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1The colorful cast of Gayle.
2----
3[[foldercontrol]]
4[[folder: The Waters-Waters Family]]
5!!Gayle Waters-Waters
6[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cbf8110cd0b002e01d21c_693054_6.jpeg]]
7 [[caption-width-right:350:The [[NominalHero star]] of the show.]]
8->''"What would you have done?"''
9
10A morally questionable [[HollywoodNewEngland New England]] mom, who takes [[SeriousBusiness suburban life]] very seriously.
11----
12* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: For Terry later in the series.
13* AxCrazy: Prone to violence. Actually uses an ax to shave in one scene.
14* CompetitionFreak: With Bonnie.
15* ControlFreak: To her family, but ''especially'' David. Demonstrated to be {{Justified}} in later episodes, as David apparently can't even manage safely going to the mall on his own without some degree of supervision.
16* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Progresses from [[BloodKnight indiscriminate violence]] in the name of her own reputation, and arguably consistent emotional abuse, to [[JerkWithAHeartofGold still abrasive]] and occasionally destructive behavior, but with a noted concern for the rest of her family, even if she expresses it in bizarre and sometimes unhelpful ways. Also see FeelingTheirAge below.
17** Episode 31 also implies that Gayle, for all of her ControlFreak and EducationMama tendencies, actually made the effort to make sure Terry had ''fun'' as a child. Given, she apparently deliberately restricted much of Terry's musical taste to [[BreakawayPopHit Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out"]] and outright describes her as culturally lacking but she also proudly acknowledges Terry as [[TheSocialExpert fairly socially competent]] in contrast to the New D's [[Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow "Ichabod Crane child."]] It reframes a lot of interactions from Season 2 onwards as AngerBornOfWorry.
18* DoggedNiceGuy: Towards Bruce. More another reason to fight with Bonnie.
19* EducationMama: To the level of teaching French to her dog and chaining an SAT tutor to her radiator so that Terry can have 24/7 attention.
20* EvilMatriarch: Oh yeah. See MyBelovedSmother below.
21* [[FantasyForbiddingFather Fantasy-Forbidding Mother]]: "No son of mine's gonna play Spanish guitar!"
22* FeelingTheirAge: Come Season 3 and Season 4, the New D presents issues that Gayle can't simply fix with Chobani and [[AxCrazy gratuitous violence]]; their relative youth and differing cultural context throw a wrench in Gayle's "she-king" status over Northbread. This is especially noticeably in Episodes 31, 36, and 40.
23* HopelessWithTech: {{Zigzagged}}. Implied to have only kept up with technology up until some point in the 2000s-- she makes a well-informed comment about [=MapQuest=] directions but in the same episode screams about [=DVDs=] in desperation, not understanding what an iPad is. She also describes non-existent websites and services such as "Yahoo Maps" at times, and struggles with Bonnie to find the right word for "livestreaming."
24* HotBlooded: "You got a problem with my ''cans'', Bethany?"
25* ItsAllAboutMe: Very, 'very' self-centered. [[spoiler:Gets better.]]
26* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Gayle spends the first 3 seasons [[ControlFreak domineering]] her husband, children, and neighbors. Given, [[CharacterizationMarchesOn it's presented as a lot less abusive from Season 2 onwards,]] but it's still there. Season 4 opens with a polite request from Bethany of the New D for Gayle and her Old D peers to cover ther bins. [[DisproportionateRetribution Gayle tries, rather theatrically, to prove her wrong at the town meeting.]] [[spoiler:Not only does she prove Bethany ''right'', [[HumiliationConga she immediately gets herself sprayed by a skunk, falls out of a tree, and gets attacked by a squirrel, and raves like a madman the entire time, all for the whole town to see.]] [[EpicFail She then urinates on herself in a misled attempt to treat her own wound]], not realizing that the entirety of the meetings' attendees can hear her, if not outright ''see'' her do this. This is topped off by Gayle's [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents stunningly embarrassing attempt]] at picking up Terry from the meeting.]] Needless to say, her reign of terror falls apart, [[SoundtrackDissonance to the tune of]] [[Music/WhitneyHouston Whitney Houston.]]
27* MoralityPet: A literal example. Gayle is different shades of cruel to all her family save for the animals. She is shown in many scenes idly stroking or playing with the family dog, and will often confide her troubles in the pig guarding her couscous chest.
28* MyBelovedSmother: Becomes this with CharacterizationMarchesOn, going rediculous lengths to ensure Terry's academic (and social) success.
29* ObsessivelyOrganized: Folding cold cuts before putting them away is just the tip of the iceberg.
30* SuddenlyShouting: Often.
31* TalksLikeASimile: Many, many, many times.
32* TookALevelInKindness: Related to CharacterizationMarchesOn above. Episode 10 concludes with [[spoiler:the family so disgusted at Gayle claiming that Terry hooked up with her best friend Michaela's boyfriend, purely out of spite, that [[RageBreakingPoint Ira and Terry attempt to permanently move out of the house.]] Ira is never seen after Season 1, and Terry eventually returns three episodes into Season 2.]] Contrast that with Gayle going to rediculous lengths to spare David and Terry embarassment and suffering come Season 3. While as mentioned in VillainProtagonist below, Gayle [[AntiHero doesn't exactly become a morally-upstanding individual]], her relationship with her family is still far less hostile and toxic than it had been characterized as before.
33* UnusualEuphemism: Prone to these. Mixes them with PurpleProse at times.
34* VillainProtagonist: Very slightly less so as the series continues, though she remains [[ItsAllAboutMe ridiculously self-centered]].
35
36!!David Gayle Waters-Waters
37[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cc0ee197883009b776fcd_267221.jpeg]]
38 [[caption-width-right:350:The [[TheFaceless usual]] view.]]
39->''"Oh, tiddlywinks!"''
40
41The timid and ineffectual father of the Waters-Waters family. An avid birdwatcher.
42----
43* HenpeckedHusband: He's ridiculously meek and terrified of Gayle at her worst.
44* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: An older variation with Gayle.
45* ParentingTheHusband: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] Certainly more emotionally available than Gayle to Terry, but still can't quite go out on his own. He manages to get Terry's Common App stolen from him by teenagers at the mall come Episode 28, and gets trapped in an Hollister for 48 hours straight hardly 2 episodes later. Gayle's bizarre tracking device on him seems {{justified}} in light of how easily he lands himself in trouble without her interference.
46* SarcasticDevotee: To Gayle. ''Really'' starts being prominent come Season 4.
47-->'''David:''' Ever since you beat up Terry’s boyfriend, you’ve been so happy. It’s nice to see, ah, an emotional range from you for a change.
48* TheFaceless: Any visible expression from him is from the shoulders down, usually.
49
50!!Terry Gross Waters-Waters
51[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cbf366149ee00e2b0aa4f_74959.png]]
52 [[caption-width-right:350:[[DeadpanSnarker The witty daughter.]]]]
53->''"I've never cared about anything less in my life."''
54
55The book-smart daughter of the family, en route to an Ivy League school-- if Gayle's antics don't kill her first.
56----
57* {{Chuunibyou}}: An older western version that gets PlayedWith. While ''much'' less socially awkward that other examples, she still [[DanceOff refers to herself as a b-girl]] and spends some of her afternoons breakdancing to Linkin Park. See NotLikeOtherGirls below.
58%%* DeadpanSnarker: "I'm not gonna tell Bonnie you use dog shampoo."
59* EmbarrassingHobby: {{ZigZagged}}. Hides her breakdancing from her family, but still is bold enough to perform at a talent show at school. She's [[HighHopesZeroTalent not very good at it.]]
60* GirlNextDoor: This among her peers.
61* NotLikeOtherGirls: {{Discussed}}. She describes herself as this in Episode 39, demonstrating that, despite her intelligence and wit, she's still an teenager with misconceptions about the world. Gayle, for once, really does know better.
62* NotSoAboveItAll: Eventually begins showing eccentricities late in the series, on a similar level to that of her parents, up to and including [[InterspeciesRomance romantic interest in a lizard-human hybrid.]]
63* SeniorYearStruggles: Several episodes center on the ups-and-downs of Terry's year before college. Gayle's antics often add to these struggles-- or as in several moments in Season 4, [[spoiler:actually make things easier.]]
64* StraightMan: Often on the receiving end of her mother's antics.
65* TheSocialExpert: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] Terry has her quirks like any other high schooler, but she very easily charms the people of the New Development and seems reasonably popular with her peers. It causes Gayle to compare her to a congresswoman at one point.
66* TotallyRadical: Only with the rest of Dark Tower B-boi Squad. Gayle, [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents ironically]], is the one who notices how ''incredibly'' cringeworthy it is. [[spoiler:Terry drops it by the end of the episode when Gayle [[ItMakesSenseInContext impersonates Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson in order to spare her ridicule from her peers.]]]]
67
68!!Ira Glass Waters-Waters
69[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cc20a69c87b003505f198_179645.jpeg]]
70 [[caption-width-right:350:[[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Former member of the family.]]]]
71->''"Shame on you."''
72
73The son that completed the Waters-Waters' odd NuclearFamily. Actually, [[BabyBeMine abducted]] at a young age by Gayle at a Costco. Eventually [[PutOnABus left]] to find his real parents.
74----
75* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: A weird example in that Ira's still PutOnABus in Episode 10; the audience sees him exit the series, but it seems as if every record of his presence or memory disappears from Northbread as soon as he leaves.
76** Possibly because of the below EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. It'd be very hard to characterize Gayle as an morally-complicated, albeit extremely chaotic, person if it was still acknowledged [[MoralEventHorizon she had kidnapped a child for well over a decade]], much less ''still had him around.''
77* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Arguably his presence in Season 1. Later episodes began reshaping Gayle’s dynamic with the rest of the family, making her kidnapping (and subsequent severe neglect) of Ira seem very out of place.
78* PutOnABus: Eventually written out of the series, apparently beginning a trip back to his actual parents.
79* StockholmSyndrome: Gayle notes that his case of this is starting to wear off around the time the series starts.
80* SuddenlyVoiced: When he [[CallingTheOldManOut calls the old woman out]] in Episode 8.
81* TheUnfavorite: Gayle treats him purely as a utility, whether to help her operate a tandem kayak (the reason she kidnapped him in the first place; when her health club gets rowing machines she thinks nothing of selling him on [=eBay=]) or to get her an in with Bruce through his dental appointments. He also seems to have somehow avoided the aggressive EducationMama treatment [[TreatedWorseThanThePet that she even extends to household pets]]. Once he takes off, nobody ever mentions him again.
82* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He disappears from the series after heading off to find his real parents in Season 1, with the only reference to him in subsequent seasons being a brief reuse of a prior clip in a flashback sequence.
83
84[[/folder]]
85
86[[folder: Gayle's Neighbors]]
87!!Bonnie Kin
88[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cc00fbd5aee00d913dfb9_601094.jpeg]]
89 [[caption-width-right:350:Gayle's best [[FriendlyRivalry frenemy.]]]]
90----
91* DoggedNiceGuy: Towards Bruce. More another reason to fight with Gayle.
92* EducationMama: [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Her son Brendan is valedictorian at the same school where Terry is salutatorian]], to Gayle's disgust.
93* PassiveAggressiveKombat: A master.
94* TheRival: To Gayle.
95* VitriolicBestBuds: To Gayle, ultimately. She was even BestWoman at her wedding.
96* WorthyOpponent: Gayle regards her as this.
97
98!!Brendan Kin
99[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/studio_project1_2.jpeg]]
100 [[caption-width-right:350:Unnervingly [[CreepyGood polite.]]]]
101* BoringButPractical: Apparently valedictorian by a slim degree over Terry, but without the same personable traits she has. Supposedly wants to own an H&R Block when he's older.
102* CreepyChild: An [[ManChild older variation]]. Whereas Gayle's treatment of Terry has, at worst, made her slightly socially awkward, Bonnie's EducationMama tendencies have rendered him intelligent but very, very strange.
103-->'''Gayle:''' What's your favorite animal, Brendan?
104-->'''Brendan:''' Mosquito!
105-->'''Gayle:''' [wincing] Oh...
106
107!!Reggie Kin
108[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/studio_project_7.jpeg]]
109 [[caption-width-right:350:[[TheBore Less cool than he thinks.]]]]
110----
111* ItsAllAboutMe: He tends to go off into disjointed monologues about himself and his interests while ostensibly talking "to" other people.
112* MotorMouth: And blissfully unaware that his audience isn't listening.
113* SelfMadeMan: According to him, "First dollar I ever made, shaving my father's back. I have invested in the stock change and it has paid back - [[PunctuatedForEmphasis CHECK. ME. OUT!]]"
114* TestosteronePoisoning: Tries to be this, with some success. He largely ends up bothering whoever he talks to instead, though.
115
116!!Bruce
117[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gayle_episode_32_bonnie_gets_an_ipad_youtube_0_11_9.jpeg]]
118 [[caption-width-right:350:Easily [[EasilyImpressed engaged.]]]]
119----
120* DepravedDentist: {{Inverted}}. He's very much a NiceGuy and is a friend to his patients beyond his practice.
121* KavorkaMan: Despite being an unremarkable-looking heavyset middle-aged bald guy (and, for that matter, apparently HappilyMarried), he's treated by Gayle as wildly attractive and she and Bonnie fiercely compete for his attention.
122* NiceGuy: A friendly neighbor and local dentist to Gayle and her family.
123* ObliviousToLove: Including to Gayle and Bonnie duking it out for his affections right in front of him.
124* OnlySaneMan: Seems to be the only one who notices the extent of Gayle and Bonnie's BlueAndOrangeMorality and their otherwise erratic and chaotic behavior. The above ObliviousToLove trope still applies, though.
125* SeductionProofMarriage: He ditches Gayle in the middle of what she more or less considers a date because it's date night with his wife.
126
127!!Linda
128[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cbfd461e5a700da8b1ea6_832511.jpeg]]
129 [[caption-width-right:350:Still [[InvokedTrope rationing]] her [[AbandonedCatchphrase Rainforest Cafe references.]]]]
130----
131* AbandonedCatchphrase: A {{Parodied}} and InvokedTrope. Apparently referenced the "Rainforest Cafe" chain of restaurants so much that Gayle had to start having her limit the amount of times she said the phrase per day.
132* TheDitz: Considers the [[Creator/RosieODonnell Rosie O’Donnell Show]] her favorite book. Implied to be the product of [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Gayle and Bonnie]] experimenting with methods to [[ItMakesSenseInContext stop parents from forcing their kids to be cool.]]
133* {{Flanderization}}: {{Downplayed}}. Her TheDitz qualities become much more emphasized in the third season, complete with an [[MockingMusic awkward jingle.]] She's still relatively moral and collected compared to Gayle and Bonnie.
134* TheFriendNobodyLikes: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] Gayle and Bonnie bully her as much as they do each other and everyone else, but they still invite her to social functions and plan with her on how to approach issues in Northbread.
135* OnlySaneMan: PlayedWith. Purely in comparison to Gayle and Bonnie, but she's definitely the most rational of the trio.
136
137!!Rick Gausmann
138[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/final_600cc0545926a5009e4dc0d1_879505.jpeg]]
139 [[caption-width-right:350:Local [[MilkingTheGiantCow thespian.]]]]
140----
141* GiftedlyBad: PlayedWith. Not necessarily a downright terrible actor, but not quite good enough to reach the Hollywood screens he apparently aims for.
142* NiceGuy: {{Exaggerated}}. So nice that he never realizes when he’s being [[UnwantedAssistance unhelpful.]]
143[[/folder]]
144
145[[folder: The New D]]
146!!Bethany Fox
147[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gayle_episode_36_town_meeting_youtube_12_40.jpeg]]
148 [[caption-width-right:350:Concerned about her community.]]
149* AlphaBitch: {{Subverted}}. Introduced as the new town meeting organizer, she seems like this to the people of the Old Development. Though [[HypocriticalHumor Gayle]] immediately perceives her as a megalomaniacal threat, and Bethany ''does'' speak with a distinctly RichBitch affect, she's actually quite friendly and polite when asking her neighbors to cover their bins.
150* DisapprovingLook: Has one of these when Gayle begins demonstrating [[EpicFail exactly why Bethany is right about the Old D's trash bins.]]
151* {{Foil}}: To Gayle, at least in Episode 36. Whereas Gayle is domineering, destructive, and a self-pronounced [[SheIsTheKing tyrannical "she-king" from the Old D]], Bethany is cordial, concerned, and a diplomatic representative of the New D. This is despite Gayle regularly taking things from her yard in a [[PaperThinDisguise Phantom of the Opera mask.]]
152
153!!The Jennies
154[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gayle_episode_36_town_meeting_youtube_3_29_9.jpeg]]
155 [[caption-width-right:350:"Oh, it's [[OneSteveLimit Jenny."]]]]
156* {{Foil}}: To Terry and Brendan. Where Brendan's [[CreepyGood deeply uncanny]] and Terry's [[EmbarrassingHobby lodged in the last years of an edgy, Linkin Park-filled phase of her youth]], the Jennies are [[NaiveEverygirl optimistic, well-adjusted preteens]], who, despite being [[TheNondescript dreadfully normal in comparison]], are already every bit as talented and intelligent as the pair. Gayle notices this, as noted below.
157* GentlemanAndAScholar: A sort-of ChildProdigy version that's demonstrated in Episode 39. They all have varied interests and talents, but demonstrate ''extreme'' (yet not entirely unrealistic) proficiency at them despite being so young and well-adjusted, much to Gayle's dismay. [[PerfectionIsImpossible Still susceptible to mistakes.]]
158-->"That one just dropped her flute, like a small imbecile, [[HumansAreFlawed 'cause they have flaws.]] Good."
159* HiveMind: PlayedWith and {{Parodied}}. Gayle [[FauxHorrific initially treats]] them as this. Ride in a collective on Razor scooters in apparently perfect posture around the neighborhood in weirdly uniform outfits, often to carry out one errand together in unison-- though they do this entirely by choice, have their own (albeit similar) personalities and otherwise are just a normal group of pre-teen friends. Though, they're ALL [[OneSteveLimit named Jenny.]]
160* IdenticallyNamedGroup: A particularly large one.
161* [[NiceGuy Nice Girl]]: All very, very pleasant and polite.
162* OneSteveLimit: Actively avert this.
163* TheDividual: Always appear with each other. Essentially constitute one character, because of the above HiveMind trope, but have enough individuality to play this trope straight instead.
164* TheDreaded: {{PlayedWith}}. For whatever reason, initially this to Gayle. Given, as mentioned in HiveMind, they're ''bizarrely'' picture perfect preteen girls, but they're certainly not threatening.
165* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: {{Downplayed}}. They're just very well-organized. Gayle considers them this, though.
166
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder: Minor Characters]]
170!!Peggy Gausman
171Rick's unseen wife.
172----
173* ButtMonkey: Essentially only mentioned when she endures some sort abuse from Gayle.
174
175!!Ina Garten
176* HelpfulHallucination: Advises Gayle on how to steal driveway gravel and beach towels.
177* SpecialGuest: {{Parodied}}. Of course, the [[Series/BarefootContessa Barefoot Contessa]] star doesn't actually appear, but is played by an actor representing Gayle's hallucinations of her. Instructs Gayle on how to "properly" make her croutons.
178
179!!Lisa Waters
180* [[CoolUncle Cool Aunt]]: {{Parodied}}. She's might be superficially more pleasant than her sister, and takes in Terry on a whim, but she's very insistent on enforcing rules that either don't make much sense, make her guests uncomfortable, or result in self-injury.
181* CloudCuckooLander: While Gayle might be chaotic, her sister is just plain ''strange.'' This eventually results in her injuring herself, forcing Terry to return back home. (Not that Terry minded at that point.)
182* NewAgeRetroHippie: Hard to overstate.
183-->'''Lisa:''' Take it off! Woosh, woosh!
184* UncannyFamilyResemblance: As she's [[ActingForTwo also played by Chris Fleming]], she's essentially identical to Gayle in appearance with the exception of her interesting fashion choices.
185
186!!Marty Taylor
187* AndIMustScream: An SAT Tutor chained to the radiator in Terry's room throughout most of her life, fed only on a diet of raw steaks. PlayedForLaughs.
188* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Has it worse than Ira in that he essentially just vanishes. Similarly to Ira, it was probably hard to [[CharacterizationMarchesOn characterize Gayle as person with any semblance of morals]] if she continued to keep him captive.
189
190!!Jay
191* [[DatingWhatDaddyHates Dating What Mommy Hates]]: Gayle dislikes Jay for reasons that can be summarized as "not being from New England." Eventually culminates in Gayle attacking Jay with her legs, but this is implied to have no lasting damage beyond [[DisposableLoveInterest Jay and Terry seemingly quietly breaking up.]]
192* [[GirlOfTheWeek Boy of the Week]]: Appears in Episodes 18 and 19, and is referenced in Episode 20, but mostly sets a precedent for how Gayle approaches her child's romantic partners.
193* LongDistanceRelationship: Met Terry at summer camp and continues dating her at least up until [[DatingWhatDaddyHates Gayle beats him up.]]
194* MaleGaze: Parodied. Episode 18 features a shot of Jay's behind, with Gayle apparently finding Jay's butt apparently ridiculously well-endowed, to the point of finding it threatening. [[TakeOurWordForIt Due to Jay's outfits, it's hard for the audience to see how true this actually is.]]
195
196!!Dennis
197* [[DatingWhatDaddyHates Dating What Mommy Hates]]: Even more so than Jay for Gayle, though she at least realizes that Dennis is trying to ask Terry out. {{Subverted}}, because [[spoiler:Terry turns Dennis down at the end of the day.]]
198* EmbarrassingHobby: Equally bad, if not worse, than Terry at break dancing.
199* [[GirlOfTheWeek Boy of the Week]]: Unlike Jay, though, Terry seems pretty oblivious to his advances. [[spoiler:His feelings are never reciprocated.]]
200* StraightEdgeEvil: {{Subverted}}, as Dennis definitely isn't ''evil'', but he does serve as a vague antagonist for Gayle (and her daughter's dignity) in Episode 39. Implied to be [[UsefulNotes/StraightEdge Straight Edge]], as a passing character, implied to be familiar with him, calls him a "narc" as an insult.
201* StrawLoser: Though unlike other examples, he isn't there to make Terry nor Gayle seem cooler in comparison-- but he does serve to show that Gayle can be right about things, for once. He also demonstrates that Terry's personal take on break is genuinely lame and simply validated by equally bad break dancers.
202-->''Dennis tries to do a trick with his hat in order to congratulate himself on trying to ask out Terry, but drops it on the ground instead. Another high schooler named Chase sees him embarrassing himself.''
203-->'''Chase:''' Tool.
204-->'''Brendan:''' --I'm not a tool!
205-->'''Chase:''' Narc.
206-->'''Brendan:''' ...Shut up, Chase!
207* TotallyRadical: {{Parodied}}. Dark Tower B-boi Squad seems to try and use slang to emulate their break dancing idols, but their slang doesn't seem particularly coherent, and ''especially'' doesn't seem cool. Gayle notices.
208
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