Jill Marsden (EastEnders)

Characterisation Nicknamed the "female sleuth" by the Daily Record, and Nancy Banks-Smith from The Guardian characterised her as "strict". Naomi Mcelroy described Marsden as a "curly-haired copper", but said as a detective she was "rubbish"; Polly Hudson from The Daily Mirror similarly opined, saying she was "useless" (as did Mcelroy), and stated that Marsden was "making a right pig's ear" of investigating Archie's (Lamb) murder. The Daily Mirror Tony Stewart characterised her as "vindictive". Introduction, 2002 and 2003 returns Marsden first appeared on 5 March 2001 in the "Who Shot Phil?" storyline. A source in the Daily Record said, "Sooner or later the truth will out. But until then there's going to be a lot of probing going on." She left on 27 March 2001 after unsuccessfully identifying the shooter (who turned out to be Lisa). In 2002 she appeared in January, April and from 14 November to 6 December. In November, when Marsden returns, the police suspect that Phil has murdered his ex-wife Lisa. The Daily Mirror said, "They are the words Phil Mitchell has heard many times before. 'You're nicked', baldy. Intrepid DCI Marsden may not be a Jane Tennison, but she's nabbed her prime suspect. "I've got some good news for you, Phil," she says, after arresting him on suspicion of murder. "The police in Portugal found your jacket. Unfortunately for you, it's covered in blood. Mrs Fowler's blood..." In 2003, Marsden returned in March July, August, November and for a longer stint in December. Who Killed Archie? and 2012 returns (Lacey Turner, pictured).|alt=Smiling young woman with short dark hair In November 2009, it was reported that Stanton would reprise her role as Jill. Digital Spy forum members had previously pointed out that her return was hinted at in a photo on the official EastEnders website and in a feature ("Script Peek") where Phil is quoted as saying, "I know exactly what makes her tick" before adding "I've wriggled off her hook so many times. She's already picturing me standing in the dock" in the 29 December episode....I really thought Marsden was no more. It was a really great surprise because I’d just finished a year’s run at the National Theatre, appearing in a new play called England People Very Nice – so it couldn’t have come at a better time." Although Stanton did not know who murdered Archie, she guessed that it could be Stacey Slater (which turned out to be correct). Speaking of this, she said that Sophie was one of the few to correctly guess it was Stacey. "I had an epiphany about a week before the live episode. It was a memory of the whole Who Shot Phil? storyline, and how there were eight different suspects, including some really hard blokes, and it turned out to be Lisa. I knew DCI Marsden wasn’t going to get the culprit, because of a couple of scenes of the following episode we’d shot in December, and I thought that narratively, Stacey was the only person who the audience would forgive, and who could get away with it. That was my theory and it turned out to be right!" Marsden left on 22 February 2010, and returned on 5 January 2012. She returned after Phil is framed for Kevin Wicks' (Phil Daniels)'s death and that of a homeless man, who died accidentally in a car-lot fire (part of an insurance scam). Digital Spy reported that Marsden re-opens the investigation into Stella's death, "suspecting that all is not what it seems". Finally, Marsden returned for two single episodes on 17 August 2012. Whilst viewers know Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) is the culprit, Marsden, Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) and Cameron Bryant (Glen Wallace) will reportedly make an arrest for the murder, arresting an innocent suspect. ==Storylines==

2001–2003 Jill Marsden first appears on Albert Square in March 2001, having been assigned as the chief police detective in charge of investigating the shooting of local hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Marsden arrests Phil, but with insufficient evidence and no confession he is released. A few days later, a red fingernail is found at the scene of the murder; Marsden visits the female locals, checking their hands. When Marsden notices Shirley's best-friend Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) is at a vulnerable state over the matter, she questions Heather about Christmas Day and Heather accidentally tells Marsden that Phil wasn't there. On 18 January, Marsden arrests Ian after Janine told her that Ian took advantage of her, stole Archie's laptop, which had a recording of them having sex on it, and dumped it in the canal. Ian refuses to talk, but when Marsden shows him CCTV footage of him dumping the laptop, and then shows him the recovered laptop, he admits visiting Archie on Christmas Day; claiming that Archie was threatening him and that he merely visited him to delete the recording. Ian denies murdering Archie, but Marsden is unconvinced and later charges him. Marsden places Janine at the scene, but she also denies murdering Archie. Peggy returns to Archie's grave; when Marsden asks why, she explains that she didn't believe him when he said his cancer had returned. Jack tells Ronnie that he was fishing for information. With no new leads, Marsden's boss threatens to take her off the case. In the café, Marsden and Hughes discuss new information she has obtained - ensuring that she is overheard. Chinese whispers-style rumours circulate, ending with the certainty that Marsden would arrest Ronnie. She knocks Marsden down, prompting her to arrest Ronnie - who is later charged with assaulting a police officer; Ronnie is subsequently released on bail. Marsden is suspicious when Jasmine arrests Jack's stepmother, Dot (June Brown), for assaulting her granddaughter Dotty (Molly Conlin).; Marsden remarks that a new forensic profile has been found, and DNA screening of white males will shortly begin. After Hughes accepts a bribe from Jack to make the DNA samples disappear, Marsden receives an anonymous tip-off. The police search Janine's flat, finding the engagement ring that went missing the night of Archie's murder, and Janine is arrested; Marsden spots him when his phone rings; two officers chase Bradley to the roof, where he stumbles and falls to his death. Marsden then targets Phil's son, Ben (Joshua Pascoe), interviewing him about Stella's death. Ben was abused by Stella and finds Marsden's questions distressing; however, she continues to press him. After a falling-out with Phil Ben changes his statement, telling Marsden that Phil told Stella to jump off a building or he would push her. Marsden then arrests Phil for murder, and Ben reveals he was stalking him. She informs Phil's partner, Shirley, that he has been charged with Stella's murder. Ben pleads with Marsden to keep his statement a secret from the Mitchells, but she tells him he must accept that his father will learn about Ben's involvement in his arrest eventually. After discovering Ben's lies about his father, Ian then passes this information on to Marsden and Ben is arrested. On the day Phil release, he helps Ben hide his involvement in Heather's murder; Marsden tells Phil at the police station she will contact him about Ben's accusations. The charges against Ben are dropped; Marsden visits Phil, taunting him that he will eventually slip up and further implies that Ben may ultimately bring him to justice In August, Marsden reappears when Ben confesses Heather's murder. She does not believe his confession, thinking it is another lie to get attention from Phil. However, Ben is arrested and charged with the murder after Marsden helps fellow policeman DS Luke Crisp (Rufus Wright) convince Ben's best-friend, Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), to implicate him as Heather's killer. 2015 In July 2015, Phil learns that Marsden is aiding her colleague DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) with investigating the murder of Ian's daughter Lucy (Hetti Bywater); her father and the Beale family were earlier informed that Marsden would be coordinating with the case. When Phil answers the door that Marsden is knocking outside his house, he is shocked and appalled when she wants to speak to Ben about Lucy's murder. Phil slams the door in her face and then attempts to delay Marsden so Ben can flee Walford, but Ben is eventually arrested. ==Other appearances==

The BBC used viral promotion on the EastEnders homepage to further develop the storyline of Who Killed Archie?, with Marsden the main character in the nine videos. A new section ("Marsden's Video Diaries") was launched, encompassing events on the show from 25 December 2009 onwards in diary style from Marsden's point of view. Insight was provided on the character's thoughts and feelings on the events surrounding her each week, beginning with the introduction: "Christmas Day. I should be at home with my feet up eating a mince pie and watching the Doctor Who Christmas special. Instead, I’ve been called into work. Murder. A bloody one too. The victim, one Archibald Mitchell. Not the first time a Mitchell's ruined my night. Still, if this leads to Phil Mitchell all wrapped up in Walford nick by New Years day, might be the best present I’ve ever had." On the videos Marsden discussed evidence, suspects she had brought in and her relationship with Phil. During the next three video diaries, Marsden talks about the suspects and the evidence against them. In episode three it is Ronnie, Peggy and Sam; in episode four she talks about Janine Butcher, and in episode five she discusses Ian's motives. Towards the end of the series (in episode seven), Marsden's boss threatens to fire her if she does not capture the culprit: "I’ve got to get someone. I’ve got to pin this on someone. Every address in the immediate area door-stopped. Five suspects questioned, one arrest. Nothing. They tell me nothing. Mitchell, the ex wife, the daughter, Beale, Butcher, [Jack] Branning, I’m getting closer, I just need time. Of course my boss is putting pressure on. Says I’m losing my touch, That he'll take the case of me. This is my case. Somebody's going down for it and it ain’t going to be me." In the penultimate episode, Marsden announces that the DNA results have come through; this is aired on EastEnders. The final episode of ''Marsden's Video Diaries'' aired on 19 February 2010, three days before Marsden's departure in 2010. In this episode ("Case Closed"), the Lionel Richie song "Hello" plays as the "Who Killed Archie?" storyline replays with the focus on Marsden. The BBC described the episode: "DCI Marsden's caught Archie's killer – or she's collared someone for it at least. But Hello!? Was it Phil she was looking for? Don't tell us you didn't spot the latent chemistry between this pair. Shirley must have been livid. We wouldn't like to surmise what the DCI planned to do with Phil if she got him behind bars. But we do hope this is one Endless Love that will be revisited..." ''Marsden's Video Diaries'' episodes ==Reception==

When Marsden returned in December 2002, Ian Hyland of The Mirror said he disliked the "smouldering" sexual tension between Phil and Marsden. Jo Atkison of the Western Mail discussed the Marsden-Kate-Phil storyline, saying, "Betrayal with a capital B is the order of the day in the Square this week. It's the cop Kate plot I'm interested in. To shop or not to shop is a dilemma that Kate finds hard to cope with as she waits for the confession that will nail Phil for good". In an interview with the East Anglian Daily Times, Stanton remarked that she was frequently asked to have her photo taken due to her role in EastEnders. Jane Simon and Brian McIver described Marsden as having an "appetite for making random arrests". Simon added, "While the list of suspects includes the entire northern hemisphere, it's time for DCI Marsden to make another of her daily arrests. Like a Formula One pit stop, she has got it down to a fine art." Kevin O'Sullivan of the Sunday Mirror commented on the "Who Killed Archie?" storyline: "Despite widespread apathy, Albert Square's Cockney rabble trundle on with the life-sapping saga of Who Killed Archie? Who gives a toss? While potential murderers Phil, Ian, Bradley (Charlie Clements) and the gang hint furtively at their guilt, the absurd DCI Marple – sorry Marsden – keeps arresting bunny-boiler Ronnie without a shred of evidence. "I've spent 20 years building a career on hunches," bragged Miss Marsden. Yeah, and you've made it all the way to Walford nick. A real high flyer!" In 2015, Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap bemoaned Marsden's return, saying "Can someone please explain to us why DCI Marsden is now in charge of the Lucy Beale case? She couldn't catch a bus, let along a killer." ==References==