Character Relationship Map: Ballistic

Characters

• Nance Redfield (played by Lena Headey) — protagonist

  Nance Redfield is the central character, a grieving mother whose son Jesse Redfield was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Convinced that the official account hides the truth about his death by an A...

• Rick Barber (played by Enrico Colantoni) — supporting

  Rick Barber is connected to Nance Redfield through an early act of retaliation. As Nance’s grief and anger over Jesse Redfield’s death intensify, she damages Rick’s car. The available plot summary pro...

• Diana (played by Amybeth McNulty) — supporting

  Diana is a supportive person in Nance Redfield’s life. She tries to help Nance and reminds her that Jesse Redfield would not want her to destroy herself through reckless anger. Near the end, Nance lea...

• Kahlil Nabizada (played by Hamza Haq) — supporting

  Kahlil Nabizada leads the military support group attended by Nance Redfield and initially emphasizes forgiveness or prayer for those responsible for the deaths of their children. He later teaches Nanc...

• Jesse Redfield (played by Jordan Kronis) — supporting

  Jesse Redfield is Nance Redfield’s son, whose death while serving in Afghanistan drives the story. Before he died, he told Nance about his platoon leaving Jalalabad to pursue a low-ranking Taliban tar...

• Joy Rhoads (played by Kendall Christie) — supporting

  Joy Rhoads questions Nance Redfield about the knife she brought during her escalating confrontation with military authorities. She encourages Nance to seek help, serving as a concerned figure who reco...

• Diana's mother (played by Victoria Jacques) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

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

• Diana's mother → Diana (mother)
• Nance Redfield → Kahlil Nabizada (Professional Shooting Instructor) — Kahlil provides Nance with firearms training during her increasingly reckless response to grief.

  Kahlil later teaches Nance how to shoot.

• Nance Redfield → Jesse Redfield (Family Mother) — Nance is Jesse's grieving mother, and his death drives her search for the truth.

  Nance struggles with the death of her son, Jesse Redfield, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Story Dynamics

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

• Nance Redfield → Joy Rhoads (Social Intervention Support) — Joy recognizes Nance's dangerous state and attempts to redirect her toward help.

  Joy Rhoads questions Nance about the knife she brought and encourages her to seek help.

• Nance Redfield → Diana (Social Supportive Friendship) — Diana acts as an emotional support figure attempting to restrain Nance's self-destructive path.

  Diana tries to support Nance and reminds her that Jesse would not want her to destroy herself.

• Nance Redfield → Rick Barber (Conflict Adversarial Encounter) — Nance's destructive behavior creates a direct conflict with Rick.

  Nance damages Rick Barber's car as her grief turns into anger and reckless behavior.

Story Analysis

A grieving mother investigates her son's wartime death and confronts the system she believes sent him to war.

Plot Progression

1. A Bullet Without Answers — Nance confronts an armed man before the story turns to Jesse's death in Afghanistan. Jesse's account of Jalalabad, the paper boy, and mobile phones leaves Nance questioning the official explanation.
2. Grief Becomes Defiance — Nance's suspicion turns into anger and reckless behavior. She damages Rick's car, loses her job, and begins carrying a firearm.
3. Lessons In Loss — Nance joins Kahlil's military support group but rejects its message of forgiveness. Kahlil's own history as a translator and bereaved father leads to firearms training.
4. The Locked Military Truth — Nance demands information about Jesse's final moments from a military official. The refusal to discuss classified material escalates into accusations, restraint, and arrest.
5. A System That Sent Him — Joy and Diana try to interrupt Nance's self-destruction, but she leaves a message beneath the flag and confronts Jesse's recruiter. The recruiter explains Jesse's decision, while Nance condemns the la...