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Bowman-Kenner Family
Will
William "Will" Bowman
Played By: Josh Holloway
Before the Arrival, Will Bowman was an ex-Army Ranger & FBI agent who enjoyed a successful career in hunting down fugitives. He lived a quiet, happy life with his wife, Katie, and their three children.
After the Arrival, Will’s life was forever changed. Like so many people who were forced to take on new forms of employment, Will became an auto mechanic, spending his day working on cars in order to provide for his family. Things at home were even worse, as Will’s son, Charlie, went missing as a result of the Arrival.
Will will stop at nothing to fight for his family and retrieve his son.
- Becoming the Mask: Despite initially only agreeing for the chance to infiltrate Homeland Security and get his son back, he becomes very good at his job hunting down the local resistance cells to the point of him being seen as a threat.
- Experienced Protagonist: He served with the FBI and the US Army prior to being recruited into Homeland Security.
- La Résistance: Will does not want to have anything to do with the resistance but ends up helping them in order to protect Katie.
- Mandatory Unretirement: He's shanghaied into becoming a Homeland Security investigator.
- Papa Wolf: He's willing to go head-to-head with an alien occupation for the sake of his son.
- Perma-Stubble: As per Josh Holloway, he rocks the stubble look.
Katie
Katie Bowman
Played By: Sarah Wayne Callies
Katie Bowman lived an idyllic life before the Arrival. Katie was a beloved wife with three children, and she owned a bar called the Yonk, which was a very popular and beloved spot in their community.
After the Arrival, Katie’s life took a sharp turn for the worse. Forced to close the Yonk, Katie had to quickly find other means of supporting her family. She relied on her quick thinking and strong negotiating skills to make a positive and lasting impact in all of their lives.
Katie will stop at nothing to get her son back and fight for her family.
- The Bartender: Proprietor of The Yonk before The Arrival. She reopens it once again in "A Brave New World."
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Doesn't raise her voice much in public and will let others do the talking most of the time. In the first episode, she pulls a gun on a young woman who backed out on a deal for insulin and is a member of La Résistance. In the finale, she and Broussard kill several Red Hats in an attempt to intercept a VIP.
- It's All About Me: Katie has an overinflated sense of self that others tend to accommodate (for example, Quayle and Broussard both have complimented her deception skills), leading her to believe she is capable of much more, but she makes rookie mistakes like uncovering her face. Consequently in arguments with Will, this sense of self partly drives her unwillingness to take his word for it that he has plans in motion. Eventually, this drives Bram away from her as he tells her just how much of a hypocrite she's been over the series.
- Mama Bear: Much like her husband, there's little she won't do for the sake of her children.
- Military Brat: the daughter of a US Navy captain who's not happy she's married to an Army enlisted man.
- Mistaken for Badass: The Resistance come to believe she is a double agent mastermind as through her actions the Resistance lost most of their resources and manpower while geting her husband promoted, when in reality Katie is genuinely intent on being on their side but does not communicate with her husband and does not wish to see him hurt either.
- La Résistance: She's an anti-occupation fighter in LA.
- Took a Level in Badass: Through most of the season, she is clearly in way over her head. Because of Broussard's training, as of"Zero Hour" she has clearly improved greatly (though she still needs Broussard's help), enough to aid in successfully taking out one of the hosts.
Maddie
Madeline "Maddie" Kenner
Played By: Amanda Righetti
Maddie is Katie Bowman’s younger sister, who relies greatly on Katie to provide for her family. Maddie’s son Hudson is diabetic, which is a condition that the Transitional Authority has deemed “unworthy for treatment” in order to cull weakness from the herd.
Before the Arrival, Maddie was a wealthy art gallery owner whose husband was away in New York during the Arrival. Maddie is forced to use her charm and connections in the art world to help climb the social ladder in the Green Zone, though she lives in the Bowman’s converted garage rather than in the Green Zone itself.
- Heroic Seductress: downplayed and subverted; she has no problem with sleeping with collaborators in the Green Zone in order to get some luxuries out of them.
- Mama Bear: To her diabetic son, Hudson.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Not seen at all in season 3. In all likely hood, she may be dead.
Charlie and Will
Charlie Bowman
Played By: Creator/Jacob Buster
- The Unfettered: Upon returning from Santa Monica, it is shown that he has changed and not altogether for the better.
- Death of a Child: Dies in season 3 due to a bullet to the neck. Will does not take this well and it affects him for the rest of the season.
- Trauma Conga Line: Poor charlie! Gets trapped in Santa Monica, gets rescued, then has to leave the colony, endures freezing rain and reaches a supposedly safe settlement, only to be shot in the neck at complete random.
- Hope Spot: It looks like he will survive the series intact but a stray bullet hits his neck during the escape from the camp.
Bram Bowman
Played By: Alex Neustaedter
Bram is Katie and Will's teenage son.
- The Mole: Now that he's been sent to a labor camp, Snyder has hired Bram to spy on the other prisoners in order to snoop out the problems plaguing the camp.
- Double Agent. Following some drama in the warehouse, Bram has begun revealing interesting/useful intel back to the work camp's resident resistance group.
- I Have No Son!: Inverted. He does this to his mother over the fact that Her presence and Will's have done nothing but put them in danger, YMMV on whether he's right or not.]]
- Big Brother Instinct: Clearly cares for Gracie and leaves with her when it's clear that Katie and Will have made the situation much worse, albeit unintentionally.
Gracie
Gracie Bowman
Played By: Isabella Crovetti Cramp
- Children Are Innocent: Just wants a normal life.
- Indoctrination: Her teacher tries this. It does not end well for her.
The Collaborators
In General
The Collaborators
- Child Soldiers: Downplayed example as the Red Hats are not actually children but still appear to be very young, sounding more like teenagers instead of professional soldiers and loudly singing to rap music while driving.
- Les Collaborateurs: They work with the alien occupation to subjugate the rest of humanity.
- The Quisling: In Will's eloquent words, they "dick over" their own kind.
- Trial by Friendly Fire: Downplayed, because many don't see Homeland Security as good people, but it is shown that they are willing to open fire on civilians to kill their target when Lagarza hits several innocents when he tries to kill Rachel with a spray of machine gun fire.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: While their methods are brutal and they oppress their own kind, for some like Phyllis collaboration seems the only option for what is left of humanity as the alien invaders are too powerful to be plausibly overthrown and could easily eradicate every human if they continue to struggle.
Snyder
Proxy Alan Snyder
Played By: Peter Jacobson
"Self interest will win."
Proxy Alan Snyder is the pragmatic and charismatic leader of the Transitional Authority in Los Angeles. After the Arrival, he proves that he is a true politician and leads all aspects of the Occupation. Armed with the Redhat army and ever-present drones, the Transitional Authority is tasked with keeping order and stability in Los Angeles.
Alan Snyder knows that his Occupation movement needs someone as strong and valuable as Will Bowman to fight alongside them in order to combat the growing threat from the Resistance. Ever the cunning politician, he also knows exactly how to make people do what he wants.
- The Dragon: To the alien occupation, acting as their main "Proxy" in Los Angeles.
- The Dog Bites Back: Nearly drowned to death by Will after Charlie dies. He survives this though time will tell if it sticks
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He mentions having a daughter and during the season finale offers her a transit pass to get out of the city as it gets destroyed.
- Faux Affably Evil: He's friendly, energetic and chummy but when things don't go his way he doesn't hesitate to show a much darker side.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Snyder long boasted of being from Stanford and long in power. "Eleven.Thirteen" shows that Snyder was just a middle-management teacher at a subpar community college selling education books when he was recruited by agents working for the Hosts. They were impressed by how Snyder had expertly been embezzling money from his company for years and thus perfect for their needs.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: Summons help in the camp. This Indirectly kills Charlie.
- Opportunistic Bastard: He himself states that he views the alien occupation as an opportunity to take advantage of.
- Pet the Dog: During the finale, he offers Will a transit pass that can get him out of the city so he can find his son.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Snyder prefers to keep a light touch when dealing with resistance, understanding that brutality tends to breed more opposition.
- Put on a Bus: Appears to be Factory-bound after his removal from office at the end of "Gateway."
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Shockingly, Snyder apparently is the only Bloc leader who doesn't solely rely on violent oppression and sees improved living standards as a better way to get people on board with the CTA and keep things running smoothly.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Has this reaction when Charlie dies.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Crossing over with Laser Guided Karma, Snyder gets abducted, interrogated and nearly killed by an enraged Will over the fact that the attack on the camp got his son Charlie killed, The only reason he survives is because Will loses his nerve. He is clearly shaken by this and he reams out Will in interrogation.
- Sadistic Choice: In the flashback-filled second season premiere, it's shown how Snyder was given the choice of only saving one family member from the invasion, his ex-wife or his daughter. He chose his daughter.
- What An Idiot: Sure Snyder, call in your troops. What's that? You got Charlie killed? Now Will is going to kill you? Didn't see that coming. Also he had no reason to come to Seattle and did it anyway. Not only does Will Abduct him and nearly kill him but his Boss also gets taken out, along with the rest of the IGA. Nice job buddy.
- Would Hurt a Child: Snyder has no qualms about threatening Will's children.
Nolan
Nolan Burgess
Played By: Adrian Pasdar
A high-ranking RAP official. Also Maddie Kenner's new paramour.—-
- Faux Affably Evil: He's very quick with the charm, but just as quick to throw people under the bus.
Lagarza
Captain Lagarza
Played By: Gonzalo Menendez
A high-ranking Homeland Security officer and Snyder's right-hand.
- Bald of Evil: A shiny-headed sadist.
- The Dragon: To Snyder.
- Elite Mook
Phyllis
Phyllis
Played By: Kathy Baker
Will's superior in the Homeland Security Counter-Resistance Taskforce.
- Da Chief: She's in charge of the taskforce and Will's direct superior.
- A Death in the Limelight: "Blind Spot" is the first episode to have more than one or two scenes with Phyllis and having scenes with several main characters and show her at home. Then Broussard shows up and kills her.
- Kill Us Both: When Broussard comes to kill her, she asks him to kill her dying husband. He oblidges.
Beau
Beau
Played By: Carl Weathers
Will's partner
- Mandatory Unretirement: He was a 30-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department who'd retired to Big Bear and got stuck in LA on the day of the invasion simply because he needed to buy a replacement part for his broken dishwasher. In "98 Seconds" he says he knows that collaborating with Homeland Security is simply a means to an end.
- Million to One Chance: Beau (who had been living in a fairly isolated part of California) had arrived in Los Angeles to get a part for his dishwasher - on the exact day the Arrival happened.
- Old Cop, Young Cop: Downplayed. While he is the older grizzled veteran, Will is certainly no young rookie and Beau doesn't treat him as such.
- Put on a Bus: He escapes back to Big Bear at the end of "Zero Day."
Jennifer
Jennifer McMahon
Played By: Kathleen Rose Perkins
One of Will's colleagues, a former dating-site tech who parlays her skills into profiling possible resistance members.
- Buffy Speak: "An explosion? Like an explosion-explosion?"
- Driven to Suicide: After her bosses find out that she has been covering up Will's activities, she is put under investigation, and decides to kill herself to avoid being interrogated.
- Ensign Newbie: The youngest detective on the taskforce.
Burke
Bob Burke
- Played By: Toby Huss
Will's new "partner" in season 2.
- Affably Evil: His interpersonal manner is friendly bordering on cheerful, but it's a paper thin veneer to the icy coldness beneath.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The last time we see Bob, he's in the hospital recuperating from the stab wound will gave him a few episodes prior, flanked by a family he clearly dotes on.
The Resistance
In General
The Resistance
- La Résistance: They are the primary force behind resisting the Hosts and their human collaborators.
- Red Shirt Army: By the end of the series, the many splinter groups of the Resistance have either gone into hiding or been killed off in the struggle with Homeland Security.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Their tactics resemble that of terrorists, including bombings that cost the lives of innocent bystanders and executing anyone who might lead the Proxies to them, yet believe to be doing it for the liberation of the human race.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Their methods of fighting are ruthless, even if their cause is ultimately widespread freedom.
Amy
Amy
- Shoot the Medic First: Averted. She survives the series.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Briefly leaves after she sees Will's instability following an Operation in Season 3. She gets better.
- The Medic: A given, since she's a nurse.
Broussard
Eric Broussard
Played By: Tory Kittles
Broussard is a ruthless gunman who is critical to the underground Resistance movement that has been growing in Los Angeles after the Arrival. He relies on his skills in spycraft and guerrilla warfare to fight for the Resistance, but his ability to forge key alliances may prove to be even more beneficial to the cause.
- Deuteragonist: The show was just as much about him as it was the Bomans by season 2
- The Dragon: To Quayle.
- The Infiltration: Broussard's day job is revealed in "Blind Spot" to be a Redhat soldier.
- Mission Control: He is Katie's main point of contact with the rest of the resistance, and is the one to relay instructions and guidance.
- Properly Paranoid: He's often seen objecting to strategies and missions, which nonetheless go forward anyway, and usually his concerns are proven to be right on the money.
- Rebel Leader: Eventually got promoted to this
- Semper Fi: The episode "Broussard" reveals he is ex-Marine Force Recon.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Invokes this with Will in Season 3 and with good reason.
Quayle
Alexander Quayle
Played By: Paul Guilfoyle
- Dirty Coward: Sells out Broussard to Homeland Security to save his own skin.
- Old Soldier: By virtue of being the Rebel Leader who risks life and limb on a frequent basis. He's also considerably older than the other members of the Resistance, and his age lends some gravitas to this role.
- Rebel Leader: He's the leader of the resistance cell in Los Angeles.
Rachel
Rachel
Played By: Kim Rhodes
A member of the resistance and a mother of two.
- Action Mom: A member of the resistance, as well of mother of two.
- Dead Guy on Display: After her death, she and her two sons are hung from a bridge with the words "Terrorist" and "Traitor" on their chests.
- Mauve Shirt: Killed during Quayle's attempt to turn in Broussard.
Justin
Justin Kim
Played By: Jay Lee
A young Resistance member.
- Boom, Headshot!: Dying from multiple gunshot wounds, Broussard performs a mercy kill on him.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Is the only member of the Resistance to be genuinely sympathetic to Katie, only to be shortly mortally wounded during the raid on the food truck and then killed by Broussard to prevent capture and interrogation.
