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Brett Bates

Brett Bates (Jeffrey Walker) is one of the main characters of Ocean Girl who appears in every series. He and his brother, Jason befriend Neri.

Character Overview

Discovery of Neri

In the start of the series Brett is a ten-year-old, permanently disheveled, knockabout kid who just likes to have fun — no matter what trouble it might get him (or anybody else) into. He has grown up with a less strict hand than his older brother Jason, probably due to being younger than Jason when their parents split. Brett often resents Jason's attempts at authority. While Jason remains angry over the split Brett only misses his father, he does not know the cause of the divorce as Jason does. Brett tends to act before thinking. His rebellious side is often seen; if he is told not to do something, he will immediately do it.

Upon arriving at ORCA it is clear he is reveling in his new surroundings and he instantly adapts to living on the station thinking it a cool concept, like living on a space station. Brett is eager to accompany is mother, Winston and Jason in their duties and to tag a whale. Brett teases his brother profusely when Jason claims to have seen a girl in the ocean. Brett quickly makes new friends on ORCA, Froggy and Zoe, who have a propensity for trouble as much as he does. The trio of friends play an initiation trick on new girl, Vanessa and Brett finds himself the subject of her revenge. While Brett is exploring an ANT boat docked at the pontoon for repairs Vanessa unties it and kicked it away from the pontoon. In an attempt to help his situation Brett makes it worse by activating the boat's engine accidentally and, with no controls or working comm system, Brett is carried out to sea leaving him to bail water out of the boat all night through a tropical storm. In the morning the boat drifts to an island and a hungry and thirsty Brett explores the island and finds fresh water and eats berries not knowing the berries are poisonous. Neri discovers Brett unconscious and makes a cure for him to drink then places him on the boat and brings it back out to sea for Brett to be found by ORCA search vessels. Back on ORCA Brett tells Jason he saw the girl and that her name is Neri. The brothers agree to keep Neri a secret.

Brett and Jason encounter Neri again while marking a drift net. The next day she shows them her island. They learn more about Neri and how unusual she is, that she can swim at great depths and can talk to Charley, a humpback whale. The brothers enjoy Neri's island and the almost magical feel of spending time with her there. They protect the truth of Neri from everyone else, not an easy task with Vanessa sticking her nose in and Dianne and Winston's equipment picking up Neri and Neri's insatiable curiosity for their way of living. When Dianne and Winston do discover Neri's secret after Neri saves Dianne's life the brothers protect Neri from their mother's habit of getting carried away with her work and monstering Neri. It is Brett who first notices someone has broken into Dianne's office and is stealing her research. Brett, Froggy and Zoe set a trap and chase off the intruder. When a company called UBRI captures Charley Brett and Jason share Neri's secret and recruit the friends to help free Charley. Brett is saddened by the prospect of time apart from Neri when she decides to go on migration with Charley.

Finding Mera

With Neri's return from migration Brett, Jason and friends: Vanessa, Zoe and Froggy help her to discover her origins by scouring the island for clues. The first clue is a necklace that Brett found in a never-bloom plant while he and Jason were preparing Neri's place for her return. The clues lead to a spaceship confirming the brother's suspicions that Neri is not from Earth. When Neri activates a holographic message for her from her father the group learns Neri has a sister, Mera, who is somewhere on Earth and they promise to help her find her little sister.

The group learn that Mera was found by a fisherman from a newspaper article, from there they learn Mera was taken by child services and raised by foster families as Jane Seaforth until finally ending up in a special school called the Institute of the Advancement of Human Ability. When Jason plans a rescue of Mera from the institute Brett helps them escape from the clutches of UBRI in a sugar cane field by decoying UBRI astray.

On ORCA Brett is having problems being bullied by Mick Byrne, the new commander's son, who keeps trying to figure out what everyone is keeping from him. Brett helps counsel Mera when she is finding adjusting to island life difficult. When Captain Sam Phillips grows romantically fond of Dianne Sam also grows attached to Brett even though Sam is often at odds with Jason. When Froggy reveals that Sam has used Dianne's scans to discover titanium deposits Brett pleads with Sam not to tell about the find. When UBRI divers attack Neri and Mera while everyone is on Sam's boat assisting in the geological surveys the girl's are revealed. UBRI surround ORCA and, believing if she gives herself up the others will be left alone, Neri goes out to give herself over to UBRI. Brett finds out and uses a waverunner to stop Neri and he is knocked off the waverunner and is saved from death by Neri on Sam's boat. After seeing Brett's admiration for Neri and knowing letting Neri down means letting Brett down Sam has Jason destroy the last evidence of the titanium deposits.

Brett notices Winston has been acting funny and is the first to pick up on the fact that he might be meeting with someone off of ORCA. When Winston returns to ORCA with two people from the Planet of the Oceans Brett's suspicions about Winston's behavior are confirmed. The people tell them about the planet Neri and Mera are from and why they need them to return with them. With a plan hatched by Jason the group help Neri and Mera escape to their island and Brett bids the sisters farewell. When the ship departs Brett lingers and is the first to notice Neri has stayed behind on Earth.

Synchronium Mission

When the Bates' vacation is cut short due to a new development Brett is just as dismayed as his brother and mother to learn that UBRI has won the bid to build the new ORCA City. Brett is also finding it strange to learn all of their friends have been transferred back to shore. Brett and Jason are keen to help their mother, who has been made environmental officer, keep UBRI in check.

Brett befriends Benny Malcovitch, a new boy onboard ORCA. They also meet Cassandra Clayborn, an American girl who is also new onboard. Keeping the secret from the new kids onboard becomes quite the task for Brett, especially with Cass, who Brett is forced to befriend after she stumbles upon Neri's island but loses her memory of and must be watched to learn if her memory returns. Brett and Cass are alike in their fondness for pranks which leads them to trouble and Benny right along with them.

It is Brett who convinces Neri to explore the spaceship further which leads them to discover someone onboard in stasis, Kal. Kal tends to be quite the handful. They also learn on the ship of the Synchronium Mission and Brett and Jason agree to help Neri with it. Brett is the first person to tell Lena Hellegren that her father is not the great man she thought he was. Eventually the truth of Neri and Kal is learned by Benny, Cass and Lena and they agree to help with the mission as well.

The search for the Synchronium becomes even more vital when UBRI's underwater explosions cause a fault-line to open that causes earthquakes of increasing intensity and frequency. The finding of the pieces of Synchronium become a race against UBRI when they become aware of the pieces. After Neri falls ill trying to recover a piece of Synchronium, Mera returns to Earth to help in the mission. Exploiting a rift caused by Kal's jealousy of Jason that Brett tried to help with, UBRI kidnap Kal then allow him to be 'rescued' so they can use him as a spy.

The condition of the fault-line becomes worse causing evacuations of ORCA. The group goes out to find the last piece of Synchronium and Brett saves everyone by warning them it was booby-trapped. It is learned that Kal has betrayed everyone when he hands the Synchronium over to UBRI. A plan to steal the Synchronium device, now built from all the recovered pieces, goes awry leaving all the kids tied to the pier only to be saved by Kal. They wait on the island and are there when Neri and Mera arrive with an injured Kal and the recovered Synchronium. The seas have turned violent and they watch as Neri and Mera use the Synchronium as it was meant to be used to heal the oceans and reverse the damage caused by UBRI. Brett and Jason have to explain to their mother and Winston about the Synchronium and see Mera and Kal off as they depart once again for the Ocean Planet.

The Pyramids

Brett is assisting Jason use a new deep sea diving helmet and thinks his brother is hallucinating when he comes up claiming he saw a bright light. Jason's story gains creedence when neri tells them she's felt strange in that area where they were. Brett and Jason's mom has been offered command of ORCA. Winston and Cass find an anomaly in the mako abyss where Jason saw the light spurring the group to investigate further and finding an underwater pyramid. Brett and Cass have new nuisance to deal with, Louis Danton, the very nosy son of the first officer who makes keeping Neri and the pyramid a tough job to keep secret. Brett and Jason take the mini-fin sub back to the pyramid and with Neri explore it only to find themselves transported, after an encounter with a talking statue of a woman Neri has seen in her dreams, through a strange portal, all the way to Egypt. 

In Egypt Brett, Jason and Neri meet Malakat and Shersheba at an archaeological dig.  Brett and Jason do not trust Malakat and Neri shares similar concerns about Shersheba even though Shersheba has shown a fondness for Jason. The trio make a getaway just as two PRAXIS agents, Jake Shelby and Elly Houser show up to take them into custody. The encounter with PRAXIS forces Dianne, newly appointed to the rank of ORCA Commander, to tell the boys' father Paul Bates, ORCA Commander and Chief of the area, all about Neri. After being helped by a group of bedouins they make their way back to the Egyptian pyramid, the Pyramid of Mystery, where Neri discovers the Golden Ankh. Malakat tries to stop them but Neri activates the watergate portal and they once again elude capture. They find themselves in the middle of the Australian outback. In need of food and water Jason sets out and returns with Jakamarra. Jakamarra helps them escape from PRAXIS, buying them enough time to board Paul Bates' helicopter after Neri entrusts Jakamarra to guard the Golden Ankh.

While Brett is happy to see his father Jason is less than thrilled. PRAXIS catch up to them on ORCA and Brett and Jason face an interrogation hooked up to a lie-detector and expertly dodge the first few questions before Winston can save the day with his computer skills. Paul offers to have the boys and Neri hide on his farm. Brett is upset by Jason's unwillingness to even try getting along with their father. PRAXIS storm the farm and Brett nearly makes a getaway with Neri but they are outnumbered. They hear over the CB radio that Charley helped Neri escape. Using a bug PRAXIS planted in Jason's watch as a decoy the trio go back inside the pyramid. They learn from the statue of Shalamorn, Neri's mother, that the people of the Ocean Planet had planned a peaceful migration to Earth and that was the purpose of the pyramids being built. To prepare the way Neri's father was sent ahead with the Synchronium Mission along with Neri, 'the chosen one'. They also learn that Neri is a Princess. Shersheba turns up on ORCA and it is soon learned that Malakat and Shersheba are from the faction from the Ocean Planet Shalamorn was warning them about. While Neri and Jason hide out on the farm again Brett, Cass and Winston erase all records of Neri from HELEN's database. Brett and the rest learn that Jason and Neri have gone back to the Pyramid of Power and through it back to the outback. To buy them time they call PRAXIS with a tip that Malakat and Shersheba are aliens. Brett and Cass break into Shelby and Hauser's quarters to hack into PRAXIS communications from their computer and Dianne and Winston break in with the same plan in mind. They use it to send Paul out to help Jason and Neri but PRAXIS capture Neri who insisted Jason leave with the ankh so it does not fall into the hands of Malakat and Shersheba.

The group tries to find Neri and after a misleading encounter with Malakat and Shersheba they learn that it is PRAXIS that has her. Malakat and Shersheba recover the ankh from its' hiding place. Brett and Jason elude Danton to use the mini-fin to travel to the Pyramid of Power and encounter Malakat and Shersheba who use the ankh even after Shalamorn warns them it has not properly been prepared. The pyramid's defences cause all four to have to retreat.

Paul ends up finding where Neri is being held prisoner and helps devise a plan to rescue her. The rescue mission is a success but Neri is very ill and weak from her imprisonment and mistreatment. Brett watches as his brother holds Neri and Jason tells them that it is too late and that Neri is gone. Dianne and Winston leave it to Brett and Jason to decide what to do with Neri's body. The brothers bring her to the pyramid, to Shalamorn, to say thier goodbyes. Brett sees just how much Neri meant to Jason when he tells her he loves her and kisses her. Malakat and Shersheba interrupt and plug in the prepared ankh activating the pyramid. When a 'sacred stone' rises for the placement of the hand of the one choosing to control the pyramid Jason places Neri's hand upon it and the pyramid brings neri back to life. In anger Shersheba destroys the ankh causing the Pyramid of Power to sink. Brett, Jason and Neri have to make a quick escape and Jason is in such awe that Neri is alive that Brett has to nudge him to get a move-on.

Brett, Neri and Jason go to the farm for Jason's birthday. Brett and Jason get into another disagreement about their father, Jason hinting to Brett that there are some things that Brett doesn't know, hints that Brett either misses or ignores.

Brett helps Winston and Cass deal with the newly upgraded HELEN. Brett and Jason know Neri is worrying about Mera and what is happening on the Ocean Planet. Brett and Jason save Neri from Garron and Malakat's commandos. Neri feels the Pryramid of Power return. Brett, Jason and Neri save Mera and the new ankh she brought with her from the clutches of Malakat's people when she crash-lands in the ocean. Mera tells them about the Red Virus and Malakat's plans to melt Earth's polar ice-caps and enslave the human race. Malakat, Shersheba and PRAXIS all return. Malakat and Shersheba wish to take the new ankh and control the pryamid. PRAXIS has been ordered to re-open Project Sphinx and investigate the recent slew of UFO sightings near ORCA.

Brett and Cass enjoy watching the new girl, Ilona, beat Lous at one of his own games. Lois' snooping for PRAXIS puts Shelby on the trail of the underwater pyramid. After forcing Jason to pilot the mini-fin to show him the pyramid Shelby has an encounter with Malakat's people and it convinces him and Richter that the alien presence is a threat. PRAXIS takes control of ORCA. A plan to stall Malakat and Shersheba backfires, causing Brett to get tied up and Mera to be taken. Brett blames himself for Shersheba captiring Mera. Brett makes an appeal to the President of the Global Union to stop PRAXIS from using their torpedoes and wins. Shersheba releases the Red Virus on Earth. Brett appeals to the President again but this time loses as the threat of the Red Virus quickly spreads across the oceans. All out war is imminent and Brett and Cass disobey orders to evacuate. Neri has no choice but to try and negotiate with Malakat and Shersheba who predicatably double-cross her taking control of the Pyramid of Power with the new Golden Ankh. Brett and Cass move to try and protect Ilona from PRAXIS but are too late but learn they really do have an ally in Agent Hauser. Brett and Cass sneak in to talk to and comfort Ilona. Just when it appears Malakat has cured the virus with the pyramid and Charley returns healthy again the Red Virus returns and grows even faster and Malakat continues to melt the ice-caps.

Brett and Cass try to get HELEN to stop the nuclear launch which she says is beyond her abilities with PRAXIS' overrides but she acts weird and says she is asking a friend. Malakat and his commandos take control of ORCA. Jason returns with a blood sample from Charley and Brett and Cass run the tests to develop a cure to the Red Virus. Shersheba takes the cure just as they finish it.

Brett and Cass provide a distraction with the mini-fin so Neri and Jason can make a getaway in a plan to get inside the Pyramid of Power.  ORCA is nearly torn apart by Malakat weilding the power of the pyramid before he is thwarted by Neri, Jason and Shalamorn.

Brett witnesses Neri's coronation as the first-born princess of the royal house and heir apparent to the throne of the ancient ones. Brett is pleased when Shalamorn decides that Neri would best serve as ambassador to Earth until it is her time to rule.

Key Points

Character Traits

(Unique aspects and abilities of the character)

Defining Moments

  1. Brett's parents divorce leaving him and his brother to live with their mother.
  2. Brett moves to ORCA with his mother, Dianne Bates and his older brother Jason Bates. Brett is excited to live on the underwater station. Brett befriends Zoe and Froggy. After Jason claims he saw a girl in the ocean Brett teases his brother. (1x01)
  3. After giving new girl Vanessa Lane the old initiation trick Brett is the subject of her ire and she unties the ANT boat he is exploring. The boat is lost at sea during a storm. Brett finds himself on an island where he unknowingly eats poisonous berries. Brett is found by Neri and she makes a cure for him to drink and ensures that he is found by ORCA search vessels. Brett tells Jason he saw his girl from the ocean and that her name is Neri. (1x02)
  4. Jason pulls Brett away from Zoe and Froggy to help him to marker buoy a drift net so they can talk freely about Neri. Brett urges Jason to investigate air bubbles coming up from the net and Jason discovers and helps Neri who was caught in the net. Neri agrees to show the brothers her island where she lives. After chasing a tree frog Brett discovers a strange metal pylon and falls into a pit of quicksand, Neri and Jason save him. The brothers learn Neri lives alone on the island and has ever since her father died. They learn she is friends with a humpback whale, Charley. The brothers agree to keep Neri a secret. (1x03)
  5. When Neri warns Jason that an earthquake is about to strike the brothers learn the warning came from Charley and that Neri and the whale can talk to each other. (1x04)
  6. Brett's eleventh birthday and his father forgot to send him a gift. Brett eats five pieces of cake and feels ill as a result so he stays on ORCA while Jason visits Neri. After a talk with Zoe and Froggy Brett gets the idea in his head that his mom and Commander Lucas like each other. Brett makes up absurd stories to tell both adults about each other in an effort to dissuade the imagined relationship. When the two adults start arguing over equipment the kids feel they were successful. Jason returns and tells Brett about how Neri can 'hear' Charley from great distances and that it might be some form of telepathy. (1x05)
  7. A toxic dump from Zenco causes Neri and Charley to fall ill. Brett goes out with Lee, Froggy and Zoe to recover the canisters to have proof of the toxic dump while Jason brings the cure to the poison to Neri. (1x07)
  8. Neri comes aboard ORCA at her insistence and she sees where Jason and Brett live. (1x08)
  9. Neri tags along with Brett and Jason and a group of the other kids for a shoe-leave trip. Brett explains to Neri what kissing is. (1x09)
  10. Brett and Jason worry that the new equipment Dianne and Winston are using will lead them to Neri. When the whale tag stops working Brett and Jason are willing to leave ORCA and Neri rather than have her be found out. Neri saves Dianne from drowning allowing Winston and Dianne to know about her in the process and she fixes the whale tag. (1x10)
  11. Neri comes to ORCA and stays with the Bates. Dianne and Winston run tests on Neri. Brett helps Jason to remind their mother to stop monstering Neri. Brett hears someone in the lab while Dianne and Winston are out. Determined to prove he is not imagining things Brett recruits Froggy and Zoe to help him catch the intruder. They chase the intruder down but lose him in the chase. (1x11)
  12. HELEN identifies the intruder was Billy Neilson and Commander Lucas tells them that he took a boat and escaped. Brett and Jason go to the island without Neri when she opts to stay on ORCA for more tests. The boys notice that the magic of the island is gone without Neri there. During the dance Neri freaks out and takes off after recieving a distress call from Charley. (1x12)
  13. Jason formulates a plan to free Charley from UBRI, Brett and Jason bring the other kids in on the secret of Neri to help them. With Charley free Neri chooses to go on migration with him. She says goodbye until her return. (1x13)

Brett Bates Gallery

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