Biography
Lively and lovable, Ronnie Brooks is the man you'd want to give your daughter away at her wedding if you were indisposed. Ronnie adores his job. He's a copper's copper, a reminder of another era of London policing—an era Ronnie's determined to keep going. He knows every nook and cranny of the city. When he's off duty, he can be found playing snooker, or watching West Ham (he's been a season ticket holder for 35 years).
Anglican by upbringing, Ronnie's a humanist by experience. A proper old-school East End gentleman who understands the complexities of life and death, Ronnie uses his laconic wit to cover the reality of too many dead bodies and disappointments. A recovering alcoholic, Ronnie drank his way through two marriages and the distancing of two daughters. Although he typically shrugs it off, Ronnie's feelings of guilt are transparent. He now lives alone.
His genuine insight into the human condition makes him a brilliant interrogator and reader of people. He is socially liberal, a man of great tolerance: but he's also a realist about life. Ronnie's a force for good - and everyone who has ever worked with him adores him. He loves working with Matt. Ronnie sees Matt as a bit of a surrogate son, best friend and confidante.
Ronnie Brooks would appear to be based on the character Lennie Briscoe from the original Law & Order series. Both characters have two ex-wives, are estranged from their daughters & are recovering alcoholics.
Early life
Family
It is revealed that Ronnie has been married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce. He also has two daughters, one of whom is called Sarah. He is estranged from both of them. In 'Safe' it is revealed that Ronnie is going to be a grandfather. Matt asked if Sarah was returning his calls, to which Ronnie replied she wasn't. Matt commented that she was probably busy. This was while they were investigating the disappearance of Ryan Stark, and his mother Kayla said that she wished she had a dad like him. Ronnie replied that his daughters wouldn't agree and that he chose the bottle over them. That was the reason Sarah wasn't returning his calls. At the end of the episode, Jake asks Ronnie for a pint but said he couldn't and that he was going to see his daughter. It is revealed that Sarah had given birth to a boy towards the end of 'Deal'. Matt congratulated him and jokingly called him granddad. Matt told him that he didn't want Ronnie to miss his grandson's first day on the planet and that he will drop him off en route and pick him up on the way back. Matt decided that they could look at the photo over a Chinese - which Ronnie said he would buy. He also told Ronnie to inform Sarah that he is on his way. However, this happy event becomes marred when Matt is shot down dead and Ronnie rushes to his side. When Sam Casey is brought in to investigate Matt's death, he asks Ronnie whether his grandchild was boy or girl. Ronnie, still grieving over Matt's death, replies that it is a boy. When Alesha came to ask Ronnie how he was doing, he replied that he'd had his life and had one too many wives and that he had his girls. He commented that Matt never got to do any of them things.
Personality and appearance
Ronnie is an old-school cop and is often described as a lovable rogue. He is a tough East End copper. Because he is a recovering alcoholic, Ronnie's guilt shows through a number of times and he is often haunted by his drinking days. He had been divorced twice. Ronnie often wears glasses for reading.
Relationships
Ronnie has had two failed marriages - this was down to the fact that he was drinking too much and chose the drink over his daughters. It is clear that he regrets this. In Honor Bound, it was revealed that he had an affair with a married female police officer, Detective Inspector Elizabeth Wakeman. They apparently spend all day at his flat. This was two days before her tenth wedding anniversary and that her husband assumed that she was at work. When she told him that she wanted to give evidence Ronnie refused, knowing that if she went in the witness box she would be discredited and her family destroyed. Eventually, with his career on the line, Ronnie knew that he had no choice and let her. At the end, Ronnie revealed to Matt that Liz was begging her husband not to leave. It is unknown whether Ronnie was married at the time and if this was responsible for the break up of one of his own marriages.
Relationships with colleagues
London Metropolitan Police
DS Matt Devlin
DS Matthew 'Matt' Devlin was the first sidekick Ronnie worked with in Law and Order: UK from the first episode 'Care' to his last appearance in 'Deal'. Ronnie loves working with Matt and it is clear from the friendly banter and bickering between them. They often had a warm relationship and Ronnie was left devastated when Matt was shot down dead outside the Old Bailey.
DS Sam Casey
Sam joined Ronnie Brooks at a bad time. Sam was brought in to investigate the death of DS Matt Devlin.
DS Joe Hawkins
DI Natalie Chandler
DI Les Weyton
DI Elizabeth Flynn
George Castle
Henry Sharpe
Jacob Thorne
James Steel
Alesha Phillips
Kate Barker
Appearances/Actors
- Canon (1 show, 6 series, 39 episodes)
- Law & Order: UK (First appearance, series 1) - Bradley Walsh
- Series 1, 7 episodes
- Series 2, 6 episodes
- Series 3, 7 episodes
- Series 4, 6 episodes
- Series 5, 6 episodes
- Series 6, 7 episodes
- Law & Order: UK (First appearance, series 1) - Bradley Walsh
Characters in Law & Order: UK.