61 pages • 2-hour read
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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Dale is an Iraq War veteran working as a short-order cook at Sweetbriar Rose. He keeps a low profile and prefers to stay on the move to avoid his painful military memories. When the Dome descends, his combat experience and tactical mind make him a natural leader, though his status as an outsider leaves him vulnerable to local political machinations.
Subordinate of James Cox
Trusted ally of Julia Shumway
Political rival of Big Jim Rennie
Target of Junior Rennie
Employee of Rose Twitchell
Friend of Rusty Everett
Big Jim is the Second Selectman of Chester's Mill and the owner of a local used car dealership. He masks his deep corruption behind a facade of folksy charm and evangelical piety. Behind closed doors, he runs a massive methamphetamine operation and views the sudden isolation of the town as a perfect opportunity to establish himself as an absolute dictator.
Father of Junior Rennie
Rival of Dale Barbara
Associate of Andy Sanders
Secret employer of Phil Bushey
Commander of Peter Randolph
Co-conspirator with Lester Coggins
Junior is Big Jim Rennie's twenty-one-year-old son and a volatile young man prone to violent outbursts. He suffers from debilitating, undiagnosed migraines that fuel his erratic and aggressive behavior. Appointed as a special deputy, he eagerly uses his new badge to terrorize residents and settle personal scores under the cover of martial law.
Son of Big Jim Rennie
Enemy of Dale Barbara
Friend of Frank DeLesseps
Attacker of Angie McCain
Julia is the independent editor and owner of the local newspaper, the Democrat. She inherited the paper from her family and takes her civic duty to the town seriously. Unafraid of Big Jim Rennie's threats, she uses her press credentials to document the town's rapid descent into authoritarianism and actively works to broadcast the truth.
Close ally of Dale Barbara
Civilian contact of James Cox
Opponent of Big Jim Rennie
Employer of Joseph McClatchey
Known to his peers as Scarecrow Joe because of his height and thin build, Joseph is a highly intelligent thirteen-year-old. He possesses a sharp political mind and quickly deduces that the government is withholding information. He organizes his skateboarding friends to run reconnaissance and gather data about the invisible barrier.
Norrie is a tough, pragmatic teenager who frequently skateboards with Joe and Benny. She is observant and brave, willingly venturing into dangerous areas of the town to help her friends locate the source of the Dome. Her loyalty to her friends keeps her grounded during the escalating panic.
Friend of Joseph McClatchey
Friend of Benny Drake
Granddaughter of Ernie Calvert
Benny is a fast-talking, good-natured teenager who rounds out the central skateboarding trio. He is easily swept up in Joe's ambitious plans to map out the Dome's properties. Despite the danger, he remains a steadfast companion on their secret excursions.
Friend of Joseph McClatchey
Friend of Norrie Calvert
Rusty is a dedicated physician's assistant who works exhaustively to manage the medical crisis caused by the barrier. He is observant and quickly notices discrepancies in the town's resource management, particularly regarding missing propane tanks. His commitment to his patients puts him on a collision course with the town's corrupt leadership.
Husband of Linda Everett
Father of Janelle Everett
Father of Judy Everett
Ally of Dale Barbara
Linda is a veteran police officer trying to maintain order as her department is flooded with untrained, aggressive new recruits. She balances her stressful duties with her deep concern for her family, particularly her daughters who begin experiencing strange visions. She cautiously handles the political minefield of the corrupted police force.
Wife of Rusty Everett
Mother of Janelle Everett
Mother of Judy Everett
Colleague of Jackie Wettington
Piper is the reverend at the local Congregational Church. She struggles with her own theological doubts, often referring to God as The Great Maybe, but remains deeply committed to the well-being of her parishioners. She fiercely advocates for the vulnerable and refuses to look the other way when the new police deputies abuse their power.
Protector of Sammy Bushey
Ally of Dale Barbara
Andy is the First Selectman of Chester's Mill and the proprietor of the town drugstore. He is a mild-mannered man who relies heavily on Big Jim Rennie's assertiveness. Grieving the loss of his family, he is easily manipulated into continuing his secret complicity in Rennie's illegal drug manufacturing.
Husband of Claudette Sanders
Father of Dodee Sanders
Associate of Big Jim Rennie
Secret customer of Phil Bushey
Known to the town as The Chef, Phil is a severe addict who manufactures methamphetamine for Big Jim Rennie. He lives in a state of deep, drug-induced paranoia that is worsened by the supernatural isolation of the Dome. He views the barrier as a sign of an impending apocalypse and guards his drug supply fiercely.
Husband of Sammy Bushey
Secret employee of Big Jim Rennie
Supplier to Andy Sanders
Brenda is the grieving widow of the town's late police chief. While searching through her husband's computer, she discovers a hidden file documenting the extensive criminal activities of Big Jim Rennie. She quietly gathers evidence, intending to use it as leverage to break Rennie's grip on the town.
Wife of Howard Perkins
Ally of Dale Barbara
Former romantic interest of Romeo Burpee
Investigator of Big Jim Rennie
Known affectionately as Duke, Howard is the veteran police chief of Chester's Mill. He is a diligent officer who secretly investigated the town's political corruption before the Dome's arrival. Tragically, he is one of the first casualties when the barrier's electromagnetic properties cause his pacemaker to fatally malfunction.
Husband of Brenda Perkins
Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie
Jackie is a reliable, veteran police officer. She is immediately suspicious of the aggressive tactics employed by the new deputies and the sudden shift in department leadership. Recognizing the threat to civil order, she actively coordinates with the citizens opposing Big Jim Rennie's regime.
Colleague of Linda Everett
Subordinate to Peter Randolph
Operative of James Cox
Colonel James Cox is a US Army officer stationed on the outside of the Dome. He communicates via specialized military channels to reinstate Dale Barbara's rank and task him with investigating the barrier from the inside. He operates with a level of military secrecy that leaves the trapped citizens questioning his true motives.
Commander of Dale Barbara
Contact of Julia Shumway
Peter is rapidly promoted to police chief following the death of his predecessor. He lacks strong moral convictions and functions primarily as a willing pawn for Big Jim Rennie, implementing martial law and turning a blind eye to the abuses committed by his newly deputized officers.
Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie
Commander of Jackie Wettington
Andrea serves as the Third Selectman of Chester's Mill. She is quietly battling a severe addiction to OxyContin, a vulnerability that Big Jim Rennie uses to blackmail her into supporting his policies. As the crisis deepens, she struggles to overcome her addiction and reclaim her moral agency.
Colleague of Big Jim Rennie
Colleague of Andy Sanders
Patient of Rusty Everett
Sammy is a young mother and the wife of Phil Bushey. She endures horrific abuse at the hands of the town's newly appointed law enforcement officers. Her trauma exposes the complete collapse of justice and civil protection within the isolated community.
Wife of Phil Bushey
Ward of Piper Libby
Victim of Frank DeLesseps
Frank is an aggressive local who quickly jumps at the chance to join the town's expanded police force. He uses his new badge to intimidate and assault residents, embodying the swift deterioration of law and order under the Dome.
Angie is Frank DeLesseps's ex-girlfriend. She becomes an early target of Junior Rennie's violent outbursts, suffering the fatal consequences of his unchecked rage and his vendetta against Dale Barbara.
Rose is the hardworking owner of the local café. She commands respect within the community and uses her level-headed demeanor to calm frightened residents, helping to temporarily defuse a riot over food shortages.
Employer of Dale Barbara
Lester is an evangelical reverend deeply entangled in Big Jim Rennie's illicit drug and money-laundering operations. He interprets the Dome as a divine punishment for his sins and frantically seeks to cleanse his conscience, making him a severe liability to his former partners.
Co-conspirator with Big Jim Rennie
Carter is a thuggish local who is eagerly deputized into the police force. He quickly establishes himself as Big Jim Rennie's right-hand enforcer, executing arson and intimidation campaigns without hesitation.
Romantic partner of Georgia Roux
Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie
Georgia is Carter Thibodeaux's girlfriend and one of the few female recruits in the expanded police department. She actively participates in the harassment and assault of local residents, fully embracing the lawless authority granted by her badge.
Romantic partner of Carter Thibodeaux
Ernie is a retired grocer and a fixture of the older generation in Chester's Mill. He provides logistical support to the faction opposing Rennie, utilizing his knowledge of the town's vehicles to assist in their survival.
Grandfather of Norrie Calvert
Known to most as Rommie, he is the enterprising owner of the local department store. He initially views the Dome as a business opportunity but quickly realizes the grave danger facing the town, ultimately supplying weapons and gear to those resisting Rennie's rule.
Former romantic interest of Brenda Perkins
Thurston is a visiting professor from Boston who finds himself trapped in the isolation of the Dome. Despite being an outsider, he steps up to assist Rusty Everett at the overcrowded hospital, utilizing surprising medical competence.
Romantic partner of Carolyn Sturges
Guardian of Alice Appleton
Guardian of Aiden Appleton
Carolyn is a graduate student from Boston trapped in Chester's Mill. Her romantic getaway with Thurston quickly devolves into a desperate struggle for survival as the town's civil protections vanish.
Romantic partner of Thurston Marshall
Known locally as Sloppy Sam, he struggles with severe alcoholism. His dependency makes him an easy target for manipulation, and Big Jim Rennie uses him to incite unrest and riotous behavior among the frightened public.
Pawn of Big Jim Rennie
Alice is a young girl practically orphaned by the sudden descent of the Dome. Frightened and starving, she is taken in by Thurston Marshall and Carolyn Sturges, who attempt to shield her from the escalating chaos.
Sister of Aiden Appleton
Ward of Thurston Marshall
Aiden is a five-year-old boy separated from his parents by the Dome. He suffers from mysterious seizures that cause him to speak prophetically about falling pink stars, adding to the supernatural dread permeating the town.
Brother of Alice Appleton
Ward of Thurston Marshall
Claudette is the wife of First Selectman Andy Sanders. She is enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon in a small aircraft when the invisible Dome suddenly descends, instantly causing a fatal crash against the impenetrable barrier.
Wife of Andy Sanders
Mother of Dodee Sanders
Dodee is the teenage daughter of Andy Sanders. Distraught over her mother's sudden death in a plane crash, she inadvertently walks into a dangerous situation while looking for her friend Angie, becoming another tragic victim.
Daughter of Andy Sanders
Daughter of Claudette Sanders
Friend of Angie McCain
Janelle is the young daughter of Rusty and Linda Everett. Shortly after the Dome descends, she experiences a severe neurological episode, screaming prophetic warnings about Halloween and a sinister Great Pumpkin.
Daughter of Rusty Everett
Daughter of Linda Everett
Sister of Judy Everett
Judy is the older daughter of Rusty and Linda Everett. Like her sibling and several other children in the isolated town, she begins experiencing unsettling visions of pink stars falling, directly linked to the barrier's presence.
Daughter of Rusty Everett
Daughter of Linda Everett
Sister of Janelle Everett
Claire is the mother of Joseph McClatchey. She represents the anxious parents of Chester's Mill who watch helplessly as their children are drawn into the dangerous mysteries surrounding the Dome.
Mother of Joseph McClatchey
Rory is the impulsive young son of a local dairy farmer. In a desperate attempt to break the barrier, he fires a hunting rifle at the Dome, resulting in a tragic ricochet that leaves him severely injured.
Brother of Ollie Dinsmore
Ollie is a young boy from a local farming family. He watches his family fall apart in the aftermath of the Dome's arrival, forced to survive the increasingly hostile town completely on his own.
Brother of Rory Dinsmore