Ed Mackenzie

Ed Mackenzie is Madeline's steady, self-deprecating second husband, a man who runs an obscure record store and seems perpetually amused by the chaos of Monterey's school-gate politics. He loves his family fiercely but quietly, aware he lives a little in the shadow of Madeline's ex-husband and her louder, more dramatic instincts.

Adam Scott plays ordinary decency as its own kind of tension — Ed's dry jokes and mild jealousy make him funny without making him small. Amid a show full of secrets and simmering resentments, he's the rare husband who's actually paying attention, and Scott lets you see the hurt underneath the wit whenever he isn't quite believed.