Nicole Malloy

Nicole Malloy runs a bar in Neptune and knows the town's rhythms as well as anyone, including Veronica. She's sharp, self-possessed, and clearly used to being underestimated by people who assume a bar owner has no leverage. When she and Veronica cross paths again, old history and present business tangle together fast.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays her with a cool, amused confidence that never tips into caricature—she matches Veronica's wit beat for beat instead of just receiving it. The writing gives her genuine stakes and agency in Neptune's economy, which makes her more than a foil; she feels like someone with a life happening outside the frame.