This true crime docuseries dives into wild trial of Michael Peterson, accused of killing wife Kathleen in their North Carolina home. It unpacks investigation, trial and cast of characters involved- family, lawyers and prosecution. Twists galore! It digs into messy criminal justice system and raw human experience of tragedy and loss. It’s a rollercoaster, for sure!

Meet the characters from The Staircase

Michael Peterson

Oh wow, Michael is one of those people who seems like he was born to tell stories — calm, theatrical, a little too into metaphors, and somehow always narrating life like it’s a novel. He comes off intelligent and charming, but there’s this fog of mystery around him that makes you squint and lean in; you can feel him calculating and also honestly offhanded at the same time. The series paints him as a novelist and dad who’s comfortable in the spotlight and baffling in private — loyal, distant, meticulous with his shirts but bizarrely forgetful about small things. Also he apparently loves red wine and has an uncanny habit of rearranging books at 2 a.m., which is either sweet or creepy depending on your mood.

Kathleen Peterson

Kathleen bursts onto the screen as this glamorous, warm, socially electric presence — hostessy in the best way, always arranging a plate or making sure everyone’s fed — yet there’s this strong streak of guardedness beneath her smile. She’s maternal and fierce and seems to run the social orbit of her family, but she can also be private and hard to read, like she keeps a little back room with a locked lamp on. The show leans into her contradictions: affectionate and exacting, smiling but sometimes clearly carrying a weight, which makes her both instantly likable and oddly unknowable. Fun detail: she apparently loved big scarves and very bright lipstick, which feels like a tiny, cinematic signature.

David Rudolf

David is the kind of defense lawyer who shows up looking like your neighbor but talks like he’s reworking a symphony — smart, scrappy, and endlessly improvisational in court. He comes across warm and sarcastic, a fighter who’s chill but razor-sharp when it counts, and he has this habit of using plain-talk metaphors that somehow land like knockout punches. You sense he’s both relentless and oddly sentimental; he’ll joke with you one minute and then pivot into full legal blitz the next, which is kind of thrilling to watch. Also, he seems to have a ridiculous tie collection and maybe a weakness for terrible donuts — humanizes him a lot.

Freda Black

Freda is one of those quietly steady folks who anchors the background chaos — practical, observant, and maybe underappreciated, but never absent when you need the facts or a sympathetic ear. She’s low-key but perceptive, the sort of person who notices what everyone else misses and then drops that detail at just the right awkward moment (which you secretly love). The vibe is: salt-of-the-earth, stubborn, with a dry sense of humor that sneaks up and makes you laugh when you weren’t expecting it. Little quirk — she hums to herself while she thinks and sometimes brings weird casseroles to gatherings; we can’t exactly explain why, but it’s endearing.

Clayton Peterson

Clayton reads like the classic, conflicted older son — protective, intense, almost defiantly loyal with a tendency to boil over when things get unfair or ugly. He’s serious, maybe a little theatrical in his loyalty, and you can feel the pressure he’s carrying like an unseen weight; he’s thoughtful but prone to bursts of emotion that feel real and raw. He also seems very invested in family legacy and old memories, which makes him sympathetic, and at times stubborn in a way that’s both frustrating and very understandable. Oh and he supposedly plays guitar when he’s alone, a little cliché but somehow it fits.

Todd Peterson

Todd gives off this steady, practical vibe — quieter than some of the others, more pragmatic, like someone who measures things twice and then makes coffee for everyone else. He’s reliable, a little skeptical, and protective in a low-key way; not the loud defender but the person who shows up and stays. There’s a kind of stovepipe logic to him — likes facts, maybe likes trucks, but also writes or reads things in secret sometimes, which is oddly tender. Also, he might have a ridiculous collection of baseball caps? I can’t be sure, but it’s a fun mental image.

Margaret Ratliff

Margaret is the firebrand sister — fierce, determined, and absolutely not afraid to speak her mind, especially when she thinks someone she loves has been wronged. She’s got this righteous energy, tenacious and exacting, a person who will push and pry and then push some more until she gets answers, which is both exhausting and kind of heroic. The show portrays her as ruthlessly practical but also deeply loyal to family, the kind of moral compass that’s sharp and sometimes blunt. Little human thing: she drinks tea like it’s an argument starter and has a habit of collecting tiny teacups — very specific, very Margaret.