Henry Higgins

Henry Higgins
Actor	Lachlan Murdoch
Seen	Season 1 "The Glass Ceiling" "The Knockdown" "'Til Death Do Us Part" "Body Double" "Still Waters" "Belly Speaker" "Child's Play" "Bad Medicine" "The Prince and the Rebel" "The Annoying Red Planet" Season 2 "Mild Mild West" "Snakes and Ladders" "Dinosaur Fever" "The Green Muse" "Shades of Grey" "Big Murderer on Campus" "I, Murdoch" "Convalescence" "Murdoch.com" "Let Us Ask the Maiden" "Werewolves" "Anything You Can Do..." Season 3 "The Murdoch Identity" "The Great Wall" "Victor, Victorian" "Me, Myself and Murdoch" "This One Goes to Eleven" "Blood and Circuses" "Future Imperfect" "Love and Human Remains" "The Curse of Beaton Manor" "Hangman" "In the Altogether" "The Tesla Effect" Season 4 "All Tattered and Torn" "Kommando" "Buffalo Shuffle" "Monsieur Murdoch" "Confederate Treasure" "Dial M for Murdoch" "The Black Hand" "Voices" "The Kissing Bandit" "Murdoch in Wonderland" Season 5 "Murdoch of the Klondike" "Back and to the Left" "Evil Eye of Egypt" "War on Terror" "Murdoch at the Opera" "Who Killed the Electric Carriage?" "Stroll on the Wild Side (Part 1)" "Stroll on the Wild Side (Part 2)" "Invention Convention" "Staircase to Heaven" "Murdoch in Toyland" "Murdoch Night in Canada" "Twentieth Century Murdoch" Season 6 "Winston's Lost Night" "Murdoch On The Corner" "A Study in Sherlock" "Murdoch Au Naturel" "Murdoch and the Cloud of Doom" "Twisted Sisters" "Crime and Punishment" "The Murdoch Trap" Season 7 "Murdoch Ahoy" "Tour de Murdoch" "The Filmed Adventures of Detective William Murdoch" "Murdoch of the Living Dead" "Murdochophobia" "Loch Ness Murdoch" "Republic of Murdoch" "A Midnight Train to Kingston" "Journey to the Centre of Toronto" "The Murdoch Sting" "Friday the 13th, 1901" "The Spy Who Came Up to the Cold" "Kung Fu Crabtree" "Blast of Silence" "The Death of Dr. Ogden" Season 8 "On the Waterfront Part 1" "On the Waterfront Part 2" "Glory Days" "Holy Matrimony, Murdoch!""Murdoch Takes Manhattan" "The Murdoch Appreciation Society (episode)" "What Lies Buried" "The Keystone Constables" "Murdoch and the Temple of Death" "All That Glitters" "The Devil Wears Whalebone" "Shipwreck" "Toronto's Girl Problem" "Artful Detective" Season 9 "Nolo Contendere" "Marked Twain" "Double Life" "Barenaked Ladies" "Raised On Robbery" "Unlucky In Love" "Wild Child" "House of Industry" "Bloody Hell" "From Buffalo With Love" "Cometh the Archer" Season 10 "Great Balls of Fire, Part 1" "Great Balls of Fire, Part 2" "A Study in Pink" "Painted Ladies" "Weekend at Murdoch's" "The Devil Inside" "A Murdog Mystery" "The Missing" "Mr. Murdoch's Neighbourhood" "From Murdoch to Eternity" "Hell to Pay" Season 11 "Up From Ashes" "8 Footsteps" "Dr. Osler Regrets" "Brackenreid Boudoir" "The Talking Dead" "F.L.A.S.H.!" "Biffers and Blockers" "Mary Wept" "Murdoch Schmurdoch" "Game of Kings" A Merry Murdoch Christmas Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas Home for the Holidays
Mentioned	Victoria Cross
Gender	Male
Status	Living
Relationships	Ruth Newsome, wife Emily Grace, brief flirtation Lydia Hall, brief flirtation Sadie Talbot, brief romance Unnamed cousin Unnamed mother
Job	Constable

Henry Higgins is a police constable at Toronto's Station House Four, introduced in Season 1 of Murdoch Mysteries, portrayed by Lachlan Murdoch.

Early Life

Henry's mother is from the Gaspé in Quebec, and as a result, he knows how to speak French (ep.209 and 405). He also has a homosexual cousin, so he was aware of where the secret gay club was held in Toronto (ep. 105). The Higgins family also owned a piano shop when Henry was growing up, and although he did not enjoy playing, he learnt what all of the parts were (ep.717).

When guarding the elevator to escort a rare painting to its safekeeping spot, Henry reveals that he suffers from vertigo and gets dizzy just standing on the bottom rung of a ladder (ep.306).

Character Arc

Henry is best known for doing his own thing when it comes to any sort of case or off duty business, ranging from locating a new kind of ice cream with George (ep.915) to watching boxing fights with Jackson (ep.803). He considers George Crabtree his best friend. The feeling isn't always mutual (as George considers William Murdoch as his best friend) but they are often paired up, i.e. a vaudeville team (ep.809) or drinking in a bar (ep.714). While they squabble and fight, Henry and George are always there for each other in the end.

Constable Henry Higgins is prone to making frequent mistakes during investigations, but usually is save by a redeeming moment. He has a tendency to let words slip out as he thinks aloud, but means no harm. Such an example of this is during Unlucky In Love when he accidentally insults Baby Roland Connor when Detective Murdoch is worried about Roland not walking yet and suggest that "Maybe he's just slow", which annoys Murdoch. He apologises sincerely for this though, never meaning to speak ill of Murdoch's son. Nevertheless, Henry has proven himself to be good with young children, as well as Raised On Robbery.

One of Henry's classic mistakes happens in Weekend at Murdoch's when Henry and George are assigned guard duty at the Windsor House Hotel to protect Roger Newsome, who witnessed a murder and will testify against the suspect, Rex Grey. Newsome is desperate to get a haircut for the lecture on his rare bird discovery. Although George wakes Henry up before going to get them all dinner in the hotel room, Henry falls back to sleep on the sofa, which allows Newsome to escape for his haircut, ultimately leading to his assassination.

Detective Murdoch teaches Henry how to correctly make shoe impressions in the mud in Child's Play after he messes up three footprints beforehand, having no clue how to do them exactly.

When Prince Alfred visited Toronto and Constable George Crabtree was assigned to his security, Henry assisted Detective Murdoch with an investigation into the murder of Maggie Gilpatrick. Murdoch taught him about fingermarks and how to trace a person's next of kin. When it was determined there was a plot to kidnap Prince Alfred, Henry was selected to impersonate the prince to help safeguard His Highness in The Prince and the Rebel.

In War on Terror, Henry is caught in an explosion along with George and is rendered unconscious, resulting in George attempting to find the culprit behind the bombing of Milne's store. The bomber is caught, and Henry returns to the station house having been hospitalised for the majority of the episode.

Henry was also one of the three who contributed to the purchase of the motor car between himself, George and Jackson in Murdoch Takes Manhattan.

Henry was one of the main protagonists in the Beyond Time web series along with Jackson and Rebecca James as the two constables consult Terrence Meyers to help them with this time travelling mystery. During this web series, Meyers gives Henry a lot of nicknames because he doesn't know Henry's actual name, which infuriates him. When he and Jackson face off against Meyers, he finally loses his temper with Meyers and uppercuts him before reminding him of his real name.

Henry can also take his higher ranking position in Nolo Contendere George is demoted to Constable Third Class and in Marked Twain it is revealed Henry was promoted to Constable First Class) a little bit too far sometimes. This irks some of the other constables who think he's getting too big for his boots.

When Henry takes it too far in Painted Ladies, Jackson and McNabb decide to play a trick on Henry with the flirtation cards that are normally used by men to seduce women and are being used by a mysterious woman. They leave one on Henry's desk, tell him that a young woman named Sadie Talbot left it there for him, and the two smirk as Henry falls for their trick. They watch as Henry attempts to go and talk to Sadie at the ice cream parlor where she works, but he loses his confidence. After Jackson tells him 'You can't fail!' we see Henry's charm with women show its true colours. He tells them that he always does fail with women before running off back to the Station House. After a heart to heart conversation with George about losing his self-confidence, Henry goes back to where Sadie works, still oblivious that the flirtation card was not from her. When Jackson asks George where Henry has gone, George tells him, and Jackson confesses the trick on Henry to him. They both run to find Henry, but it's too late to stop him. Henry tells Sadie 'That's a beautiful dress you're wearing. It would make a lovely decoration for my floor.' While Sadie is taken aback she can tell he means well and invites him to come back after she gets off work, which takes Jackson and Crabtree by surprise.

At the end of the Season 10 finale, Hell to Pay, along with Constable George Crabtree and Constable Slugger Jackson, Henry is caught in an ambush where all three constables are shot.

In the Season 11 premiere, it is revealed early on that Henry survived the shooting, having been taken to hospital after Detective Watts finds him alive. He is believed to be the only one to survive, and returns to the station with his arm in a sling, where he remembers a memory of George throwing paper at him for a joke, showing just how much he misses his best friend. In the beginning, Penelope Marsh welcomes him back, advising him to do as he's told. Determined to make those who killed his friends pay, Henry assists Watts in cleaning up Murdoch's office and helps sneak Julia into the cells in her disguise. Marsh questions Henry as to why he and the others were shot, where he reminds her that they were "more than shot, two were killed, good friends of mine." As the episode ends, Henry is most pleased that his best friend is alive and George jokes that he wasn't going to die because Henry still owed him $20. Henry insists he paid it back because he invested it into the Police Widow's Fund 'upon his demise'. After a heartfelt tribute to Jackson, Brackenreid gives Henry and George a glass of whiskey each, and they toast to their fallen friend in the closing scene.

In 8 Footsteps, Henry notices that Ruth Newsome is in attendance at the dinner, and purposely interviews her. But when she introduces him to her fiancé, Herbert Wilson, he is clearly upset at the arrangement. Desperate to prove that he isn't right for her, Henry digs into his background, and discovers that Herbert is in need of money, which explains why he is marrying the wealthy Ruth. But when he is revealed to be the murderer, Herbert explains that he would never marry someone like Ruth, resulting in a hard punch from Higgins. Henry then crosses over to Ruth and dips her before kissing her, revealing his true feelings about her.

In Mary Wept, Henry tells George that he intends to propose to Ruth and has already bought a ring. When he does propose, a body falls from above, resulting in some PTSD for Ruth and she avoids him for a while because of it. When Crabtree convinces them to see each other again, Ruth proposes to Henry and he responds with an enthusiastic yes.

Henry and Ruth officially marry in My Big Fat Mimico Wedding. However, it seems as though someone objects to this union, as multiple attempts on Henry's life is taken. 

Disguises

Henry Higgins as Jacob Edwards James

Jacob Edward James

Introduced in The Murdoch Sting, Jacob Edward James is an attorney of James, James, Jarvis, and James. This disguise reappears in Marked Twain except instead with the alias of Henry James, topped with a heavy British accent.

Trivia

• Lachlan Murdoch first auditioned for the role of George Crabtree along with Jonny Harris who got the part. The producers liked Lachlan so much that they created the role of Henry Higgins for him.

Gallery

In "The Glass Ceiling"

In "'Til Death Do Us Part"

In "Still Waters"

In "Child's Play"

In "The Prince and the Rebel"

With Prince Alfred and George Crabtree

Henry in "Painted Ladies"

In "A Murdog Mystery"

In "Glory Days"

In "The Murdoch Effect"

In "Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas"

In "Beyond Time"

A passionate moment with Ruth Newsome in "8 Footsteps"