Character Relationship Map: Something New

Characters

• Kenya McQueen (played by Sanaa Lathan) — protagonist

  Kenya is an African-American accountancy professional whose disciplined, perfectionist life leaves little room for romance. After ending a relationship with Brian amid a heated argument about race, sh...

• Brian Kelly (played by Simon Baker) — protagonist

  Brian is a white landscape architect whom Kenya meets on a blind date arranged by her co-worker. After Kenya hires him to restore her neglected garden, their professional relationship develops into fr...

• Mark Harper (played by Blair Underwood) — supporting

  Mark is a tax attorney who has recently relocated to Los Angeles. Kenya begins dating him after her relationship with Brian dissolves, and her mother strongly approves of the match. Although Mark appe...

• Leah Cahan (played by Katharine Towne) — minor

  Leah is Kenya's co-worker and arranges Kenya's blind date with Brian. She is also planning the wedding Kenya imagines for herself, making her closely connected to Kenya's expectations about marriage....

Canonical Relationships

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

• Kenya McQueen → Leah Cahan (Professional Co-workers) — Leah connects Kenya with Brian and is involved in her workplace life.

  Leah is Kenya's co-worker and arranges Kenya's blind date with Brian.

• Kenya McQueen → Mark Harper (Romantic Dating Partners) — Kenya dates Mark before choosing to reunite with Brian.

  After her relationship with Brian ends, Kenya begins dating Mark, but later realizes she is less happy with him.

• Kenya McQueen → Brian Kelly (Romantic Partners) — Their relationship develops from a garden project into a lasting romance.

  Their professional relationship deepens into friendship and romance. After a breakup, Kenya reunites with Brian and marries him.

Story Dynamics

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

• Leah Cahan → Brian Kelly (Social Introducer) — Leah serves as the link that brings Brian and Kenya together.

  Leah arranges a blind date between Kenya and Brian.

Story Analysis

A perfectionist woman reconsiders social expectations and chooses a relationship that makes her genuinely happy.

Plot Progression

1. Rules Before Romance — Kenya's ambitious, carefully controlled life leaves little room for love. A wedding nightmare and a night out with friends prompt her to consider letting go.
2. An Unexpected Introduction — Leah arranges a blind date, but Kenya is unsettled when she discovers Brian is white and leaves their awkward meeting. A later encounter at Leah's parents' home gives her a new view of Brian's work.
3. Love Takes Root — Kenya hires Brian to restore her neglected garden. Their working relationship grows into friendship and romance, even as outside opinions weigh on Kenya.
4. A Painful Divide — A dispute about race at a grocery store escalates into a heated argument and ends Kenya and Brian's relationship. Kenya then begins dating Mark after her brother introduces them.
5. Choosing the Heart — Kenya dates Mark, but her father notices that she is less happy than she was with Brian. She stops allowing social expectations to dictate her choices, reunites with Brian, and marries him in the gard...