Maggie Banks

"This is my dream and I will not stop until it's right here in my arms."

Margaret "Maggie" Banks (née Stoneham) is a character on the daytime television soap opera ''Times of Passion. ''

The show's original protagonist, Maggie arrived in Port Winston with her children following her mother's death. Soon suspecting a crime, Maggie began investigating and eventually discovered the illegal and murderous plans of Bernie Cooper and Vivienne Henderson. The rivalry with Vivienne was further intensified by Maggie's budding romance with Richard Henderson, who she eventually married. Other major storylines included the return of her estranged husband Ryan and the opening of her wine and food shop Grapevine.

In 1986, Maggie was killed in a car accident caused by her longtime rival Vivienne Henderson. The episode of her death remains the show's most-watched episode to date and is generally considered the most shocking plot twist in the show's history.

Pre-1980
Maggie was born in 1940 to Martha and Derrick Stoneham as the elder of two daughters; she grew up in Port Winston. After finishing school, Maggie stayed in town and she and her sister Doris began working in her parent's vineyard and wine-shop. Starting at age 25, she was sexually abused by her father. Her mother refused to believe her; when Maggie eventually met Ryan Banks the pair eloped and left Port Winston and her family behind. Derrick later died in a working accident; it was later revealed that Martha had killed him after discovering the abuse. Maggie didn't come to the funeral.

Maggie and Ryan moved to London in 1966 and had two children: Alexa in 1966 and Marcus in 1969. While her husband worked in advertising, Maggie stayed at home, but was increasingly unhappy with life as a housewife. She stayed in touch with her sister Doris, but couldn't forgive her mother for not believing that Derrick abused her. Martha eventually died in 1980, setting off the series' plot.

1980
Maggie first appeared in the show's first episode, when her and Ryan were informed about her mother's death. She subsequently left town with her children and returned to Port Winston.

Death
On October 17, 1986, Maggie spent the day at the Mannequinn, helping Alexa take care of Victoria. Unbeknownst to her, Vivienne had discovered Maggie's diary in Richard's room and knew that her cover was blown. Not willing to go to jail after all, she reported her car stolen and then drove into town. Maggie had just returned Victoria to Alexa's house and went back to the store to get cloth rolls for Alexa's new collection. When she was crossing the street with the cloth rolls in her arms, a hooded Vivienne sped through the road and hit Maggie full force, running over her and then fled the scene. Alerted by the noise, Alexa ran out of the house and discovered her mother on the steet, with stripes of cloth rolling in every direction. She knelt down next to Maggie and noticed the puddle of blood that was spreading fast around her. Maggie, unable to speak, looked up to Alexa and smiled, before closing her eyes forever.

Aftermath
Maggie was universally mourned in Port Winston; her death remains one of the most dramatic events in the show's history. Her widower Richard completely withdrawed from social life and began to drink heavily. Alexa and Marcus were taken into custody by Vernon and Irene Erwin; the two eventually adopted Marcus after a lengthy custody battle with Doris. Richard stayed single for a long time, until he left town to start a new life and family. For years after her death, Maggie had an enduring influence on her friends and family and she is still often referenced in the show, 30 years after her death.

Trivia

 * In the years she appeared in, Maggie had the most screentime by far out of the entire cast
 * The episodes of Maggie's wedding and Maggie's death remain the two overall most-watched episodes of the show
 * Maggie was the first central female protagonist of the show. She was followed by Alexa, Victoria, Marie and Charlotte.
 * Her supercouple name with Richard was Riggie. In a 2015 ranking of the show's supercouples, Riggie came in sixth place.