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> Love Thy Neighbour: Mackenzie Hargreaves
by Tess
Mackenzie Hargreaves, played by the incredibly talented Georgie Stone, is one of the most groundbreaking characters in Neighbours history.
She has educated viewers in such a powerful yet heartfelt way and I genuinely feel that the world is a better place with her on our screens.
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Mackenzie arrived in Erinsborough as a quietly brave high school student on 30th August 2019. As a child, she had been rejected by her father, Grant, who
had walked out on her and her mother. Her Mum had brought her up, fully loving and accepting her until she had died, leaving her in the care of her Aunt.
Making friends with Yashvi Rebecchi and Harlow Robinson, Mackenzie showed a particular interest in Yashvi's Dad, Shane, leading Yashvi to get the wrong
impression - that Shane could be Mackenzie's secret father.
This was added to by Yashvi feeling sure she knew Mackenzie from somewhere but couldn't place her. On top of this, despite
Mackenzie denying she had ever been to Bourke, where Yashvi and her family were from, she accidentally dropped a Bourke keyring on the floor in Harold's,
making Yashvi ever more suspicious of her and her reason for being in Erinsborough. It didn't help that Yashvi and Shane were not getting on at the time,
fuelled by his objection to her relationship with older boy, Ned Willis.
With Yashvi's suspicions growing, Shane requested that Mackenzie come out to his family so, bringing Susan Kennedy along for support, Mackenzie agreed to
tell them the truth. However, Yashvi refused to participate in the meeting, forcing Mackenzie to tell her outside, alone. Finally inside the home,
Mackenzie told her story to a beautifully accepting family, who adopted her as their own. After Mackenzie left, I particularly loved the moment that
Susan explained to Dipi that it is very hurtful for a trans person to be referred to by their deadname, even in the past tense. And from there, Mackenzie
and Yashvi's friendship was cemented for life. Well, at least until Yashvi moved away, rarely to be heard from again. When discussing the situation at
school, Richie Amblin overheard the girls talking, making them very anxious that he would tell everyone, which Mackenzie wasn't ready for. Unfortunately,
in standing up for Mackenzie, outspoken Yashvi accidentally outed her to the whole school. Her terminology was also awful, declaring that Mackenzie 'used
to be a boy' making it clear that she really didn't understand Mackenzie, her story and her life at all. Yashvi felt terrible for what she had done,
especially when Mackenzie literally had to explain to her the depth of the damage of her words.
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With the rumours
storming round the school, Susan was determined to protect Mackenzie. Harlow was also very supportive and this confirmed their friendship.
However, lots of parents, especially the very vocal Angela Lane, were in uproar over a trans girl attending the school. One of the things I loved about
Mackenzie's story at the beginning was the use of language. The dialogue was so clever; it was always picking up on itself, such as when Susan referred
to Erinsborough High as a 'tolerant community' and Shane wondered what they had to tolerate. Susan didn't mean that we needed to 'tolerate' Mackenzie.
She is the last person with prejudice but it highlights the accidental use of prejudicial language that happens every day, even by the most well-intentioned
people. This is yet another important lesson that Neighbours has been able to teach with a gem of a character of Mackenzie, especially with
Georgie Stone having so much input into the role.
So, while parents like Angela were outraged by Mackenzie attending school with their precious teenagers, Susan fought hard for her. Mackenzie is a girl.
She would use the girls' bathroom, play on the girls' sports teams and use the same changing facilities. Initially, there was the typical uproar
perpetuated by school bully, Ollie Sudekis, who sent Mackenzie an awful note. Feeling she had no choice, Susan decided that it would be safest for
Mackenzie to use the disabled toilets. I remember watching this, horrified. Being trans is not a disability! I also remember feeling so overwhelmed
at the following episodes, when Yashvi, Harlow and the rest of the students stepped up and proved that they were so much better than that. They organised
a protest at the school, so that Mackenzie, a girl, would be allowed to use the female toilets like all the other girls in the school could. Even Richie
stepped up and Susan happily agreed that Mackenzie could go back to using the female toilets, as she had been before. This was in sharp contrast to the
terrible bullying Mackenzie had experienced in her previous school.
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As it turned out,
the real reason for Mackenzie's interest in Shane was that he had been a friend of her father, Grant's, when she was growing up and
now, with her Mum gone, she was keen to find a way to reconnect with him. Shane took it upon himself to help track Grant down, feeling responsible for
Mackenzie's unhappiness and grief over everything she had lost in her life. All the while, he didn't tell her that he was partly responsible for the
way Grant reacted when he returned home one day to find her dressed in female clothes, something her mother had happily allowed her to do when her Dad
was at work. As he came closer to finding Grant, Shane knew he had to tell Mackenzie the truth. Shane reluctantly admitted to Mackenzie that he once
dropped round to her house and found her dressed in female clothes. Her mother explained that she was trans and it completely threw him. He went straight
to work and told Grant, advising him to 'burn all that girlie stuff' before anyone found out, which is exactly what he did, breaking up their family,
as to protect Mackenzie, her mother took her away from him. Mackenzie was heartbroken to discover that Shane, who she had come to trust so much, was
actually the person responsible for outing her to her father and hurting her family so badly. She decided that she could no longer be around him after
his betrayal.
Mackenzie was eventually reunited with her reluctant Dad but it didn't go well. Grant was every bit of a disappointment as billed when he completely
failed to see the beautiful, intelligent, compassionate daughter he had been missing out on all these years. He was awkward and difficult and at times,
downright offensive, calling her by her deadname and insisting she was his son. However, after some stern words from Shane, Grant decided to try and
make a go of things. When it came to attending the Spring Fling though, Grant failed to appear, leaving Mackenzie alone on the dancefloor for the
Father/Daughter dance. Shane kindly stepped in and danced with her instead and Yashvi danced with her mother.
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Mackenzie had
never really dated before. Richie had been interested in her from the start and invited her to the School Dance but she turned him down.
She felt very special when she shared a brief flirtation - and kiss - with naughty, new boy, Hendrix. He didn't care that she was trans. But she was
shattered when she then saw him kissing another girl, Olivia Lane. However, he soon started dating Mackenzie's best friend, Harlow, with whom he had
developed a love/hate friendship. When Mackenzie's Aunt Trish decided to move away, Mackenzie had a decision to make. With so much going on in the Rebecchi
household, she didn't want
to ask them for help, which pretty much sums her up as a character. She always tries to do right by others, even if it is at cost to herself. She always
wants to make other people's lives easier and better and is kind to the point of being self-sacrificing. This trait got her into some trouble back then,
when she told her Aunt that she would move in with the Rebecchi family but really, she continued living in the house by herself but struggled to manage,
especially financially, with only kind, but often reckless, Roxy Willis for support. They found a housemate for Mackenzie in the form of Mannix Foster,
unaware that he was a criminal, involved with Paul Robinson. Eventually, the truth came out and she was rescued by the Rebecchi family, who insisted she
move in with them. From there, Mackenzie became an honorary Rebecchi.
Grant returned to Erinsborough on the pretence of wanting to make a go of things with Mackenzie but really, he needed legal advice from Toadie. Father
and daughter spent tentative time together but anytime a subject such as Pride came up, things got awkward again. During this time, Mackenzie also had
a big decision on her hands. She was being offered dates for her Gender Confirmation Surgery but it would conflict with school and potentially leave her
finishing later than her friends. With Grant's return also confusing her, not wanting to upset him too, Mackenzie didn't know what to do. Concerned for
Mackenzie's welfare, Dipi took the reins and forced Grant to admit exactly what he was in Erinsborough for - his compensation or his daughter.
Understandably, Mackenzie was very hurt when she discovered that he had lied to her and it is only that she is so compassionate and understanding
that she heard him out.
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These episodes
came during Neighbours' Pride celebration in June and July 2020. Mackenzie was invited to read some diary entries during a Writers'
Festival, to share her experiences of transitioning. However, everything got on top of her and she refused to attend. Yashvi, Roxy, Shane and Dipi and
even Grant read her entries instead, finally ramming home to Grant what his daughter had been through in her life with both her transition and losing her
mother, as well as the fact that he hadn't been there for any of it. Georgie Stone actually wrote some of the diary entries herself and was credited as a
co-writer of that episode. This was one of the most poignant episodes I've ever seen.
From here, Mackenzie and Grant were able to make a breakthrough. He apologised for letting her down and the ever compassionate Mackenzie forgave him for
rejecting and abandoning her. Particularly now, with all the terrible anti-trans things we see in the media and on social media, it is very refreshing to
see a family healed like this and see someone who had previously been so ignorant and gender critical, embrace his daughter and celebrate her. With her
friends all in relationships, Mackenzie also found love with school friend, Richie. Despite being polar opposites, with Mackenzie being conscientious
and well behaved and Richie always getting into trouble, the pair fell in love and he supported her through her Gender Confirmation Surgery, which she
had soon after her eighteenth birthday. Mackenzie's surgery was such an important and emotional storyline and was handled so well. I am certain that being
able to witness what Mackenzie went through before, during and after her surgery, has educated so many people, which truly is the beauty of
Neighbours and
this character.
At Hendrix's 18th birthday party, Richie faced mockery over Mackenzie but he remained devoted to the girl he loved. Leaving the party, he went to the
hospital, supporting her throughout. However, he ended up putting his foot in it and she asked him to leave, needing to focus on herself and the surgery
calmly. He returned to the hospital to told her that he loved her. When asked how she felt about everything, Mackenzie said she was excited: 'Everything
is about to change. Life is about to get so much better.' Post-op, Mackenzie told Dipi that she felt free and like it was the first day of the rest of
her life. Mackenzie and Richie were happy together for a while, although their relationship was not without its hiccups. Richie got caught up in Shane's
drug addiction and because of this, Mackenzie accused him of being responsible for Shane and Dipi's later separation. They struggled when Richie was
eager for sex before Mackenzie was ready. Then they eventually did split up for good after Richie rated Mackenzie for her sexual performance on an app
at school. He claimed to be seeking to defend her but the damage was done.
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In 2021,
the connection between Mackenzie and Hendrix reignited. They tried to fight it, not wanting to hurt her best friend and Hendrix's ex, Harlow.
Unfortunately, Harlow caught them kissing before they got a chance to make a decision either way and sit down and talk to her properly. Initially, Harlow
was very hurt but eventually gave the couple her blessing and thank goodness because Mackenzie and Hendrix became one of the most celebrated couples in
Neighbours history. So, thankfully, for once, Mackenzie followed her heart instead of putting everyone else first at the expense of her own happiness.
Having finished High School, Mackenzie began studying law and as expected, began interning with Toadie. She and Hendrix were going strong, despite new
girl, Zara, daughter of Toadie's bestie, Amy Greenwood, developing a crush on him, pretending to her school friends that they were in a relationship and
even attempting to kiss him. Mackenzie felt very betrayed by Zara, although her trust in Hendrix was left unshaken. This incident led to Zara being bullied
by Sadie Rodwell, Aubrey Laing and their friends, who began setting Zara up as an arsonist. It was Mackenzie, of all people, who figured out that Zara
couldn't be responsible for the fires but this didn't help when they set off a fire at the school. With Mackenzie in danger, Hendrix rushed in to save
the women he loved. Tragically, Hendrix then developed Pulmonary Fibrosis, as a consequence of smoke inhalation and needed an urgent lung transplant.
With his life on the line, Hendrix was desperate to spend as many happy moments with Mackenzie as he possibly could. He took her to Sydney to see where
he grew up and spend time with his family. There, he proposed and the couple were married a few weeks later. Grant attended the wedding and celebrated
his daughter's happy day. He and Hendrix's Dad, Pierce even got into an argument over who could be the best, most impressive Dad. He had come a long way
from the father who had rejected his trans daughter and didn't want to have anything to do with her.
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Married,
Mackenzie moved in with Hendrix at the Kennedy house. Hendrix had his transplant, after nearly messing it up by finding a way to meet his donor,
wanting to thank them and their family on their death bed, but sadly, his body rejected the lungs and his died with Mackenzie by his side. Mackenzie was
left devastated by her husband's death. Now a young widow, she bonded with Harold Bishop, who guided her through the process of grief, something he
unfortunately knew quite a lot about, having also been one half of a legendary and tragic Ramsay Street pairing. Mackenzie moved into a girls' house
share with Chloe Brennan, Freya Wozniak and Kiri Durant and attempted to heal from her loss.
Two years later, Mackenzie had become a qualified lawyer and was working hard in different roles. She hadn't recovered from Hendrix's death or moved
on into another relationship during this time and still wore her wedding ring around her neck. She shares a house with new Harolds cafe owner, Haz Devkar
and Jane Harris's son, Byron Stone - and Haz's dog, Trevor. Being one of the most forgiving people ever, Mackenzie is now best friends with Sadie, who was
partly responsible for the fire that led to Hendrix's death. Sadie felt a lot of regret over what happened and was being bullied within her own group of
friends and somehow, Mackenzie was able to let it go and form a strong friendship with her. It is clear that Sadie, who felt terrible at the time, has grown
up and changed a lot in two years. They are also close friends with Karl Kennedy's daughter, Holly. Despite not dating, Mackenzie has had feelings for her
housemate, Haz, for a while. Sadie has been encouraging her and recently, Mackenzie took the step of putting her wedding ring in her purse for the first
time instead of wearing it round her neck. However, before she could ask Haz out, he had picked up a date, Billie, on an app. This was despite quite
clearly having feelings for Mackenzie and being pretty aware of her feelings for him.
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Mackenzie did
attempt to get back into dating but ended up on a date with Eden, who was Holly's awful ex. He robbed Mackenzie and her friends, including
the purse with her wedding ring in it, although thankfully, she got it back - and this turned out to be far from the worst of his crimes. This shook
Mackenzie up so much that she decided she actually wasn't ready to pursue anything with anyone yet. So, after mortified Holly hooked up with Haz and was
informed by Sadie that Mackenzie had feelings for him, kind Mackenzie told her she had her blessing to go for it. However, that hasn't made their
relationship any easier for her to watch, with Holly hanging around the house all the time, eating all their snacks and both of them flaunting their romance.
Recently, Haz became very jealous after mistakenly believing that Mackenzie and Byron had spent the night together. This led to an argument, during
which Mackenzie blurted out her feelings for Haz. Now, things have become very awkward between the friendship group. Personally, I think Mackenzie
can do better. I feel that Haz used Billie and is using Holly, all the while knowing that he and Mackenzie have feelings for each other and so
seeing other people is hurting her. That doesn't seem like a kind person to me, even though he is presented as a sympathetic character. But maybe
Hendrix is just a tough act to follow! They had such a strong connection and it was cut so short.
Mackenzie is one of the best soap characters ever created. She has done so much to educate viewers, she is compassionate, beautiful, funny, silly,
intelligent and completely three-dimensional. She is so often the conscience of a scene, reminding characters and viewers to do the right thing.
She has forgiven people so many transgressions and she has been through so much. I would love for Mackenzie to find someone who makes her feel like
Hendrix did. I don't think that should be Haz, judging by his behaviour so far, but I am so looking forward to seeing everything that Mackenzie does
as the show continues forward into 2024.
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