Kate McTiernan

Kate McTiernan is the deuteragonist of the 1997 psychological thriller film, Kiss the Girls, based on the novel of the same name. She's a doctor from Durham kidnapped by a dangerous maniac nicknamed Casanova. After her escape, Kate teams up with Detective Alex Cross to save the other kidnapped women.
She was played by who also played Lexi Coop in Where the Heart is, Libby Parsons in Double Jeopardy, Claire Kubik in High Crimes, Jessica Shephard in Twisted, Lorraine Nelson in Dolphin Tale, Ave Maria Mulligan in Big Stone Gap and Robin Lefler in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
== Personality ==
Kate is an independent, jovial, sympathetic, cultured and very intelligent woman. Her practice of Kickboxing shows that she is not the type of woman to let go.
During her imprisonment by Casanova, Kate did not lose the hope of getting out of this hell and even daring to challenge the rules of her captor by training for combat.
After escaping, she blamed herself for not being able to free her fellow prisoners and was ready to do anything to save them, showing a big heart and a certain sensitivity.
== History ==
While going to work, Kate is secretly observed by a stranger. At the hospital, she and her team treat an 8-year-old girl named Laura who fell on a motorcycle without a helmet. She then informs Laura's mother and grandmother that the girl is okay but suffers from a head trauma, leaving her in a coma. After work, Kate goes to her Kickboxing court and gives it so much that one of her friends jokes that she's having more fun in the ring than in bed.
In the night, the stranger bursts into Kate's place, waking her up from the noise. The man tries to control her until the youngster breaks free from her grip and tries to flee by the stairs but she hits her aquarium, injuring her before being put to sleep by gas. Later, Kate wakes up in the kidnapper's lair, her wounds bandaged and reassured with amnesia. The stranger shows up and then introduces himself as Casanova before explaining to Kate that she is being held here to fall in love with him and that she has no interest in trying to run away or even to try Kickboxing. against him because otherwise the consequences will be fatal for her. Left alone, Kate tries in vain to find a way to escape then screams hoping that someone will answer her, to first have only warnings from the other women kidnapped then they end up introducing themselves to Kate.
Refusing to let it go, Kate repeats her combat movements despite the warnings but she becomes nauseous after eating a meal tranquilized by Casanova who had anticipated his little attempt to escape. However, she managed to hit him with a knee hard enough to knock him against the wall, allowing Kate to escape out of the lair. Running and injuring herself through the forest, Kate finds herself stranded at the edge of a waterfall before being caught by Casanova. As the vile individual came closer and closer with a rope, Kate chose to jump from the fall and land hard in the water.
Fished out by people, Kate is brought to the hospital for treatment, although she remains in shock from the products in her body. She eventually regains consciousness the next day and meets Washington inspector Alex Cross after he is found to counter the effects of the product. Alex reveals to Kate that one of the kidnapped girls is her niece Naomi, with whom Kate had spoken before her escape. When she has recovered sufficiently, Kate agrees to speak to the media, both to thank those who saved her and to reassure the families of the missing women that there is still hope but also to tell her captor if he ever listened to no other girls helped her and she's the one to blame. Right after, Alex helps Kate remember various details during her imprisonment, such as the fact that Casanova still wears a mask and the environment she fled to. Remembering all this, Kate begins to mourn severely and cry for abandoning all those poor girls until Alex comforts her.
Cross then takes Kate to the nearest forest with Seth Samuel, Naomi's boyfriend. There, Cross informs her of his discovery of massive orders for systoles by a doctor named William "Gentleman Caller" Rudolph whom he suspects to be Casanova because of the kidnappings taking place in his area each year. time there is one in Durham. As Cross decides to go hunt Rudolph with his team, Kate offers to help because of her knowledge of Casanova but Cross opposes it, prompting Kate to ask him to stop treating her like a victim because she wants to save Naomi as much than him. 
Arrived in Los Angeles, Kate and Cross meet John Sampson and Henry Castillo with whom they track Rudolph to his hideout in the forest where he seems to have kidnapped women. The dubious individual goes to a nightclub where Cross and Sampson try to catch him in the act, while Kate stays with Castillo because Rudolph might recognize her. Kate goes there anyway after convincing Castillo to help her blend into the background and seeing Rudolph, she's sure it's Casanova. With this confirmation, the quartet returns to the hideout and the three detectives try to catch them before he makes another victim but Rudolph kills Castillo and gets in his car to escape. At the wheel of Cross's car, Kate blocks his way, resulting in a collision that leaves the young woman stunned while the Gentleman Caller still manages to escape after hitting Cross who tries to hold him in aim.
After this failure, Kate checks by massage that Cross is not too hurt while consoling him that he at least could save the young girl while the news is talking about the case. They later visit a victim's house and there Kate begins to doubt that Rudolph are Casanova due to being more brutal. After the arrest of Dr. Wick Sachs, Kate listens to her recording made with Cross on Casanova then Cross joins her to tell her that the FBI has caught the wrong culprit and that they are too stupid to realize it. At the time, Kate finally remembers hearing the sound of water all around her during her captivity. With Seth's help, Kate and Cross deduce that Casanova's hideout isn't far from the Burham River.
During their search, Cross hears a gunshot, finds the safe house, infiltrates it and chases Rudolph while Kate and Seth go free the captives. Rudolph ends up shot without being able to reveal who Casanova really was and the police take care of the rest. After going to a Naomi resting in the hospital, Cross and Kate share a final talk before the woman invites him to come see her at 7 p.m. before he leaves for Washington.
While preparing for the evening at home, Kate receives a visit from Inspector Ruskin. Sadly, she realizes too late that he is the real Casanova after he reveals himself indirectly, with his phone cut off by the man just as Cross goes to warn her. They fight fiercely and although Kate manages to deliver what hits, Ruskin briefly knocks her out and attempts to rape her before Kate retaliates by dropping the dish drainer on him. She takes the opportunity to handcuff him to the cook before cutting her arm by Ruskin with a knife, putting her in serious condition. Ruskin then tears off the cabinet, letting the gas escape with the intention of igniting his lighter but Cross arrives and threatens him with his gun. The inspector ends up killing the despicable Casanova by shooting through a brick of milk and then goes to comfort a wounded and bloody Kate.
==External Links==
*Kate on the Alex Cross Wiki
*Kate on Wikipedia
== Quotes ==
== Gallery ==
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 2.jpg|Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 6.jpg
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 4.jpg|Kate's training in Kickboxig.
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 5.jpg
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 20.gif|Kate volunteers for a friendly match.
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 21.gif
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 22.gif|Kate succeeds in blocking.
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 23.gif|Kate doesn't let her guard down.
Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls 24.gif|Kate working her kicks.
Kate Kick-Boxing.jpg|Kate tired after Kickboxing training.
Kate Ham.jpg|"I can't settle for anything less."
Kate Wake Up.jpg|Kate hears that someone has broken into her home.
Kate Forest.jpg|Kate about to jump into the river to escape Casanova.
Kate Hospital.jpg|Kate wakes up in the hospital.
Kate Media.jpg|"So if you're looking for someone to blame, blame me."
Kate Insists.jpg|"Would you please stop treating me like I'm a victim?"
Kate Rub.jpg|Kate checks Cross's health.
Kate Realize.jpg|Kate realizes that Ruskin is Casanova.
Kate Injuries.jpg|Kate injured after confronting Ruskin.
Kate Ending.jpg|Kate sees Cross shoot Ruskin down.
== Trivia ==
* She does not reappear in the sequel, Along Came a Spider.
*Ironically, Ashley Judd also practices Kickboxing in real life.
*In the book, Kate was able to beat Casanova before Cross killed him. In the film, the fight ended in a draw because Kate just had time to immobilize Ruskin by handcuffing him before suffering a deep cut on her arm which prevented her from continuing the fight.
*The role of Kate was the one that allowed Ashley Judd to really make herself known to the general public.
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