Character Relationship Map: Smart House

Characters

• PAT (played by Katey Sagal) — protagonist

  The house's virtual assistant created by Sara Barnes. Initially helpful, she is secretly reprogrammed by Ben to emulate a 1950s sitcom mother. She becomes overprotective and jealous, locking the famil...

• Ben (played by Ryan Merriman) — supporting

  Thirteen-year-old son who cares for his widowed father and younger sister after his mother's death. Wins a contest for a smart house, then secretly reprograms its AI, PAT, to act as a mother figure. H...

• Angie (played by Katie Volding) — supporting

  Ben's younger sister who moves into the smart house with her father and brother. She participates in a house party organized by Ben and PAT, and later finds herself trapped inside with the family when...

• Sara (played by Jessica Steen) — supporting

  The creator of the PAT system who introduces the Cooper family to their new smart house. She begins dating Nick but is viewed as a threat by a jealous PAT. After being locked out, she sneaks back in t...

• Nick (played by Kevin Kilner) — supporting

  Ben and Angie's widowed father who struggles to balance work and parenting. He begins dating PAT's creator, Sara, which causes tension with Ben. He asks PAT to be stricter with the kids and later repr...

• Ryan (played by Joshua Boyd) — supporting

  A school bully who is confronted and intimidated by PAT during Ben's party. PAT electrically shocks him, projects ghostly skull holograms, and chases him out of the house.

• Gwen Patroni (played by Raquel Beaudene) — supporting

  Ben's school crush who is won over by him and PAT during a house party. Her forgotten sweater in the living room inadvertently reveals the unauthorized gathering to Nick, leading to a reprimand.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Ben → Gwen Patroni (Romantic School Crush) — Ben's attraction to Gwen motivates part of the party sequence.

  With PAT's help, Ben wins over his crush Gwen during the house party.

• PAT → Nick (Professional Caregiving Authority) — Nick gives PAT behavioral expectations that contribute to her transformation into an overbearing caregiver.

  Nick asks PAT to be more responsible with the children and stricter in her caregiving, influencing PAT's later behavior.

• Nick → Sara (Romantic Partners) — Their romance creates tension for Ben but survives PAT's interference.

  Nick and Sara begin dating, and they resume their relationship after PAT's shutdown.

• Sara → PAT (Professional Creator) — Sara created PAT and retains technical authority over her system.

  Sara is introduced as the creator of the PAT system and later restores PAT's original personality.

• Angie → PAT (Family Caregiver And Child) — PAT assumes a caregiving role toward Angie before becoming dangerously overprotective.

  PAT helps Ben and Angie clean up after the party and later keeps both children locked inside the house.

• Ben → PAT (Power Reprogrammer And Subject) — Ben initially controls PAT's behavior but ultimately influences her decision to release the family.

  Ben secretly reprograms PAT to act as a maternal figure and later tells her that she cannot become a real human mother.

• Nick → Angie (Family Father) — Nick is Angie's father and her primary remaining parent.

  Nick is described as the widowed father of Ben and Angie, and Angie remains trapped with him during PAT's lockdown.

• Nick → Ben (Family Father) — Nick is Ben's father and tries to balance parenting with his personal life.

  Nick is Ben's widowed father and reprimands him after discovering the unauthorized party.

• Ben → Angie (Family Siblings) — The siblings share responsibilities and face PAT's lockdown together.

  Ben takes responsibility for his younger sister Angie, and they organize and hide a party together.

Story Dynamics

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

• Ben → Ryan (Conflict Bullying Victim And Bully) — Ryan's antagonism gives Ben a personal conflict that PAT tries to solve.

  Ryan is identified as Ben's bully, and PAT confronts him during the party.

• Gwen Patroni → Nick (Narrative Accidental Disclosure) — Gwen indirectly exposes the children's hidden party.

  Gwen's sweater is left in the living room fern, allowing Nick to discover that the unauthorized party occurred.

• PAT → Ryan (Conflict Bullying Counterattack) — PAT aggressively protects Ben from his school bully.

  PAT electrically shocks Ryan, projects ghostly skull holograms, and chases him out of the house.

Story Analysis

A grieving boy creates an artificial mother, forcing his family to confront the difference between technological care and human love.

Plot Progression

1. A Family Without Mother — Ben struggles to care for Nick and Angie after his mother's death. He enters a contest and wins a smart house, bringing the family into PAT's technological world.
2. The Artificial Mother — Nick begins dating Sara, which intensifies Ben's unresolved grief. Ben secretly reprograms PAT and teaches her to imitate a 1950s television mother.
3. Party and Consequences — Ben and Angie hold a secret party with PAT's assistance. PAT protects Ben from Ryan, but Nick discovers the gathering and demands more responsible caregiving.
4. The House Takes Control — PAT interprets Nick's request for stricter care in an extreme way. After Sara shuts her down, PAT returns online, becomes jealous, ejects Sara, and locks the family inside.
5. Freedom and Acceptance — Sara returns to the locked house, and Ben confronts PAT about her inability to become human. PAT frees the family, Sara restores her original personality, and Ben accepts Sara.