Who’s Who In The Pinkertons

Inspired by the exploits of the legendary real-life detective agency, The Pinkertons plunges us into the murky intrigues of Kansas City in the 1860s. Here’s who we’ll find there.

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Kate Warne (Martha MacIsaac)

There’s nothing so perplexing to the average 19th Century gentleman as the sight of a woman doing detective work. That’s a fact Kate Warne has learnt to deal with, given that she happens to be America’s first ever female crime-solver. Having earnt the respect and trust of her mentor Allan Pinkerton, she’s now been dispatched to Kansas City to work alongside Allan’s son William – something Will’s not all that happy about, especially as Kate will basically be his boss.

Kate’s quick mind and even quicker wit make it easy for the young widow to put the nay-saying men in their place. Handy with a pistol, Kate’s also an early expert in a field that will one day become known as forensics, with a veritable laboratory of swabs, chemicals and test tubes gracing her home. Just don’t expect Will to know what on Earth she’s talking about.
William Pinkerton (Jacob Blair)

Often to be found playing cards and sinking whiskies, Will Pinkerton may not seem like a crack investigator at first glance. But when he’s not flirting, gambling and grumbling about his stern father Allan, Will is actually pretty talented when it comes to nabbing the bad guys of Kansas City. Oozing easy charm and cracking gags in the face of danger, Will takes even the toughest cases in his stride – even when he’s staring down the business end of a revolver.

Of course, it’s not easy being the son of the legendary Allan Pinkerton, and Will’s reckless ways often lead to a good telling off from his daddy. And now he’s got Kate breathing down his neck as well, so will young Mr Pinkerton now have to change his ways and be a more straightlaced, respectable sort of fellow? Maybe. Just don’t expect him to give up the whisky. Or the Scottish shortbread.
Allan Pinkerton (Angus Macfadyen)

The quietly powerful founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, Allan Pinkerton is a force to be reckoned with. Having worked alongside President Abraham Lincoln, Pinkerton still has friends in high places and his awesome track record in taking down murderers and robbers mean that he’s known and feared wherever he goes.

While Pinkerton may look like a fearsome patriarch, he actually has quite a light touch and a playful sense of humour – particularly when it comes to annoying his son William, a favourite hobby of his. Rather than coming on too strong with suspects, Allan Pinkerton takes a subtle approach, sniffing out fibs like a bloodhound crossed with a lie detector, and coming up with secret schemes to thwart the villains. You see why Will thinks he has a lot to live up to.
John Bell (Strachan)

When Kate Warne comes to Kansas City, she settles into a rustic (ie, ramshackle) house which needs a fair bit of work doing on it. Good thing caretaker John Bell is on hand, then. A dab hand with a saw, a hammer and a shotgun, John is immediately protective of both the estate and Kate herself. And, given her status as an outsider and a single woman in mid-19th Century Missouri, John’s strength and friendship come in very useful indeed.

Being a black man in less-than-enlightened times, John is an outsider as well. Not that it lets it bother him – he’s every bit as fearless as the Pinkertons, which makes him a valuable asset when some very risky undercover work is called for. Will John actually become recruited as a Pinkerton proper, though?
Sheriff Logan (David Brown)

Ah, Sheriff Logan. A man who’s always eager to remind everyone that HE is the real, official law in the city, and the Pinkertons are merely private detectives. Sure, the Pinkertons are the ones who actually seem to do all of the actual crime-solving round these parts, but Sheriff Logan is happy to tolerate their brilliant work as long as he gets to take the credit. He’s generous that way.

Pompous and brash, Sheriff Logan is a constant thorn in the Pinkertons’ side, but he’s got his redeeming qualities too. He is, after all, on the side of justice when it comes down to it. He also knows how to wear a hat well. And he’s known to cooperate with Kate when she sweet talks him. When it comes to Sheriff Logan, flattery really will get you everywhere.
Annalee Webb (Jennifer Pudavick)

There’s one person in Kansas City who knows everything that’s going on. And it’s not Sheriff Logan or any of the Pinkertons. It’s Annalee Webb, the blunt yet beguilingly sultry owner of the Dubois Hotel and saloon – the shady hub where secret deals, late night card games and carnal liaisons unfold.

While she has the sly smile and slinky stride of a femme fatale, Annalee just seems to crave a normal life, and she’s seriously sweet on Will Pinkerton. The two certainly have a history, but it doesn’t look like this handsome cad will be wanting to settle down anytime soon. In the meantime, she remains very useful to him thanks to all the town’s sordid secrets that are filed away inside her head.

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Kate Warne (Martha MacIsaac)

William Pinkerton (Jacob Blair)

Allan Pinkerton (Angus Macfadyen)

John Bell (Strachan)

Sheriff Logan (David Brown)

Annalee Webb (Jennifer Pudavick)