Character Relationship Map: Splinter

Characters

• Detective Cunningham (played by Tom Sizemore) — protagonist

  A corrupt detective who partners with Gramm. He is revealed to be the gunman behind the opening drive-by shooting that killed Shaggy and wounded Dreamer. His actions trigger violent confrontations, cu...

• Captain garcia (played by Edward James Olmos) — supporting

  A police captain who oversees the detectives. He engages in a tense confrontation with Cunningham, resulting in Cunningham attacking him. Garcia subsequently removes Cunningham from his desk and confi...

• Dreamer (played by Enrique Almeida) — supporting

  A gang member who survives a drive-by shooting but suffers from memory loss regarding the event. He investigates the killings, gathers evidence, and confronts suspects. His fragmented memories drive t...

• Dusty (played by Noel Gugliemi) — supporting

  A suspect linked to the drive-by shooting. Dreamer confronts him based on recovered memories, shooting him in the leg during a chase. Dusty is ultimately killed when Dreamer shoots him during the fina...

• Detective Gramm (played by Resmine Atis) — supporting

  A detective who partners with Cunningham. She investigates the drive-by shooting, analyzes ballistics evidence provided by Dreamer, and participates in the final confrontation. She ultimately shoots D...

• Trigger (played by Hector Atreyu Ruiz) — supporting
• Vanessa (played by Delilah Cotto) — supporting

  A woman connected to both the Greenville gang and Trigger faction. She provides crucial context about the night of the drive-by shooting and hands over Trigger weapon to Dreamer, which yields spent bu...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Vanessa → Trigger (Romantic Connection) — Vanessa and Trigger have a relationship connected to the gang conflict.

  The plot states that Vanessa was with Trigger, while also revealing her connection to another gang member.

• Detective Gramm → Dreamer (Professional Investigative Contact) — Gramm investigates Dreamer while using evidence he provides.

  Gramm questions Dreamer, meets him in an alley to receive bullets and casings, and later calls him with the ballistic comparison.

• Captain garcia → Detective Cunningham (Professional Supervisor) — A superior officer attempts to discipline and remove Cunningham.

  Garcia is Cunningham's captain, confronts him over his conduct, removes items from his desk, and takes his badge after Cunningham attacks him.

• Detective Cunningham → Detective Gramm (Professional Police Partner) — A strained detective partnership shaped by distrust and surveillance.

  The plot states that Cunningham was partnered with Gramm, while Cunningham suspected she was assigned to report on his actions.

Story Dynamics

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

• Detective Cunningham → Dreamer (Conflict Murderer) — Cunningham is the hidden source of Dreamer's trauma and ultimate death.

  The ending reveals that Cunningham shot and killed Shaggy and wounded Dreamer in the opening drive-by, then later shoots Dreamer in the garage.

• Dreamer → Dusty (Conflict Suspected Shooter) — Dreamer's suspicion of Dusty leads to repeated armed confrontations.

  After recovering more memories, Dreamer believes Dusty shot Shaggy, confronts him with a gun, shoots him in the leg during a chase, and later shoots h...

• Detective Cunningham → Trigger (Conflict Shooter) — Cunningham eliminates Trigger during the investigation.

  Cunningham appears after Dreamer's confrontation with Trigger and shoots Trigger after returning Trigger's gun.

• Vanessa → Dreamer (Alliance Evidence Provider) — Vanessa gives Dreamer a weapon that becomes investigative evidence.

  Vanessa gives Trigger's gun to Dreamer, allowing him to obtain spent bullets and casings for the investigation.

• Dreamer → Trigger (Conflict Accuser) — Dreamer treats Trigger as a possible perpetrator.

  Dreamer searches for Trigger and accuses him of murdering the victim to cover up Shaggy's killing.

Story Analysis

A wounded survivor's fragmented memories expose a corrupt detective behind a chain of shootings and betrayals.

Plot Progression

1. A Bullet Through Memory — Dreamer is questioned about a drive-by shooting that killed his companion and injured him. The discovery of related bodies and Vanessa's testimony establish a widening gang-linked mystery.
2. Evidence in the Alley — Further shootings intensify the investigation. Vanessa gives Dreamer Trigger's gun, and Dreamer passes its spent bullets and casings to Gramm for ballistic examination.
3. Authority Breaks Down — Cunningham's mistrust of Garcia erupts into violence and costs him his badge. The ballistic mismatch complicates the case while another murdered body raises the stakes.
4. Suspects Turn Against One Another — Dreamer confronts Trigger, who reveals personal and criminal-context information before Cunningham shoots him. Dreamer's returning memories then redirect suspicion toward Dusty.
5. The Hidden Gunman — A garage firefight kills Dreamer and Dusty. Gramm realizes Cunningham was responsible for the original shooting, but Cunningham is soon ambushed and killed.