Character Relationship Map: Wakefield

Characters

• Howard Wakefield (played by Bryan Cranston) — protagonist

  Howard is a successful New York attorney whose resentment toward his marriage and family leads him to hide in the attic of his detached garage. From there, he watches Diana and their daughters, abando...

• Dirk Morrison (played by Jason O'Mara) — supporting

  Dirk is Howard's former best friend and an extremely competitive Wall Street trader. Howard originally took Diana away from him through manipulation and dishonesty, and later becomes stunned when Dian...

• Babs (played by Beverly D'Angelo) — supporting

  Babs is Diana's overbearing mother and Howard's mother-in-law. After Howard is reported missing, she comes to comfort Diana and argues with her about the disappearance, particularly when Diana shows t...

• Dr. Sondervan (played by Alexander Zale) — minor

  Dr. Sondervan is Howard's neighbor and runs a small home for mentally disabled youth. He has built a bathroom in his backyard, which Howard secretly uses while living in the garage attic and foraging...

• Emily (played by Pippa Bennett-Warner) — supporting

  Emily is one of the residents of the small home for mentally disabled youth run by Howard's neighbor, Dr. Sondervan. Along with Herbert, she discovers Howard's presence while he is living secretly in...

• Giselle (played by Ellery Sprayberry) — supporting

  Giselle is one of Howard and Diana's two daughters. She is seen eating dinner with the family when Howard first watches the house from the garage attic, and his hidden life lets him observe more of hi...

• Taylor (played by Victoria Bruno) — supporting

  Taylor is one of Howard and Diana's two daughters. She appears with the family during Howard's first observation from the garage attic, and his disappearance gives him more opportunity to watch his da...

• Herbert (played by Isaac Leyva) — supporting

  Herbert is one of the residents of Dr. Sondervan's small home for mentally disabled youth. He and Emily are the only people specifically identified as discovering Howard's secret presence, following h...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Dr. Sondervan → Herbert (Professional Caretaker) — Dr. Sondervan is responsible for Herbert within the residential home.

  Dr. Sondervan runs a small home for mentally disabled youth, and Herbert is explicitly identified as one of his residents.

• Dr. Sondervan → Emily (Professional Caretaker) — Dr. Sondervan oversees the residential environment in which Emily lives.

  Dr. Sondervan runs a small home for mentally disabled youth, and Emily is explicitly identified as one of his residents.

• Babs → Howard Wakefield (Family Mother-in-law) — Babs is connected to Howard through his marriage and intervenes during the crisis.

  Babs is described as Howard's overbearing mother-in-law and arrives to comfort the family after his disappearance.

• Taylor → Giselle (Family Sisters) — Taylor and Giselle are siblings within the Wakefield family.

  The plot explicitly describes Taylor and Giselle as Howard's two daughters.

• Howard Wakefield → Giselle (Family Father) — Howard's disappearance changes how closely he notices Giselle's life.

  The plot identifies Giselle as one of Howard's two daughters, whom he watches from the garage and realizes he had previously neglected.

• Howard Wakefield → Taylor (Family Father) — Howard is Taylor's estranged but increasingly attentive father.

  The plot identifies Taylor as one of Howard's two daughters, and Howard observes more of her life while living in the garage attic.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Herbert → Howard Wakefield (Narrative Discoverer) — Herbert is part of the accidental discovery that threatens Howard's concealment.

  Herbert follows Howard to the attic with Emily and discovers that Howard has been living there.

• Emily → Howard Wakefield (Narrative Discoverer) — Emily helps expose the hidden life Howard has constructed.

  Emily follows Howard back to the garage attic with Herbert and becomes one of the only people to discover his presence.

• Dr. Sondervan → Howard Wakefield (Social Neighbor) — Their neighboring properties give Howard access to an improvised means of hygiene.

  The plot identifies Dr. Sondervan as Howard's neighbor and states that Howard showers in the backyard bathroom built by him.

• Emily → Herbert (Social Fellow Resident) — Emily and Herbert share the same residential community and act together.

  Emily and Herbert are described together as two residents of Dr. Sondervan's home who discover Howard's presence.

• Howard Wakefield → Dirk Morrison (Social Former Best Friend) — Their former friendship becomes part of Howard's troubled marital history.

  The plot describes Dirk as Howard's best friend during the period when Dirk was dating Howard's future wife.

Story Analysis

A dissatisfied husband turns voluntary disappearance into an experiment in freedom, control, and self-recognition before attempting to return home.

Plot Progression

1. The Accidental Hideaway — Howard discovers that the detached garage attic gives him a private view into his home. After feeling rejected, he allows the accidental overnight absence to become deliberate.
2. A Disappearance Takes Shape — The family reports Howard missing, while he secretly returns to shower and take supplies. He becomes increasingly resentful of the household's ability to continue without him.
3. Life Outside The House — Howard abandons money, work, grooming, and domestic comfort. He survives through trash foraging and an outdoor bathroom while watching his family from a distance.
4. The Prison Of Freedom — Emily and Herbert discover Howard's attic refuge, exposing the fragility of his concealment. Howard reflects on his past manipulation and recognizes his selfishness as a husband and father.
5. An Uncertain Homecoming — Howard sees Dirk involved with his wife and decides to return honestly rather than continue controlling her choices through disappearance. He enters the house during Christmas preparations and announc...