Joaquin Peréz

Joaquin Peréz
General Information
Gender:	Male
Age:	Mid-20s
Address:	The Coterie
Occupation:	Investigative Journalist
Aliases:	Jake Davis
Status:	Alive
Personal Information
Family:	Mr. Perez (father) Annette Perez (mother) Jenna Peréz (older sister)
Marital:	Single
Employer:	Self-employed
Production Information
First appearance:	Turn and Face the Strange
Latest appearance:	Shot in the Dark
Portrayer:	Bryan Craig

Joaquin Peréz is a main character in the Freeform series, Good Trouble.

Joaquin is the newest resident of The Coterie. He is independent investigative journalist with a mysterious background, he's spent his time investigating a cult leader who lured in his estranged sister. Joaquin works alongside Mariana to investigate Silas and his cult. Joaquin's become a confidant and romantic interest for her.

Biography

Joaquin was born and raised in Oklahoma into a religious family. His father, who worked in the oil fields before retiring, was extremely strict, mean, and had a tendency to be violent towards his family. Joaquin's mother, Annette, was a school teacher who was devotedly religious and instilled this into her children. The Peréz's oldest child, Jenna, wanted to leave home and expressed this to her family. Mr. Peréz was irate over the idea, stating that Jenna was no longer his daughter, part of their family, or welcome back in their house. Joaquin left home a few years later and went in search of Jenna. He found out she was in LA at some point, and traveled to the city to find her, despite his mother believing Jenna had died.

Physical Appearance

Joaquin is an attractive man in his mid-twenties, with a broad yet athletic build. He has dark brown hair, hooded brown eyes, and an observant demeanor. He almost exclusively wears plaid shirts with jeans and sneakers.

Throughout Series

Season 4

In "Turn and Face the Strange", Mariana is with Callie when she sees a new guy in the lot and asks Sumi, who admits he's Joaquin and is a new tenant for The Coterie. He's an independent investigative journalist who just did a five-piece expose on deputy gangs in the Sheriff's Department. He also has a good credit score. Mariana praises Sumi then decides to introduce herself, to Callie's amusement. She does and herself as a Coterie resident. He thanks her for the welcome and he deflects all her questions back to questions about her work. She realizes he likes to play games but he counters that he doesn't like sharing what he does for work with perfect strangers so he's politely redirecting the conversation. They engage in witty banter as he calls her out for coming over to flirt with him, as he's with someone, and she insults that he's full of himself. He decides to go get more toast. Callie walks over and asks what she thinks, and Mariana admits he's a dick. She tells Sumi she did a bad job then sits down. The music comes on and the groups begin to dance together. Kelly introduces herself to Joaquin and he dances with her reluctantly.

In "Kiss Me and Smile For Me", Callie and Mariana's moms and brother Jude make an impromptu visit, and meet Joaquin. Meanwhile, Joaquin began asking questions of the residents, including when the moms last visited. The Coterie crew sit for dinner for a family meal. Lena asks Malika about her job transition but she isn't sure yet, and asks Lena about her job. Lena admits that being in the majority doesn't change the uphill battle. The governor has approved Lena's idea, though. Joaquin asks where she stands on defunding the police and she admits it's up to each city, but he calls her out for dodging the question. Mariana explains he's a journalist which is why everything is an interrogation. Joaquin doesn't think there are any good cops, with Mariana admitting that Stef used to be a cop. As the conversation progresses, Callie admits that she's moving to D.C. for a job with the ACLU which upsets Mariana. Throughout the evening, which turns into an impromptu going away party, Joaquin begins asking when the residents all moved in.

After the party concludes, Joaquin sits in his chair looking at posted notes of when everyone moved into The Coterie. He creates one for Jennie with a question mark under it. He flashes to drinking coffee when his moms calls. He answers a call from his mom as Jenna left her a postcard for her each year at her birthday, but she didn't get one this year. The last place was The Coterie at the Palace, and Joaquin arrives to find lockers for each resident. He sees the creed on the wall and the flyers pinned to the corkboard, as his mother cries over thinking The Coterie is some kind of cult that Jenna abandoned God and her beliefs for. She worries something terrible has happened and asks him to pray with her. They pray as Joaquin takes a note for the open loft. He then notes that the postcard came in September of 2018, and puts it on the wall with the notes.

In "Meet the New Boss", he sneaks into Alice's loft and goes through her filing cabinet looking for information on his sister. Upon not finding information there, he starts a story on the homeless and meets Luca. He asks asks questions about his homelessness. Luca was homeless at 14 and has been for 10 years. His parents died in a car accident and he bounced to foster homes, hitchhiked, and now he's living in LA. Joaquin asks how he survived but Luca doesn't really know. He makes friends where he can, avoids bad situations, tries to aggressively be happy, and uses his sign to not have to dumpster dive.

He can’t get a real job because he doesn’t have a birth certificate and the legal hoops to get one are endless. Joaquin asks what he sees for his future. Luca sees a construction worker and police officers around the homeless tents and rushes over. The officer refuses to let him get his things, even pushing Luca to the ground when he tries to shove past the officer. The officer explains that he had 48-hour notice according to the sign, which Luca claims wasn’t there that morning. He can get his things at the reclamation center. Luca talks about being invisible and no one caring when people are erased.

Once back at The Coterie, Joaquin reads up on the homeless crisis when his mom calls. He answers warily and she believes she’s seen a sign from God. She was praying when Jenna’s picture fell from the wall and she believes that Jenna has died. The picture was a sign from god. She worries Jenna was lured into the Satan-worshipping in LA or into a sex-trafficking ring. He doesn’t believe what she believes, nor does he think Jen is dead. She will pray for his soul. After hanging up, he looks at the ceiling than at a sleeping Luca.

Joaquin looks at photos of Jenna in the kitchen when Mariana arrives. He remarks that she must not be used to sleeping alone now that her sister is gone, as she must miss Callie. Mariana tries to brush it off but he sees through her act, knowing she’s more upset than what she’s letting on. He asks about her app but she refuses to tell him, as he’s answering the questions tonight. He claims to be an open book. He’s from Oklahoma, where his parents still live and are retired. His mom was a teacher and his father worked in the fields. He has a sister back in Oklahoma, who is married and has two kids. She asks if that’s true and he admits most of it is. There’s a crash as the shelf collapsed in the other room, and books fell. She thinks it’s a ghost but he deals in facts, not imagination. He steals a book then says goodnight. Once back in his loft, Joaquin opens the book he stole, which is Jenna's bible from their father. Luca finds him and Joaquin tells Luca about his suspicions of Jenna living there before, but he doesn’t know where she is now. He finds a message wish to Diana Graham inside the bible, remembering the Diana Graham file he found in Alice’s cabinet.

In "It's Lonely Out in Space", Joaquin arrives in The Coterie's kitchen and Mariana invites him to eat with her if he wants, ignoring a voicemail notification from Callie. The room in awkward for a moment until Mariana asks about his sister, with him admitting that they used to be close until they grew apart. She admits that people do grow apart. She asks if he's ever had to go undercover for a job, with him stating he's a reporter not a spy. He asks if there's a reason for her asking, but she was just thinking it might be isolating to have to pretend you're someone you're not. Being undercover is probably very lonely. He agrees that it probably would be, and she adds that it's easy to get sucked in and forget why you're there. He puts the food away and recommends she call her sister back if she doesn't want to grow apart.

Joaquin is in the bathroom as Kelly brushes her teeth, and she tries to brush her teeth sexily but ends up gagging on the mouthwash. Joaquin tries to floss without looking at her. Kelly asks if he has a preference for waxed or unwaxed floss. Joaquin mentions that a friend of a friend used to live there, Diana Graham, asking if Kelly remembers her. Kelly does remember her but doesn't have any contact information for her. Diana just up and moved one day, though Alice might know. Kelly than shows him her favorite stall as it has the best water pressure. She doesn't share that information with just anyone, and gropes his bicep. He than leaves the bathroom while she remains flustered.

Back in his loft, Joaquin examines his post-it notes and calls massage therapists until he can book for Diana Graham. He finally finds the right place, and looks at the photo of Diana on the massage website. Later that day, Joaquin waits for Diana outside the massage parlor and acts as though they know each other through Kelly. Diana, however, doesn't know who he is and tries to dismiss him. He is persistent and asks about Jenna Perez. She doesn't know who he is or what he wants, but threatens to call security if he shows up again.

At night in the kitchen, Joaquin struggles to write when Mariana returns intoxicated. He asks if she's okay and she claims that she is. She head sup the stairs as she's going for a swim. He follows her to the roof where she's swimming in just her undergarments. He watches her swim and then emerge from the pool. They meet halfway and look at one another. He covers her shoulders with a towel, remarking on the chilly weather. She thanks him for the towel and heads back inside with her clothing. He returns indoors when Kelly arrives at Joaquin's loft in a sexy outfit. He ignores her advances and asks if she ever saw Diana with Jenna, showing her a picture of his sister. Kelly asks if it's a trick question as the woman is Diana.

In "So This is What the Truth Feels Like", Joaquin texts Luca to give him permission to stay in his loft while he's out of town. He asks that Luca doesn't tell The Coterie residents that he's staying the loft. He later offers Luca a job repairing the broken shelves in The Coterie. The next day, Luca tells Joaquin that someone found out he was staying there so he left.

In "Something Unpredictable, But in the End It's Right", Joaquin attends Dennis's 40th birthday party which is '90s themed. Mariana and Joaquin talk as she's Ginger Spice and he's Forrest Gump. She didn't realize he had a sense of humor. He didn't know she worked for Evan Speck, remarking on seeing him leave the other morning. Flashing back, Evan and Joaquin exchange hellos as he leaves the Coterie. Kelly greets him too and tells Joaquin about Mariana and Evan's history. Now, Mariana walks away from Joaquin for a refill. Later, Malika, Alice, and Kelly sing karaoke, though Kelly watches Joaquin as she performs her song. Joaquin takes the stage for a single song and enjoys his team singing.

The Coterie crew sits for dinner but a blow-up between Gael, Isabella, and featuring Dennis distracts the event. Mariana is on the roof when Joaquin joins her. He asks if the party is over but she doubts it as there's always a blow-up that they move on from. She apologizes but he's used to his share of drama. She corrects that everyone is like family to her but he knows that they aren't her sister. This is Mariana's first party with Callie and he wishes he could call his sister again. He admits that Jenna isn't in Oklahoma but she left home eight years ago and he doesn't know where she is. He learned not to take some things for granted. The party eventually continues when Dennis and Davia sing karaoke together. The pair sing another duet as the projector plays images of Dennis throughout his life behind them. Kelly looks to Joaquin who doesn't return her glances as he's watching Mariana. On the projector, Joaquin recognizes Jenna as a woman being held by Dennis. He takes a picture of the projected image.

In "Take These Chances", Joaquin pours coffee when Mariana thanks him for the advice as the call was what she needed. She knows it must be hard not to talk with his sister, and it is. She asks why she left home but Joaquin doesn't want to talk about it which she understands. Dennis arrives and Joaquin remembers seeing his sisters photo with Dennis. Davia approaches Joaquin over his recent article about Luca being unhoused. She didn't know he was homeless, clarifying that she met Luca when he crashed at Joaquin's. Alice overhears and asks who crashed and when. Alice reminds Joaquin that overnight guests have to be approved by the manager, which Kelly finds funny as the rules are never enforced there. Alice loudly tells everyone she's bringing back the chore chart and community services, late fees, and 10 minute caps on showers. She sees a cluster of ants and angrily shouts about having them. Davia asks Joaquin if he can get in touch with Luca, who suggests an encampment near Skid Row. Dennis refuses to let Davia go alone so she agrees to let him come. Alice continues her rant over people leaving food and dirty dishes around which creates crumbs for ants. Malika asks Sumi what's wrong with Alice.

Joaquin stops Dennis in the hall to show him a picture of Jenna, who used to live there. Joaquin asks if she used another name, Diana Graham, and Dennis recalls Jenna telling him that she used a fake name because of a bad credit score. Joaquin lies that they're just friends from Oklahoma. Dennis met her in some clubs as she came to a few of his shows. He became a resident of The Coterie through Jenna. Joaquin asks about her number but Dennis didn't get it. She was dating the manager of Mickey's a few months later when he bumped into her again. He wishes Joaquin luck in finding her.

He goes to Mickey's bar to look for Chris, who is the bartender. Joaquin asks about Jenna and likes that his name is Jake Davis, an old friend looking to reconnect. He found out from a friend of Jenna's that she and Chris were dating. Chris denies dating her as, despite her hanging out at the bar a lot, he didn't know her. He hasn't seen her in a long time and shuts Joaquin down swiftly before walking off. Joaquin sees a worker in the back and approaches them about Jenna. He learns that she and Chris were living together for a while but they broke up.

Joaquin follows Chris to his house and sees him with a woman, thinking it might be Jenna. He knocks on the door but Chris doesn't want to let him in and insists the woman isn't Jenna. Joaquin forces his way in and sees the woman but it isn't her. He angrily tells Chris that he's Jenna's brother and confronts him for lying. Chris admits that he didn't know who Joaquin was so he lied. He and Jenna dated for a few months but they fought often so they broke up. He drove her to Palm Springs one night to stay with a friend. They got into a fight again and she insisted that he pull over or she'd jump out. He left her on the side of the road as requested, even calling her crazy. Joaquin is angry and pushes Chris to the couch, who tells the woman to call the police. He tells Chris to pray that nothing happened to Jenna and then leaves. He's emotional in the car.

He returns to The Coterie and visits Mariana and asks to talk with her. She lets him into the loft and they sit on the couch. Jenna left because they grew up very religious and their dad was strict, mean, and violent. When she said she was leaving he said she wasn't his daughter or part of their family. Joaquin left a few years later and went to LA looking for Jenna. His mom thinks she's dead and he thought his mom was being crazy, but he's worried something horrible happened and his mom is right. As he becomes emotional, Mariana apologizes to him.

In "I Don't Belong Here", Joaquin has a horrible nightmare of Jenna's body being put in a hole in the ground by her killer. He goes to Mariana. She suggests he call the police but he needs something concrete to get them to take him seriously. She offers her help diving into Chris's social media accounts and friends. Joaquin doesn't find any pictures of Jen on his socials. Mariana wrote a program at MIT that tracks any mention or image of another user across media platforms. She will run it but suggests reaching out to Chris's friends to see if they've heard from Jenna. Joaquin is surprised she went to MIT, and they go back and forth completing one another's sentences. He asks if she's going to finish all his sentences. He apologizes for being an ass when they met, as there's more to her than he gave her credit for. Mariana assures him that Jenna is out there, but just really good at hiding. He hopes she isn't a shallow grave and she puts a hand on his knee, telling him not to go there. They're going to find her alive and well.

Joaquin checks the police database for any sign of a Jane Doe having died and finds dozens of deaths. He slams the computer shut. His phone vibrates with a text from Jenna - she's fine and he needs to stop looking for her. Mariana and Joaquin aren't sure if the text is real. He wants to go to Chris and beat him up but Mariana files it under terrible ideas. She suggests texting back and asking something personal, like her favorite childhood lip gloss scent. Joaquin, confused, leaves Mariana to answer that hers was Butterfly Boo. He texts back asking how he knows it's her. He asks what song made them laugh, which is a dumb church song. Mariana hopes she answers. Late that night, Joaquin goes to the kitchen fridge when his phone chimes. It's a response from Jenna and she correctly has the song.

In "That's Me in the Spotlight", Mariana tells Joaquin that Jenna used to work at a stand called Fruit Flint Farm and always talked about getting off the grid and actually moving there. There's another farmers market in two days so they should check it out for themselves. He's hesitant as it's probably a dead end as Jenna might not even want to see her. Mariana understands his lack of inspiration but believes he can't give up looking for his sister. He kisses her but she pushes him back. He apologizes as she's been helpful and kind. She understands but can't imagine what he's going through. He'll never have peace unless he knows what happened to Jenna.

Joaquin and Mariana attend Davia's burlesque show that evening, both enjoying it. They mainly spend their time together laughing, smiling, and talking.

Mariana and Joaquin go to the farmer's market to ask about Flint Farm's booth, learning they haven't had a booth in a year. The vendor hasn't seen Jenna either. Joaquin is giving up hope but Mariana wants him to continue. He appreciates her helpfulness but thinks they should go to the police. He looks up to see Jenna across the market. He runs to her but the woman isn't her. He looks around wildly for her and spots her walking away. He hurries after her and sees her get in a van. She tells the man to drive and he speeds off. Joaquin watches just as Mariana joins him. He knows that was Jenna.

Season 5

TBA

Relationships

Family

• Jenna Peréz -

Friendships

• Luca - Luca was the center of Joaquin's latest story on homelessness, and the two spark a friendship as Luca's optimistic demeanor rivals Joaquin's cynicism. After Luca's corner is unjustly raided by the police, Joaquin invites Luca to stay with him for a few days, offering his loft again when he's out of town.
• Kelly Campbell - While Joaquin views Kelly as an informant in his secret search for Jenna, Kelly has a deep romantic longing for him. She makes blatant advances, even trying to form a meaningful connection by sharing which stall has the best water pressure. He typically ignores her sexual advances and flirtations.

Romances

• Mariana Adams Foster - (see Mariana and Joaquin) Joaquin met Mariana on his first night at The Coterie, when they both attended Dennis's food truck opening. He called her out on her blatant flirting, which threw her off her game. The two rivaled one another in sharp banter, a trait that carries through their reluctant relationship. Mariana begins to feel lonely now that she's living alone, her sister suddenly moved out, while Joaquin's decision to be reclusive leads to late nights. The pair ultimately spend time together at late hours, as she slowly chips away at his many barriers and forces him to answer questions for a change. He ultimately helps her reconnect with her sister and, in turn, opens up about his struggle to find his sister. Despite their rivalry, the chemistry between them is undeniable. She helps him find his sister and becomes dedicated to doing her best to help him. She encourages him not to give up and knows that he won't be at peace if he doesn't find out what happened. He kisses her but she pushes him away after a moment. They continue to search for Jenna together, despite the kiss.

Notes and Trivia

• Joaquin was raised religious, having grown up in a very-religious and strict family in Oklahoma.
• His social security number is 345-00-345W.
• Joaquin notably uses the alias of 'Jake Davis' for undercover work. Jake is a known English nickname for the Spanish name Joaquin.

Gallery

Appearances

Good Trouble	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Season 1														N/A
Season 2																			N/A
Season 3
Season 4	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔	✔	✔										N/A
Season 5