Content Warning: The following article contains discussions of suicide
Peacock's Joe vs. Carole is a dramatized miniseries based on the same true-life events that inspired Netflix's zeitgeist-capturing series Tiger King. The majority of the focus is again placed on criminal zookeeper Joe "Exotic" Schreibvogel and animal rights activist Carole Baskin, played by John Cameron Mitchell and Kate McKinnon, respectively.
However, several other characters get a chance to shine alongside the eccentric lawbreaker and his righteous antagonist. They don't always get a chance to steal one of the miniseries's eight episodes, but at least two often come close.
Susan (Shareena Clanton)
Shareena Clanton's Susan is one of Baskin's long-time employees at Big Cat Rescue, there from beginning to end, even after her boss's life has been threatened.
Susan's loyalty is matched only by her compassion. And, like Baskin, she has a lot of passion for their line of work. However, there are characters in far fewer episodes who get to do a lot more. She's most often relegated to scenes where she's worried about Baskin.
Rick Kirkham (William Fichtner)
William Fichtner's Rick Kirkham isn't in very much of Joe vs. Carole but fans of the actor will be pleased to know the character makes a great impression.
Kirkham works with Exotic as a producer, writer, and cinematographer on a reality show. Kirkham bears witness to many of Exotic's more threatening eccentricities, and all of the footage he shot was ultimately incinerated in a fire strongly suspected to be arson. He's a frequently drunk producing pro who finds himself disgusted by Exotic's abusive behavior.
John Reinke (Brian Van Holt)
G.W. Zoo manager John Reinke is at the very least one of Joe vs. Carole's most likable characters. He works at Exotic's horrific torture farm, but he himself isn't responsible for the abuse. The closest the series comes to showing Reinke hurting a tiger is when he feeds it a Twinkie.
As opposed to the unhinged Exotic, Reinke is reserved and cautious. It's obvious to the audience that the more his boss seems to lose his grip on decency, the more the zoo's manager realizes that the animals are in trouble. He ends up being shaken when Exotic slaughters several older tigers and seems more upset by the death of Exotic's "husband" than his widow. The character is a good one to have around considering the sick darkness that surrounded Exotic's entire operation.
John Finlay (Sam Keeley)
The drama in Tiger King helped make it one of 2020's most popular shows. That dynamic remains in Joe vs. Carole, and so does John Finlay's empathetic nature. Exotic is effectively a cult leader, and Finlay sees through all his bombastic personality flourishes and persuasive abilities.
Even still, Finlay needs Exotic and the G.W. Zoo, so he plays along. The viewer never feels worse for him than in one of the series' best scenes, when he and Maldonado "marry" Exotic, which Finlay accurately describes as "for the cameras." But it's when Finlay leaves Exotic with a punch that he cements his status as one of the series's best characters.
Howard Baskin (Kyle MacLachlan)
Like in Kyle MacLachlan's best performances, he's a welcome presence with a calm demeanor and considerable range. As Howard Baskin, MacLachlan brings both an empathetic nature and a false bravado. He's a man fiercely devoted to his wife, whom he loves entirely, but is also in a dangerous line of work.
He's not exactly a tough guy, but he puts up that front from time to time. He probably wouldn't be able to do much in a standoff with the wrecking ball of a hitman on his way, but the viewer never doubts that Baskin would do all he could.
Travis Maldonado (Nat Wolff)
Nat Wolff's Travis Maldonado doesn't appear until about midway through Joe vs. Carole, but his presence leads to the most interpersonal conflict at Exotic's G.W. Zoo. This is particularly true of the relationship between Exotic and John Finlay.
Maldonado is not only the most likable of the three but the most tragic and empathetic as well. He takes his own life, and his subsequent narration states how the world is filled with "poison apples and dragons." People have to fend for themselves because "there's no fairy godmother to save you." He felt abandoned by the world, making his arc one of the show's most interesting.
Joe Exotic (John Cameron Mitchell)
Some of the worst things Exotic has done keep him from being the series' absolute best character, but he's certainly a compelling individual.
Exotic is fueled by his own vanity and greed, nothing more. He's also incredibly vindictive, going so far as to execute several of his supposedly beloved "babies" as they're sitting innocently in their cages, all so they won't be left with the business partner who messed him over. He's a complex individual, just not a very good one.
Carole Baskin (Kate McKinnon)
Joe vs. Carole is driven by a McKinnon performance that's lighter on laughs than her usual work. Like her adversary, Baskin is fairly eccentric, but her indulgences are harmless. However, if someone hurts a big cat, she stops being so harmless, and circles in for the kill.
However, unlike with Mr. Exotic, she'd never literally kill someone or have them killed. Baskin is certainly the hero of the story, and she faces a lot of public scrutinies, baseless accusations, and intimidation tactics along the way to defeating the "Tiger King."