Nora Guerraoui is a 25-year-old musician and composer who returns to her California hometown after her father dies in a hit-and-run accident. She possesses synesthesia, a condition that allows her to hear music as distinct colors. Her artistic career choices regularly provoke criticism from her mother, causing friction within the family. She actively searches for answers regarding the fatal accident while trying to process her profound grief.

Jeremy Gorecki is a police officer and military veteran who served in the Iraq War. He deals with insomnia and the lingering trauma of both his combat deployment and his mother's early death. He recognizes his former classmate at a house of mourning and steps in to offer her comfort. He continuously tries to manage his aggressive former squadmate and his estranged, alcoholic father.

A.J. Baker is the adult son of the local bowling alley owner. He currently lives with his parents following the financial collapse of his dog daycare business in Irvine. During high school, he actively targeted minority students with racial slurs and frequently bullied his peers.

Maryam Guerraoui is a Moroccan immigrant who relocated to California with her husband in the 1980s. She mourns the sudden death of her husband while facing the operational demands of their family diner. She maintains high expectations for her children and clearly prefers the traditional life choices of her eldest daughter over her youngest.

Driss Guerraoui is a Moroccan immigrant and the owner of a local diner whose life ends abruptly in a hit-and-run accident. Before his death, he established a successful business despite surviving early financial difficulties and a racially motivated arson attack on his first shop. He continuously supported his youngest daughter's artistic ambitions.

Detective Erica Coleman recently relocated from Washington D.C. to California due to her husband's job. She takes charge of the hit-and-run investigation while adjusting to a new department with limited resources and outdated protocols. She balances her demanding casework with concerns about her teenage son's social life.

Efraín is an undocumented immigrant working diligently to support his wife and two young children. He witnesses the fatal car accident but refuses to contact the authorities. He carries heavy guilt over his silence because he fears deportation will permanently separate him from his family.

Anderson Baker owns the bowling alley located directly next to the Guerraoui family diner. He has a history of territorial disputes concerning parking spaces and property boundaries with the neighboring business. He works to support his adult son and his wife, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.

Salma is a practicing dentist who follows a traditional, stable path that easily meets her mother's expectations. She presents a picture-perfect life with her husband and twin children to the outside world. She quietly manages immense personal pressure behind closed doors, using medication to cope with her stress.

Fierro is a military veteran who served in the same unit as Jeremy during the Iraq War. He struggles with severe anger issues and frequently acts out erratically following his recent divorce. He resists attending mandated anger management classes.

Marisela is a working mother who reads English better than her husband. She repeatedly encourages her husband to report what he saw to the police. She serves as a moral counterbalance to his fear of deportation.

Tareq is a practical dentist who assists his in-laws with logistical matters following a family tragedy. He focuses on the operational details of the family business while the others grieve.

Murphy is an older, veteran Crime Scene Unit officer who assists with the hit-and-run investigation. He provides crucial paint sample analysis to the lead detective.

Miles is a teenager who struggles to adjust after his family moves to California. He spends time doing homework at the local library and trying to navigate a complicated social life at his new school.