Reverend Brett Woodward

Brett Russell Woodward (August 9, 1934 - July 25, 1966) was the former (as of book four) pastor of First Baptist of Haven Park. He was married to the former Julia March, he was Terri Englund's older brother and Shane Marcette's best friend.

Early life:
Brett was born in 1934, the older child and only son of John and Ella Woodward. He was raised in the church he now pastors, and met Shane in grade school. The two have been best friends ever since, embarking on many an adventure together in their younger days, including a time when they went drinking in Laramie and someone attempted to pick a fight with Brett by coming at him with a pool cue. From a very early age, Brett was also very protective of his adopted younger sister Terri, acting as her support system and confidante.

Brett broke his hand at young age, forcing the naturally right-handed youngster to become left-handed. He said in book three that his hand was slammed in the car door, through an act of carelessness, but it was strongly implied in part three of the Fireworks interlude that John Woodward might've been responsible. This was later confirmed in book five. References were made throughout book three of Brett's disdain for a certain "him", as well as allusions to abuse in his childhood.

Blessed with good looks and an easy charisma, Brett attracted attention everywhere he went, but always maintained a shy and humble nature. It was this quality that initially attracted Julia, when they met while Brett was working in a hardware store. Julia was immediately taken by his good looks and gentle nature, and the two married in 1959. They have no children.

It was revealed in book three that Brett hardly aspired to become a small town pastor. His original dream was to move to New York and become an actor. It was something he confided to Julia early in their relationship, and something she immediately discouraged. In the end, Brett chose a more humble path and first served as children's pastor at First Baptist, before assuming the role of lead pastor in 1963. Since then, he's become a pillar of the community, known for his unconventional ways. As he likes to point out, he is not your typical preacher. Brett focuses more on love and acceptance in his sermons than the rough consequences of sin, and, as Michael notes in book three, he "smokes, has tattoos, listens to the Stones and pulls his own weeds." Despite this unconventional image, his parishioners adore him, and often look to him for counsel.

John and Ella Woodward were killed in an accidental fire just ten days before Christmas, 1965, an event that left Brett and his sister Terri scarred. In response, Brett put on a brave face, but privately waged a war within himself and even briefly doubted the faith he'd held all of his life.

Julia's affair and reaction:
In book one, it was revealed that Brett's wife of almost seven years, Julia, was conducting an affair behind his back with small-time con artist Jeff Howard. Brett appeared oblivious to this at first, but the audience and later Julia eventually realized that he knew. It was revealed in book two that Brett was aware of her affair, and he found it impossible to resist saying so. After coming home and discovering Jeff in his home with Julia, Brett showed a rare display of anger and alluded that he knew precisely what she was up to. After that, he went to the bar and later to his friend Shane, where he drank heavily and told Shane all about it. Shane did not appear to take him seriously, but realized later that it was true.

The next morning, Brett came back home at Julia's urgings, and they talked about her affair. Julia stumbled all over herself with apologies, while Brett struggled to restrain how he was really feeling about such a betrayal. He refused to listen to Julia's apologies or explanation, even going so far as to ask if she wanted him to move out, or if she wanted to be the one to go, before retreating to the bedroom to ease his hangover.

See also: Book Three's Score Chart
When Terri discovered her husband 's murder, she immediately presumed her boyfriend Caleb Hennessy was the one to do the deed, and escaped back to Haven Park. The first person she went to see was her brother. Though she feared that he would judge her for her involvement with someone like Caleb, he did not. That night, Terri went to the police station to tell them what she knew about the drifter and the next day, Caleb placed a call to First Baptist, demanding to know her whereabouts. Brett attempted to play dumb, but Caleb told him that if he didn't tell him where Terri was, he was going to kill him. Brett slammed down the phone and went to check on his sister at that point, making sure to tell his secretary Marnie to alert Shane and the police about this recent turn of events.

From there, he whisked his sister to a secluded motel and confided in her that Julia had been having an affair. He confessed how broken he was, and alluded to an abusive upbringing. Terri did her best to console him, but Brett seemed convinced that he'd let his congregation down by the turn his personal life had taken. Later that night, he alarmed Julia by staying out until almost ten, and when he returned home, she found that he'd been stabbed twice in the side.

Brett's injuries were grave, and he lost a lot of blood, but his condition improved over the next few days, making him the only (thus far) victim of the killer to survive. When he awoke from the ordeal, he had no memory of the event, repeatedly asking what had happened. It was Shane that provided the details and Brett asked what, if anything, Caleb Hennessy had said about why he did such a thing. Shane admitted that he wasn't allowed to talk to Caleb after kicking him during his capture, and Brett told him that he needed to stop doing that, but refused to elaborate any further.

Later that evening, Julia paid him a visit and Brett asked her where it all went wrong. He recounted their initial meeting, and asked if Julia had ever loved him. She insisted she had and still did, but Brett pointed out that she didn't like much of anything about him, so he found it impossible to believe it was ever love. Believing she had merely used him to obtain status, and was out to transform Jeff in the same way she'd done him, Brett asked for a divorce.

Recovery and resignation:
As he recovered, Brett had time to ponder his place in the ministry, and came to the decision that it was best to resign as pastor of First Baptist. He first discussed this with Terri, who did her best to talk him out of it, before conceding that she would support whatever he chose. Brett felt that he had nothing left to offer the congregation, especially given the way his life had fallen apart, and believed they would hate him if they knew who he really was.

When he came home from the hospital, Brett was forced to confront the harsh reality that Julia had moved out in his absence. He was also forced to confront memories of getting stabbed, as Julia had neglected to take care of the blood that was left on the living room floor. Unable to cope with both the physical and emotional pain, Brett took full advantage of his pain pills and spent much of the morning in a stupor. When Shane arrived to break the news of Caleb's suicide, he and Brett had a very bizarre conversation, in which Brett advised him to find more constructive ways to spend his time, rather than drinking so much.

The pills took their toll and Brett slept, in his chair, for most of the day. When he awoke, from yet another vivid dream, he immediately reached for more pills in order to quiet his raging spirit. He made it to the bathroom, but dropped the pills all over the floor before he could take any of them. In short order, Brett ended up on the floor as well, where he finally broke down and begged Jesus to help him. The cold realization that his life had still fallen apart, despite all of his faith in God, devastated him, but he still found himself hoping for a miracle. That miracle arrived in the form of Terri, who did her best to comfort him, though Brett did his best to downplay how miserable he was.

The next morning, Brett surprised everyone by coming to the church, but he was in an uncharacteristically sour mood. When Shane arrived, he was shocked to find his friend so together, especially after what a mess he'd been the day before. Shane attempted to tell Brett that he needed to focus on himself right now, but Brett said that he didn't want to -- that all he'd been thinking about was himself for the past ten days, and that if he thought about himself any longer, he would probably lose his mind. Talk then turned to Caleb's suicide, and Brett admitted that he already knew (presumably, having been told by Terri the night before). Shane apologized for the fact that Brett would not get any justice, and told him that he deserved better. Brett said that Caleb did too, much to Shane's surprise. He said that Caleb came from a similar home and that they both had significant trauma in their lives. Brett, however, was the one that everyone deemed better off, though he wondered aloud if that was really the case. Unexpectedly, Brett broke down in front of Shane and confided his plans to resign as pastor of First Baptist.

That morning, he reluctantly took to the pulpit and delivered a sermon that doubled as a long apology to his congregation. He confessed that he hadn't been genuine, and that he'd tried to be what they needed him to be, but he couldn't pretend any longer. He apologized to them for the deception, and admitted that he was broken right now, resigning as pastor on the spot. Later, he went home and took more pills, pondering what was next. He thought about Julia, and how much better off without him she would be. He felt the same way of the church. Terri joined him and emotionally confided that despite everything, she still had feelings for Caleb. Brett told her that he understood, before the pills took hold. He asked Terri to stay with him -- something that surprised both of them -- and told her that she was going to make a good mother before slipping into a deep, narcotic-induced sleep.

The Big Surprise:
About an hour later, Terri was awakened by an approaching thunderstorm, and was surprised to find Brett had not moved an inch since she nestled into bed with him. That, and coupled with his concerningly loud and guttural snoring, helped her resolve to hide his pills, lest he develop a dependency on them. To escape the snoring, she retreated into the bathroom, and checked the bottle. To her surprise, there were only seventeen capsules left, meaning her brother had ingested ten of them earlier in the day.

Horrified, Terri raced to his side and tried to wake him up, with little success at first. After several arduous attempts, she was able to get him into a sitting position, but it took getting sick all over both Terri and the bedding to make him come around. Mortified, but relieved, Terri set about trying to clean up the mess and did her best to console him when he broke down. In a moment of uncharacteristic vulnerability, Brett told her that there was a pain inside him that just would not die, and repeatedly expressed his desire to make it stop. Terri tried to insist that he would get through this, but he reminded her that he'd had to watch them die, and there was no possible way he could get through that. Believing that he meant having witnessed the fire that killed their parents, Terri apologized for not doing more to help in the aftermath, and said she would make it stop for him if she could. He said he didn't know why he did it, and Terri, who assumed that he meant the overdose (and also assumed it was some sort of suicide attempt), said he did it because he was hurting, but couldn't do it again, promising that they were in this together and saying he could not give up on her now.

The next morning, Brett went to Terri when he couldn't find his pills, asking her to give them back to him. After a brief standoff, she admitted that she'd flushed them the night before, but tried to insist she'd only done so because she was concerned about this. Furious, Brett refused to listen, retreating into his bedroom and locking the door, but Terri persisted. She reminded him how much he'd scared her yesterday, and said she was worried about where he'd end up if he didn't stop now. This prompted him to open the door, asking if she was concerned he would end up like her -- and revealing he was aware of her drug abuse. Though caught off guard, Terri admitted it, even showing him the now-healing track marks on her arms in an attempt to break through to him, but he didn't want to hear it, calling her the most selfish person he'd ever met and telling her to get out of his house, because he was done with her.

Shortly thereafter, Julia came to the door, and after a tense initial exchange, he agreed to talk to her. Relieved, but nervous, Julia made an awkward attempt at small talk, and was surprised when Brett revealed that he'd resigned as pastor of First Baptist the day before -- in the middle of a service. The conversation grew more heated than there, with him encouraging her to spit out whatever it was she wanted to say, so they could both move on with their lives. Julia blurted another apology, but Brett didn't seem interested, reminding her that they'd been over that, several times, but it didn't matter how sorry she was, because the situation remained the same.

Flustered, Julia tried to explain that she never meant for her affair with Jeff to happen, and that she never wanted to hurt him -- she just felt so alone. An unexpected phone call derailed her train of thought, and after dramatically slammng the phone down multiple times to regain her attention, Brett confronted her about her flippant dismissal of his aspirations to move to New York and become an actor. She tried to apologize and explain that she only did that because she was concerned about what the inevitable rejection would do to him, but he accused her of being more worried about herself, because over the course of their ten-year relationship, she had never given him one thought. With that, he told her he didn't want to talk about this anymore, and to see herself out, but Julia followed him into the kitchen, insisting that he listen to her. Despite his protests, she again told him that she never meant for anything to happen, but she felt so alone because Brett was gone all the time, and admitted that when she confided that in Jeff, he made her feel something.

This served to upset Brett more, and he reminded her that the reason he was gone was to give her the status she'd always wanted, but even that wasn't good enough, because then she had to leave him for Jeff. Julia again attempted to apologize, saying she didn't think he would ever know, and Brett revealed how aware of her affair he'd actually been: he knew every time she snuck out of the house, every time she came back and every time she cried about it beside him. When asked why he didn't say anything about it sooner, he said he didn't want to believe she'd do that to him any more than he'd wanted to believe something else, but refused to elaborate on what he meant at first. After a little prodding, he asked if she remembered the time six months before they got married, when she got sick and could barely eat, but still managed to gain so much weight she had to fasten her skirt with a safety pin. Horrified, Julia realized this meant he also knew about the abortion she'd procured years ago, and insisted the only reason she'd done that was they were so young, and she was scared he was going to leave her if he found out. Brett argued that he wouldn't have left her, because that meant everything to him, before coming to the sad conclusion that the reason she'd never told him was it wasn't his child. Julia tried to deny this, but he only grew angrier, accusing her of cheating on him even then because she was always a "(expletive) whore." Without thinking, Julia slapped him, and hyperventilating, he latched onto her wrist. She tried to pull away, but he refused to let go, and that was when she saw the change in his eyes and realized that he was going to kill her.

The scene changed in the next chapter, flashing back to a confrontation between Brett and his father that took place around Christmas. Despite repeated inner implorations to stay calm and breathe through it, that became harder and harder for Brett, as his father fiercely berated him, calling him both a pussy and disgrace. The final straw was when his father backhanded him. After that, everything went hazy, and the scene jumped again, this time to Brett in the shower. He believed that the conversation with his father had only been a dream, but was troubled by the fact he didn't remember falling asleep this time, nor did he have any idea how he got into the shower in the first place. Determined to write it off as nothing more than the side effect of too much medication yesterday, he struggled out of the shower and got dressed -- no easy task, given that he appeared to have reinjured his side, but had no recollection of this, either. He searched the cabinet for any pills Terri might've overlooked, and though he didn't find any, he did come across a leftover bottle of medication from a few years ago, when Julia broke her foot. After taking a handful of them, he went in search of some alcohol to "help them along", and was dismayed by the destruction in his kitchen. There was debris all ove the floor, including broken glass, cookware and women's shoes, along with multiple pools of water. Most disturbing, however, was Julia's body, sprawled on the floor. At first, he found it difficult to believe, but as he drew closer, flashes of her murder began to come back to him, and he realized that it was not, in fact, a dream -- none of it was. She was dead. They were all really dead, and he was the one who'd killed them.

A short time later, Shane came by, at Terri's request, and let himself in when Brett did not come to the door. Shane was surprised when Brett came out of the kitchen coughing and rubbing his nose. Brett seemed surprised to see him, too, asking if he'd come to arrest him. Shane denied this, saying he'd just come by to talk, but Brett didn't seem interested in that, telling him that he didn't need to be there and should leave. Shane persisted, especially when he noticed how infected Brett's wounds appeared, and asked point blank if he'd "done something." At first, Brett did not want to answer him, but finally affirmed that he did something bad. Assuming he meant some sort of suicidal gesture, Shane panicked, screaming at him that he knew someone and could get him help, because he'd gone through something similar five years prior, after the death of his mother. Brett insisted that it was too late, and that something was wrong with him, to which Shane, who still did not understand what he meant, told him nothing was wrong with him, there was something wrong with everyone else. He insisted that this was Jeff's fault and Julia's fault, and at the mention of his wife's name, Brett collapsed in tears on the floor, saying that she was dead because of him. Shane remembered Julia's car outside and finally put two and two together, asking where she was. After a brief hesitation, Brett admitted she was in the kitchen, and when Shane went in, he was shocked at the disarray. Julia's body shocked him the most, though, and when he touched her, he took a step back -- right into a puddle. Slipping, he fell to the floor, hitting his head hard against the tile and knocking himself unconscious.

Brett came to investigate this and, believing Shane to be dead as well, took the gun from his body and barricaded himself in the bedroom. Gory details of his crimes began to come back to him, revealing that he'd met up with Carol in the park on the night of July 4. After a bit of small talk, she announced her intention to throw Jeff out the next day, and when he expressed sympathy, she dismissed it, saying that if there was anyone to feel sorry for, it was him, because he was still stuck with "that whore." He tried to refute this, but that seemed to infuriate Carol, and she accused him of being there for the same reason she was -- to catch Jeff and Julia together. Shaking, he tried to deny it, but she continued to call his bluff, insisting that he "stop being such a pussy" and do something about it. Angrily, he told her that she didn't know the first thing about his wife, and attempted to leave, but Carol blocked the path. Taking hold of his arm, she told him to grow some balls and do something, and when he didn't respond, she shoved him, which was where his memory cut off.

He also recalled going to Lance's office to try and help him sort out his marital woes, only to be met with Lance's trademark contempt. Rebuffing his offer, Lance tore into him, calling him worthless and crazy, among other things, and told him that if he wanted to help anyone, he needed to start with Terri, because this was her fault, not his. He didn't stop there, revealing that Terri was having an affair with her drug dealer, and sarcastically challenging Brett to help that, throw some scriptures at that, take a baseball bat to that, and so on. With that, he tried to throw Brett out of his office, but Brett refused to leave, which left Lance, who'd been opening the mail when Brett arrived, to come out from behind the desk. The letter opener, a long instrument more closely resembling a dagger, was still in his hand and was downturned in Brett's direction. The flash ended there.

The only complete image he was able to piece back together was what took place in the kitchen. Julia was able to claw free from his grip on her throat and ran for the back door, but fumbled with the latch for too long, which allowed him to intercept her. She attempted to beg for her life, and told him that if he wanted her to leave, she would, and no one ever had to know what had gone on there. He did not seem interested in that, however, and dragged her toward the sink. At first, he pulled a knife from the block on the counter and slid the dull edge across her neck, but decided that would be too easy for someone like her. Resolving that she needed something less immediate and more involved, he pivoted her toward the sink, drowning her in the dishwater that stood inside it, then casting her body to the floor.

Having blocked out these atrocities, Brett was horrified by what he'd done, and begged God to forgive him, plunging his fingers into the wounds that had come open during his struggle with Julia. It was his intention to "make it stop", and he'd been doing that when Shane arrived, but was unable to drown himself the same way he'd done Julia, because, in his words, "it burned." Unable to cope, he hit himself with the gun he'd taken from Shane, which reminded him of the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of his father. He noted that it didn't matter that it had been decades since the last time his father beat him into a corner, or slammed his hand in the car door -- the abuse could never actually end, because he'd taught his children to abuse themselves, Terri by self starvation and Brett by various mishaps he played off as careless accidents over the years.

This brought back the memory of waking up in an isolated motel, with Terri sitting silently on the floor. Over and over, an inaudible voice plagued him, telling him he was worthless, that no one loved him, and other nasty things, but he tried to block it out with scripture and prayer. Terri, noticing his strange demeanor, tried to get him to stay and take a shower before heading home to face Julia, but he refused, saying that he needed to face it -- the "it" being what the voice had whispered to him: "you're better off dead!" On the way home, the voices continued to plague him, to the point that he almost struck a pedestrian crossing the road. He brought the car to an abrupt stop, missing the man, but dislodging a knfie that had been wedged under his seat. At first, he wondered where it could have come from, before the voice reminded him that it was not a knife at all, it was a letter opener -- the same one that he'd stuck into Lance's chest three times. Though Brett was initially unwilling to believe it, citing that he would remember doing those things and would feel something, the voices continued to taunt him, saying he didn't feel anything because he didn't care, and Lance and Carol deserved to die. They also suggested that he, too, deserved to die and implored him to do it. Too weak and shaken to resist any longer, he gave in, and used the letter opener to stab himself when he got home. Horrified to discover that he'd been responsible for taking six lives (five from his hand and one -- Lucas -- from his refusal to believe that the darkness within him could've been real), Brett realized the only foolproof way to ensure he never hurt anyone else was Shane's gun.

Meanwhile, a dazed and injured Shane dragged himself through the house looking for Brett, and when he fell outside the bedroom, discovered he was barricaded inside. Struggling to his knees, Shane tried to come in, but the door was locked, and Brett refused to open it, saying that he needed to leave. When pressed as to why, Brett admitted he had Shane's gun, and intended to make it stop, but couldn't do that in front of him, so he needed him to leave. Shane panicked, trying to force his way in, but found breaking down a door a lot harder than it looked in the movies. Desperate, he told Brett he didn't have to do it, because he could help him cover it up, but Brett seemed aghast he'd even suggest such a thing, saying he didn't understand what he'd done. Shane insisted that he didn't care what he'd done, but Brett dismissed that, again telling him to leave.

Unwilling to accept that, Shane tried to stand, but was too dizzy and was soon on the floor again. He felt himself on the verge of passing out and tried to stay conscious, but could sense his connection with the world around him wavering. Having heard the noise, Brett came out of the bedroom to investigate, horrified to find Shane semi-conscious on the floor. He knelt beside him and promised that he'd be okay, and that he'd call for help, but Shane was too disoriented to respond and passed out. When he came to, he could hear Brett speaking to someone about a seizure, but was unaware that he was talking about him. Shane tried to get up, but still found himself too woozy, and was soon joined by Brett again, who promised that everything would be fine and help was coming. It took a moment for Shane to remember the gun, but once he did, he panicked, asking Brett what he'd done with it. At first, Brett tried to dismiss his concern, but ultimately admitted that it was in the bedroom, and he'd put it down when he heard him fall. Though relieved, Shane asked for it back, and Brett obliged, crawling back into the bedroom to retrieve it. Shane noticed how badly he was hurt, and that the wounds to his side appeared to have been gouged open, and felt guilty for asking for the gun back, knowing how much trouble Brett had to go through to get it. He started to tell him not to bother, but an approaching siren cut him off mid-sentence.

At once, Shane understood that the siren was the help Brett referred to, realizing that once that help arrived and saw what he'd done to Julia, there were only two ways for Brett to leave this house: in the back of a squad car, or in the back of a hearse -- and he'd just sent him back in there for the gun. Desperate to reach him, Shane crawled on his stomach toward the bedroom, despite Brett screaming at him to stay where he was. Shane continued crawling, begging him not to do it, but Brett shot himself before Shane could reach him.

The Lost Interlude: Another Place and Time:
In part one of the lost Another Place and Time interlude, taking place in the alternate timeline of 1981, Brett has moved from Haven Park and renounced the ministry, selling insurance in the Cheyenne suburb of South Greeley. He has also divorced Julia, and steams over her inability to keep a consistent visitation schedule, so he can see their ten-year old daughter Kate. It is said that Julia does not approve of his lifestyle (which includes a pregnant girlfriend named Tina and what appears to be a fairly substantial cocaine dependency) and Brett believes this might be the reason that she does not want Kate to visit. Unexpectedly, he gets a call from Elaine Pierce, the wife of former mayor Clayton Pierce, to inform him her husband passed away the night before and inquire if he would be able to officiate at the service. Surprised, Brett refuses, as he does not do that sort of thing anymore. Mrs. Pierce is clearly disappointed by this. Minutes later, Shane calls, to give him the warning that Mrs. Pierce had already called him looking for Brett's number. Brett relates that she has already called. Their conversation is somewhat bizarre, as it is clear that Brett is under the influence of cocaine, but they converse as normally as possible. Brett tells Shane that he should not allow Carol to pull the stunts she pulls with him, while Shane encourages Brett to become more involved in Tina's pregnancy. Then, Shane announces he has to make a campaign stop and tells Brett to "go easy on that shit", reminding him of what happened "last time." Brett promises he will, even as he is digging through his desk drawer for more drugs.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams (the prequel):
Book 4.5 finds Brett working as a delivery driver for his brother-in-law Lance at The Chair Emporium, alongside an older man named Louie. On his 27th birthday, Brett delivers furniture to the future home of Carol and David Mathison, where he endures Dave's ribbing about everything from his driving, to his lack of success, to even the apartment he used to maintain with Shane, but keeps his mouth shut and tells Louie that he is used to it and doesn't consider it a big deal.

Later that night, Louie takes him out for drinks, where conversation quickly turns personal. Expected to ask a "good question", Brett asks Louie about the first girl to break his heart. After Louie relates the story of his long-lost love Annmarie, he asks Brett the same question, and Brett remembers a former girlfriend named Lucy. Louie surprises him by knowing the family, having lived down the road from them, and asks what happened. Brett tells him he isn't quite sure, as the breakup came out of nowhere -- and it wasn't even Lucy who broke up with him, it was her father, a strict Mormon named Glenn Duncan. Soon, they are joined by Shane, and Louie brings up their earlier encounter with Dave, using it as an example as to how Brett needs to learn to stick up for himself. Shane takes issue with this, but Brett again says it isn't a big deal and opts to go play pool with his friend to alleviate some of the tension.

After talking Shane through his latest romantic crisis, Brett drinks some more, then gets a ride home from Louie. In the truck, he rambles about how he hopes to get old enough to accomplish something, stating he hopes he can someday die on his feet, then suggests they call up Glenn Duncan to tell him what an asshole he is, much to Louie's amusement. After trying, and failing, to unlock the door several times, he finally stumbles inside to find Julia, his parents and her mother waiting for him. Brett's father wastes little time calling him out on his drunken state, and spends the rest of the evening dressing him down until Julia's mother finally speaks up for him. This causes Julia to get involved, all while Brett and his mother watch helplessly on the sidelines. Knowing that he has to intervene before the situation gets even worse, Brett speaks up, but before he can say what is really on his mind, Terri arrives, solo. She tells him that she wants to talk to him, privately, and mentions Lance being upset with him, but Brett pays little mind to this, allowing the alcohol to get the better of him and passing out in the middle of his party.

A short time later, Terri wakes him up to tell him she is about to leave, and ask where the truck is. At first, Brett doesn't know what she is talking about, but the gravity of the situation appears to set in when Terri recounts how angry Lance is that he and Louie took off in it, and is promising to fire people. Brett almost admits that the whole thing was Louie's idea, but realizes that Louie has a lot more to lose than he does, and assumes full responsibility. Though clearly disappointed, Terri concocts a plan to lie about the whole thing, telling Lance that the truck unexpectedly broke down and Louie was forced to fix it on the fly, Brett is surprised that she'd suggest he lie, but she refuses to back down, saying it is the only way he can keep his job. She also makes him promise to never do anything of the sort again.

Character conception and representation:
In the original version of the story, Brett had a much smaller part. He was around to preach funeral after funeral and counsel those that were left behind, but other than that, he didn't figure prominently into the story.

In the current incarnation, Brett is best described as a flawed man of faith. He takes his calling and his congregation seriously, but he is just as human as anyone else. A good 30 years younger than the majority of his parishioners, he often alienates them with his more modern approach. He is reclusive and non-confrontational, often growing depressed and never sharing too much of himself with others, not even his closest friends and family.

During Independence Day 's webseries era, actor Paul Newman served as Brett's visual representation.

Trivia:
Of the entire canvas, Brett is my favorite character to write. His rapport with Shane reminds me a great deal of Phoenix and T.J., two central characters on a prior webseries of mine, Behind Closed Doors.