Line #33 Characters/Glue


1	Characters found in the E4 series ''Series/{{Glue}}''. Beware! The page contains spoilers.
2
3	[[foldercontrol]]
4
5	[[folder: Main Cast]]
6	!!'''Ruth Rosen'''
7	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_ruth_4417.jpg]]
8	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I thought that when you join the police you get answers, but you just get more doubt."'']]
9	-->'''Played by''': Creator/YasminPaige
10
11	Ruth (20 y.o.) is a mixed-race provisional Police Constable who has to juggle work with being a single young mum. She is estranged from both the Romani community and her former group of friends, but that doesn’t stop her. In fact, not much does - she's set on finding Cal's killer, and she will see this goal through.
12	----
13
14	* ActionMom: Ruth [[FamilyVersusCareer balances]] raising a toddler with being virtually the only just, competent cop on the force. Needless to say, this is difficult, and the former often gets sacrificed in her ruthless pursuit of justice. [[ParentsAsPeople She's trying her best]].
15	* AlliterativeName: '''R'''uth '''R'''osen.
16	* AmbitionIsEvil: Tina accuses Ruth of desiring power and of being on Cal's case only due to the prospect of promotion. [[spoiler:Neither of those points are true.]]
17	* CategoryTraitor: The local Romani population considers her this, because she's in the police now.
18	* FairCop
19	* FamilyVersusCareer: She tries to juggle the two parts of her life, with [[ParentalNeglect varying success]].
20	* ParentalNeglect: She loves her daughter but doesn't pay much attention to her, which results in poor little Cassie almost dying. ''Twice''.
21	* SilentScapegoat: [[spoiler:Ruth never told anyone that her daughter's father is Tina's dad, and the reasons for her ostracization were never understood by anyone but Tina.]]
22	* SpitefulSpit: [[spoiler:To the Inspector when she realizes just how corrupt he is]].
23	* TeenPregnancy: By result of which she's a single mum to a toddler.
24	* TurnInYourBadge: [[spoiler:After finding out how deep the corruption runs on the police force]].
25	* TheUnfettered: Her dedication to police work knows (almost) no bounds.
26	* WeUsedToBeFriends: Ruth used to be friends with the rest of the main cast, but was ostracized for reasons revealed later in the series. See SilentScapegoat, above.
27
28	!!'''Tina Fallon'''
29	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_tina_2159.jpg]]
30	[[caption-width-right:300:''"It's my day. I'm going to shine out. Be who I know I can be, do the thing I do.''"]]
31	-->'''Played by''': Creator/CharlotteSpencer
32
33	Tina (19 y.o.) is Rob's girlfriend - a local girl training to be a jockey. Her hobby is horses and her ambition is to be the first girl to win the Derby. She's unconventional, dangerous and has been in some trouble with the law.
34	----
35
36	* AffectionateNickname: "Tintin".
37	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: At the start of the series she's dating [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Rob]], who isn't exactly a paragon of virtue. Then [[spoiler:she ends up with Eli, who she's loved for a long time and who is frankly ''worse'' than Rob, what with being a murderer and all]].
38	* BirdsOfAFeather: If we're talking reckless behavior, then she and Rob are a match for each other.
39	* CareerVersusMan: [[spoiler:Throws the race that could make her career in order to help her then-boyfriend Rob]].
40	* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler:A couple of years prior to the show, Ruth slept with Tina's dad. Tina cut both of them out of her life; her dad soon died, and Ruth was ostracized by Tin'a group of friends, with none of them knowing the real reason]].
41	* FieryRedhead: Has quite a temper to go with that hair.
42	* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Annie - the two even live together.
43	%%* PassionateSportsGirl
44	* UndyingLoyalty: Her defining characteristic is that she'll do anything for those she loves. The two biggest examples are [[spoiler: her throwing the race that could make her career to save Rob and Dominic from their smuggling debts; and her talking Eli down from harming James and himself]].
45	* WeightWoe: [[spoiler:She struggled with bulimia in the past, and still spends some days without food - all to be a better jockey]].
46	* WildCard: She's more unpredictable than Rob, which is saying something. One instance is when she [[spoiler:steals a car, abandons the steering wheel and later crashes it into a fence. To be fair, she was high at the time]].
47	* WrongGuyFirst: [[spoiler:Despite dating Rob, she's in love with Eli - and ends up with him at the end, even though he's revealed as the killer]].
48	* YouGoGirl: She's an excellent jockey and her ambition is to be the first female to win the Derby.
49
50	!!'''Rob Kendle'''
51	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_rob_2226.jpg]]
52	[[caption-width-right:300:''"Me? I like to set my sights low. All I need are the basic necessities of life and I'll be OK."'']]
53	-->'''Played by''': Creator/JordanStephens
54
55	Rob (18 y.o.) is Tina's wayward boyfriend and James's best friend. He's fun and extraverted, but also careless and self-involved. [[spoiler:He, along with Dominic, is involved in a local cigarette-smuggling operation]].
56	----
57
58	* BigEater: "Family-sized pack of Mars bars. Breakfast of champions!"
59	* CharacterDevelopment: After James calls him on his carelessness and self-involvement, Rob has a HeelRealization which results in him trying ot amend him ways. Two examples are [[spoiler:him letting Tina go, and trying to apply to college]].
60	* TheHedonist: The quality at the core of his personality.
61	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Encourages Tina to pursue Eli because he knows she's in love with him, even though he's still in love with her]].
62	* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Rob's recklessness and irresponsible antics lead others to perceive him and directly accuse him of carelessness. He clearly does deeply care for others, though, particularly James and Tina, and is constantly in fear of mistreating them as his father does to his mother.
63	** Most blatantly, his father outright tells him he's nothing, to which Rob, subdued, replies, "[[WhamLine I know]]."
64	* ItsAllAboutMe:
65	-->'''Rob''': [Tina] loves Eli, and [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex I, fundamentally, love myself]].
66	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's cocksure and careless, and among other things [[spoiler:cheated on his girlfriend and drugged his best friend]], but he also shows a more considerate side such as when [[spoiler:he works hard to get James out of jail]] and when he tries to cheer his friends up in various (somewhat awkward) ways.
67	* LifeOfTheParty: As seen when he organizes a huge woodland rave.
68	* LikeFatherLikeSon: Rob's father, too, has a rather suspect record of being faithful to his partners.
69	* PluckyComicRelief: One of the few sources of humor on the show.
70	* RedOniBlueOni: The red (extraverted, wild) to James' blue (rational, introverted).
71	* RunningGag: His over-the-top love of Mars bars.
72	* SadClown: Rob is clearly the comic relief, for his own friends, even, cracking jokes, getting into trouble, and throwing parties even as the others mourn. It seems to be both his own coping mechanism, and an example of him trying to put the needs and feelings of others before himself. It's his way of trying to help.
73	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Where James is a sensitive guy, Rob is what passes for a manly man at their age, being mainly interested in sex and food.
74	* TheStoner: Most characters qualify, but Rob best of all. [[spoiler:Even his final appearance in the series is him rolling a joint]].
75
76	!!'''James Warwick'''
77	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_james_8007.jpg]]
78	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I wanted to save him."'']]
79	-->'''Played by''': Creator/BillyHowle
80
81	James (18 y.o.) is Rob's best friend and complete opposite - shy, quiet, reliable. He spends his days helping his mum at the farm and finding complications in the smallest of things. He's also the one who finds Cal's body in episode one, which leaves him traumatized for the rest of the series[[spoiler:, not least because Cal was his boyfriend]].
82	----
83
84	* BewareTheNiceOnes: He coldly kills a calf at the end of episode 1 and [[spoiler:delivers a CurbStompBattle to Rob after getting fed up with the latter's treatment of him]].
85	* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:He thankfully avoids this fate, but very narrowly]].
86	* ButtMonkey: A lot of Rob's jokes are at James's expense; his mum, too, is dismissive of him.
87	* DistressedDude: [[spoiler:In the finale]].
88	** AintTooProudToBeg: [[spoiler:He pleads for his life before trying to escape - too bad he doesn't get away and has to resort to begging again]].
89	* TheDutifulSon: James dreams of leaving the farm, but stays in order to support his mum. [[spoiler:It's revealed that he was actually planning to leave along with Cal and after the latter's murder simply sees no point in doing that.]]
90	* EmbarrassingNickname: Rob calls him "Jim-jams".
91	* HelpfulHallucination: [[spoiler:While tripping on acid he hallucinates Cal, who tells him where to find the contract for Blackout]].
92	* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Rob.
93	* ManlyTears: At a rate of once per episode, occasionally crossing into InelegantBlubbering. To be fair, he has his reasons.
94	** BerserkerTears: [[spoiler:When he learns that Eli is Cal's killer]].
95	** TearsOfFear: Throughout his [[spoiler:AloneWithThePsycho experience]].
96	* MementoMacguffin: [[spoiler:He and Cal had matching Moon Horse necklaces; James throws his out after Cal's death but later recovers it]].
97	* MyNewGiftIsLame: His mum gives him a set of keys for his birthday, which he happily assumes are for a car. Cue disappointment when it turns out they're for a ''tractor''.
98	* TheQuietOne: He doesn't say much and usually tries to fade into the background.
99	* RedOniBlueOni: The blue (rational, introverted) to Rob's red (extraverted, wild) and Cal's red.
100	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The sensitive guy to Rob's manly man - his actor describes James as "a poet" at heart.
101	* SiblingYinYang: James's older sister is extraverted, loud and fun-loving - much like Rob, in fact.
102	* StraightGay
103	* SugarAndIcePersonality: He appears aloof and emotionally cold, but he's very affectionate in interactions with best friend Rob [[spoiler:and boyfriend Cal]]. Not to mention he's basically a gentle soul all around.
104	* ThousandYardStare: [[spoiler:He's unresponsive after his time in jail]] - although he snaps out of it fairly quickly.
105	* TraumaCongaLine: First his [[spoiler:boy]]friend is brutally murdered and he's the one to find the body; then he's [[spoiler:drugged against his will - by his best friend, no less]]; ''Then'' he's arrested for the murder and released on police bail; and finally, [[spoiler:he's kidnapped by his boyfriend's murderer, beaten and almost killed]]. What a good time to be James.
106	* UptightLovesWild: [[spoiler:goody-two-shoes James fell for TroubledButCute Cal]].
107
108	!!'''Annie Maddocks'''
109	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_annie_4626.jpg]]
110	[[caption-width-right:300:''"If you think it's right, then I think it's right."'']]
111	-->'''Played by''': Creator/JessieCave
112
113	Annie (20 y.o.) is Tina's best friend. She's someone who no-one quite notices - always fun, always part of the action, but never on its front lines.
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115
116	* BigEater: As she says at one point: "I love calories! They're fucking delicious!"
117	* CoolShades: She wears tea shades as part of her outfit.
118	* TheDitz: Annie's quite...peculiar where mannerisms and clothes are concerned.
119	* TheFashionista: Her outfits are somewhat unconventional, but she definitely puts a lot of thought into them, which is more that can be said for other characters.
120	* GenkiGirl: Not much brings Annie down.
121	* TheHeart: She's easily the nicest person in her group of friends, and is referred to as such by Ruth.
122	* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Tina; they even live together.
123	* OnlySaneMan: Despite being a wee bit kooky, she actually shows more sound judgment than other characters [[spoiler:such as when she suggests opening a gate rather than just driving through it]].
124	* PluckyComicRelief: Along with Rob, she provides much of the show's humor.
125	* SatelliteCharacter: [[spoiler:She's the only member of the main cast to have no bearing on the plot]].
126
127	!!'''Dominic Richards'''
128	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_dominic_2341.jpg]]
129	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I am occasionally capable of doing the right thing.''"]]
130	-->'''Played by''': Tommy [=McDonnell=]
131
132	Dominic (23 y.o.) is an Assistant Trainer at the stables. While well-liked, he's not friends with the rest of the characters - presumably due to his higher status. [[spoiler:He's also involved in a local cigarette smuggling operation]].
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134
135	* DemotedToExtra: Fades into the background after [[ADayInTheLimelight the episode focusing on him]].
136	* {{Greed}}: [[spoiler:He wants to have enough money for a land purchase, hence the smuggling]].
137	* LonelyRichKid: A variation - he's not friends with the rest of the characters, probably because of his higher status.
138	* LoveableRogue: [[spoiler:He's a smuggler - but a good guy at heart]].
139	* LoveInterest: To Ruth.
140	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's good at his job, and he helps to fulfill Tina's ambitions by letting her ride in a potentially career-making race. [[spoiler:Too bad he asks her to throw it afterwards.]]
141	* SmugSnake: Tends to treat people in a cooler-than-thou manner; especially evident during his police interrogation. [[spoiler:A rare heroic variant of the trope.]]
142
143	!!'''Janine Riley [[spoiler:/ Elizabeth Marshall]]'''
144	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_janine_5380.jpg]]
145	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I'd rather the police didn't know and the same goes for Eli."'']]
146	-->'''Played by''': Creator/FayeMarsay
147
148	Janine (24 y.o.) is a local vet; she loves animals and is a real professional at her job, but by night she parties like everybody else.
149	----
150
151	* BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible: Tells her friends to share as little information with the police (and with Eli) as possible.
152	* BunnyEarsLawyer: She's a very good vet despite her partying ways [[spoiler:and being unqualified for the job]].
153	* ConvenientComa: Ends up in one after her attack, unable to tell the police who the culprit was.
154	* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler:She actually failed vet school and took on the identity of her dead, and more successful, classmate]].
155	* DrFeelgood: [[spoiler:Fabricates horse records in order to procure surplus ketamine, which she then sells through Cal]].
156	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Her love for animals is the reason for her career choice.
157	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Dies in episode 7]].
158	* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Put in a coma in episode 3, later dies]].
159
160	!!'''Eli Bray'''
161	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_eli_1238.jpg]]
162	[[caption-width-right:300:''"And the huntsman did come and together they danced and that's how the violin was made."'']]
163	-->'''Played by''': Creator/CallumTurner
164
165	Eli (23 y.o.) is murder victim Cal's older brother. With their dad in jail and mother dead, Eli cared for Cal until his brother was carted off to care. Their relationship was scrappy, but Eli loved Caleb and spends the series trying to find out the truth about his brother.
166	----
167
168	* AmateurSleuth: Starts his own investigation into what happened to Cal.
169	* ByronicHero: He's brooding, dark and mysterious, lives on the outskirts of society, adheres to Romani laws rather than British ones, and is shown to be in tune with nature. [[spoiler:And he's basically the villain of the series]].
170	* CallingTheOldManOut: He visits his dad in jail [[spoiler:to tell him that he's signed their half of Blackout over to Tina and that his dad now has nothing]].
171	* CharacterTic: He tends to hum songs when agitated.
172	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The responsible to Cal's foolish - where the latter was doing drugs and getting into trouble, Eli was procuring a future for the two of them. [[spoiler:Later turned on its head.]]
173	* LonersAreFreaks: He's a brooding loner - although he does have a friend in Tina.
174	* ManlyTears: Notably after his interrogation by the police in episode 1.
175	* MementoMacguffin: Has a Horse Moon necklace similar to Cal's [[spoiler:to remember their mum by]].
176	* NobleSavage: Lives on the outskirts of society by the code of the Romani.
177	* PromotionToParent: After his mum dies and his dad goes to prison.
178	* TheQuietOne: A man of few words, befitting his "brooding loner" nature.
179	* TroubledButCute: As Tina jokes, "dark and mysterious will only get you this far".
180
181	!!'''Caleb "Cal" Bray'''
182	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glue_cal_6421.jpg]]
183	[[caption-width-right:300:''"Our family is a disease."'']]
184	-->'''Played by''': Tommy Lawrence Knight
185
186	14-year-old Caleb is the murder victim - a stable boy, younger brother to Eli, [[spoiler:boyfriend to James]]. All his friends were older than him, but he fit right in - doubtlessly helped by the fact that he's [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Wise Beyond His Years]].
187	----
188
189	* BadassBoast: Before jumping into the grain silo:
190	-->'''Tina''': Everyone looks down.
191	-->'''Cal''': I don't.
192	* BreakTheCutie: Foster care really did a number of Cal - he was abused [[spoiler:physically and sexually, and later prostituted himself for money]]. And, of course, he winds up killed [[spoiler:by his own brother, no less]].
193	* BuryYourGays: His sexuality doesn't get revealed until later in the series, but it's his murder that gets the plot going.
194	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: See BadassBoast, above.
195	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The foolish one to Eli's responsible - doing drugs and breaking the law. [[spoiler:Turned on its head since Cal was thinking of the future while Eli was stuck in the past.]]
196	* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:He was blowing men for money, yet it doesn't take anything away from his genuinely good nature.]]
197	* KilledOffForReal / KillTheCutie / PlotTriggeringDeath: His brutal death jumpstarts the plot.
198	* RedOniBlueOni: The red (enthusiastic, extroverted, wild) to James's blue (introverted, rational, subdued).
199	* {{Retirony}}: [[spoiler:Before being killed, he was on the verge of leaving the country - and his criminal lifestyle - to have a fresh start with James]].
200	* ShirtlessScene: Found dead sans shirt and T-shirt. In a lighter and straighter example, [[spoiler:he takes his shirt off when James hallucinates him]].
201	* SpiritAdvisor: Appears to James, Eli, Tina and Ruth at various points in the narrative, although he acts as an advisor only to [[spoiler:James]].
202	* StraightGay
203	* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: The character in a nutshell. He's a 14-year-old doing [[spoiler:and dealing]] drugs with his older friends, [[spoiler:planning on running away to Argentina with his older boyfriend, prostituting himself]] and continuously getting in trouble with the law (albeit for minor crimes). Some of this is due to him having a messy home life and a very harsh upbringing.
204	* TwoferTokenMinority: Romani and gay.
205	* TheUnfavorite: [[spoiler:Eli and Cal's mother severely disliked her younger son due to him heavily resembling his father]].
206	* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to Eli, he came back from foster care "different".
207
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder: Recurring Characters]]
211	!!'''Sgt Ian Salter'''
212	-->'''Played by''': Griffin Stevens
213
214	Ian (28 y.o.) is Ruth's supervising officer on the police force, with an interest in her that seems to go beyond what's expected professionally.
215	----
216
217	* TheBeard: He told his family that Ruth was his girlfriend - but it's unclear whether she's TheBeard or whether he actually wanted to date her.
218	* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:When his dirty deeds finally catch up with him]].
219	* DepravedBisexual: [[spoiler:His sexuality is ambiguous - he's known to have abused boys, but he also shows obvious romantic interest in Ruth]].
220	* DirtyCop: [[spoiler:Sexually abused local minors, including Caleb and Chris]].
221	* {{Geek}}: His house is filled with [=DVDs=] and comics.
222	* MuscleAngst: He wistfully states that he'd like to have Dominic's physique.
223	* PaedoHunt: [[spoiler:Ian liked little boys. In a bad way.]]
224	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's a good boss to Ruth. [[spoiler:Too bad he's also a pedophile.]]
225	* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Ruth pegs him as Cal and Janine's killer. He isn't]].
226	* WalkingSpoiler
227
228	!!'''DCI Simpson'''
229	-->'''Played by''': Adrian Rawlins
230
231	The DCI overseeing the investigation into Cal's murder. Despite his initial misgivings, he agrees to put Ruth on the case.
232	----
233
234	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's actually a capable leader, and [[spoiler:isn't shown to be a DirtyCop like most other police characters]].
235
236	!!'''Chris Pollard'''
237	-->'''Played by''': Dean Chapman
238
239	Cal's friend from foster care - an equally traumatized boy in his early teens.
240	----
241
242	* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:Much like Cal, he was blowing men for money]].
243	* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: [[spoiler:Well, he ''is'' basically a rentboy]].
244
245	'''Marah'''
246	-->'''Played by''': Hana Luheshi
247
248	A local Romani girl.
249	----
250
251	* BestServedCold: [[spoiler:She waited 4-5 years before getting revenge for her sister]].
252	* {{Blackmail}}: [[spoiler:She's the one sending the videos to Rob]].
253
254	[[/folder]]
255
256	[[folder: The killer: SPOILERS!]]
257	!!'''Eli Bray'''
258	-->'''Played by''': Creator/CallumTurner
259	----
260
261	* AccidentalMurder: Killed Cal and Janine in fits of rage; his murder of Ian, however, was premeditated and done in cold blood.
262	* AxCrazy: Grows more deranged as the bodies pile up, culminating in him kidnapping and trying to murder James with a cattle gun.
263	* CainAndAbel: Though, unlike in the Bible, the murder of his brother was not premeditated.
264	* ConfessToALesserCrime: When Ruth deduces he's Ian's killer, he willingly confesses to this particular murder but not to the other two.
265	* CuteAndPsycho
266	* DisproportionateRetribution: Let's see. He murdered Cal for insulting their mum, murdered Janine for calling the social services on Cal and was going to kill James for his plan to leave the country with Cal.
267	* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: The reason for Cal's and Janine's death is Eli misjudging just how strong he is.
268	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: What pushes him over the edge is Cal calling their mum a cunt.
269	* GreenEyedMonster: He's enraged that Cal wanted to leave the country with James rather than stay in England with Eli.
270	* HeelRealization: When confronted by Tina, Rob and Ruth, he finally admits to himself that he's responsible for the tragic way his brother's life ended - and promptly beats himself with a cattle gun.
271	* HotBlooded: Kills ''two'' people in uncontrolled fits of rage.
272	* ItGetsEasier: Says that each murder was easier than the previous one.
273	* MotiveRant: James is treated to one. Turns out Eli was harming people who he felt "damaged" Cal and were trying to take him away from him.
274	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After murdering Cal.
275	* RevengeBeforeReason: Ruth allows him to leave the country, but of course Eli has to stay to get his revenge on James. Cue Eli getting caught.
276	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The motive for the murders.
277	* RuleOfSymbolism: Fortunately for James, Eli can't just up and murder him in the woods - the deed has to be done at a place that holds emotional meaning for Eli, i.e. the White Horse where his mum's ashes were scattered.
278	* StraightEdgeEvil: Doesn't do drugs and wants his brother off them, too.
279	* SympatheticMurderer: It's hard not to feel sorry for him by the series' end.
280

Context Characters / Glue