Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Veronica “Vero” Ruiz is Delia and Zach’s nanny who later becomes Finn’s live-in accountant, house manager, and partner in crime. Like Finn, Vero, too, has been wronged by Steven, initially quitting when he tries to extort sexual favors from her. She decides to help Finn and move in with her when she discovers Finn has been tasked with killing and disposing of Harris for a large sum of money.

Vero and Finn share several similarities with respect to their circumstances. Vero, too, for instance, is largely motivated by the sum of money Patricia offers. She, too, is comfortable working in the moral gray areas, being the one to suggest that they bury Harris’s body, and even following up with Patricia after, as well as accepting Irina’s offer. Unlike Finn, however, Vero has more conviction in her actions, believing them justified by her motivations. She does not equivocate about burying Harris or targeting Andrei, believing their deaths justified because of the kind of men they are.

Vero also has a higher risk appetite than Finn. Though Finn is impulsive, she also balks at involving herself in dangerous and illegal activity, possibly because she has more to lose via her children. Vero, on the other hand, unhindered by responsibilities, is less worried about being found out, and more confident in carrying out risky tasks to her own benefit. Accordingly, she is also more comfortable speaking her mind, telling Steven off and taking great pleasure in doing so.

Vero is also intelligent and possesses the organizational skills to complement Finn’s talent and creativity. Vero manages Finn’s house, finances, and children, being genuinely fond of the latter. She is also loyal to Finn, taking pride in Finn’s achievements and defending her to Steven. Vero demonstrates what a true partner ought to look like, both in crime and in life.

Steven Donovan is Finn’s ex-husband. She divorced him after discovering he was having an affair with their real estate agent, Theresa. Steven is used to charming his way through things and being sneaky and stealthy. Just as she cheated on Finn, he later cheats on Theresa with his young sales receptionist, Bree. Steven is also used to being in a position of power because of his money, especially with respect to Finn, and relishes using this to throw his weight around.

Steven is an inadequate partner to Finn, with respect to marriage as well as children. In addition to having cheated on her, he is not a hands-on father, and even attempts to take away whatever little support Finn has in Vero. Despite this, Steven uses his children to try and exert power and control over Finn, suing for full custody. Steven’s sod farm, which is the source of his income and thus his power, symbolically becomes the site of a crime of vengeance. Once this is exposed, Steven loses his partner (Theresa), some degree of respectability, and power over Finn. His character arc is that of poetic justice being realized.

Theresa Hall was Finn and Steven’s real estate agent. After her affair with Steven comes to light, Steven leaves Finn for Theresa, whom he becomes engaged to. Theresa gets tangled up in dangerous business with Feliks, which eventually brings an end to her engagement with Steven.

Theresa is presented as cold-blooded and morally unscrupulous. She had no hesitation in admitting to her affair with Steven to Finn, which is what caused Finn to dunk her in soup at the Panera Bread. Theresa’s cold attitude is also displayed by her open acceptance that she does not like Finn and Steven’s children but will take them away from Finn to preserve her relationship with Steven. Her involvement with Feliks, taking bribes for him to lease the land for illegal activity, is, thus, in character, as is her sleeping with Feliks while engaged to Steven. Ultimately, like Steven, her arc also displays poetic justice, as she is brought in for questioning in connection with Feliks and loses her partner over her involvement in the crime.

Detective Nicholas “Nick” Anthony and Julian Baker are both Finn’s love interests. Nick is the detective assigned to the Micklers’ case; he is introduced to Finn as Georgia thinks they can help each other out, but eventually reveals that he was already interested in Finn. The two share a couple of romantic moments between them, and there is clear chemistry present from the start. However, Finn eventually defers his advances because, being a cop, she does not envision a future for them. She will never be able to be completely honest with Nick about everything she is and has done. Notably, she does not entirely close the door on her relationship with Nick, merely noting that she will think about it. In the scheme of the series, Nick and Finn are, thus, set up to be star-crossed lovers of sorts.

Julian is a bartender and law student whom Finn meets at The Lush; he becomes involved in the Mickler investigation in the capacity of a witness. Despite being younger than Finn and extremely attractive, Julian displays interest in Finn from the moment he meets her, though she is disguised as Theresa. Even when he discovers Finn’s lies, he continues to pursue her, unfazed by her background and the things she has done. Finn ultimately confides in Julian, and even sleeps with him. Finn’s relationship with Julian gives her back some of the confidence in her sexuality that she had lost following her divorce. It also reassures her that, despite the things she has done, she is still capable and worthy of being loved—or, at least, lusted after.