Don is a 72-year-old retired veterinarian who packs up a dented, rust-pocked RV for a cross-country trip with his husband. With a rogue black hole approaching Earth, he remains quietly observant, finding comfort in small details like wispy clouds, wildflowers, and the taste of an apple. He processes the impending doom by focusing on empathy, often choosing to sit silently with strangers during their worst emotional moments.

Rodney is a 78-year-old retired bureaucrat and Don's husband of four decades. He acts as the stoic, protective counterweight to Don's emotional openness, frequently communicating through his bushy eyebrows rather than words. As a survivor of the AIDS crisis and decades of anti-gay prejudice, he acts as a living archive of queer history, passing down stories of resilience to the younger generation he meets on the road.

Jeremy is Don and Rodney's adopted son, who entered their lives at age seven with severe trauma from the foster system. Diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, he has struggled with addiction and complex mental illness. He is currently estranged from his parents, prompting their desperate final trip across the country to apologize to him.

John is a veterinarian traveling toward Minnesota in a frantic attempt to isolate his family from the impending global catastrophe. He maintains a wide, brittle smile to shield his children from the truth of the black hole. Underneath his determined exterior, he carries a supply of phenobarbital, planning to use it on his family rather than let them suffer through the planet's destruction.

Megan is John's newly pregnant wife, traveling to Minnesota under the pretense of a normal family vacation. The strain of hiding the end of the world from her children pushes her to the breaking point. Her overwhelming fear eventually mutates into aggressive hostility toward anyone who challenges her denial.

Jamie is one of John and Megan's young children. He is entirely unaware that the world is ending in a matter of weeks, as his parents have chosen to keep the truth hidden under the guise of a family road trip.

Lauren is the young daughter of John and Megan. Like her brother, she believes the family is simply taking a trip to Minnesota, completely shielded from the approaching cosmic destruction.

Pantomime is a young woman leading a communal caravan of travelers heading toward Canada. She believes the approaching apocalypse has stripped away societal pretense, leaving only equality and a shared humanity. She spends her final weeks prioritizing joy, music, and connection over fear.

Juniper is Pantomime's partner, traveling with the communal caravan fleeing military crackdowns in Houston. He fully embraces the group's ethos of radical joy and marries Pantomime in an impromptu ceremony.

Amelia is an eighteen-year-old girl who flags down Don and Rodney's RV. Speaking in a flat, mechanical monotone, she explains that she murdered her entire family and their ranch staff. She believes her actions were a form of mercy, comparing humanity to cattle being led to a painful slaughter, and she offers the same violent grace to Don and Rodney.

Amy is a young queer woman in her twenties who fled her conservative, evangelical Texas family at fifteen after enduring attempted conversion practices. She actively seeks out Don and Rodney as queer elders, eager to learn about the community's history and honor the struggles of previous generations.

Becca is Amy's partner. While more guarded and direct than Amy, she shares the desire to connect with older queer individuals and find community as the world approaches its end. She provides a steady emotional anchor for Amy.

Jerri is a self-sufficient Black woman living alone in a remote Washington cabin with her dog. Having isolated herself to escape a harmful past, she views humanity with cynicism but treats individuals with striking generosity, offering vital transportation to strangers in need.

Ernest is an older neighbor living in Camden, Maine. He arrives at the RV to say a final goodbye to Don and Rodney before the couple sets out on their journey west, warning them to be careful on the road as older men.

June is a neighbor of Don and Rodney who is visibly grieving the impending end of the world. She specifically asks the couple to deliver a final farewell to their son on her behalf.

Naks is a German shepherd mix living in the remote wilderness. He serves as Jerri's sole companion in her chosen isolation.