While Netflix’s new adult animation show Inside Job features many wild conspiracies, such as cloning and faking the moon landing, it is the colorful cast of central characters that holds the show together and grounds the outlandish storylines in an emotional core that the viewer can invest in.
Because of the nature of the characters’ jobs, many of the major players are selfish and power-hungry, such as J.R. Scheimpough and ROBOTUS, while others are funny and entertaining but create problems at work, like Magic Myc and Dr. Andre. But even in the midst of the Deep State, some of the characters manage to be sympathetic and likable, like Reagan Ridley and Brett Hand.
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J.R. Scheimpough
As the CEO of Cognito, J.R. Scheimpough has done some pretty awful things. He believes that the only way to succeed and advance his career is to be okay with saying or doing whatever it takes, regardless of who it hurts in the process.
J.R. is a sleazy and selfish boss who does not care about his employees, as evident from the fact that he rewarded their record-breaking year with cheap tote bags that upset the whole team. He only cares about becoming more rich and powerful, making him one of the worst on-screen bosses in recent television history.
ROBOTUS
ROBOTUS is the product of Cognito’s attempt to replace the president of the United States with a robot. However, the plan goes awry when ROBOTUS gains self-awareness and becomes determined to wipe out humanity. His cunning and villainy make him one of the best animated robots in a long time but he is far from likable.
As a killer robot that is trying to destroy humankind, ROBOTUS does not have many redeeming or likable qualities. His one endearing quirk is the fondness that he develops for the sitcom Friends while he is locked up by Reagan but outside of that, he is a monstrous and dangerous character.
Rand Ridley
Former CEO of Cognito, Rand Ridley has become a self-destructive and paranoid person who is willing to expose the Deep State at the drop of a hat as long it benefits him. He is a selfish and worn-down man who consistently makes Reagan’s life more difficult.
As if his rampant selfishness was not already reason enough to not like him, the revelation that Rand manipulated Reagan’s childhood memories for his own benefit is the nail in the coffin. Rand is one of the funniest characters in the show, but his selfishness easily makes him one of the most unlikable too.
Glenn Dolphman
One of the odder characters on the show, Glenn Dolphman was the first volunteer for the human-dolphin hybrid super soldier project. He is an ultra-patriot with very strong political opinions.
Glenn is a strange character, but the show does make an intentional effort to make him more sympathetic and likable by having Brett switch bodies with him and experience a day in his difficult life. While he can be extreme and dysfunctional, there is an element of likability to Glenn because of his background and everything he is dealing with in his home life.
Dr. Andre
As the head of biochemistry at Cognito, Dr. Andre is constantly experimenting with different chemicals and substances. However, this also involves ingesting many of these, and other, substances. Because of this, his character is defined by his unpredictability and desire to party.
While Dr. Andre is not as deep or fleshed out as some of the other characters, he is a light and funny presence on the show. As the self-proclaimed wildcard of the group, Dr. Andre’s antics make it easy to enjoy his screentime.
Gigi Thompson
Gigi Thompson is the Head of Media Manipulation and Subliminal Messages at Cognito, an incredibly important job in a TV show about conspiracy theories. Because of this, she is plugged into the office gossip and always has a flair for the dramatic, claiming that no one on the team ever pays attention to her.
Unlike some of her coworkers, Gigi is actually good at her job and is comparatively normal. She rarely creates the problems that the others do and mostly stays out of the dysfunction. Gigi does not have as big of a role as some of the other characters, but she is enjoyable in the role that she does play.
Magic Myc
Perhaps the strangest character on the show, Magic Myc is a psychic creature from inside the Hollow Earth. He is a ridiculous and sarcastic being whose non-human form is often mined for comedy, such as his frustration over being gifted a tote bag because he already has so many arms to carry things.
The subplot in which he essentially recreates E.T. with a group of kids, but aggravates them until they cannot take it anymore, is especially enjoyable. He fulfills the funny workplace slacker archetype excellently and adds to every scene he is in. Despite being the least relatable of the main characters, Magic Myc is so funny and unique that he becomes one of the most likable presences on the show.
Reagan Ridley
As the protagonist of the series Reagan gets the most screentime to endear herself to the audience. She is a smart and ambitious person who tries to do things the right way, pledging to run the company with a strong sense of ethics when she takes over.
However, her ambition does cause her to make some questionable choices at times, such as keeping ROBOTUS in her secret lab and attempting to reprogram him without telling the rest of the team. Reagan mostly means well and has a lot to deal with, making some of her actions more justifiable. Given all that she has been through, the fact that she remains as moral and functional as she does make her an easy character to like and root for.
Brett Hand
While Brett Hand is initially introduced as a shallow yes-man who gets in the way of Reagan’s plans, he proves himself to be an incredibly caring and likable character throughout the rest of the season. He has a strong moral compass and always tries to convince Reagan to do the right thing.
His authenticity and wholesomeness eventually win Reagan over, especially as she learns about his sad past and the way his family neglected him. Brett is a sympathetic and earnest character who is easily the most likable person in Inside Job.