Somebody Somewhere: Each Character’s MBTI® Personality Type

Like many other HBO series, Somebody Somewhere is a peculiar blend of comedy and drama. It focuses on a middle-aged woman named Sam who has returned to her hometown where she has to contend with the death of her sister as well as other family drama.

Though Sam is the heart and soul of the series and much of the story focuses on her, there are also a number of other characters who appear, many of whom can best be understood in all of their complexity by using the personality types outlined in the Meyers-Briggs® system.

Sam – ENFJ

Part of what makes this series one of the best HBO shows of recent years is Sam herself, who is a rich and well-developed character. Though she has her own struggles to deal with, she shows many of the signs of being the ENFJ personality type. In particular, she is very much aware of other people’s feelings, and she goes out of her way to help those that she sees in need, whether that’s her niece or her mother and father (the former of whom has a drinking problem).

Joel – ISFP

Joel is one of Sam’s former high-school classmates, and he is one of the best LGBTQ+ characters to have appeared in television. Unlike Sam, who is very outgoing, he is more of an introvert, which is in keeping with his personality as an ISFP. As with many others who fit into that type, is very attuned to the needs of those around him, which he makes clear with his commitment to the church and to his community. Just as importantly, he is also devoted to his partner, Michael.

Tricia – ESTJ

Sam’s sister Tricia can be a bit of an unpleasant person, particularly since she has had to bear the brunt of the family drama. However, she is also a very practical and sensible person, as she makes clear from the fact that she runs a successful business of her own. Like others who are part of the ESTJ personality type, she also has a very clear set of standards, and she is very angry and upset when others, including her sister and husband, don’t follow through on those.

Mary Jo – ISFP

As with all good dramedies, there is a layer of drama to Somebody Somewhere. Among other places, this emerges with Mary Jo’s struggle with alcoholism. Though she doesn’t get a great deal of screen time, what the viewer learns of her makes it clear that she is an ISFP. She’s the type of person that enjoys the present moment, and she clearly doesn’t like conflicts (which is part of why she avoids talking about her alcoholism with her family, let alone admitting that she has a problem).

Fred Rococo – ENTJ

Like Joel, Fred Rococo will come to be seen as one of the best LGBT+ characters to appear in recent television. He is loud and proud with the way that he lives his life, and he’s even managed to attain a successful career at a university. He thus has all of the traits that are associated with the ENTJ, the personality type that is most firmly associated with an effortless style of leadership and a skill and willingness to share their knowledge and life experiences with others.

Rick – ESTP

Tricia’s husband Rick is another of the series’ less likable characters, in large part because he has an affair with her best friend. From the beginning, he shows that he is the type of person that is more concerned with his physical and creature comforts than with almost anything else.

He is thus very much cut in the mold of the ESTP, the personality type that is well-known for growing bored easily and doing everything that they can to enjoy their life.

Michael – ESTJ

Though he doesn’t get very much time on the screen, it’s clear that Joel’s partner Michael is a good companion for him. Whereas Michael can be a bit high-strung and nervous, Michael shows the characteristics of the ESTJ. He is the type of person who has a clear set of standards that he expects others to adhere to, as he makes clear when he takes Joel to task for not being willing to spend more time on their relationship (preferring to spend most of his time with Sam).

Charity – ESFP

Every time that she appears, Tricia’s friend Charity makes it clear that, despite her bubbly personality, she is not an especially likable or nice person. Like other types of ESFPs, she’s the type of person that is very much invested in material comforts, as she makes clear from the fact that she has an affair with Rick and even goes to a nice hotel room with him.

That personality sign’s spontaneous approach to life ends up leading her to make decisions that she comes to regret.

Shannon – ENTP

Unlike her mother, Tricia, who is very beholden to family responsibilities, Shannon seems to be a bit more of a free spirit. She’s willing to break the rules, as she shows with her friendship with her aunt, Sam (a relationship of which Tricia doesn’t approve). Though she doesn’t have much character development, she still shows many of the signs of the ENTP, given that she shows that she is bored by the regular way of doing things and is very outspoken about her desire to spend more time with Sam.

Ed – ISFJ

Of the many members of Sam’s family, Sam is arguably the most balanced. He repeatedly shows that he is very much an ISFJ. He is very concerned with and invested in the feelings of other people, particularly his wife, who he is reluctant to challenge about her alcoholism. What’s more, he works very hard to ensure that his environment is as peaceful as he can make it. He is also a very responsible sort of person, and he constantly strives to keep his working farm afloat and to keep his family happy.

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