Transient

Grace Cuiming Li

          Transient characters come in three varieties: the guest star, the small but necessary role, and the necessary but not constantly needed role. The guest star is a major role in a single episode, providing a plot problem. Small but necessary roles are usually walk-on characters: delivery people, store clerks and customers, and so on. They are necessary for the continuity of the plot by acting as agents for plot problems and complications, but they usually contribute little or nothing of themselves as characters.