Armstrong

Armstrong is Bertha Russell's lady's maid, a fixture of the new-money household who dresses her mistress, guards her secrets, and clearly believes long service has earned her more say than she's given. She's brisk, watchful, and never quite deferential enough to disappear into the background the way a servant is supposed to.

Debra Monk plays her with a dry, put-upon exactness that turns a below-stairs role into something with real friction. The writing lets her needle her employer just enough to hint at old grievances without ever spelling them out, and Monk's clipped delivery makes every small act of service feel like it's costing her something.