Joey is a 27-year-old woman who recently returned from working in Ibiza with a new husband. She moves in with her older brother in the affluent Melville Heights neighborhood and takes a job at a children's soft play center called Whackadoo. Struggling with the mundane realities of adulthood and grieving her mother, she develops a deep infatuation with her charismatic older neighbor.

Freddie is the teenage son of a local head teacher. Displaced by his family's frequent relocations for his father's career, he struggles socially and spends his time spying on the neighborhood, taking photographs to better understand human behavior. He tries to reconcile his conflicting views of his parents and their deeply troubled marriage.

Jenna is a teenager attending the school where Tom Fitzwilliam serves as head teacher. She lives alone with her mother following her parents' divorce and shoulders the heavy burden of navigating her mother's severe delusions. Isolated by her responsibilities, she becomes increasingly suspicious of the adults in her community.

Tom is a 51-year-old "superhead" teacher who specializes in brief, two-year stints turning around struggling local schools. Highly charismatic and attractive, he effortlessly draws the adoration of those around him. He serves as a blank canvas upon which the other residents project their desires, fears, and darkest suspicions.

Nicola is Tom's wife and Freddie's mother. She frequently appears nervous and overly focused on her physical appearance as she attempts to adapt to the social norms of their constantly changing neighborhoods. Her entire life seems to revolve tightly around her husband, creating an unbalanced atmosphere within their home.

Rebecca is a pregnant woman living with her husband Jack in an affluent neighborhood. Quiet and often relegated to the background of family dynamics, she provides a place for her brother-in-law and his new wife to stay. She carries the unresolved grief of losing her younger sister years ago.

Jack is Joey's older brother and Rebecca's husband. Working as a successful heart surgeon, he provides housing for his sister and her new spouse while they attempt to find their footing. He serves as a responsible, grounded figure whom Joey deeply admires.

Alfie is a house painter who recently married his crush, Joey, after a whirlwind romance abroad. Eager to settle down and start a family, he remains largely oblivious to Joey's internal dissatisfaction and wandering attention as he takes on painting jobs in their new neighborhood.

Frances is Jenna's mother, a woman experiencing severe mental health struggles following her divorce. She lives under the persistent delusion that she is a "targeted individual" subjected to organized gang stalking. She rarely leaves her home, spending her time monitoring the neighborhood and participating in online support forums.

Detective Pelham is the police investigator assigned to an incident at the Fitzwilliam residence. She methodically collects forensic evidence, conducts interviews with the neighborhood's residents, and works to piece together the events that disrupted the quiet street.

Bess is Jenna's best friend and a student at Tom's school. She develops a strong crush on her charismatic head teacher, causing friction and anxiety in her relationship with Jenna, who worries about the nature of these private interactions.

Romola is a new teenage girl in the neighborhood who lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She becomes the subject of Freddie's photography before evolving into a genuine romantic interest, offering him direct communication and a fresh perspective on his own identity.

Dawn is the manager at Whackadoo, a children's indoor play center where Joey finds employment. She provides Joey with a surprisingly friendly work environment and occasionally joins her for drinks after their shifts end.

Genevieve, affectionately known as Viva, is Rebecca's younger sister who died by suicide seventeen years prior. Her tragic death casts a long shadow over her family and connects several characters to a shared, painful past involving the Fitzwilliams.