Sol Bergstein

Sol is Frankie's husband of four decades, a gentle, conflict-averse mediator who has just upended both their lives by announcing he's leaving her for Robert, his law partner and secret longtime lover. He fumbles toward honesty after years of avoidance, anxious to be liked even while causing enormous pain.

Sam Waterston plays Sol's guilt and tenderness with a soft, apologetic warmth that keeps him sympathetic even mid-betrayal. The show uses his conflict-avoidance for comedy — his instinct to smooth things over rather than confront them — while never letting him off the hook for the hurt his cowardice caused.