Floyd in the late 1970's outside the Mall Offices
Mall Manager (Formerly)
Skelton Crew Security Guard
Mall Caretaker (after closure)
Occupation
The Caretaker
The Old Man
The Bald Man
Also known as
Age / Fate
Species
Birth 1940
Death 1998
Mortal
Floyd Buelleur
In the 1960s, Floyd rose from being an unqualified upstart to the respected manager of the Dixie-Five Mall, thanks to mentorship from CEO John Canary. The mall symbolized his rise to success, but everything changed after his wife Donna was mysteriously killed. Her death broke Floyd's spirit, sending him into a spiral of alcoholism, self-doubt, and isolation. By the 1990s, Floyd is seen as a washed-up relic of the past, still clinging to the mall he once ruled.
Role:
Flawed Protagonist
Personality:
Bitter, sarcastic, stubborn, but deeply human. Once charismatic and ambitious, now jaded by loss and failure. His deep hatred hides his inner pain.
Primary Themes:
Underdog, Redemption, Mortality, Grief and Loss, Metaphor for physical decay
Symbolism:
Floyd represents humanity’s grit, imperfection, and persistence. Unlike the immortals, he embraces his flaws and mortality. His arc explores themes of redemption, grief, and sacrifice.
"Why are you so interested in Floyd? He is a crooked man, who drives a crooked horse"
Family
Donna (Wife)
Simon (Adopted Son)
Friends
Robbie
Enemies
Florence
Henry Manning
The Cult as a Group
Canary Properties Executives
JC Penney Floor Manager
Menu
Gallery
Floyd at his wife's Funeral in 1971
A very young Floyd and Donna walk at the Dixie-Five Mall in the mid-1960's
An old newspaper shows Floyd (left) shaking hands with his boss Mr. Canary after a string of success at the Dixie-Five Mall
Floyd at his wife's Funeral in 1971
struggle, despair, sacrifice
The Flawed Protagonist
Floyd is a broken man, who is blinded by rage, age, and isolation. He is up against a cult of immortals that are smarter, younger, and ahead of him at every turn. He has nobody on his side, no equipment, no resources and is a failure at life, and a failure for letting his wife be killed under his watch. Floyd is the underdog, some may resonate with him, some of us have been at low points like his, however it matters how we pick ourselves back up, that ultimately define us. The thing is, Floyd doesn't pick himself up, he doesn't make a miraculous turn around in his drinking and drug abuse, he doesn't overcome his internal demons. "Men like Floyd crumble", and that is the ultimate truth of life, some of us do not push forward onto great things. Floyd dies just as frustrated as he lived.
Redemption Through External Forces
The only way Floyd is able to defeat the very evil that now inhabits his Mall is to turn to a greater force, Simon. Simon represents the "good" in the "good versus evil" struggle that happens daily around us, he channels Floyd's rage and uses Floyd as a pawn to ultimately execute a major blow to the cult. Simon represents a greater force, maybe it's god, maybe it's the balance of the universe, however the unnatural extension of life brought on by the cult, has set an imbalance in the larger energy of the cosmos. Nothing lasts forever, and when Florence tries to erase humanity itself, it almost breaks the fabric of the universe. Something has to offset it, and that something is Simon. Whether Simon is driven by a god-like force, or a keeper of the energy in the totality good versus evil, he has been brought into this situation to use a broken man (Floyd) to restore order.
Quotes
A Young
Floyd Buelleur
"Henry, you could bounce my fucking head off the wall and I’d still hold it all together."
Floyd’s bold statement is his way of proving he thrives under pressure, asserting that no amount of adversity—especially from someone like Henry—will break him
"Passion. Any idiot can do well in metrics in an ivory tower, but when you step outside and need to get down and dirty in the mud, is he going to have a backbone?"
(Floyd passionately defends his qualifications by stressing the importance of real-world grit over theoretical knowledge.)
"Grit, grit and moral fiber is what you are looking for. You send an overeducated college kid into the front line of management for a Mall of this size, and he is going to get lost in the frozen food section."
(Floyd critiquing theoretical competence without practical capability)
"Pick up the phone, and call Francis… cry to him like a bitch."
(Floyd’s raw and confrontational attitude when defending his values and those loyal to him)
"Naïve? There’s a fine line between being naïve and having drive, baby."
Floyd playfully defends his ambition to Donna, quipping with a smirk
"Her blood is on your hands. I don’t know how you know, but you’re a freak."
A Broken
Floyd Buelleur
"I don’t need to win. I just need to make sure they lose."
Floyd says this to Wallace during their final preparations to sabotage the cult.
(Floyd lashes out at Simon, blaming him for the death of Donna while grappling with his own pain and confusion)
"I’m not a hero. Hell, I’m not even a good man. But I’ll do what needs to be done..."
Floyd explains to Wallace he understands his own flawed character
"I’ve spent years fighting my own demons. Now, I get to fight theirs."
Floyd says this line during a pivotal moment of reflection with Simon, shortly after discovering the full extent of the cult’s influence
"They stole everything from me—my family, my peace, even this goddamn mall. But they forgot one thing: me"
Floyd defiantly says this to Wallace, reaffirming his resilience and refusal to back down
"You can’t kill what’s already dead inside. But I sure can take you with me.. See you in Hell, Henry."
Floyd spits this line during a confrontation with a cult member, encapsulating his dark humor and determination in the face of pure evil and danger.
