Tara Orlando

Role: Assistant to Sterling Horselover

Probably under 30, probably overqualified. Answers Sterling's phone in his voice when she has to. Was manically hovering at the Season 1 table read. Her clipboard has things on it that nobody gave her.

Vibe: Sees everything. Says less than she knows.

Notes

• Was visibly high-strung — "manically hovering" — at the table read.
• First NPC most likely to notice something is wrong and not say anything.
• She hands actors their revised pages; she knows which scenes were added overnight.
• Cory has a strong relationship with her — he treats her with genuine warmth, which she responds to. She is a likely conduit for Keeper information.
• Session 6: she did not see Sterling Horselover when he appeared in the night-floors doorway (only Cory did). In the post-episode bond phase, Cory the actor replaced his ex-wife Marian with a bond to Tara — a decade on, still working the show, she's the person he'd reach for.
• Session 7: arriving at the Dallas studio, she reported a dream of being forced into a hospital from which, try as she might, she could not leave. Echoes David ("the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave"), the trapped tenants, and Kessler Asylum. The seam is now reaching her — the assistant Cory anchored himself to.

Open Questions

• What does her clipboard actually contain?
• Does she know what Box 13 actually does?
• How long has she worked for Sterling, and what has she seen?