Douglas Raymer is the anxious police chief of North Bath. Recently widowed after his wife Becka died in a freak fall, he is preoccupied with discovering the identity of the lover she planned to leave him for. A freak lightning strike leaves him contending with an aggressive, selfish alter-ego he calls Dougie. He feels unsuited for public service but genuinely cares for the vulnerable citizens in his jurisdiction.

Donald "Sully" Sullivan is an aging local resident with a defiant streak. He faces a terminal heart condition but hesitates to undergo the necessary, life-saving surgery. Despite his attempts to avoid emotional attachments, he maintains deep ties to his community. He regularly provides grudging support to the people and animals who rely on his protection.

Ruth runs Hattie's Diner and serves as a confidante for many of North Bath's residents. She feels overwhelmed by her hoarding husband, her vulnerable daughter, and the lingering spirit of her deceased mother-in-law. To cope with her heavy domestic burdens, she frequently daydreams about escaping to a parallel universe.

Roy is a violently abusive man who recently returned to North Bath after serving time in prison. He claims to be rehabilitated but immediately returns to his aggressive habits, demanding compliance from everyone he encounters. He lacks basic empathy and reacts to the slightest resistance with extreme brutality.

Charice is the highly capable clerk and secretary at the North Bath police station. As a smart, assertive Black woman in a mostly white, declining town, her efficiency often intimidates her boss. She balances her professional ambition with a deep, protective loyalty to her brother.

Rub is Sully's loyal but deeply insecure friend who speaks with a severe stutter. He relies heavily on Sully's companionship and constantly worries about being abandoned. He carries lasting emotional scars from a childhood filled with verbal abuse from his father.

Zack is Ruth's husband and a compulsive hoarder. He fills their house and yard with junk, seemingly oblivious to the toll his behavior takes on his family. He passively accepts his wife's ongoing friendship with her former lover as long as it remains discreet.

Jerome is Charice's brother and a police liaison for the neighboring town of Schuyler Springs. He presents a suave, cosmopolitan exterior that masks intense private anxieties. He is under extreme pressure due to an impending merger of the two local police departments.

Carl is a local developer and conman currently responsible for converting the Old Mill into luxury apartments. His shoddy construction practices actively damage the town's infrastructure. He struggles with severe financial stress and physical complications following prostate surgery.

Gus is the Democratic mayor of North Bath. He attempts to manage the town's bizarre series of infrastructure disasters while privately dealing with immense domestic strain. He cares deeply for his wife Alice, whose mental health requires constant monitoring.

Alice is the mayor's wife, suffering from severe, long-term mental illness. She copes with her instability by hallucinating phone calls where she acts as a trusted confidante. Her condition isolates her completely from the actual community around her.

Becka is Raymer's deceased wife, a former actress who died in a random fall down a staircase. Her death occurred moments after she announced she was leaving him for another man, leaving a mystery that consumes her husband.

Janey is Ruth and Zack's daughter. She frequently finds herself targeted by her violent ex-boyfriend, causing deep anxiety for her protective mother. She tries to maintain a normal life while navigating the constant threat he poses.

Beryl is a deceased eighth-grade teacher who took a special interest in the town's youth. Her lessons regarding the rhetorical triangle and personal identity continue to influence the adult lives of her former students.

William Smith is a black-market animal salesman operating illegally out of a local apartment building. He intimidates his employees and carelessly endangers the town by importing venomous snakes through the mail.

Boogie is a local man hired for minimum wage to receive mystery packages in a sweltering apartment. He unwittingly unleashes a dangerous cobra into the building when he accidentally opens the wrong door.

Cora is Roy's current girlfriend. She provides him with a place to stay after his release from prison, resenting her own lack of resources while remaining inexplicably loyal to him despite his extreme volatility.

Clive is the son of the beloved teacher Beryl Peoples. Driven by a desire for wealth, he plans to convert a derelict hotel into timeshares. He harbors deep, lingering resentments over his mother's affection for Sully.

Officer Miller is a patrolman in the North Bath police department. He often watches Charice's house from his cruiser because he harbors a crush on her, though he worries about the social implications of an interracial relationship.

Joe is a local bar patron nicknamed for a racist slip of the tongue. His quick temper and lack of intelligence make him an easy target for those looking to start a fight to clear a barstool.

Tina is Ruth's granddaughter. She struggles academically and requires multiple eye operations, relying entirely on her grandmother's steady presence to navigate her difficult home environment.