Amazon Prime's psychological drama Undone returned in April this year with its reality-warping story about grief and family trauma. Co-creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg has shown his prowess for mature topics by creating BoJack Horseman and being the executive producer of Tuca and Bertie.
Unlike those shows, Undone primarily focuses on marginalized people. Specifically, these are people who have suffered due to difficulty immigrating through their own lives or their family's history. In doing this, its cast is composed of characters who are likable for being relatable to many, with sympathetic internal conflicts in regards to how they try to change their past. Below are each of these characters ranked according to how effectively they conveyed and dealt with these themes to make them likable, iconic characters.
Geraldine
Jacob's mother (Holley Fain) makes her debut in the main story at the tail-end of season two. The events behind Geraldine's immigration lay the foundations — they are why the family is "broken," as Alma describes.
That said, watching the trauma unfold as her parents are torn from her makes Geraldine immediately sympathizable. Becoming a devoted Polish-Jewish mother after surviving Nazi-occupied Poland speaks to her character already. What is remarkable is that she confronts and accepts the past, instead of letting her son kill himself in attempting to change it. In her memories, it is shown that she wanted to be like her mother at first by replicating her abilities, but then takes a different name and rejects her powers after she feels shame for escaping alone. It's only by accepting her abilities — her identity — that she can move on. Geraldine encapsulates season 2's theme: suffering cannot be re-written, but it is necessary to accept and move forward.
Alejandro
Being the orphaned son of Alma's mother and Father Reyes, Alejandro (Carlos Santos) quickly earns sympathy for only wanting to be part of his mother's family, and for his eventual frustrations in feeling like his mother's guilty secret.
It's hard not to like and root for a character whose health continues to decline, yet only seeks to be accepted. Alejandro's character does not evolve through the course of the show because he doesn't need to. When he's last seen in the original timeline, he is still coming to terms with how his mother knew about him and could have saved him. It's easy to understand why he would reject Camilla; he only wanted to be part of her life, and in finally getting close to that, his fears of being a consequence of her disassociation from shame are confirmed. It's the most painful moment to watch, and why he deserves his spot as a likable character. That said, he is barely featured in the show, and his mother is at least genuinely trying as much as she is emotionally able to reconnect with him — which is at least better than some Marvel parents have done.
Camila Diaz
Camila (Constance Marie) is deceivingly self-centered at first when she visits Alma after her car accident and accuses her of not thinking of Camila's feelings. In season two she seems weak-willed; it's revealed that she abandoned her son on her stepmother's word instead of deciding for herself. What salvages her likability is when her upbringing is considered.
Geraldine's advice is so influential to her because Geraldine accepted Camila when her own family didn't. Furthermore, that experience of being ostracized from her Catholic family drives her to give the best traditional life for her kids—what she and society envision to be ideal. Even if Alma's happiest memory is dancing in the middle of other deaf children in a hearing school, Camila pulled her away so that she can have the 'perfect' life with the most opportunity. She arguably doesn't make the correct decisions, but it's hard not to find sympathy in the struggling mother many viewers will have seen in their own lives.
Sam
While initially manipulative, Sam (Siddharth Dhananjay) made for an incredibly endearing personality through the latter half of season one.
The lead couple share brilliant, sarcastic chemistry, especially after the couple makes up. They won't be reaching Monica and Chandler's fame as a TV couple, but they have a fantastic back-and-forth when working together. Being the only living character to help Alma uncover her father's death wins him points, and his history of being bullied may make him relatable to marginalized viewers. The process of being shamed for one's race is cruel, and so is the internal conflict with one's identity and feeling the need to assimilate with western culture. It's heartbreaking to see him bullied for — and then work to change — his Indian accent, but heartwarming to see how Alma can relate to that childhood and how it brings them together.
Jacob Winograd
Bob Odenkirk plays an academically intelligent but emotionally blind Jacob Winograd — a far cry from Jimmy McGill in Better Call Saul. In season two, he has the life he finally wanted, and he feels like his family is in the perfect place even though it's falling apart.
He is a loving father and husband but rejects what his loved ones want. His willingness to change this is what finally makes him the role model he needed to be. It isn't urging his daughter to become an academic like him, or avoiding his fear of scientific fixations. Jacob is strongest when the focus of his stubborn fixation is on healing his family. It isn't enough to invent the idealized life; he needed to listen to his daughters and heal the rippling effects of Geraldine's past. In the end, Jacob should certainly build some respect as being one of the wisest characters—delivering some of the best quotes in Undone — but what makes him one of the most likable characters in the show is the emotional growth he displays, though Odenkirk's performance certainly helps.
Alma Winograd-Diaz
Undone's reckless protagonist Alma (Rosa Salazar) is complicated and destructive. She knowingly abuses Becca's powers to find the truth at the expense of her health. Even in the pilot episode, Alma urges Becca to cheat on her fiancee after encouraging her to get drunk.
The reason Alma remains incredibly likable is that the underlying reasons at every step. Alma feels like the shameful underperforming member of the family, but it's this same pain that drives her to save everyone. Alma is strongest when she turns her recklessness into strength. Whether it's from being at a low point in life or feeling imposter syndrome, everyone can surely relate to feeling incompetent in comparison to others. The process of saving Geraldine opens Alma's mind to how her 'incompetent' life can be better. Liking and admiring Alma is to understand that everyone can better themselves.
Becca Winograd-Diaz
Becca (Angelique Cabral) is the secret star of the second season. Her desire for stability juxtaposes her sister while similarly deriving pain from the family's tragedy. Both of them feel the weight of their lives being steered and are terrified of forging deeper connections.
Alma's sister is easier to like because she is quick to catch onto the responsibility of her dangerous powers. She is scared of it, but the more she explores it and then learns what her sister and father are capable of, the more confident she grows. She has her father's tendency to let things be but is more emotionally in touch than anyone else in the cast. She does have her motivation — she wants to heal her damage so she doesn't pass it to a child — but at her core, Becca joins Alma's plans to help other people. Together they are a fantastic sister duo, but she can stand on her own as the most selfless, empathetic, and understanding member of the cast and it's hard not to love her the most for that.