Mehe Te Wehiwehi

Mehe is a character in The Dead Lands. She teams up with Waka Nuku Rau on a quest to find who "broke the world" and how to close the breach between the living and the dead. Mehe is portrayed by Darneen Christian.

Appearance
Mehe is a young adult, appearing to be in her early to mid-twenties, with light brown skin, dark hair fashioned into an undercut, and dark eyes. She dons a moko on her chin, and wears a hei-tiki as well as what appears to be a maroon colored woven skirt, matching woven bodice, and a feathered cloak (likely made from Kererū feathers). Besides this, Mehe walks around barefoot and is seen with a woven bag of supplies and a blanket while wandering and exploring with Waka. When Waka first meets Mehe, her clothing is covered in mud for camouflouge while she watched him. Mehe appears to be considered attractive to other characters, as a couple of characters seem to express aesthetic interest or attraction to her.

Character
As one of the main protagonists alongside Waka, Mehe is a very kind, caring, spirited, and determined person. However, she is also shown to be a bit naive, impatient, stubborn, and hot tempered. Her characterization as a noble person is contrasted against Waka, who is said to have "Sins beyond counting", but throughout the series the two bond and grow together.

Mehe's naiveté, kindness, and trusting nature is a cause for both resolutions as well as conflicts within the plot. It is Mehe's determination and love for her father is partially what drives her to find Waka to rescue him while everyone believes he is long dead, and while she does find him, it is too late. It is the same love and kindness for the lost children and the belief that they are also alive later that they are able to find them. When Mehe finds out that the children have been taken (seemingly and at the time believed to be dead), she cries out in sorrow, stating, "Our babies! What will we do now? Now we have nothing!". Mehe frequently expresses concern and love for her family, often openly showing affection for them, as well as to her friends (like Waka) or even those whom she does not know well, such as Uri. Mehe is the one who stops the witches from exorcising the possessed Uri because she hears his tortured cries for help, and cannot stand to hear them, which Waka later chastises her for. While they have arguments and fight frequently, Mehe is also shown to care for Waka, and genuinely believes that he can become a better person, and supports him in this endevour. However, in the times that they quarrel, Mehe enjoys annoying Waka when he visibly expresses his annoyance with her, and seems to do the same with her brother Rangi. While Mehe shows deep respect to certain characters and defers to them (such as her father, Hine, or her distant cousin Te Hau), she also at times challenges authority or questions them, especially in times where she is sticking up for herself, such as with challenging Ihi or her brother. Mehe is also easily angered and vexed by others, however, and is shown to be short tempered and a bit sensitive to criticism, particularly from Waka. Mehe's inexperience with the world or certain things often leads to people chastising her for not behaving more appropriately, and her stubborness to listen or follow advice is often the cause of arguments or trouble for her and Waka. It is because of her defiance & refusing to follow Waka's advice about his Father, and her naiveté that lead to the events in the last episode.

Interestingly, Mehe seems to have some sort of untapped spiritual and supernatural ability or gift that she is unaware of, as suggested by Ka, and then is later exploited by Waka's father.

History
Not much is known about Mehe's backstory besides some details. She likely grew up in a carefree childhood alongside her brother Rangi, as there is nothing to suggest otherwise. From what can be seen in her interactions with her Whanau in the series, Mehe grew up surrounded by doting and loving family members, likely raised up with certain responsibities as she grew older, being the Chief's daughter. Her role would have likely have been to get married and form alliances as her brother suggests she should when he becomes Chief, but as she also has some unknown spiritual abilities, she may have also had been intended to utilize this gift in a later role within her community. However, she is seemingly less worldly than her brother Rangi, and somewhat Naive in the ways of the world, and may not have traveled far from her community and not having had the chance to as a young woman before her tribe was attacked by the undead.

Quotes
"You're a fool, fools won't last long in this world anymore." (-Mehe to Waka upon first meeting, while he hangs upside down in a trap)

"Fuck you, Waka!"

"The Dead, they sigh to me, and I listen to their sighs"

"It's not pity, It's Aroha: Love, empathy."

"Why do you always have to be a shit?"

"I've learned so much from you Waka Nuku Rau, and you've learned nothing from me..."

Appearances
Mehe appears in the following episodes: