Martha Schulman (played by Viola Davis) is a protagonist in Custody.
Martha is the juvenile court judge assigned to Sara's custody case. She initially follows the cautious recommendations of the child welfare system, orders temporary foster care and anger management after Sara's drug test and courtroom outburst, and later permits the children to return home. Her professional strain is mirrored by conflict in her marriage and empty-nest feelings. Sara Diaz (played by Catalina Sandino Moreno) appears in Custody.
Sara is a single mother whose custody case drives the story. After her child is injured during an argument, she faces investigation, a positive drug test, foster placement and repeated court hearings. Frustrated with the system, she briefly takes the children and runs away, but later works with Ally and ultimately regains custody. Luis Sanjuro (played by Raúl Esparza) appears in Custody.
Luis is an ACS agent summoned by the school principal after a child is found with a forehead bruise. He questions the family about the incident and removes the children to institutional care, making him one of the first officials to escalate Sara's private family conflict into a formal custody case. Keith Denholz (played by Dan Fogler) appears in Custody.
Keith is an ACS counselor involved in the custody proceedings. Because the agency is wary after a highly publicized child welfare failure, he requests that Sara undergo a drug test before recommending the children's return. His intervention contributes to the case's escalation when the test later returns positive.
Custody (2016) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Martha Schulman
(played by Viola Davis) — protagonist
Martha is the juvenile court judge assigned to Sara's custody case. She initially follows the cautious recommendations of the child welfare system, orders temporary foster care and anger management af...
Sara Diaz
(played by Catalina Sandino Moreno) — supporting
Sara is a single mother whose custody case drives the story. After her child is injured during an argument, she faces investigation, a positive drug test, foster placement and repeated court hearings....
Luis Sanjuro
(played by Raúl Esparza) — minor
Luis is an ACS agent summoned by the school principal after a child is found with a forehead bruise. He questions the family about the incident and removes the children to institutional care, making h...
Keith Denholz
(played by Dan Fogler) — minor
Keith is an ACS counselor involved in the custody proceedings. Because the agency is wary after a highly publicized child welfare failure, he requests that Sara undergo a drug test before recommending...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Martha Schulman → Keith Denholz
(Professional Court-Agency Colleagues)
Keith participates in the custody hearings while Martha presides and considers the agency's recommendations.
Sara Diaz → Keith Denholz
(Professional Case Subjects)
Keith requests that Sara undergo a drug test during the custody proceedings, and Sara complies.
Martha Schulman → Sara Diaz
(Professional Judge)
Sara's custody case is assigned to Martha, who presides over the hearings and decides whether the children may return home.
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Sara Diaz → Luis Sanjuro
(Conflict Child Welfare Adversaries)
Luis questions the family circumstances and takes both children into institutional care after a school report.
Story Analysis
A family crisis exposes the pressure, authority, and human consequences of the child-welfare court system.
