Louise is a 34-year-old single mother who moved across the country to distance herself from her family's dysfunction. She values control and independence, maintaining a straightforward approach to life. Returning to Charleston forces her to confront her difficult relationship with her relatives and the vast collection of dolls her mother left behind.

Mark is Louise's younger brother who remained in Charleston and dropped out of college. He initially appears irresponsible and abrasive. He organizes their parents' funeral without consulting his sister. He possesses a deep history with his mother's puppet ministry and harbors lingering resentment over a childhood incident at a pond.

Pupkin is a vintage puppet that has been a central fixture in the Joyner family for decades. He serves as the star of Nancy's Christian puppet ministry. Freddie was Nancy's younger brother whose tragic death at age five profoundly shaped the family's history. Nancy kept Pupkin close as a physical reminder of her brother. She demanded that her children respect the puppet despite the unsettling aura it projects.

Aunt Honey is Nancy's aunt and the formidable matriarch of the extended family in Charleston. She operates as the primary keeper of the family's history. She frequently overrides the younger generation's arguments with classic Southern authority. She provides Louise with a sense of stability while remaining highly resistant to discussing unpleasant family truths.

Aunt Gail is Aunt Honey's daughter and Nancy's cousin. She typically wears bedazzled religious clothing. Despite appearing as a quirky relative whom Louise struggles to take seriously, she maintains a calm, matter-of-fact demeanor even when confronted with highly unusual or distressing situations.

Nancy is Louise and Mark's recently deceased mother who ran a Christian puppet ministry in Charleston. She actively avoided discussing difficult topics like death and openly favored Mark over Louise. Her extensive art collection of dolls and puppets entirely fills the family home and serves as a physical representation of her enduring presence.

Eric is Louise and Mark's late father who died in the car accident alongside his wife. He provided a calm, reliable counterweight to Nancy's demanding personality. He worked steadily to support the family and maintained a cherished holiday tradition of baking stollen bread for his friends and relatives.

Poppy is Louise's five-year-old daughter who lives in San Francisco. She is sensitive to discussions about aging and mortality. She reacts with understandable anxiety when her mother explains the finality of death. She stays in California with her father while Louise travels to South Carolina to handle the estate.

Ian is Louise's ex-partner and Poppy's father. He remains in San Francisco to care for Poppy while Louise handles her parents' estate in South Carolina. He approaches parenting with a focus on psychological well-being. This often clashes with Louise's blunt methods of communicating with their daughter.

Mercy is Aunt Gail's daughter and one of the top real estate agents in the Charleston area. She approaches the Joyner estate with a practical, business-oriented mindset. She requires the house to be thoroughly cleaned and assessed before she will agree to represent it on the market.

Constance is Aunt Gail's daughter who remains deeply embedded in the local Charleston family network. She acts as a peacemaker. She gently encourages Louise to repair her fractured relationship with Mark by pointing out that he is her only remaining immediate family.

Brody is Constance's husband and the lawyer who handled Eric and Nancy's estate planning. He finds himself caught in the middle of Mark and Louise's bitter inheritance dispute. He is tasked with explaining the legal realities of how the separate wills impact the final distribution of assets.

Barb is Aunt Gail's close friend who possesses specialized knowledge regarding unusual household phenomena. Her own home is filled with extensive collections of dolls and lawn ornaments. She approaches bizarre situations with intense enthusiasm and absolute confidence in her methods.