Nancy

Nancy arrives in Mark's orbit as a bright, unguarded American activist, all easy warmth and idealism where he is coiled anxiety. She believes in causes, in spontaneity, in saying what she feels. To Mark she seems like proof that a different, freer life might be available to him, if only he can keep up.

Blanchard plays Nancy with a sunniness that never tips into parody, which makes her the perfect pressure test for Mark's neuroses and Jeremy's opportunism alike. The show gets comic mileage from how her sincerity collides with the leads' cowardice and self-interest, exposing exactly how far they'll go to avoid honesty.