Next to Normal/Characters

Diana Goodman
"Played by Alice Ripley"

"Diana: [To Natalie] We tried to give you a normal life. (laughs) I realize now I have no clue what that is."
 * Annoying Patient: And yet, Dr Madden begs her to
 * Badass Normal
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: It seems that only Diana is really able to do this, but Alice Ripley as Diana was infamous for this.
 * Broken Bird
 * Feel No Pain: Diana has many complaints that her medication makes her suffer new problems each time it is altered, such as weight gain, sweating for no reason, constipation and nausea. However, after a while she claims "I don't feel like myself...I mean, I don't feel anything."
 * Averted when she throws away her medication in "I Miss The Mountains" because she misses her younger self, who felt pain, depression, happiness, sadness and even mania; but at least she felt.
 * Give Him a Normal Life:

"Diana: Honey, you need to slow down. Take some time for yourself. I'm going to have sex with your father!
 * He's Back: When  at the end of "Why Stay?/A Promise" behind Dan when Diana and Dan are about to embrace. Diana issues an "oh no" and
 * I Want Song: "I Miss the Mountains"
 * Missing Mom: As Natalie sings towards the end of the show "It's so lovely that you're sharing, no really; I'm all ears. But where has all this caring been for sixteen years?"
 * Sanity Slippage Song: Could be seen as many for Diana.
 * Stepford Smiler
 * Too Much Information: Does this to Natalie at the very beginning of the show so it seems that they are leading normal lives.
 * Too Much Information: Does this to Natalie at the very beginning of the show so it seems that they are leading normal lives.

Natalie: Great, thanks, I'm so glad I know that."

Dan Goodman
"Played by J. Robert Spencer"


 * Bumbling Dad: Natalie wants him to be "a typical parent and lie" that everything with Diana will be OK.
 * Dogged Nice Guy
 * I Just Want to Be Normal
 * Men Don't Cry: Averted. Dan hides his emotions from his family until it eventually tears them apart,
 * Only Sane Man: Well, there's the bipolar wife, the angsty teenage daughter, the dead-ghost son, the daughter's stoner boyfriend and the terrifying therapist. And then there's Dan.
 * Stepford Smiler
 * The Caretaker

Gabriel "Gabe" Goodman
"Played by Aaron Tveit"


 * Even Evil Has Standards: Many think of Gabe as a vicious and aggressive spirit/memory trying to spite his family into remembering him, but he
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait
 * Fan Service: In "I'm Alive" Aaron Tveit's Gabe dances around the set energetically, leading some fans to ask "Is he pole dancing?"
 * Also, he performs his solo in "Just Another Day" in his boxers.
 * Ironic Birthday: His birthday, when the delusional Diana bakes Gabe a cake, is when the audience
 * Meaningful Name: Gabriel, perhaps as in the angel who appeared to Mary in The Bible and told her she was pregnant.
 * Meaningful Name: Gabriel, perhaps as in the angel who appeared to Mary in The Bible and told her she was pregnant.

Natalie Goodman
"Played by Jennifer Damiano"

"Natalie: And you play 'til it's perfect, you play 'til you ache. You play 'til the strings or your fingernails break! So you'll rock that recital and get into Yale, so you won't feel so sick, and you won't look so pale."
 * Age Appropriate Angst
 * Break the Cutie
 * Dawson Casting: Averted. Natalie is stated to be sixteen, yet was played by Jennifer Damiano (who was still in high school) originally.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Desperately Looking for A Purpose In Life:

"Henry: Our planet is poisoned, the oceans, the air. Around and beneath and above you.
 * Embarrassing Old Photo: In "Better Than Before".
 * I Just Want to Be Loved
 * Innocence Lost: And she resents her parents for it.
 * Oblivious to Love:

Natalie: Um, Henry, that's true and I totally care.

Henry: I'm trying to tell you-- I love you.

Natalie: WHAT?!"


 * Power of Love: How Natalie helps the family, especially because of Henry, who is "like, number three on [her] list of problems" but her "favorite problem."
 * Replacement Goldfish
 * Single Woman Seeks Good Man
 * Teens Are Monsters: Averted eventually. Natalie is just very, very frustrated at her parents.
 * The Unfavourite
 * What the Hell Dad: When Dan smashes Diana's music box when he will not.

Henry
"Played by Adam Chanler-Berat"

"Henry: The thing about classical is it's so rigid and structured, there's no room for improvisation. You have to play the notes on the page.
 * Completely Missing the Point:

Natalie: Yeah, what did Mozart know anyway? He should've just smoked a bowl and jammed on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Henry: ...Yeah, let's do that!"

"Natalie: "Oh, you're one of those pretentious stoner types."
 * Dogged Nice Guy
 * I Take Offense to That Last One

Henry: "That's totally unfair! ... I'm not pretentious.""


 * Plucky Comic Relief: Him being high is a Running Gag, and used to
 * Stoners Are Funny: See Plucky Comic Relief.
 * The Stoner
 * Naive Newcomer

Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden
"Played by Louis Hobson"


 * Acting for Two
 * Dr. Feelgood
 * Meaningful Name: A therapist called Dr Madden? Yikes.
 * Rockstar Song: Parodied by Diana's hallucinations about Doctor Madden in "My Psychopharmacologist and I", and in Madden's cut song "Feeling Electric."