Dan Velazquez (TV)

**Dan Velazquez** is a character appearing in the first season of the Apple TV+ series *Shining Girls*. He is portrayed by Wagner Moura.

## Biography

Dan Velazquez is the City desk Reporter for the *Chicago Sun-Times* newspaper. He is divorced but has custody of his 12 year old son Freddie. Dan has a history of being a heavy drinker which had caused him to lose his job at the Chicago Tribune.

## Throughout Series

In Cutline, Dan chases a news story after there was a body identified as Julia Madrigal found in the tunnels of LaSalle. Dan finds out that Kirby had pulled some clips regarding the murder and assumed that one of the other reporters was poaching his story. Kirby gives him the clips and he continues his research. Kirby had copied down the address of the suspect in the murder, Pawel Banik, and that night, she went there to talk with him. After talking with him and realizing that he was not the same person that attacked her, she leaves. Dan spots Kirby near the house, and clearly distressed, he takes her to a restaurant. As she reveals that her attack was six years ago, she also adds that she was cut up just like Julia. The only difference is that Kirby survived.

In Evergreen, Dan meets Howard,the medical examiner at an arcade to ask if Kirby’s wounds matched the ones found on Julia Madrigal. When he doesn’t confidently confirm it, Dan asks if there was anything left inside her.The pair head back to the morgue, where Howard pulls up Julia’s report. Her wounds indicate that she was killed somewhere else and dragged to the site where her body was dumped. Dan notices that a small container of radium (a material used to create radioluminescence) was also found with her, but Howard assumes it was simply some nearby debris — especially since the product has been off the market since the 1950's due to safety concerns. After taking a Polaroid of the radium container, Dan asks to see Julia’s body. He then turns off the lights, revealing a patch of radium residue still glowing inside of her.

Dan approaches Kirby and tells her that he can’t locate any articles about her assault. When she claims there won’t be much to find, Dan asks if there was a police report so he can compare it to Julia Madrigral’s autopsy. Dan expresses his ethical concerns about using someone he works with as a source for his story. Kirby doesn’t appreciate having her experience questioned, but understands why it needs to be verified. Dan also asks what it meant when she said her attacker left something inside her. Kirby takes Dan to a laundromat, which has the same address as the one printed on a box of matches the police found inside her torso. The matches are also from an establishment called the Bee Happy Bar that doesn’t exist and can’t be found in any of the city’s records. Despite his unease over this new revelation, Dan shows Kirby the Polaroid he took of the radium residue inside Julia’s body. He then asks her to walk him through the day of her attack. Her recollection becomes unexpectedly difficult and hostile when Dan asks some basic follow-up questions specifically about her relationship with Marcus at the time of the attack and if she has any family in the area. Dan attributes Kirby’s confusion to a traumatic response from seeing what happened to Julia. He tells her that she doesn’t need to have all the answers right now, but she assures him that there’s evidence to corroborate what happened to her; she just needs to find it. Dan visits the assisted living home where most of Julia’s clients came from. Gordie reveals that in the weeks before she disappeared, Julia went from being one of the bravest people he knew to someone who appeared to be living in a constant state of fear. Later, Dan visits Detective Lynsky, who becomes evasive about whether or not Julia ever called the police about being stalked. Dan attempts to break through by revealing that Julia’s killer likely had a second victim.

Lynsky realizes who Dan’s referring to and pulls Kirby’s file, which reveals her real name to be Sharon Leads. The next day at work, Dan confronts Kirby about hiding her true name and identity. The two go over the documents and photographs, Kirby explains that she’d been working her way toward becoming a reporter before the attack. When Dan reveals that Julia had been stalked, Kirby realizes that she was likely being watched before her attack, as well. Dan then asks if there’s anything else he should know. Kirby responds by telling him that she doesn’t want anyone else in the office to know that she’s his source. Dan agrees. Later that day, Dan and Kirby drive to Julia’s home to attend the post-funeral reception. On the way there, Kirby notices an empty liquor bottle along with a Gameboy cartridge. She asks if he has any kids. Dan replies that he has a 12-year-old son. When he asks if Kirby and her husband want to have children, she says they haven’t discussed it yet. Kirby then asks Dan for his opinion of Marcus, who she thinks is incredibly kind. Dan disagrees, believing him to be a martyr who’s “all decency with no compassion”. The pair arrive to find Julia’s home surrounded by family, friends, and news vans. Dan tells Kirby to hang back a bit since he told Julia’s father he was coming alone. Since most of the attendees are outside, Dan endeavors to see what he can learn from them, instead. Dan continues talking with Julia’s well-wishers while downing a few adult beverages. Meanwhile, Kirby is able to gain access to the house through the back door and makes her way up to Julia's room where she finds some tapes that were used in her answering machine.

Dan notices someone giving a statement to one of the news crews. When he calls him over, the man turns and ends up being Harper. Dan then asks if Harper knew the victim. Harper says he didn’t, but he does live fairly close to her. He also correctly infers that Dan believes someone other than the suspect the police arrested is responsible for the murder. This turns their previously friendly conversation hostile, with Harper implying that Dan doesn’t know how to do his job. He also notes that all the other news crews have departed, which appears to be his way of pointing out that Dan’s just there to drink. Kirby comes back outside and finds Dan sitting alone and despondent on the sidewalk. That night, Dan and Kirby play the tape Kirby took from Julia's room for Abby (Dan’s editor). Without giving herself away as a source, Kirby claims that the man’s statement about being “with all of you” proves he had more than one victim. Abby is receptive to the theory, but both she and Dan insist that they can’t use the tape without the family’s consent. Kirby promises to go back and secure permission from Raymon. When Abby asks why the tape was hidden, Kirby states her belief that Julia knew her killer was coming and it’s all she had time to do. Abby then asks Dan if he was able to verify his anonymous source. Dan responds that she held up just fine, causing Kirby to respond with a subdued smile.

In Overnight, Dan wakes up from a drunken stupor on a subway train. As the morning’s harsh light burns through the window, he looks down and sees blood dripping from his sleeve. Further investigation reveals glass shards poking out from his arm along with a damning bar receipt in his coat pocket. Dan returns to the bar and retrieves his keys, which the bartender took from him the night before. He notices that the house keys are missing, but the bartender doesn’t know why. Dan then goes back to his vehicle, which has the seat adjusted differently and an unfamiliar tape in the cassette deck. He arrives home and is let in by his son Freddie.Dan tries to claim he was at work all night, but the boy isn’t fooled. After convincing Freddie to get ready for school, Dan notices that the books on one of his shelves have been oddly arranged. Over at the Sun-Times, Abby (the paper’s editor) commends Kirby on her work, but also warns her that Dan has a severe drinking problem. It apparently got so bad at one point that he had to take a leave of absence from the paper.Later, Kirby presents her findings to Dan, which consist of multiple unsolved murders which are all women over a 25-year span. When Dan says it’s not enough, Kirby responds that she can’t do anything without the police reports, which he can get. Dan agrees to help, but refuses to use the tape Kirby found in Julia's room.

As the pair depart the office, Kirby asks Dan why he took a leave of absence from the paper. He responds that it was to spend time with his son.When she appears to accept his answer at face value, Dan quickly figures out that the question was born from a conversation with Abby. Kirby admits that it was, but still asked in the hopes he’d answer honestly especially since she’d answered everything he asked of her. Instead of acknowledging this imbalance, Dan declares that the man Abby described to her isn’t who he really is. The pair travel to an evidence storage facility, where Dan is both well known and well connected. The facility manager provides backup copies of the files Dan requested along with a table for them to work on. After a while, Dan excuses himself to call and check on Freddie, which takes much longer than expected when he decides to stop and have a drink with some of the facility’s employees. Dan eventually returns to the table to find that his partner’s not there. After looking throughout the facility, he finally locates Kirby standing next to the storage bin for her case, its contents spilled onto the floor at her feet. Dan suggests they pick things back up tomorrow, but she has no intention of stopping. Instead, Kirby asks if they can work from his home. Dan isn’t thrilled at the idea, but agrees when she offers to take the files to her place instead. When Dan tells her to put it back, she initially refuses. The item was left inside her, after all. That should make it hers. Dan counters that the matchbook is evidence that’ll be needed at a trial — a trial that will happen because they’re going to find the man who attacked her. As Dan sends Freddie off to get ready for bed, he tells his father about the weird guy he met who claimed to be an old coworker. He also didn’t get the man’s name, much to his father’s chagrin.

Meanwhile, Kirby looks at Dan’s bookshelf and notices a picture of him with his ex-wife. Dan comes back and reveals that although Freddie adores his mom, she’s also an addict. For that reason she has to keep her distance. When Kirby presses him on what those issues are, Dan explains that things don’t go well when they’re together. As the two begin digging back into the case files, Dan notices Kirby’s notebook and begins looking through it. At first, he’s simply confused that it’s filled with mundane details about her life. Upon finding notes about him and their conversations, however, he grows understandably concerned. Without telling him everything, Kirby explains that the book is a means of navigating her life since the attack. Dan is still confused, but hands the notebook back when she silently demands he return it. With that bit of awkwardness out of the way, Kirby states her belief that the distinct way all seven of the women were killed (and she almost was) is enough to prove a connection. Dan counters that they can’t use police records they shouldn’t even have to make their case. Abby is impressed with Dan’s story. She’s also amazed that both the Chicago Police Department and the media somehow missed a serial killer who’s apparently been operating in the city for at least two decades. When Abby asks who his source is, Dan reluctantly admits that it’s Kirby. Abby is furious at how this could compromise the story, but realizes it could also lead to a more compelling one about a survivor hunting the man who tried to kill her.Dan responds that he can’t force Kirby to do that, especially when she’s already made it clear that she has no interest in being identified.

Dan finds Kirby and admits he told Abby that she’s his source. He feels bad for betraying her, but explains that there’s no way their story could have run otherwise. He also reveals that Abby isn’t as mad as he thought she’d be, but the editor does have some questions, chief among them being why Kirby wouldn’t want to be a central figure in the report. When she remains steadfast in her refusal to be identified, Dan says he’ll keep her anonymous. Kirby responds that the police will almost certainly leak her name when (not if) the story makes them look incompetent and blows their conviction of Pawel Banik for Julia’s murder. Dan replies that she should simply “face the firing squad” and remind people of all the murdered women whose cases were never solved. Dan agrees to write the story based on available evidence from the other seven cases, but they both know that won’t be enough. Dan also reminds her that to the average reader, dead people are just bodies. Marcus finds Dan and tells him not to turn his wife into yet another person he ends up letting down. Dan agrees, but is clearly rattled and hurt by the exchange. He angrily storms out of the office and visits a bar. He then proceeds to partake in a long night of dancing, drinking, and drugs while Harper watches him from a nearby table.

In the wee hours of the morning, Dan stumbles toward the subway station with a bottle of booze. As he gets on the escalator, Harper calls out to him, causing Dan to fall and the bottle to shatter under his arm. After Harper rushes down and helps him up, Dan recognizes the man from Julia’s house. Despite his drunken state, Dan grows uneasy at the man’s presence and begins walking toward the subway platform. Harper follows, explaining and lying that he just happened to be in same the area to see a woman he was dating. He also begins asking if Dan ever found the person he suspected of killing Julia instead of Pawel Banik. When Dan deflects, Harper begins poking at him by claiming to have a son of his own; a son he’d never leave unattended while he was out all night.Harper then goes back to questions about Julia’s killer. Dan eventually whispers and slurs that “she said he was the same.” Harper realizes that the reporter is referring to one of his victims who may have survived.As the train gets closer, Harper appears to be about to push Dan in front of it. Instead, he pulls the inebriated man back before it can clip him. He then wishes him well and remains on the platform. Meanwhile, Dan stumbles aboard, plops down into a seat.

In Attribution, Dan pitches his story to Abby along with the rest of the *Sun-Times’*  upper-level staff. They’re uneasy about running with it (especially when Julia’s tape hasn’t been turned over to the police), but still decide to move forward. Dan also keeps Kirby anonymous to everyone except Abby, insisting he can do the legwork to verify information on the other seven murders. Later, Kirby tells Dan about Jin-Sook's key being found at a crime scene almost 20 years before it was made. Dan brushes this off as an impossibility while making it clear how her refusal to be named as a source has created exponentially more work for him to verify their story. He also reveals that Marcus (a photographer) showed up at the staff meeting, which felt like her husband trying to intimidate him. Dan concludes their awkward meeting by requesting that Kirby pick up Julia’s tape from an audio analyst for him. Unfortunately, Dan and the rest of the team assisting with the story can’t pin down a reason the killer leaves things inside his victims. One of the writers (Bertie) accidentally leaks enough information to a source that another paper (the Chicago Tribune) starts working on the case, as well. When Abby gets wind of this, Dan suggests that they go to print that evening with a preliminary piece featuring a short blurb about each victim. Abby counters that what they have now sounds more like unrelated murders than a serial killer at large. Dan assures her that he’ll find a way to connect the women and the items found inside of them.

Dan begins visiting and interviewing people who knew the seven victims he and Kirby identified. Aside from being extraordinary women in their respective work fields and/or interests, he’s unable to find anything to connect them.After downing some beers in his car and stress eating a sandwich, Dan visits Summer’s girlfriend. As Dan goes through them, he notices part of a makeup set with the same insignia as a compact mirror found inside Margot Zelle (the victim from 1981). The woman doesn’t recognize Margot, but confirms that the item definitely belonged to Summer. That evening, Kirby and Marcus arrive back at the *Sun-Times* to find everyone excitedly getting ready to publish her and Dan’s story. Kirby is surprised they have enough to run it already, but Dan pulls her aside to explain the discoveries that made it possible: which was Summer Francis’ compact mirror from 1972 was found inside Margot Zelle in 1981. Karen Polachek’s nursing pin from 1974 was found inside Willie Rose in 1984. Moreover, Catherine Moore’s campaign pin for Mayor Harold Washington in 1983 was found inside Karen Polachek in 1974. Lastly, Julia Madrigal’s devotional card from 1990 was found inside Anne Lower in 1985. While presenting their findings to Abby, Kirby explains her theory that the killer used the time between killings to stalk and gather information on his victims. She also declares that the paper should use her as the lead subject for the story. Dan says they can work with what they have, but Kirby is now more determined than ever to break the story and find who attacked her; even if it means putting her trauma and identity out there for the whole world to see.

In Screamer, Dan nervously paces in front of Detective Lynsky and asks when he can see Kirby. His worry and frustration is exacerbated by Lynsky’s disbelief that the man who attacked her last night is the same one from 1986 (and seven other women over the last two decades). As the two men argue, Dan notices the composite sketch the police made from Kirby’s description of her attacker. Despite the drawing not looking a thing like Harper, Dan immediately recognizes him as the man he spoke with outside Julia Madrigal’s house. He admits to not being sober at the time, but is still 100% it was him. Lynsky responds by asking if Dan brought Kirby to Julia’s home that day. When he admits he did, the detective notes that this was likely where the man first saw her, thus putting some of the blame for Kirby’s attack on Dan. Later, Dan is there to meet Kirby as she leaves the police station. He tries to ask about her well-being, but her sole focus is on getting back to the Bee Happy Bar and continuing their investigation. Dan tries to get Kirby to check in with Marcus and her mother Rachel, but she says they can meet them later and has Dan take her back to the bar. The pair arrive and find that the Bee Happy Bar is locked. As Kirby begins looking for a way in, Dan tries to convince her that the police are already canvassing the area for witnesses. Dan not only agrees with the detective, but feels responsible for what happened. When Dan tries to rationalize what she saw, Kirby decides to go all-in on explaining the weird stuff that’s been happing to her since the attack six years ago; specifically how her reality has been constantly shifting. Dan then asks if she’s told Marcus about any of this. Kirby replies that she doesn’t even remember marrying him; that she just came home one day and he was her husband.

Realizing that he doesn’t believe her, Kirby points out that the matchbook Harper left inside her six years ago was from a bar that just showed up yesterday. Dan responds that the bar had likely been in business for a while. When Kirby reminds him that it was a laundromat when they visited last week, Dan insists it was actually the same bar they’re standing next to now. The next day, Kirby walks into the *Sun-Times* and finds Dan and Abby on the phone with Detective Lynsky. Lynsky notes that much of Dan’s background information for his story came from evidence the *Sun-Times* shouldn’t have had access to. Dan agrees, but says they followed up on every lead to verify things. When Abby asks Dan for confirmation, he meekly replies that he wasn’t there to see if she did anything. Kirby angrily asks if he actually thinks she would plant evidence about her attack for their story. Dan responds that it would explain how the matches got in there. Dan goes to visit Rachel at her church. After dancing around the issue for a bit, he finally asks Kirby’s mom if her daughter has a history of lying. Rachel firmly insists that she doesn’t. Later, Dan goes to the assisted living home where Julia worked (and where Leo Jenkins is). Dan decides to see if he can find any family contact information. Dan and Kirby watch the tape in the assisted living facility’s reception area, which features a blonde dancer being directed by Harper offscreen. Eventually, just as Kirby and Dan are about to depart the assisted living home when Kirby realizes that Dan’s car isn’t the same anymore. Instead of brushing her off again, Dan asks what car she remembers them arriving in. Kirby proceeds to describe Dan’s car in perfect detail; right down to the broken passenger-side seatbelt and cigarette burns his ex-wife left near the window. Dan says he sold that car two years ago, making her eerily accurate description even more perplexing. Dan then asks if Kirby always knows when her reality has shifted. Kirby says she does sometimes, but other differences are too random for her to notice. Dan responds that maybe the changes she experiences are also signs of things to come.

In Offset, as Kirby is relaying the details of her attack to Jinny, Dan sits with them. Later, Kirby watches the tape she got from Leo with Dan and his son Freddie. They once again hear Harper mention a place called Teenie’s and decide to check it out. As they’re leaving, Dan mentions that Kirby seems much happier/accepting of her marriage to Marcus despite barely knowing him a couple of weeks ago. Kirby responds that she recognizes how strange it is, but now sees their union as a choice she was potentially going to make one day. Dan replies that she should tell Marcus the truth about how she feels/sees their marriage and see if he’s okay with it. When Kirby and Dan arrive at Teenie’s, Kirby notices that the cutwork on the pigs matches the precision of Harper’s cut into her and his other victims. After speaking to the shift manager (whose brother owns the plant), they’re surprised to learn that he knows about a former dancer who worked at the plant. He also refers to her as “the poor girl who was killed here”. Just as Kirby hears and feels the vibration that proceeds a shift in reality. Seconds later, the defunct slaughterhouse she and Dan are standing in morphs into a cold storage unit 10 years ahead of schedule.

That evening, Kirby and Dan sit on his front stoop. Both of them struggle to wrap their heads around the physical proof of Harper’s existence and murderous activities since 1920, and that he looks the same now as he did then. During the course of their conversation, Dan begins to open up about his substance abuse and how it used to affect his work. Dan also admits that when he writes a story about someone dealing with severe trauma, the empathetic part of his brain shuts off, which helps him forget about the person and compartmentalize the tragedy. Kirby asks if that’s what he’ll do with her once they finish their story. Before Dan can answer, Freddie calls him upstairs. Unbeknownst to them, Harper managed to follow Dan home and has been listening to their conversation from just a few feet away. He starts to move toward Kirby when Dan goes upstairs, but decides against it and walks away. Dan sees what’s happening and tries to convince Abby to rethink things. After Kirby walks out of the office in a haze, Dan throws a hail mary by revealing that she found the serial killer. Predictably, Abby doesn’t believe their story about a nearly 100-year-old serial killer who still looks like he’s in his 20s. Dan tries to confirm the ID, but his history of substance abuse is more than enough to make Abby dismiss it. She also refuses his request to publish a photo/sketch of Harper in the paper.

Later, Dan is given the 1920 police report about Klara Meiser that Kirby requested before being put on leave. He and Freddie find a receipt from 1981 (which baffles both of them) along with a street address, which happens to be where Sid’s is located. Dan arrives at the bar and leaves his son in the car telling him that he’ll return soon. As Dan wanders through the massive building, he eventually finds the message Harper wrote to Kirby years ago (SHARON’S GONE LIKE THE SMOKE) along with a poster from 1920 advertising Klara’s show. While Dan is staring at the poster, Harper walks up and asks how he found her. Before Dan can answer, Harper stabs and slices him through the torso. He then wrestles the dying reporter to the ground and takes his jacket. As Dan takes his last breath, Harper thanks him for the new clothes and departs.

In 30, as the editor reads through the previous night’s homicides, Kirby is shocked to find Dan Valezquez’s name. When a few reporters also express their disbelief, Abby explains that Dan used to work at the *Sun-Times*. She also says that most people in the meeting wouldn’t know him. Despite all the changes in reality that she’s fought through before, the news about Dan is too much for Kirby to bear. As Kirby attempts to hide her pained reaction, there is a reality-shifting shudder. When she looks down, the picture of a house that Marcus had been developing before is now a portrait of Dan Velasquez. Kirby then looks around and notices that all the pictures in the darkroom are of Dan. When she asks Marcus about it, he tells her that she’d previously asked him to pull the negatives for a piece the paper was running about Dan’s murder. Kirby finds someone who’s working on the story about Dan and asks what happened. According to the police report, the working theory is that he was murdered during a theft and/or drug deal that went bad. Dan was also allegedly the one who was doing the stealing. Kirby heads to the morgue to confirm Dan’s death. She’s greeted by the first medical examiner (Iris) she met back in episode 1. Iris kindly but firmly rebuffs Kirby’s request to see Dan, but is thrown off when Kirby correctly identifies the way he was cut open.

As it turns out, Dan managed to steal Harper’s billfold. Inside, she finds the picture of Britta’s husband with *The House*’s address on the back. She then pulls the cover back from Dan and takes a moment to say goodbye to her friend. Later, after she has taken care of Harper, Kirby walks into a bar and sits down next to Dan, who is drunk, despondent, and has no idea who she is. When he rebuffs her efforts to talk, she makes him a bet: If she can guess what’s in his jacket pocket, he has to give her his drink.As expected, Kirby knows exactly what’s in there — Dan’s notebook. She takes Dan’s drink, downs the rest of it, and begins writing something in his notebook. While she’s doing this, Dan hesitantly declares that he knows her. Kirby changes her attention back to Dan, hanging onto the fraction of a chance that part of his soul remembers their time together in a reality that doesn’t exist. Sadly, when she asks him where he knows her from, Dan is unable to answer. Kirby lets out a heavy sigh and finishes what she was writing. She then tells Dan that if he ever does remember, he knows where to find her.

## Book Comparisons

* Elisabeth Moss remarked that unlike the book, in the Shining Girls TV Series, Kirby and Dan do not become romantically involved. Moss said that an eight-episode TV show is not enough time to adequately develop a love subplot. She added, "If you’re going to do it, we really wanted to do it well", and so instead they chose "to hint at it, and the possibility of it" rather than allow it to evolve.