Isabel's toxic ex-boyfriend is now a hotshot cellist in the Philharmonic who toys with her feelings while dangling a professional opportunity--a viola opening in the prestigious orchestra--in front of her, creating a complicated dynamic between them.

Carl is a married man who Isabel initially thinks is flirting with her, but he actually seeks her help tutoring his daughter on the violin. He is charming and emotionally open enough to keep Isabel guessing about the boundaries of their relationship.

Isabel mostly plays background music at events like weddings, funerals, and dinner parties where no one listens, highlighting her struggle as a freelance musician and her feelings of stagnation and loneliness.

Isabel is a Juilliard-trained violist still living at home with her parents in New York City, which underscores her delayed adult independence and uncertainty about her future.

Isabel's father, played by Dylan Baker, offers encouragement tempered with realistic expectations, while her friend Christina and other musician friends provide blunt honesty about their shared struggles, adding authenticity and depth to Isabel's experience.