About “The Girlfriend” in a few words:

“The Girlfriend” is a psychological thriller miniseries on Prime Video, based on Michelle Frances’s 2017 novel. The story revolves around Laura Sanderson (Robin Wright), a successful art gallery owner whose life unravels when her son Daniel introduces his new girlfriend, Cherry Laine (Olivia Cooke). Laura becomes increasingly suspicious of Cherry’s intentions, leading to a tense and manipulative battle of wills. The series delves into themes of maternal obsession, class conflict, and the complexities of relationships.

Meet the characters from The Girlfriend

Cherry Laine

Cherry is the sort of person you notice before you notice you’ve noticed them — loud, glittery, and somehow heartbreakingly honest. She’s impulsive and dramatic in the best way, the one who will drag everyone into an adventure and then apologize with a ridiculous homemade pie. She’s fiercely protective, loves tabloid magazines but also quotes poetry at bad times, and is both annoyingly organized (color-coded notes!) and the kind of person who leaves lipstick on the teacups. In the story she’s the spark or sometimes the smoke alarm — the catalyst for the biggest turns and the keeper of a messy, impossible charm. Also, pro tip: she hums old TV jingles when nervous and swears by mint gum, which is somehow both endearing and suspicious.

Laura Sanderson

Laura feels like the warm center of the whole mess — calm, practical, and secretly sharper than she lets on. She is the emotional glue (the kind who will show up with soup and a spreadsheet), steady but with this low-key dry wit that sneaks up on you. She fidgets with old watches when she’s thinking, claims she hates surprises but once drove three hours for a spontaneous picnic, so who even knows. Her role is basically the anchor: she solves problems, steadies tempers, and keeps secrets like they’re fragile china.

Daniel Sanderson

Daniel is the quiet, elbow-in-the-door kind of guy — practical, gruff in a lovable way, and deeply loyal. He’s the person who fixes things (literal and emotional) and bakes a mean apple pie but will absolutely forget where he put his keys five times in one day. There’s a soft, sentimental side that comes out in late-night confessions and poorly timed dad jokes, which makes him way less intimidating than he looks. In the plot he’s the steady hand, the protector who doesn’t always say the right thing but somehow does the right thing anyway.

Howard Sanderson

Howard is the kind of uncle/neighbor/board member who wears a bow tie like it’s his personality, all buttoned-up and very opinionated. He loves rules, schedules, and the exact placement of coasters, but also collects bizarre porcelain frogs and keeps a drawer of mismatched keys (no one knows why). He comes off curmudgeonly — yes, he is — but then he’ll show up with an oddly specific sympathy card or fix a broken fence at midnight, so you start to suspect he’s complicated. He’ll quote regulations and tangentially cry at folk music, which is both infuriating and oddly charming. If you’re trying to pin him down he’ll surprise you by owning up to a terrible high school haircut story and laughing at himself, so don’t be fooled by the stern face.

Tracey Laine

Tracey is sparkly and a little scattered in the best possible way — always juggling three coffees, two ideas, and an inexplicable fondness for vintage postcards. She’s social, quick with a joke, and somehow both flighty and deeply, stubbornly loyal (like, she remembers birthdays but forgets your name for three minutes — classic Tracey). She adds lightness to heavy scenes, but she’s also the one who notices tiny inconsistencies and will pester someone into telling the truth until they cave. In the story she’s the comic relief and secret truth-teller, and yes, she absolutely owns a wardrobe of ridiculous hats.