History Characters / DontLookUp

* {{Jerkass}}: Orlean is a very unpleasant person behind her cheery demeanour. Beyond her HeadInTheSandManagment, penchant for corruption and loving her power way too much, she instigates a smear campaign against two scientists who are morally more intelligent than she is.

* EntitledBitch: Despite having spent the entirety of other film slandering and belittling Randall and his allies, she still has the gall to invite him on the BASH SleeperShip. Randall, understandably, turns her offer down.

* FatalFlaw: {{Greed}} and [[TheDitz Ignorance]]. Deep down, Isherwell is an ignorant man who is implied to care only for himself and not his clients. It is also implied that his mission was not about saving humanity after all.

* HateSink: We can’t rage at Comet Dibiasky because it is is a force of nature, but we can rage at Jason for being a super dumbass who treats the heroes with apathy and doesn’t take the threat seariously. Depending on your interpretation, it can be hard to feel sorry for him after his mother and Isherwell abandon him to his fate.

* HateSink: The audience can’t hate Comet Diabasky, as it is a force of nature, but they can hate Orlean for being a complete idiot whose actions lead to humanity’s mass extinction. She treats the heroes with apathy, is revealed to have an affair with the sheriff, agrees with Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet instead of destroying it like in the first attempt, starts a smear campaign against Kate and Randall in response to their “Just Look Up” movement, is shown to have a callous disregard for rules and responsibilities and instead of [[GoingDownWithTheShip going down with the planet]], she escapes in a SleeperShip with 2,000 other people just to save her pathetic hide. And to add to that, she leaves her own son behind by accident. But the karma gods are not mocked. In the film’s epilogue, she ends up becoming a bronteroc’s lunch.

* HateSink: We can’t rage at Comet Diabasky because it is is a force of nature, but we can rage at Jason for being a super dumbass who treats the heroes with apathy and doesn’t take the threat seariously. Depending on your interpretation, it can be hard to feel sorry for him after his mother and Isherwell abandon him to his fate.

* HateSink: The audience can’t hate Comet Diabasky, as it is a force of nature, but they can hate Orlean for being a complete idiot whose actions lead to humanity’s mass extinction. She treats the heroes with apathy, is revealed to have an affair with the sheriff, agrees with Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet instead of destroying it like in the first attempt, starts a smear campaign against Kate and Randall in response to their “Just Look Up” movement, is shown to care more about herself at times and instead of [[GoingDownWithTheShip going down with the planet]], she escapes in a SleeperShip with 2,000 other people just to save her pathetic hide and leaves her own son behind by accident. But the karma gods are not mocked. In the film’s epilogue, she ends up becoming a bronteroc’s lunch.

* HateSink: The audience can’t hate Comet Diabasky, as it is a force of nature, but they can hate Orlean for being a complete idiot whose actions lead to humanity’s mass extinction. She treats the heroes with apathy, agrees with Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet instead of destroying it like in the first attempt, starts a smear campaign against Kate and Randall in response to their “Just Look Up” movement and instead of [[GoingDownWithTheShip going down with the planet]], she escapes in a SleeperShip just to save her pathetic hide and leaves her own son behind by accident. But the karma gods are not mocked. In the film’s epilogue, she ends up becoming a bronteroc’s lunch.

* HateSink: The audience can’t hate Comet Diabasky, as it is a force of nature, but they can hate Orlean for being a complete idiot whose actions lead to humanity’s mass extinction. She treats the heroes with apathy, agrees with Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet instead of destroying it like in the first attempt, stars a smear campaign against Kate and Randall in response to their “Just Look Up” movement and instead of [[GoingDownWithTheShip going down with the planet]], she escapes in a SleeperShip just to save her pathetic hide and leaves her own son behind by accident. But the karma gods are not mocked. In the film’s epilogue, she ends up getting attacked by a bronteroc.

* HateSink: The audience can’t hate Comet Diabasky, as it is essentially a force of nature, but they can hate Orlean for being a complete idiot who agrees with Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet instead of destroying it like in the first attempt. But the karma gods are not mocked. In the film’s epilogue, she ends up getting attacked by a bronteroc.

* PetTheDog:[[spoiler: she offers Dr. Mindy two seats on Isherwell's SleeperShip so that he and one other person can join her and her allies in outliving the rest of humanity. Mindy refuses in solidarity with his doomed family and friends.]]

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Is [[SomethingWeForgot forgotten]] by his own mother and left waiting for her as the world ends. In TheStinger it's shown he survived [[AndIMustScream and is now the last man on earth.]]]]

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:As far as we know, he's the last man on Earth, though he won't live for very long.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: He acts like a benevolent if somewhat socially awkward man who genuinely wants what's best for humanity. At the same time, he pushes very invasive spyware onto his phones, treats those he deems beneath him like dirt, doesn't listen to the opinions of other people, and ultimately has the mission to save earth canceled in favor of mining the comet for its ore while claiming it will be a benefit to humanity when it's clear he's just interested in making as much money as possible. [[spoiler: This plan ends up dooming the earth to destruction when it fails, and the moment he realizes this, [[TheElitesJumpShip he and his rich friends up and leave everyone else behind while they flee the planet on a private starship]].]]

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Downplayed. The fame he gets as a result of the comet's discovery goes a little to his head, causing him to cheat on his wife and support [[CorruptPolitician Orlean]]'s incompetent administration and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Isherwell]]'s an apocalyptically risky plan. However, it's clear at all points that he's trying his best to save the planet. He also ultimately gets his head on straight and starts speaking out against Orlean, Isherwell, and their cronies.

* HumansAreFlawed: Is a NervousWreck who easily gives in to pressure and temptations of being in the public spotlight, including lending his name to dubious ventures and starting an affair with a news anchor. On the other hand, he tries to do his best given the situation he found himself in, doesn't hesitate to give credit for the discovery to his Ph.D. student (as a [[ItsAllAboutMe more sleazy]] researcher might have), and [[spoiler:makes amends with his family before the comet hits]]. Together this paints a picture of a man who generally knows what is the right thing to do, but often lacks the strength to follow through.

* DumbassHasAPoint: For all of her shallowness, Riley is capable of recognizing the IgnoredExpert status of Randall and Kate and references this in one of her songs, albeit not as the main theme.

* NatureLover: One of the brothers says his happiest memory is sleeping in the backyard and waking up with a fawn staring him in the face.

* HumansAreFlawed: Doctor Mindy is a NervousWreck who easily gives in to pressure and temptations of being in the public spotlight, including lending his name to dubious ventures and starting an affair with a news anchor. On the other hand, he tries to do his best given the situation he found himself in, doesn't hesitate to give credit for the discovery to his Ph.D. student (as a [[ItsAllAboutMe more sleazy]] researcher might have), and [[spoiler:makes amends with his family before the comet hits]]. Together this paints a picture of a man who generally knows what is the right thing to do, but often lacks the strength to follow through.

* ButtMonkey: Kate discovers the comet only to be blown off by the White House who don’t consider her a serious source and she’s just a Ph.D. Candidate from Michigan State, is made a national laughingstock and meme when she loses it on TV by telling everyone that they’re going to die, is repeatedly mocked and belittled by the idiotic Jason, forced to quit her studies to take a job at a liquor store, and is even duped into paying for free snacks.

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Downplayed. The fame he gets as a result of the comet's discovery goes a little to his head, causing him to cheat on his wife and support [[CorruptPolitician Orlean]]'s incompetent administration and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Isherwell]]'s apocalyptically risky plan. However, it's clear at all points that he's trying his best to save the planet. He also ultimately gets his head on straight and starts speaking out against Orlean, Isherwell, and their cronies.

* HumansAreFlawed: Doctor Mindy is a NervousWreck who easily gives in to pressure and temptations of being in the public spotlight, including lending his name to dubious ventures and starting an affair with a news anchor. On the other hand, he tries to do his best given the situation he found himself in, doesn't hesitate to give credit for the discovery to his [=PhD=] student (as a [[ItsAllAboutMe more sleazy]] researcher might have), and [[spoiler:makes amends with his family before the comet hits]]. Together this paints a picture of a man who generally knows what is the right thing to do, but often lacks the strength to follow through.
* MeasuringTheMarigolds: When he first meets the President to alert her of the discovery, Randall gets bugged up in scientific technicalities and struggles to convey the danger to characters who are not so mathematically-minded. [[{{Foil}} Dr Oglethorpe]] instead simply dubs the comet a "planet killer", and later calls Mindy out on this explicitly.
* NervousWreck: Has crippling anxiety which he takes an array of medications for, and initially tends to crumble at the thought of being in high-pressure situations.
* RageBreakingPoint: After being surrounded by incompetent politicians and corrupt businessmen for the past six months, the mild-mannered Professor Mindy finally snaps and has an epic meltdown on live TV, calling out the lies, incompetence and greed of the government and corporations who are trying to use the comet for it's natural resources and the good publicity it would bring when they should be focusing on trying to stop it from destroying the world. He also rants at the public who are apathetic to the comet and those who outright deny it even exists.

* ButtMonkey: Kate discovers the comet only to be blown off by the White House who don’t consider her a serious source and she’s just a PHD Candidate from Michigan State. Is made a national laughingstock and meme when she loses it on TV by telling everyone that they’re going to die. Is repeatedly mocked and belittled by the idiotic Jason. Quits her studies and takes a job at a liquor store, and is even duped into paying for free snacks!

* FallenOnHardTimesJob: She is dismissed from Michigan State as a result of her constant attempts to blow the whistle on the impending CometOfDoom despite several [[ApocalypticGagOrder gag orders]] from the [[ObstructiveBureaucrat POTUS]] herself. Because of this, no respectable company would hire her and even [[ParentalAbandonment her own parents have abandoned her]]. As a result, she is forced to take a job as a cashier at an alcohol store. The silver lining is that this is how she meets Yule.

* MistakenForInsane: After she reaches her breaking point on live television the world thinks she's crazy and make fun of her.
* NervousWreck: Kate initially seems the more outwardly stable of the two main scientists, but at one point she steals Randall's medication and reaches her breaking point on live television as she sees [[ApatheticCitizens the anchors indifferent to the impending apocalypse]].

* LaymansTerms: {{Invoked}}. Though he is a capable astronomer himself, Oglethorpe is [[GenreSavvy well aware not everyone has a PhD]], and adjusts his style of communication accordingly. Where at the meeting in the Oval Office Mindy gets bogged down in [[ScaryScienceWords scientific jargon few can understand]], Teddy simply refers to the comet as a "planet killer" to get the point of the danger across.
* OnlySaneEmployee: Dr. Oglethorpe of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office is the only sane employee ''for the entire U.S. government!'' He helps Mindy and Kate from the get go while pretty much everyone else in the Orlean administration obstructs the efforts to save the world, is a {{Jerkass}}, or both.

* TheDragon: A TruthInTelevision example; despite nominally holding more power than Isherwell, Orlean is subject to his whims as he is one of the administration's top donors, ultimately putting him in charge of determining humanity's fate.
* EnemyMine: Early on, she is goaded by Randall, Kate and the others into deflecting the comet because it would benefit her in the midterm elections. This doesn't last at all.

* LadyInAPowerSuit: The female POTUS is introduced in a bright red, tailored blazer with matching skirt.

* IWantMyMommy: [[spoiler:Alone on Earth AfterTheEnd, he is last seen desperately calling for his mother, who had already [[HomeworldEvacuation fled the planet]] [[TheElitesJumpShip with her wealthy backers]]. The scene would have been tragic except Jason was fully complicit in the failure of his mother's administration to prevent the disaster.]]
* HiddenDisdainReveal: After his party turns on him and his mother, he tells them that they're a bunch of stupid rednecks.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Downplayed, almost to the point of being averted. He's seemingly the only person to survive the comet but he's still trapped on a desolate planet with no one else around. Even if he could survive both the environment and his own stupidity, both of which are unlikely to say the least, he's still all alone.]]

* {{Nepotism}}: The probably the most obvious case in Orlean's administration. His mother has made him her Chief of Staff, despite him being a lazy, egoistical {{Manchild}}, who makes no attempt to hide that he possess absolutely none of the skills, patience, and perspective that is required for the position.

* {{Jerkass}}: He acts like a benevolent, if somewhat socially awkward man who genuinely wants what's best for humanity. At the same time he pushes very invasive spyware onto his phones, treats those he deems beneath him like dirt, doesn't listen to the opinions of other people and ultimately has the mission to save earth cancelled in favour of mining the comet for it's ore while claiming it will help humanity evolve, when it's clear he's just interested in making a lot of money. [[spoiler: This plan ends up dooming the earth to destruction when it fails, and the moment he realizes this [[TheElitesJumpShip he and his rich friends up and leave everyone else behind while they flee the planet on a private starship]].]]

* HiddenDepths: Brie is introduced as a vapid news anchor, but she turns out to have three masters degrees, speak several languages, and is extremely well-read.

* OldMoney: She tells Randall that she grew up in a spiffy old money family and rebelled by "getting three Master's degrees".

* DumbassHasAPoint: For all of her shallowness, Riley is capable of recognizing the IgnoredExpert status of Mindy and Kate and references this in one of her songs, albeit not as the main theme.

Kate's boyfriend at the start of the film, a journalist.

* DisposableFiance: His relationship with Kate does not make it to the midpoint; after Kate makes herself a meme screaming about the end times, he dumps her via clickbait article. Kate eventually goes on to form a more fulfilling connection with Yule.

[[folder:Evan and Marshall]]

* MistakenForInsane