Christine Cagney is the youngest child of Detective Charlie Cagney. She comes from a privileged background and was raised in a posh home in New York along with her brother Brian, and was a debutant much to the disgust of the tomboy. Her upbringing demonstrates itself in episodes that show her ability to speak French, knowledge of art and classical music, and interest in opera etc. She is also a sports fan, often sporting a New York Yankees coat or hat that shows her tomboy characteristics.Cagneys parents divorced when she was young and Chris' closeness with her father wedges a gap between Chris and both her mother and brother. She was raised Catholic, attended a Nun-run school, and although she rarely practices (during the Don't I Know You? episode she admits her last confession was almost twenty years ago) the beliefs are still somewhat engraved in her. She briefly got in trouble with the police during her rebellious teen years where she spent a night in a jail cell, but then turns her attention and efforts into becoming the first female police commissioner. She attends university, and while she's away studying in Paris, her mother dies and she does not return home for the funeral. After university she returns to New York and is teamed with Detective Mary Beth Lacey. Her commitment and determination drives her quickly into becoming a Sergeant and she continues to scale the police academy ladder often putting off her personal life. During the episode Choices where she thinks she is pregnant she confesses to sometimes wanting a husband and child, but more often than not being happy with her free and single life. Through out the seasons we meet many of Chris' boyfriends, most memorably a fellow Detective who struggles with a cocaine addiction, a lawyer who proposes marriage only to be turned down, and a recovered alcoholic plumber.Charlie Cagney is a sort of role model for his daughter, and so when it is revealed that he sometimes took bribes while on the beat, it's a devastating blow to Chris. Although Chris inherited a large sum of money from her mother and lives comfortably, Charlie struggles with both a low income and an inability to manage his finances. Chris and Brian both provide for him, and look after him during his illnesses and bouts with alcoholism.Chris has her fair share of drama during the seasons she's shot, raped, discusses a previous violent relationship, and suffers from her own alcoholism which really kicks in when her father dies. She reconnects with older brother Brian who lives on the West Coast whom she hasn't seen in over 12 years and goes through many hard cases and emotional times with her partner Mary Beth Lacey. Her ambition and determination are juxtaposed with her vulnerability and need to fit in amongst the boys in the squad. This mix of qualities both help and hinder the character and she is centered somewhat by partner Lacey. Together the pair work well and fit together with the season finale of the series leaving them with a chance of becoming part of a special crime unit. Show less «