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"If he's not going to stand by you, then he's no good for you!" - Trudy

Trudy is an original member of the Mall Rats.

She arrived to the mall as a teenage single mother, searching for a safe place to birth her baby. In the beginning, she suffered from heavy postnatal depression while dealing with intense unrequited feelings for Bray. Having faced challenges beyond her years, Trudy was always vulnerable and struggled with her mental health. This sometimes manifested in erratic behaviours, including a suicide attempt at one point.

She was a fiercely protective mother to Brady and would go to great lengths to keep her daughter safe, a fact which some people used in order to manipulate her. Trudy was brainwashed into becoming the Supreme Mother of the fanatic cult The Chosen, who worshipped Brady's father Zoot like a god, but she broke free with the help of the Mall Rats and Gaians.

Despite her struggles, Trudy was also a friendly, warm and sympathetic person. A supportive member of her tribe, she often took on the role of caretaker and was someone that others would turn to for advice and comfort. Though she longed for love, she was unlucky in her choice of men, but shared close friendships with Salene and Amber amongst others. She demonstrated bravery and strength when the situation called for it, and fought alongside the Mall Rats against the Technos, Zootists and the Collective.

History[]

Pre-Tribe[]

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Trudy sleeps with Martin

Trudy was in the same class as Martin, who had feelings for her. She, however, felt that Martin was just a kid and was in love with his older brother Bray. Martin asked Trudy to the school dance, but she was waiting for Bray to ask her out. When she talked to Bray about the dance, he told her he had to stay with his parents who were sick from the virus, which deeply upset Trudy. Following her mother's advice, she went to the dance anyway, and began dancing with Martin. Shortly after she saw Bray embracing the new girl, Ebony, and kissing her. She did not know that Ebony had manipulated circumstances in order to go with Bray to the dance, so she was deeply upset. Partly to take revenge on Bray, she had sex with Martin that night. She started throwing up in the mornings, and realised she was pregnant.

After his parents died, Martin became rebellious and changed into Zoot with a speech of the new order and "power and chaos" in class. Scared because of her pregnancy and everything that was going on, Trudy turned to Bray for comfort.[1] The virus hit with full force and the evacuation began. Trudy did not want to leave her parents, but they pleaded with her to save herself, as it was too late for them and their death was already certain. Although reluctant, she eventually agreed.[2] Trudy later returned to the city where Bray looked after her during her pregnancy when there were no adults to do so. They tried contacting Zoot, the father of her unborn child, but people like Ebony always got in the way.[1]

Series 1[]

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Trudy and her newborn daughter Brady

About nine months later[3], the pregnant Trudy woke up after dreaming of the day she had to leave her parents, a dream she'd had before. Bray walked into the room and comforted her before telling her they had to move to sector 10 of the city due to the Roosters moving in. She was reluctant due to fear of the Locos at first, but Bray managed to convince her. After moving through the countryside - where they had to hide from the Roosters in the bushes - and the shoreside, they arrived in the city after approximately a day. There, Trudy was left by a tunnel while Bray went to look for a safe place to stay.[2]

Bray found a Mall inhabited by ten kids and took Trudy there.[4] There was disagreement whether Trudy and Bray could stay in the mall or not, and Lex tried his best to get them thrown back onto the streets. Before any decision was made, Salene took Trudy to the café to give her a hot meal. When asked what gender she wanted her baby to be, Trudy answered "a boy - definitely a boy". Salene responded "like his dad", referring to Bray, and Trudy avoided telling her Bray was not the father. When she was served hot dogs and beans, she couldn't eat it as she was a vegetarian. All of a sudden she started crying because she was scared of having a baby without a doctor around, and said that babies were not natural in "this world".

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Trudy promising to be a responsible mother

There was a vote about their staying; four voted for, and five voted against. Just as they were about to be thrown out, Trudy's waters broke and the baby was very much on its way.[5] Lex thought it was a trick they used so they would be allowed to stay, but Amber told everyone to get out except Salene who ordered for towels and hot water, and Bray who took charge in delivering the baby. He took charge of the situation and told people to get various items while instructing Trudy in breathing and pushing. After many screams and cries, a baby girl was born. Everyone in the mall came to see the child and give her gifts. A very short time after the birth, Bray left the mall without telling anyone.[6]

After the birth Trudy becomes incredibly sick and Dal goes and finds antibiotics at a life threatening risk, she is always asking for Bray but he seems to never be around. Trudy becomes better after Dal brings back the antibiotics. At first Trudy doesn't want to touch her baby so Salene looks after her, later it is seen that Trudy has a go at Salene after she tells Trudy she looked after Brady better than she could ever do. Trudy tells Salene to stay away from both of them. When the others assumed the baby to be Bray's, Trudy didn't disabuse them, as she herself was keen on Bray. She became increasingly self-centered, jealous and aggressive due to postnatal depression and losing her grip on Bray, and even tried to commit suicide. After running away with Dal, she pulled herself together and took her mother role seriously.

Series 2[]

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Trudy as the Supreme Mother

In the aftermath of Amber and Zandra’s death, Trudy tried to keep it together and began to take more control. Showing us who she could be and not just letting herself be a driftwood on the tide. She was still participating, helping her friends and giving advice where she could, becoming an integral member of the tribe. But becomes jealous of newcomer Danni when Bray spends more time with her.

Things would take a sinister turn when Trudy was captured by The Chosen, a cult who worshipped Zoot as a god. It was in the captivity of The Guardian that we learn of her past with Ebony, and why she there is so much hatred – especially concerning Bray. Though the Mall Rats attempt to mount a rescue, Trudy is taken by The Chosen and disappears for months.

Trudy eventually returns and claims to have escaped. But we see her dark persona emerge – one that we had only marginally glimpsed during her postnatal depression – revealing a Trudy who was deeply manipulative, devious and downright bad! She would give her friends bad advice, put plans into motion and even try and brainwash those closest to her, including Patsy.

Under the guidance and influence of The Guardian, Trudy was preparing the Mall Rats to be invaded and taken over by The Chosen, who sent her to the Mall as an undercover. The Chosen kept the real Brady with them and did not allow Trudy to take her back to the Mall, giving her a fake baby instead. Trudy's evil plans soon bore fruit. In a dramatic battle on the beach, the Mall Rats are defeated.

Series 3[]

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A reformed Trudy

This side of Trudy continued as we witnessed the ‘Supreme Mother’ in all of her dark glory. She acted with an air of importance, due to her own brainwashing, again falling into manipulation with her friends and showing her dominance. She was a stronger character here, showing her aggression when she needed to, but also being repentant when events began to cascade out of her direct control.

It was during those instances when we saw true emotion breaking through Trudy’s brainwashing, witnessed during the attempted indoctrination of Bray, or when she desperately wanted to see Brady, who would sometimes be withheld from her presence by the Guardian who used this as a tool for her continued obedience. Trudy continues to be the Supreme Mother until disagreements over Brady begin between herself and The Guardian, who orders her execution and deems her an imposter. After escaping her execution, she is taken to live with the Gaians, where Amber would help to undo her brainwashing.

However, after the disbandment of the Chosen, Trudy became the person we loved from before her kidnapping. She was helpful, a shoulder to cry on, and a mother to everyone within the tribe. She also continued to become stronger than we had ever seen her, keeping hope even when she was kidnapped by Ned. Eventually they were rescued by Ebony. However Ebony banishes Bray and Amber from the city, and Trudy decides to go after them while the Techno planes invade the city.

Series 4[]

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Trudy and Brady as Ecos

Trudy finds Amber in a barn and helped to deliver Amber's baby. She later finds Bray's necklace of Amber's Ring and realises he had been abducted by the Technos. Fearing for their lives, Trudy and Amber fled to the safety of the Eco Tribe.

Trudy flourished during her time within the Gaians, becoming even more capable than before, and forging a deep friendship with Amber as the two shared experiences of motherhood. Her time in the camp had given her the best experience that she, and Brady, had needed. When Amber was captured by the Technos, she returns to the Mall for help. After Amber attempts to broadcast proof that the Technos were using people like her as lab rats for their Virtual Reality experiments, Trudy and Amber are forced to flee back to the Ecos when this fails.

She continued to show what a fierce mother she could be and just how deep her feelings are for her daughter. When Brady is taken by the Technos, Trudy doesn’t rest until she can find her, even when all hope looks lost and the Mall Rats can’t make any real moves against the tribe. Trudy is soon reunited with Brady thanks to the intervention of the resurfaced Tai San.

Series 5[]

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Trudy falls for Jay

After things settled down, she developed a romantic relationship with Jay while Amber is away with Salene because of Pride's death. When Amber comes back to the mall, she tells Trudy that she wants to be with Jay and Trudy is worried that Jay will dump her for Amber. But Jay reassures her that he wants to be with her. Trudy and Jay keep their relationship a secret from the other mall rats and especially Amber, but later Amber catches the two in bed together and amber doesn't speak to her for a while.

Trudy and Jay's relationship is going well until later Jay is taken by Mega and Trudy assumes he is dead, only to be told by Amber that he is alright. Trudy is even more distraught when Amber tells her that he isn't coming back to the mall after he has gone into hiding. Jay comes back only to have him taken from her by Amber after a long time. Due to feelings of betrayal towards her friends, she was easily manipulated by Mega into handing over information. When the Virus Mark II broke out, she fled with the other Mall Rats on a boat

The Tribe: A New World[]

The trauma of leaving her entire world behind leads to Trudy displaying a hint of mental illness that seems to have plagued her so long ago. Depression and hysteria kicks in on the trawler, and she even begins to wonder whether to take Brady’s life rather than let her starve. The Mall Rats begin to grow seriously concerned for Trudy’s well-being. Amber and Salene are charged with keeping a close eye on her, and to try and stop her from growing too unstable.

As events come to a head on the island which has now become their home, Trudy shows that she is still the person that we want her to be – inclusive, nurturing, and someone who wants to make sure that everyone is ok. Feeling for Ebony’s situation despite everything that she has done, Trudy brings the prisoner some fruit to the container where she is being held – and Ebony escapes. It was sheer luck that Ebony doesn’t manage to succeed in grabbing Brady, only managing to take hold of Ram during her flight.

The Tribe: A New Dawn[]

Forever unlucky in love – Trudy has another unfortunate dalliance in love as the Mall Rats attempt to make sense of the Collective and make a new home on the island. Drawn by his physical attraction and magnetism, Trudy finds herself infatuated with the mysterious Connor. She always thought that it would be Bray, and at one time, even Jay who shared many similarities with him. So it comes as no surprise that she grabs hold of this source of love without any real thought … especially as to his intentions.

Starved for love and companionship, Trudy accepts Connors wiling advances, despite it ending with him using her for his own schemes as it is revealed that Connor is a Bounty Hunter for the Collective. Trudy can’t believe that she has been conned in love yet again. She is also forced to come face-to-face with the Guardian, determined to protect Brady from him. In the dramatic battle back in the mall, the Mall Rats band around them in an attempt to stop the Guardian’s schemes. Though Connor also risked his own life to protect Brady from harm, Trudy is unable to forgive him for his deep deception. The two break up for good and Connor leaves on the Nemo, sailing away into the unknown.

The Tribe: (R)Evolution[]

Gallery[]

Pre-Tribe[]

Series 1[]

Series 2[]

Series 3[]

Series 4[]

Series 5[]

Trivia[]

  • Trudy is one of the seven characters to appear in all five seasons of the show. The others being Lex, Ebony, Salene, Jack, Brady, and Zoot.
  • Trudy is one of the four characters on the show to have attempted suicide. The others being Salene, Ryan and Ellie.
  • Trudy is one of the four characters where both her parents were seen via flashback/photo. The others are Salene, Dal and Ram. Although Bray and Danni's fathers were seen, their mothers weren't.
  • Series 1 and 5 are the only seasons where Trudy appears in every episode of the aforementioned seasons. Whereas for other seasons, her appearances were sporadic.
  • There have been hints that Trudy's heritage might be partly Chinese. This is suggested due to her pre-tribe outfit that she wears in the first episode when she says goodbye to her parents. She also wears a Chinese inspired outfit when she tries to seduce The Guardian in Series 3 Episode 15.
  • In Series 4 Episode 5, Trudy catches and cooks fish from the river. This may suggest that Trudy is not vegetarian at this stage of the series since Trudy originally said she was vegetarian at the start of Series 1.
  • Trudy was shown to have learnt survival skills during her time with the Eco Tribe. She was able to trail the Technos to discover their hideout, create animal sounds as a distraction, and said she could "walk over broken glass and not make a sound." But these abilities have only been seen once. [7] Trudy however, physically fights the Technos when she rescues Jay. [8] She also physically fought the Zootists in The Tribe: A New Dawn which might have been learnt from her time with the Ecos.
  • After the release of The Tribe: A New World, many fans believed Trudy may have some sort of mental disorder after an incident that occurred on the boat. There are various examples in the show that support this claim. Trudy's mental state after Brady's birth, her time with The Chosen, whenever Brady was kidnapped, and her time with Mega support this. However, her state after Brady's birth could be attributed to postpartum depression, common during pregnancy.
  • Trudy was voted by fans as 3rd Best Heroine and 9th Greatest Villain in 2015 polls. [9]

References[]

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