallagher (portrayed by Martin Lynes
), who unknowingly helped him by extracting the toxin from a toxic breed of crabs so he could sell the toxins on the black market. Because of all this, Ursula has to go on witness protection
in the end, thus her and Mike's relationship ending.
In the second season he and the crew of the Hammersley helped to prevent a coup from occurring in the fictitious Samaru Islands. During the season Kate formed a relationship with SAS Captain Jim Roth. Mike was clearly annoyed by this and eventually was almost fatally injured saving Jim. After this occurred Jim and Kate realised Kate's true feelings for Mike, but nothing has been done to act on those feelings.
Mike was promoted to Commander in the first episode of Season 4 (“Night of the Long Knives”), and left the Hammersley for a shore posting at NavCom, allowing him to explore his relationship with Kate. In the second episode, “Crocodile Tears”, Mike and Kate slept together after an argument, before Kate was called back to the boat. However, the CO who took over from Mike was removed from his post, and Mike was reappointed as CO of Hammersley at the end of “Crocodile Tears”. Disallowing a personal relationship between the two of them to continue.
In episode 10 of Season 4 (“Rawhide”), the issue of Mike and Kate’s relationship resurfaced, with Kate admitting to Mike (and calling him Mike for the first time), that she wanted more from their relationship, including marriage and kids. Their attempt at a date was interrupted by the crew of the Hammersley, and the discussion went unresolved. Mike’s feelings for Kate became apparent in episode 14 of Season 4 (“Live Catch”), when he inadvertently referred to her as Kate, rather than the XO, to Dutchy, while Kate was in danger.
In the final of Season 4 (“In Too Deep”), Mike rescued a baby and the father from drowning, and the father announced to him that “I owe you my life”. Mike put Kate’s name at the top of a list for candidate COs, after being told by Cmdr White, that if he disapproved of her list, he should pick his own. However, Mike commented to Kate, about the original list, that “they couldn’t command a tug boat, let alone a war ship.” Unfortunately, Kate saw the list, and believed Mike was referring to her, so announced to him that she was requesting a transfer off Hammersley. Kate then dropped his calls all evening, including when Mike was walking into a bad situation, involving drug dealers, with Mike pretending to be the captain of a surveying vessel.
Upon realising what had happened to Mike, Kate was made acting CO until they could locate him. The Hammersley received a tip that Mike was being put in a submarine, and towed out to deep water to be sunk. However, the leader of the drug dealers was the man Mike saved earlier, so Mike was removed from the sub, and held captive on his boat. Kate, and the rest of the Hammersley crew, still believed Mike was in the submarine when it exploded. Kate took over from Charge to lead the boarding when the crew boarded the drug dealer’s boat, and had to be stopped from shooting the leader by Swain, as she blamed him for the death of Mike.
Kate then found Mike alive and well on the ship, and the pair shared a loving embrace, which Dutchy walked in on. Upon returning to the ship, Dutchy commented to Kate that it was “okay”, indicating that he wasn’t going to talk about what he had seen or heard.
By the start of Season 5 things looks promising for Mike and Kate. Mike is promoted to Commander and transferred off Hammersly to a desk job at NavCom; thus finally allowing them to pursue their relationship openly. However, fate once intervenes. Hammersley's new CO is removed for misconduct and Mike is posted by to the ship. This proves too much for Kate who ends their relationship and takes up with her old flame SAS Captain Jim Roth; who proposes in the series finale.
A new midshipman, Ryan White (Cmdr White's son and Mike's godson), is appointed to Hammersley's crew. When Ryan's father Stuart requires a bone marrow transfer, medical tests reveal that the two aren't compatible. This causes Mike to question Cmdr White about a 'liaison' they had some 19 years before; Maxine (and later tests) confirm that Ryan is Mike's son. Ryan is tranferred off Hammersley, but later resigns his commission and take a job with a private security company.
Both Mike and Kate are then involved in stopping a major terrorist attack on Cairns. Unfortunately, Jim Roth is lost in the attack attempting to disarm a bomb. Following this tragic loss, Kate finally confesses that Mike is the only man for her.
At some point after the final Sea Patrol episode Mike and Kate finally marry and are expecting their first child. Mike has been promoted to Captain and has been posted to NavCom in Cairns.
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In Order of Precedence (when wearing ribbons - continuity error)
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Michael "Mike" Flynn, CSC, RAN, is a fictional TV character on the show Sea Patrol
Sea Patrol (TV series)
Sea Patrol is an Australian television drama, set on board HMAS Hammersley, a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members....
, and is portrayed by Ian Stenlake
Ian Stenlake
Ian Edward Stenlake is an Australian actor.-Television:Stenlake is perhaps best known for the role of Constable Oscar Stone which he played in the Australian police drama series Stingers from 1998 to 2002...
. In the first episode of 'Sea Patrol' season 4 Mike is promoted to Commander and in season 5 is promoted to Captain and is transferred to NAVCOM.
History
Mike, also known as "CO" or "Sir" or "Boss", is the Commanding OfficerCommanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the patrol boat HMAS Hammersley. He is forty-years-old and joined the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
when he was seventeen and has worked his way up through the ranks over the years.
He exudes a vigorous physicality combined with an air of quiet confidence, leavened by a laconic sense of humour. He is a man who by turns can be a laidback larrikin or dangerous when crossed. He has a drive to win at all costs and this can lead him into conflict with his colleagues and superiors when in pursuit of boats illegally intruding on Australian waters. As a result of this, he's gained a reputation as a 'wild man'.
Mike was posted to the Fremantle class HMAS Hammersley as a young sailor, and as other promotions and transfers came and went, he never imagined he would set foot on the old girl again. But he did, for the girl's last journeys as the commanding officer, before being decommissioned after twenty-five years of honourable service.
Now in the aftermath of the decommissioning, he is to command once again on the new Armidale class Patrol Boat HMAS Hammersley, with the majority of his crew joining him once again.
Personal life
When he was thirty-three, he had a brief but passionate affair with a young lieutenant by the name of Kate McGregor. It wasn't right, and after its brief passion, they parted, never expecting to see each other again.Which is why it was a surprise when she was posted to be his new Executive Officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
in the Hammersley's last six months. While they appear to have moved on from their history, it is quite obvious that what they had, meant so much to each of them, yet as working together, nothing can be done about it.
In the first season, Mike had a short-lived relationship with a marine biologist, Dr. Ursula Morrell (portrayed by Sibylla Budd
Sibylla Budd
Sibylla Budd is an Australian actress best known for her role in the television series The Secret Life Of Us.-Early life and education:...
). While their presence and relationship quite obviously annoyed and irritated Kate, it became more of an annoyance when she went missing and Mike started obsessing that something not-right was going on with the Bright Island mystery. She is however, found in the captivity of Kate's current flame Rick Gallagher (portrayed by Martin Lynes
Martin Lynes
Martin Lynes is an Australian actor.-Biography:Lynes is known for his work as Dr. Luke Forlano on All Saints, an Australian hospital drama. On the series he tried many times to become the Chief medical officer but failed. He was a primarily surgeon but spent time helping in ward 17. He has also...
), who unknowingly helped him by extracting the toxin from a toxic breed of crabs so he could sell the toxins on the black market. Because of all this, Ursula has to go on witness protection
Witness protection
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
in the end, thus her and Mike's relationship ending.
In the second season he and the crew of the Hammersley helped to prevent a coup from occurring in the fictitious Samaru Islands. During the season Kate formed a relationship with SAS Captain Jim Roth. Mike was clearly annoyed by this and eventually was almost fatally injured saving Jim. After this occurred Jim and Kate realised Kate's true feelings for Mike, but nothing has been done to act on those feelings.
Mike was promoted to Commander in the first episode of Season 4 (“Night of the Long Knives”), and left the Hammersley for a shore posting at NavCom, allowing him to explore his relationship with Kate. In the second episode, “Crocodile Tears”, Mike and Kate slept together after an argument, before Kate was called back to the boat. However, the CO who took over from Mike was removed from his post, and Mike was reappointed as CO of Hammersley at the end of “Crocodile Tears”. Disallowing a personal relationship between the two of them to continue.
In episode 10 of Season 4 (“Rawhide”), the issue of Mike and Kate’s relationship resurfaced, with Kate admitting to Mike (and calling him Mike for the first time), that she wanted more from their relationship, including marriage and kids. Their attempt at a date was interrupted by the crew of the Hammersley, and the discussion went unresolved. Mike’s feelings for Kate became apparent in episode 14 of Season 4 (“Live Catch”), when he inadvertently referred to her as Kate, rather than the XO, to Dutchy, while Kate was in danger.
In the final of Season 4 (“In Too Deep”), Mike rescued a baby and the father from drowning, and the father announced to him that “I owe you my life”. Mike put Kate’s name at the top of a list for candidate COs, after being told by Cmdr White, that if he disapproved of her list, he should pick his own. However, Mike commented to Kate, about the original list, that “they couldn’t command a tug boat, let alone a war ship.” Unfortunately, Kate saw the list, and believed Mike was referring to her, so announced to him that she was requesting a transfer off Hammersley. Kate then dropped his calls all evening, including when Mike was walking into a bad situation, involving drug dealers, with Mike pretending to be the captain of a surveying vessel.
Upon realising what had happened to Mike, Kate was made acting CO until they could locate him. The Hammersley received a tip that Mike was being put in a submarine, and towed out to deep water to be sunk. However, the leader of the drug dealers was the man Mike saved earlier, so Mike was removed from the sub, and held captive on his boat. Kate, and the rest of the Hammersley crew, still believed Mike was in the submarine when it exploded. Kate took over from Charge to lead the boarding when the crew boarded the drug dealer’s boat, and had to be stopped from shooting the leader by Swain, as she blamed him for the death of Mike.
Kate then found Mike alive and well on the ship, and the pair shared a loving embrace, which Dutchy walked in on. Upon returning to the ship, Dutchy commented to Kate that it was “okay”, indicating that he wasn’t going to talk about what he had seen or heard.
By the start of Season 5 things looks promising for Mike and Kate. Mike is promoted to Commander and transferred off Hammersly to a desk job at NavCom; thus finally allowing them to pursue their relationship openly. However, fate once intervenes. Hammersley's new CO is removed for misconduct and Mike is posted by to the ship. This proves too much for Kate who ends their relationship and takes up with her old flame SAS Captain Jim Roth; who proposes in the series finale.
A new midshipman, Ryan White (Cmdr White's son and Mike's godson), is appointed to Hammersley's crew. When Ryan's father Stuart requires a bone marrow transfer, medical tests reveal that the two aren't compatible. This causes Mike to question Cmdr White about a 'liaison' they had some 19 years before; Maxine (and later tests) confirm that Ryan is Mike's son. Ryan is tranferred off Hammersley, but later resigns his commission and take a job with a private security company.
Both Mike and Kate are then involved in stopping a major terrorist attack on Cairns. Unfortunately, Jim Roth is lost in the attack attempting to disarm a bomb. Following this tragic loss, Kate finally confesses that Mike is the only man for her.
At some point after the final Sea Patrol episode Mike and Kate finally marry and are expecting their first child. Mike has been promoted to Captain and has been posted to NavCom in Cairns.
Awards
In Order of Precedence (when wearing full medals)|-
| Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia) Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia) The Conspicuous Service Cross is a decoration of the Australian Honours System. The CSC is awarded only for outstanding devotion to duty, or outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills, judgment or dedication, in non-warlike situations... |
Australian Active Service Medal Australian Active Service Medal The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations... |
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| Australian Service Medal Australian Service Medal The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorized 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of... |
Defence Force Service Medal Defence Force Service Medal The Defence Force Service Medal is an Australian Military award given for long service by permanent members of the Australian Defence Force... |
Australian Defence Medal Australian Defence Medal The Australian Defence Medal is an Australian military decoration which recognises current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who completed an initial enlistment period, or four years service... |
In Order of Precedence (when wearing ribbons - continuity error)
| Commendation for Distinguished Service Commendation for Distinguished Service The Commendation for Distinguished Service is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force, it is awarded for the distinguished performance of duties in warlike operations. The Commendation for Distinguished Service was introduced in 1991 and replaced the Imperial... |
Australian Active Service Medal Australian Active Service Medal The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations... |
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| Iraq Medal (Australia) Iraq Medal (Australia) The Iraq Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Iraq Medal is awarded to Australian Defence Force personnel who served in or around Iraq after 18 March 2003... |
Defence Force Service Medal Defence Force Service Medal The Defence Force Service Medal is an Australian Military award given for long service by permanent members of the Australian Defence Force... |
Australian Defence Medal Australian Defence Medal The Australian Defence Medal is an Australian military decoration which recognises current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who completed an initial enlistment period, or four years service... |
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