Alexander is an author born in St. Petersburg who immigrated to the US as a child. He hosts a group of friends at his upstate New York estate, the House on the Hill, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. He acts as a frantic host who wants to rekindle old connections while secretly hoping to leverage the gathering to unblock his stalled television pilot.

Masha is a psychiatrist and Russian immigrant who institutes strict hygiene rules for the guests. Unlike her husband and his friends, she grew up with loving parents, leaving her feeling like an outsider to their shared childhood traumas. She takes primary responsibility for parenting and managing the household logistics.

Vinod is a former adjunct professor working as a cook in a family restaurant. Missing part of a lung from a previous battle with cancer, he brings a fatalistic outlook to the lockdown. He possesses an unpublished manuscript from his youth and maintains long-standing, quiet devotion to his friends.

Karen is the wealthy creator of a highly successful dating app called Tröö Emotions, which she recently sold. Despite her career success, she battles intense feelings of loneliness and worries about her future. She brings a grounding presence to the group and bonds quickly with the youngest resident of the estate.

The Actor is a self-absorbed celebrity who comes to the estate to work on a pilot with Senderovsky. He behaves with intense entitlement, viewing relationships transactionally and openly antagonizing his fellow guests. His fame isolates him emotionally, masking a deep insecurity that he projects onto the women around him.

Dee is an essayist who gained fame writing about her origins in a poor, white Southern community. She feels out of place among the wealthier guests and is highly aware of the class differences between the locals and the visiting city residents. She finds herself caught between her rural roots and her current status in urban literary circles.

Ed is a wealthy world traveler with three passports who frequently moves across the globe. The pandemic forces him to halt his transient lifestyle and settle down in one place with people he usually only sees in passing. He assumes the role of a dandy but demonstrates an immediate, genuine interest in Dee upon her arrival.

Natasha is the adopted daughter of Sasha and Masha, originally from Harbin, China. She experiences regular anxiety and struggles with social cues, attending a specialized school to help her interact with peers. She is intensely passionate about the band BTS and begins to find confidence through her morning Korean lessons.

Suj is Senderovsky's former girlfriend from his early days as a writer. She supported him financially and emotionally early in his career, hosting a major party for his first book on the night their relationship ended.

Evelyn is Karen Cho's sister. The two share memories of their difficult childhood and the intense pressure placed upon them by their immigrant parents.