Character Relationship Map: State Like Sleep

Characters

• Katherine (played by Katherine Waterston) — protagonist

  Katherine is Stefan Delvoe’s wife, who discovers his body and must confront the public account that his death was suicide. While arranging the funeral, handling his debts, and worrying about her hospi...

• Emile (played by Luke Evans) — supporting

  Emile is connected to Stefan Delvoe through their shared childhood and a complicated past relationship. He tells Katherine that Stefan was at his home on the night of his death, discusses Stefan’s con...

• Stefan Delvoe (played by Michiel Huisman) — supporting

  Stefan Delvoe is a Belgian screen star whose apparent suicide drives the story. His death leaves Katherine facing debts, media scrutiny, and doubts about the official explanation, especially because o...

• Frieda (played by Bo Martynowska) — supporting

  Frieda provides Katherine with information about Stefan Delvoe and Emile. She recalls an argument between the two men that ended with an intimate gesture, suggesting a complicated connection and givin...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Frieda → Stefan Delvoe (Professional Former Associate) — Frieda is connected to Stefan's past and helps expose hidden aspects of his private life.

  A former associate provides Katherine with information about Stefan's secrets, and Frieda recalls specific events involving Stefan and Emile.

• Katherine → Stefan Delvoe (Family Wife) — Katherine is Stefan's wife, although their marriage was troubled and they were separated.

  The plot identifies Katherine as Stefan Delvoe's wife and shows her handling his funeral arrangements after his death.

Story Dynamics

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

• Katherine → Emile (Narrative Interview Subject) — Emile becomes an important witness during Katherine's investigation.

  Katherine speaks with Emile, who describes his childhood with Stefan and confirms Stefan's presence at his home on the night of the death.

• Katherine → Frieda (Narrative Information Seeker) — Frieda functions as a source of testimony in Katherine's search for the truth.

  Katherine investigates Stefan's hidden life and receives Frieda's recollection about Stefan's argument and intimate gesture with Emile.

• Emile → Stefan Delvoe (Social Childhood Friend) — Emile has a long personal history with Stefan and possesses information about his final night.

  Emile describes his shared childhood with Stefan Delvoe and confirms that Stefan had been at his home on the night he died.

Story Analysis

Katherine investigates whether her husband's reported suicide can be reconciled with contradictory testimony and physical evidence.

Plot Progression

1. A Death Framed as Suicide — Stefan presents his belief in stories before his body is discovered. Media coverage quickly labels the death a suicide and exposes the couple's troubled marriage.
2. Pressure Behind the Funeral — Katherine faces paparazzi, a hospitalized mother in Brussels, funeral arrangements, and Stefan's debts. The personal and public crises begin to overwhelm her.
3. Secrets in Stefan's Past — Katherine questions the official account and seeks testimony from people connected to Stefan. Frieda and Emile reveal conflict, intimacy, childhood history, and concealed aspects of Stefan's life.
4. Evidence Against the Story — The trainer describes Stefan as professional and not obviously depressed. The gun position and the direction of the shot create further doubts about suicide.
5. An Unresolved Official Account — Toxicology reveals multiple substances in Stefan's bloodstream, while a second shot remains unexplained. Katherine is left without certainty, and the official explanation remains under suspicion.