Character Analysis
Susan Cray
Wahoo's mother is the voice of reason that carries the men through, whether she's talking about finances or friendship. For the sake of this story, Susan needed to go away in order for Wahoo to have the chance to grow up a little more and take on big responsibilities. He loves and respects her, as does his dad, but it seems like with Susan around, Wahoo probably wouldn't have had to be as mature as he ends up being in order to keep things together. Susan doesn't change and is a supportive character for the Cray boys.
The Director
This character is also concerned with his job and allows Derek to do whatever he wants without speaking up about all the harm he does to himself and the wildlife. But the director also realizes that Derek is a jerk and exploits his boss by getting his mishaps on film and showing these bloopers at the annual Christmas party. He regularly talks behind Derek's back, too. We don't really blame him though—Derek invites this kind of biting criticism by acting like a spoiled brat and doing really dumb things.
Gerry Germaine
Gerry is a rich big-wig in California who only cares about money and the success of his shows. Even though Derek is his employee, Gerry is only interested in whether he attracts a lot of viewers and dislikes how much money Derek wastes by being foolish. He also adds to the superficiality of the whole reality TV/show business/southern California thing—he reminds us that this isn't just a Derek problem, but a cultural problem, since they all get paid big money to do what they do. We, the viewers, are responsible for making these folks the fakers. Gerry doesn't change, and is an antagonistic character for Raven and Derek.
Jared Gordon
Tuna's father is a mess—he can't take care of his daughter or himself, and is drunk a lot of the time. He is so rotten that he hits Tuna, the sweetest character in the book, and therefore is the evil character we don't even try to like. It is okay to hate him… but Tuna doesn't, even though she should. He doesn't change (not really), except for becoming worse and worse. His function in the book is to show how great Wahoo's dad is and to allow Wahoo and Derek to both be heroes. Even though Wahoo gets irritated with his pop sometimes, Mickey truly is a good guy and Jared truly isn't.
Link
This man is big like a bear and not too smart, but is really kind deep down. He can be a bit single-minded and simple, but steps up to help when it counts—he is protective of Tuna, and will even help Mickey despite not liking his sarcasm and big mouth. His function in the book is to aid the kids and to show some of Mickey's weaknesses, which helps keep Mickey in his supporting character role. Link doesn't change much, though he does shift in everyone's eyes from a bit intimidating to endearing. By the end, he extends friendship to Wahoo and is grateful to him for saving his life.
Raven Stark
Raven is both a big part of the book from the beginning while also not doing much to move the plot along (the way main characters do). She is Derek's sidekick, ready and waiting to do whatever is necessary to keep him making money. Raven is very patient and would like to advocate for herself, but feels like she is paying her dues to one day become the big producer she dreams about being. Raven is also an enabler—she allows Derek to do whatever he wishes so long as he continues to make episodes that fans love.
She is not a terrible character and even shows some compassion for Wahoo, but in the end this is just her job. She does what the job requires of her, even if that means compromising her own personal values. She also stands in contrast to the Crays who sacrifice money and comfort and their jobs to do what is ethically right. Raven changes a little as she decides to do something good for herself (taking a road trip in Derek's motor coach) despite the fact that she may lose her job over it.
Sickler
Large and in charge of his shop, Sickler takes advantage of anything or anyone that can make him a little extra dough. He has no shame in lying, cheating, or staging things to get people to fork over some cash. However, he also has some moral sense of duty and decides to protect Tuna from her dad even though it won't make him any money. He does not change but sure is happy at the end because of all of the publicity and tourists the escapade drew.