Chris Warner
Affectionately referred to by fans and the media as "Dr. Love", Chris made his first appearance in the show's first episode by having an affair with his aerobics instructor. This was an infamous and controversial scene. Portrayed as spoiled and from a wealthy family that inherited the hospital that was founded by his father, the character of Chris was characterised by his patronising and illicit manner; contrasted in a 1994 storyline where he became addicted to morphine. Known primarily for romance storyliness, Chris has been married five times and participated in over 20 romances as well as fathering six children. Chris was the first member of the Warner family to join the show and he was joined by half brother Guy Warner (Craig Parker). In later years, Chris became the patriarch of a family unit made up of his sons Harry (Reid Walker) and Phoenix (Geordie Holibar). Chris has been involved in several high profile and highly rated storylines; including a 1994 car crash, nearly getting murdered by his brother in law Dominic Thompson (Shane Cortese), losing his wife to his drug-addicted brother Guy, and ending up in jail after being framed for murder.
List of Shortland Street characters (2018)
With his father also feeling bad that Becky left Tank for an ex-con, Tank verbally abuses Curtis, while speaking ill of Pixie Hannah (Thomasin McKenzie), which causes the latter to snap. After the scuffle, Tank admits that his father put him up to it. Tank is prescribed diazepam. A day later, CCTV footage identifies him as being within the vicinity of an attack by the serial sex offender, the Beechwood Beast. Tank is taken in for questioning after Curtis and Darryl review the footage. However, the morning after Zoe Carlson (Holly Shervey) is raped, Curtis sees Tank hiding a mask, heightening his likelihood of being the sex offender, until Kate Hannah (Laurie Devenie) realises that he is covering for his father, Ian Reid (Phil Vaughan). The suspects' blood type is later found to be a match for Ian. He was still charged with perversion of justice.
Te Rongopai Rameka, played by Kim Garrett, first appeared on 13 June 2018, as the acting CEO of Shortland Street in the absence of Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) by the DHB, to the annoyance of Drew McCaskill (Ben Barrington). Te Rongopai pursued an agenda almost instantly, claiming such concepts as white privilege and nepotism, attempting to undermine things done by Chris in his time in charge, such as terminating the employment of Chris's son Frank Warner (Luke Patrick) while favouring Maori members of staff by way of things such as giving Esther a paid working study program top further her skills as an emergency surgeon, while giving her time to heal her injuries inflicted upon her by another of Chris' sons, Esther's husband, disgraced former surgeon Finn (Lukas Whiting), and introducing a free Maori Language tuition program. Te Rongopai's husband, Pita (Jamie MacCaskill) was the Maori Minister of Health, with much of his work happening in Wellington, where he looked after their daughter Romarie, herself a part-time activist.