For three seasons, Pamela Adlon has starred in the witty show Better Things as Sam, a mom of three and actor who has a sarcastic personality and finds herself in some hilarious situation. Since Pamela is also the co-creator and has written and directed many of the episodes, she brings a lot of herself to the role, and every scene feels so real.
The characters on Better Things are tough, that's for sure, but they all have heart and deliver some epic one-liners and jokes from time to time. Here are the MBTIs® of Better Things characters.
Rich: ENTP
Diedrich Bader plays Rich, one of Sam's best friends who often hangs out at the house for hours during her dinner parties. He's really interesting and loves to sit around and talk about life, the future, and other big, important topics.
Since Rich is such a "curious" person and that is one trait attributed to being an ENTP or "Enterprising Explorer," this sounds like his MBTI®. He's "questioning" and has become a type of father figure to Sam's three girls.
Tressa: ISTJ
Rebecca Metz plays Tressa, who has been Sam's manager since forever. She's a tough woman who pulls no punches. She and Sam have also developed a close friendship, so even when Sam knows that it's time to move on, there are honestly no hard feelings.
Tressa's MBTI® is ISTJ or "Practical Helper" because her job is literally to help her clients get work. INTJs are "patient individuals who apply common sense and experience to solving problems for other people." She is someone who can "honor commitments" and it's true that she doesn't like "workplace conflict" since she makes sure Sam knows that it's all good between them.
Marion: ISTP
Kevin Pollak plays Marion, Sam's brother, who is a nice guy who is more pragmatic than his sister. When it's clear that their mother has dementia, Kevin wants her to go into a home, and he's trying his best to do what is right for the family.
Because of this, Marion is an ISTP or "Logical Pragmatist." His approach to Phyl sounds like the description: "They can remain calm while managing a crisis, quickly deciding what needs to be done to solve the problem." He can see a bit "detached" at times since he's not a warm and fuzzy person but he's also "practical" and a "careful observer."
Sunny: ESTJ
Sunny (Alysia Reiner) is a friend of Sam's who is uptight, high-strung, and hard to watch since everyone knows people like that. Because she and her husband have split up, she is always in a bad mood.
Sunny is an ESTJ or "Efficient Organizer." She is "direct" and says what she feels and she also has an "impersonal" vibe because she often seems like she's disapproving of the people that she's around (for example, when she runs into her ex-husband). She could also be described as "objectively critical."
Dr. David Miller: ISTJ
Matthew Broderick is in a few episodes of Better Things as a therapist that Sam starts seeing. They know each other from way back in the day.
He sees things in a very logical way and he thinks that because they went to camp together, that means that they have a connection and he would love to see if they could start a relationship. Sam doesn't see it the same way, that's for sure. His MBTI® would be ISTJ or "Responsible Realist." He is "orderly" and "respects facts" and is "reasonable."
Phyllis: ISFJ
Celia Imrie plays Phyllis, Sam's mother who lives nearby. She often drops in on Sam and the kids and Sam struggles with their relationship. Phyl shows signs of dementia and that is really hard for Sam.
Phyl wants to have a good time and embraces where her life has taken her, even if it's a bit short-sighted (like the fact that she's having an affair with a married man whose wife is sick).
Phyl is a very off-beat and quirky character, but she would most likely be an ISFJ or "Practical Helper" because this is how she would see herself. She wants to be a big, important part of her family, and she loves her grandchildren. She does have some of the qualities, like being "traditional."
Frankie: INFJ
Hannah Alligood plays Frankie, Sam's middle daughter who is defiant (and always has hilarious opinions and commentary). Frankie's MBTI® is INFJ or "Insightful Visionary" because she is hell-bent on doing good in the world and make a difference.
She is "idealistic" and "insightful" and, at times, "compassionate." She and Sam have a playful mom/daughter relationship, most evident when they go to a Bar Mitzvah and Frankie is being so rude and annoying that Sam dumps water on her. Every once in a while, though, Frankie is kind toward her mother and viewers can tell that she cares for her.
Duke: INTJ
Sam's youngest daughter Duke (Olivia Edward) is one of those adorable TV children who seems to say the perfect thing at the perfect time (like when she says "Mom, no offense, but you're kind of mean to Gran.")
Duke is definitely an INTJ or "Conceptual Planner" because she likes to know what's going on. She may be young, but she's "decisive" and "task-focused." She's also pretty "firm" at times, like when she gets her friends to play Truth and Dare and asks them to do some crazy stuff. She and Sam talk as if they're both the same age. Duke is also someone who "values knowledge" and she becomes very interested in her grandpa who passed away in the most recent season.
Max: ENFP
Max (Mikey Madison) is Sam's oldest daughter and she's defiant like Frankie but sometimes even more so. She really does what she wants... and then complains and rolls her eyes when her mom has a problem with it.
Max's MBTI® is ENFP or "Imaginative Motivator." She doesn't follow rules and makes decisions that are questionable, like becoming a model and hanging out with some potentially sketchy people and leaving college after only a short time. ENFPs "move quickly from one project to another" which is what Max tends to do since she never seems very settled. She's "independent" and definitely taking advantage of being young since she's still figuring it all out.
Sam: ENTJ
Pamela Aldon plays Sam Fox, an actress and mom of three daughters who definitely takes no crap from anyone. Her MBTI® would be ENTJ or "Decisive Strategist" because she's got a pretty hard outer exterior (she is definitely "tough when necessary") but she is also "logical."
Since she's a mother who is supporting her family, she sounds like ENTJs who "usually see the big picture and think strategically about the future." Viewers see her taking on tons of different roles even if she's not that into them (or even if the play or movie doesn't seem very good). If there's one thing that Sam can't stand, it's a "lack of control"... but since, again, she has three daughters, she often feels that way.