Character Relationship Map: Gus

Characters

• Lizzie (played by Radha Mitchell) — protagonist

  Peter's wife and a high school tutor. Initially agrees to adopt Andie's baby but later realizes she never wanted children. Goes through therapy, temporarily hosts Casey, loses her dog Joyce, and event...

• Andie (played by Michelle Monaghan) — protagonist

  Peter and Lizzie's longtime friend who becomes pregnant from a one-night stand. Offers her unborn child to the couple for adoption, moves in with them, and later gives birth to a boy named Gus.

• Peter (played by Jon Dore) — supporting

  Lizzie's husband and a real estate agent. Suggests adopting Andie's baby but struggles financially and emotionally. Hosts his brother Casey, eventually admits he never wanted kids, and moves out.

• Casey (played by Michael Weston) — supporting

  Peter's brother recovering from addiction. Moves in with the couple, bonds with Andie, helps her deliver her baby, and achieves full recovery.

• Dr. Grayson (played by Mimi Kennedy) — supporting

  The couples therapist for Peter and Lizzie. Finds their sessions unproductive but recognizes Lizzie's emotional outburst as a breakthrough.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Peter → Dr. Grayson (Professional Therapist And Patient) — Peter uses therapy to express resentment, frustration, and marital dissatisfaction.

  Peter complains during the couples therapy session that Andie knew about Leslie's IVF treatment before he did.

• Lizzie → Dr. Grayson (Professional Therapist And Patient) — Dr. Grayson helps Lizzie confront feelings she has previously suppressed.

  Lizzie attends couples therapy with Dr. Grayson, who calls her emotional outburst a breakthrough.

• Peter → Casey (Family Brother) — Their brotherhood is complicated by Peter's protectiveness and Casey's resistance.

  Casey is Peter's brother, and Peter takes him home from his fourth stint in rehab.

• Andie → Casey (Romantic Connection) — Their unexpected intimacy changes the adoption arrangement and reveals the pregnancy to Casey.

  Lizzie and Peter return from Palm Springs and find Andie and Casey fooling around.

• Lizzie → Peter (Family Spouse) — They are married but their relationship becomes increasingly unstable.

  The plot identifies Lizzie as Peter's wife, and they attend couples therapy together.

Story Dynamics

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

• Lizzie → Casey (Social Temporary Host) — Lizzie temporarily shares her home with Casey during his recovery.

  Peter convinces Lizzie to let Casey stay because the clinic initially suggests that patients should not be left alone.

• Andie → Peter (Social Longtime Friend) — Their friendship becomes strained when Peter questions the baby arrangement and her presence at home.

  Andie is described as Peter and Lizzie's longtime friend and becomes involved in their household.

• Andie → Lizzie (Social Longtime Friend) — Their longstanding friendship is tested by pregnancy, adoption, and competing maternal claims.

  Andie calls Lizzie her friend of many years and later moves into Lizzie and Peter's home.

Story Analysis

A fragile adoption arrangement forces four adults to confront parenthood, recovery, marriage, and the limits of friendship.

Plot Progression

1. An Unplanned Proposal — Andie discovers her pregnancy and offers the baby to Lizzie and Peter. The couple initially considers adoption while their own marriage already shows signs of strain.
2. A Crowded Household — Andie moves in, and Peter brings Casey home from rehab. Financial pressure and Casey's discomfort make the household increasingly unstable.
3. Secrets Become Intimate — Peter and Lizzie briefly reconnect in Palm Springs, but they return to find Andie and Casey together. The discovery forces Casey to confront the pregnancy and destabilizes the adoption plan.
4. Truths Without Shelter — Therapy exposes Lizzie's suppressed anger, while Peter and Casey's relationship breaks down. Peter and Lizzie's reunion leads to his admission that he never wanted children.
5. Birth And Separation — The escaped dog search overlaps with Andie's labor, bringing the group together at the hospital. After the delivery, Andie keeps her bond with the baby, Peter moves out, and the friends eventually mak...