Okokok so here are my thoughts on some of the disventure camp characters. This post is mostly about personal interpretation rather than headcanons…
Jake: Basically, I feel like he’s desperate to feel wronged (this is proven by canon) and it has something to do with either straight up not being able to have a normal relationship because of how weird and obsessive he gets (likely why his ex cheated on him. Or it was normal reasons, either way he latches onto it, either a way to say “ha!! You see! THIS is why I act the way I do! It’s not my fault!!”).
I also think that (related to it) he’s comforted by kind words and actions but ALSO extreme insults: He likes knowing where he stands, and if he can perceive the person in front of him as OBVIOUSLY in the wrong, then by default he’s the good guy.
Grett: Grett’s a little hard to analyze since a lot of her character arc happened offscreen and there’s not enough hints so far (or maybe I just haven’t thought about her enough to theorize) to what exactly is going on in her head. I know she’s desperate for love and she seems to genuinely want to improve. She also seems to be looked down on/excluded by her peers, which is something to work with. The best examples I can think of is that despite being in an alliance, Alec and Fiore never told her the zombie apocalypse wasn’t real until everyone else knew. She thought she was fucking KILLING PEOPLE. FLESH AND BLOOD. Not to mention her being unaware that her and Yul’s relationship is fake
Alec: Fun, but not as interesting to break down because everything feels so obvious. He’s desperate for control. He’s reached an irreversible tipping point with his family and wife and keeps making so many mistakes that he just wants to regain any scraps of agency he has left, OR forget it all for a bottle of good liquor.
Tom: Tom is desperate for meaning. He needs to be the hero and he HAS AN ACTUAL MEANS TO DO SO with his bizarre spy background. Considering his age, he must’ve shown prodigal technical skill in order to be getting missions despite his lack of charisma. But considering his need to switch immediately to his police job, he needs a tangible, hands-on way to know he’s making a difference in the world.
Ellie: Ellie’s clear, too. She’s like Alec, she’s desperate for control. With her jobs, she barely has any time for herself, and little to no agency. She’s desperate, and she’s CLAWING her way til her fingers bleed in order to get real respect, time, and the ability to do what she actually loves. She uses her cunning to her advantage, and even though she didn’t fully need to do so with manipulating Jake during the musical episode, I absolutely understand why she did it. It’s about power.