| CHARACTER | ||
| Tara Gregson | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Gender | Female | |
| Date of Birth | c. 1971 | |
| First Appearance | Pilot | |
| Last Appearance | The Good Parts | |
| Occupation | Painter | |
| Number of episodes | 36 | |
| Relatives |
Max Gregson(Husband) Kate Gregson(Daughter) Marshall Gregson(Son) Charmaine Craine(Sister) Bryce Craine(Half- brother) Beverly Craine (Mother) Frank Craine (Father) | |
| Portrayed by | Toni Collette | |
Tara Gregson (née Craine) is a wife and mother who works as a mural painter. She loves her family and often feels guilty for the unconventional life they lead due to her DID. Tara is only somewhat co-conscious with the alter-egos in her system: she has no recollection of anything they do when they are out, but they know all about what she does. Though Tara's personalities re-emerge when she chooses to go off her medication, Diablo Cody, one of the show's producers, has stated that Tara isn't being irresponsible by not taking the medication, but rather "wants a chance to try living with her condition, instead of smothering it with drugs" because it is "clear ... that she is not receiving proper treatment for her dissociative identity disorder". Collette has said that she is "excited" and "absolutely in love" with the project.
Onset of Dissociative Identity Disorder
When the series begins, Tara and her family believe that her disorder originated while away at boarding school. After her husband Max investigates, the initial culprit is identified as Tripp Johannesen, her roommate's boyfriend. However, in a restorative justice session in the first season finale, Tripp refers to Tara as her alter "T" revealing that she had already split prior to the incident and that T had consented to sex with multiple partners that night.
Later, her trauma is linked to her deceased half-brother, Bryce. It is likely the abuse occurred when Tara was 2 and Bryce was 14 due (a) her age as stated in season 1- 35, (b) the date of the real Bryce Craine's death- 2000, and (c) Bryce's age as an alter.
Family
Max: Max and Tara have a healthy marriage, and have been married for 17 years. Max is the level headed one, and keeps everything from falling apart. Max and Tara do not have a healthy sex life in the first season and is a partial justification for Tara to stop taking her medications. Alice and T both want to have sex with Max, but he agreed to not sleep with them, though he does sleep with Shoshana in season 2. Furthermore Max cheats on Tara with Pammy in season 2. Tara seems to worry about their sex life in "Work", when Max doesn't get hard for her. Max has a father who left when he was young and a mother who has turned into a hoarder.
Kate: In Seasons 1 and 2, Kate is the one Tara is the most worried about. In Pilot she discovers her Morning after pills, which cause T to emerge. Tara wants the family to be able to talk about everything, which Kate opposes. In Season 3, it appears that Kate and Tara's relationship vastly improves, with Kate attempting to figure out her life and plan what she actually wants. This allows them to have a more healthy mother-daughter dynamic, and talk more openly and express emotions in a more healthy manner. In season 1 she's announced as being 15. In season 3, which takes place within the same year she's retconned to 19. In the state of Kansas age of consent is 16 thus her relationships in seasons 1 and 2 would be criminal if the relationship were consummated. Furthermore Kate implies in the first season to being an anal enthusiast, though it's unclear if Kate is simply trying to get a rise out of her mother's alter Alice.
Marshall: Marshall and Tara seem to have a good relationship. Marshall's rarely in trouble, so Tara doesn't worry as much. Tara is supported of Marshall, in school and him being gay. In Season 1, when Tara, as T, ends up attempting to initiate sexual relations with Marshall's crush Jason Maurio, Marshall is infuriated and in a haze of anger burns down T's shed. Later, they reconcile when Tara attempts to get more help. Max develops a burgeoning pill addiction which never again comes up in seasons 2 and 3. In both seasons 1 and 2 Max has a female friend who does not make it into the next season. As well, the female friend in the second season dates Marshall when Marshall questions whether or not he's gay. Max is comes out for a second time to Max after he attempts to have sex with his girlfriend only for it to not work out. Max is gay. In Seasons 2 and 3, Marshall and Tara have a relatively healthy relationship, although in Season 3 as Bryce Craine, Tara punches Marshall after Alice is killed which strains their relationship, as this was on top of Marshall's ex-boyfriend Lionel Train recently dying. By the end of the season finale, after accepting Lionel's death, Marshall and Tara reconcile and are on better terms.
Charmaine: Charmaine and Tara for the first 2 seasons had an on and off relationship. At first, Charmaine is doubtful of Tara's DID, and thinks it's made up. However, after spending more time with the alters, and especially after Chicken came out during Charmaine's wedding, Charmaine comes to believe that Tara truly does have a disorder. Charmaine is more selfish, and thinks of Tara as her "biggest struggle", but later in the show with the realization that Tara never actually wanted to hurt Charmaine, Charmaine came to become less narcissistic and understand that Tara is honestly going through real problems. When Charmaine's first husband makes her have the boob job, Tara stays with her in the hospital (though it's Buck the whole time), and although it's strained and awkward to an extent, Charmaine appreciated it and helped her to understand the nature of Tara's DID. Tara, as Chicken, interrupts Charmaine's marriage with Nick, and Tara later as T ends up forcing Charmaine into labor by hitting her lightly with her car. Additionally, Tara, as Gimme, ends up intterupting Charmaine's massage at a spa. These incidents have caused stress, but also later led to a deeper relation with the two sisters, as reconciling and working their way through these events allowed them to understand each other better, and by the finale it's clear they love and care for each other quite a bit. Also, the retcon of Kate's age would mean that Charmaine's pregnancy, which was a through line for season's two and three, lasted 4 years.
Alters: Tara has several personalities that emerge when the situation sees fit. Her "alters" known as T, Buck, Alice, Shoshana Schoenbaum, Gimme, Chicken, and Bryce Craine. At the beginning of the show only T, Buck and Alice are known of.
Gimme, who is based off Tara's first trauma, is revealed at the end of season 1. Her main traits are that she's Tara's id, does not speak, wears a pink poncho and urinates on people at night. She's the result of Tara's initial trauma. Gimme is animalistic and does not react well to others
Chicken is revealed as another alter who was based in Tara's second trauma, the abuse from her half-brother. Her main traits that she's a 5 year old and acts like it. Chicken is a child alter.
T is based on a third trauma that occurred when Tara was 16. Her main traits are that she's disrespectful, dresses provocatively, frequently gets drunk/high and has a generic angry teen attitude. Unlike Gimme/Alice/Buck her uniform gets switched up.
Alice is also based on the trauma of Chicken but manifests as an impression of her foster mother Mimi Parmeter. Alice is the caretaker of the system, especially the littles Gimme/Chicken/Bryce and often appears before them because she's trying to warn everyone else there's a little about to front, the alters created first, but after T, the alter created third. Her main traits are imitating Mimi's style and acting/dressing like a 50's housewife.
Shoshana Schoenbaum is an invented alter not based off any trauma. Tara's brain formed her after reading a book by the pyschologist Shosana Schoenbaum that was given to her by her neighbour. Her main traits are being a casually racist impression of an older New York jew, big boots and a long dress.
Buck is an alter that is never revealed to be based on any trauma or person. He is the physical protector of the system, appearing when Tara needs to be stronger and more defensive of herself or her family. His main traits are that he's in denial about being a woman, claims to be a Vietnam vet, loves guns/his motorcycle, is strongly into the ladies and like Gimme/Tee/Alice, essentially has a uniform for the character which is: glasses, a hat, a flannel long sleeved shirt with the arms ripped off and jeans. Again, unclear why he manifests before Chicken/Gimme/Bryce.
Bryce Craine is Tara's abuser alter/persecutor, based off her stepbrother who molested her as a child, and killed off Shoshana, Chicken, and Gimme, and attempted to kill Alice, T, and Buck. It is unclear why he shows up last despite having been co-created with Gimme. His main traits are that he is psychotic, murderous and last.