Character Relationship Map: Three Way

Characters

• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank (played by Dominic Purcell) — protagonist

  Lew is a man fleeing suspicion after finding his wife and her lover murdered on his boat. He hides the bodies, leaves San Diego, and later schemes to steal ransom money from Ralph and Isobel. After ta...

• Rita Caswell (played by Joy Bryant) — protagonist

  Rita is the woman Lew meets after settling near Santa Barbara, becoming his companion and ally. Lew sends her to collect ransom money from Ralph, but she discovers the payment is fake, shoots Herbert...

• Isobel Delano (played by Ali Larter) — supporting

  Isobel is Ralph's girlfriend and accomplice in the kidnapping of Florence. She helps Ralph keep Florence on a boat and participates in the ransom scheme, while also suspecting that Florence may have a...

• Ralph Hagen (played by Desmond Harrington) — supporting

  Ralph is involved with Isobel in kidnapping Florence and holding her on a boat as part of a plan to obtain ransom money. When Lew threatens to contact the police unless he receives half the ransom, Ra...

• Herbert Claremont / Clarkson (played by Dwight Yoakam) — supporting

  Herbert appears after Lew has fled San Diego, claiming to know that Lew caused his brother's disappearance. He offers to turn over a gun connected to the murders on Lew's boat, then disrupts Lew's ran...

• Florence DeCroix Hagen (played by Gina Gershon) — supporting

  Florence is Ralph's wife and the target of the kidnapping arranged by Ralph and Isobel. She is held on a boat until Lew secretly takes her away, using her disappearance to pressure Ralph for part of t...

• Janice Brookbank (played by Roxana Zal) — supporting

  Janice is Lew's wife, whose affair provides the immediate emotional and criminal context for the story. Lew goes searching for revenge after learning about the affair, only to find Janice and the othe...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Herbert Claremont / Clarkson → Janice Brookbank (Family Brother-in-law) — Relative by marriage seeking vengeance for his brother's death.
• Ralph Hagen → Florence DeCroix Hagen (Family Husband) — Married couple where the husband plots to kill the wife for financial gain.
• Isobel Delano → Ralph Hagen (Romantic Lovers) — Romantic partners collaborating on a criminal scheme.
• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank → Rita Caswell (Romantic Interest) — New acquaintances who develop a romantic and protective connection.
• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank → Janice Brookbank (Family Husband) — Deceased husband and wife whose murder sets the plot in motion.

Story Dynamics

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

• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank → Ralph Hagen (Conflict Blackmailer) — Extortionist and target in a high-stakes financial dispute.
• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank → Isobel Delano (Conflict Rival) — Competing criminals clashing over stolen ransom money.
• Lewis 'Lew' Brookbank → Herbert Claremont / Clarkson (Conflict Suspect) — Accuser and suspect locked in a tense standoff over past crimes.

Story Analysis

A man fleeing suspicion becomes entangled in a kidnapping scheme and survives through manipulation, violence, and an unexpected act of help.

Plot Progression

1. A Murdered Past — A husband discovers his wife and her lover murdered on a boat. Fearing suspicion because of his motive and past, he hides the bodies and leaves San Diego.
2. A Fragile New Life — He settles outside Santa Barbara and works making signboards. He meets Rita while trying to live quietly under the shadow of his earlier actions.
3. The Ransom Opportunity — He overhears a kidnapping and murder plan involving a married couple. Instead of exposing them, he decides to manipulate the crime and steal the ransom.
4. A Scheme Unravels — The kidnapping takes place on a boat, but the protagonist removes the hostage and demands a share of the ransom. Herbert's arrival turns the theft plan into a deadly struggle.
5. False Money, Final Arrests — The ransom proves fake, Herbert is killed, and the protagonist confronts the conspirators about the real money. Rita alerts police, then helps secure his release by hiding the real ransom.