Amadeo is an unemployed 33-year-old living with his mother, Yolanda, in the town of Las Penas. Chosen to play Jesus in the local Morada's annual Passion Play, he hopes the extreme physical sacrifice of the role will bring him personal redemption and community respect. His focus on his religious performance is disrupted when his estranged, heavily pregnant teenage daughter arrives on his doorstep seeking refuge.

At not quite 16 years old, Angel is heavily pregnant and working to manage her impending motherhood. Fleeing a tense living situation with her mother and her mother's volatile boyfriend, she seeks shelter with her father and grandmother. She takes her situation seriously, enrolling in a specialized GED program for pregnant teens called Smart Starts! and striving to prepare a stable environment for her child's arrival.

Yolanda is Amadeo and Valerie's mother, a long-time administrative assistant at the New Mexico House of Representatives. She financially and emotionally supports her 33-year-old son, enabling his lack of employment out of a deep-seated worry born from old family traumas. She returns from her vacation carrying a heavy secret about her failing health that she conceals from her self-absorbed children.

Valerie is Amadeo's sister and a recently certified school counselor living in Albuquerque. A survivor of a difficult marriage, she has worked hard to establish stability for her two daughters and recently finished her master's degree. She possesses zero tolerance for her brother's excuses and frequently clashes with him over his behavior.

Tío Tíve is Amadeo’s great-uncle and a respected elder in the Las Penas community. As a leader of the local hermanadad, he organizes the annual Passion Play and provides spiritual guidance to the town. He serves as a surrogate father figure to Amadeo, holding him to traditional standards that Amadeo desperately wishes to meet.

Marissa is Amadeo’s former teenage partner and Angel's mother. Having raised Angel largely on her own since she was 16, she struggles to balance her own desires for romance and freedom with the demands of parenting. Her relationship with her current boyfriend creates a hostile environment that ultimately drives her pregnant daughter out of the house.

Brianna is a 25-year-old teacher in her first year at Smart Starts!, a government-funded GED program for teenage mothers. While well-educated in pedagogical theory, she lacks practical experience and cultural awareness of the northern New Mexico community she serves. She relies heavily on rigid professionalism and rules to assert authority over her students.

Lizette is a pregnant teenager attending the same alternative educational program as Angel. Living with her brother in a chaotic household, she hides her intelligence and deep-seated trauma behind a brash, disruptive classroom persona. She frequently clashes with her teacher while forming a complicated, volatile dynamic with Angel.

Mike is Marissa's boyfriend, an architect who pays alimony to an ex-wife in California. While initially presenting as a stable figure, the stress of his job reveals an angry, controlling temperament. His volatile behavior toward Angel creates the immediate catalyst for her moving in with Amadeo.

Connor is Angel's unborn son. His impending arrival forces the entire Padilla family to confront their lack of preparation and historical dysfunctions, serving as the central motivation for Angel's fierce commitment to finishing her education.

Ryan is the teenage father of Angel's baby. Coming from a comparatively privileged, white family in a neighboring town, he represents a different socioeconomic reality than the Padillas. He is initially unaware of Angel's pregnancy but expresses an awkward interest when informed.

Al Martínez is a member of the local hermanadad alongside Tío Tíve and Amadeo. He actively participates in the spiritual life of Las Penas and attempts to secure a place in the religious brotherhood for his troubled grandson.

Isaiah is Al Martínez's grandson, a young man struggling with heroin addiction in Las Penas. His grandfather hopes that joining the Morada will provide him with structure and spiritual guidance, though the brotherhood's leadership is initially hesitant to accept him.

Cal is a kind man who dates Yolanda. He takes her on vacation to Las Vegas, completely unaware that she has received a devastating medical diagnosis and is preparing to abruptly flee back to New Mexico without explanation.

Lily is Valerie's twelve-year-old daughter. She accompanies her mother and younger sister on visits to her grandmother's house, silently observing the frequent arguments between her mother and her uncle Amadeo.

Sarah is Valerie's seven-year-old daughter who travels from Albuquerque to Las Penas for family holiday gatherings. She remains largely sheltered from the deeper dysfunction of her extended family.

Anthony is Yolanda's deceased husband and the father of Amadeo and Valerie. His historical struggles with heroin addiction and volatile behavior left deep emotional scars on his children that continue to shape their adult lives long after his death in a car accident.

Monica is the chief clerk at the state capitol building in Santa Fe and Yolanda's long-time boss. She represents a stable, professional environment that contrasts sharply with the chaos of Yolanda's home life.