Abigail Jimenez Fleming
| Abigail Jimenez Fleming | |
"Fear has two meanings. I choose to rise."
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| Biographical Information | |
| Full Name | Abigail Jimenez Fleming |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Abby (by Benji) The Compass (fan nickname) |
| Age | Early 30s |
| Birth Place | Nowhere, WV (revealed Ep. 10) |
| Occupation | Tech Enforcement Officer (formerly: Police Officer, Antique Trader) |
| Physical Description | |
| Hair | Dark brown |
| Notable Features | EMF rash patterns (become moth-like in Ep. 1) |
| Relationships | |
| Father | Unknown human male |
| Mother | Unknown "otherworldly" being |
| Love Interest | Benji Margolis (implied) |
| Employer | Thaddeus Beaumont |
| Series Information | |
| First Appearance | "Welcome to Nowhere" |
| Episodes | 10 (all Season 1) |
| Status | Alive |
| Fan Cast | Gina Rodriguez Mary Elizabeth Winstead Sonequa Martin-Green |
Abigail Jimenez Fleming is the protagonist of Tales from Nowhere. A former police officer suffering from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Disorder (EHD), she relocates to the town of Nowhere, West Virginia to serve as its new tech enforcement officer. What begins as a search for relief from her condition becomes a journey of self-discovery as she uncovers the town's supernatural secrets and her own mysterious origins.
Background
Before arriving in Nowhere, Abigail lived a solitary, nomadic life. Her EHD made it impossible to maintain a stable career or relationships in the modern world. She lost her job as a police officer due to her condition and turned to collecting and trading antiques and vintage clothing, which allowed her to avoid electronics while earning a living.
Her most treasured possession is an old-fashioned analog compass, which she loves for its connection to Earth's natural magnetic field. This compass becomes a recurring visual motif throughout the series, often spinning wildly to signal paranormal activity.
A severe EHD attack hospitalized Abigail shortly before the series begins. At her lowest point, she received an invitation to become Nowhere's tech enforcement officer. The job seemed tailor-made for her: a remote town in the National Quiet Zone where electronic devices are restricted.
"I'd always considered my EMF sensitivity as a curse. But now, in Nowhere, it's become a gift with a purpose." Abigail, Episode 2
Personality
The series describes Abigail as resilient, pragmatic, and quick-witted. She approaches the supernatural events of Nowhere with deep skepticism, always seeking scientific or technological explanations before accepting paranormal ones.
Her isolation has made her fiercely independent but also emotionally guarded. The series arc involves her learning to trust others and accept help. Her relationship with Benji is central to this development.
Despite her skepticism, Abigail has a strong moral compass (pun intended by the writers, probably). She repeatedly risks herself to protect Nowhere's residents, even those she doesn't fully trust like Thaddeus Beaumont.
Core Fear: Being Inherently Different
"You're not human, Abigail. You never were. Every time you help someone, every time you think you're good, you're just... pretending."
The Wendigo, Episode 2
According to the show bible, Abigail's deepest fear is being inherently different not human enough. Her EMF sensitivity has always made her feel like an outsider, unable to participate in modern life. When she discovers her supernatural heritage, this fear intensifies: What if she really isn't human? What if her instinct to help others is just a mask covering something monstrous?
This fear is weaponized against her by the Wendigo throughout Season 1, and overcoming it is central to her arc. By the finale, she learns to accept that "different" doesn't mean "monstrous" and that her hybrid nature is a gift, not a curse.
Abilities
EMF Sensitivity
Abigail's electromagnetic hypersensitivity is initially portrayed as a debilitating medical condition causing skin irritation, tinnitus, and fatigue near electronic devices. In Nowhere, it evolves into something more.
In the town's unique electromagnetic environment, her sensitivity allows her to:
- Detect paranormal activity through EMF fluctuations
- See faint EMF auras around affected objects and people
- Navigate using her sensitivity like a "paranormal compass"
- Sense the presence and emotional state of supernatural entities
Psychometric Visions
First manifesting in Episode 1, Abigail gains the ability to experience visions when touching objects or entering locations with strong emotional residue connected to supernatural events. These visions are:
- Vivid and immersive, often showing events from a cryptid's perspective
- Disorienting and exhausting
- Not fully under her control
- Connected to fragments of her own forgotten past
EMF Push-Back
By mid-season, Abigail develops the ability to influence electronic devices through emotional surges. This "push-back" is:
- Triggered by strong emotions (fear, anger, protective instincts)
- Unpredictable and uncontrollable
- Physically and mentally depleting
- Increasingly powerful as the season progresses
Season 1 Arc
Abigail's journey in Season 1 follows a classic hero's arc, from reluctant outsider to Nowhere's protector.
Episodes 1-3: Arrival and Awakening
Abigail arrives in Nowhere seeking refuge and immediately gets pulled into investigating the YouTuber disappearances. Her abilities begin manifesting, and she meets key allies including Benji. She's skeptical but intrigued by the town's mysteries.
Episodes 4-6: Investigation and Discovery
As Abigail investigates more phenomena, she experiences visions of her forgotten childhood in Nowhere. She begins to suspect her arrival wasn't coincidental. Her relationships with the town's residents deepen, though her trust issues remain.
Episodes 7-9: Confrontation and Revelation
The season's mysteries converge. Abigail learns about the Mithraic cult, the Beaumont family's dark history, and the Wendigo's growing influence. In Episode 8, she enters Thaddeus's mysterious chamber and confronts the Skinwalker, gaining crucial knowledge about her heritage.
Episode 10: The Wendigo Awakens
In the season finale, Abigail leads Nowhere's residents against the awakened Wendigo. She learns she was born in Nowhere to a human father and otherworldly mother, hidden away by Clara to protect her. By accepting her nature and role as protector, she gains the power to subdue the Wendigo, though she internalizes part of its essence in the process.
Relationships
Planned Future Arcs
Season 2: "Legacy of Power"
- Abigail would struggle to guide the newly-powered teenagers
- Her romance with Benji would create tension with Willow, who feels abandoned
- Her powers would begin mirroring those of the teens
- She would learn more about her parents' roles in opposing factions
Season 3: "Nowhere United"
- Government forces would threaten to expose or exploit Abigail
- She would create electromagnetic shields and disrupt surveillance
- Her empathic abilities would expand to sense supernatural intentions
- She would lead the effort to open an interdimensional doorway for the cryptids
Season 4: "Beyond Fear"
- Abigail would develop involuntary shapeshifting
- She would travel to another dimension to meet her mother's people
- Her final arc would involve fully integrating the Wendigo's essence
- She would become the bridge between humanity and the supernatural
Trivia
- Creator Jesse Alexander has stated Abigail was inspired by his own experience working on Hannibal and learning to "face fear rather than run from it."
- The analog compass Abigail carries is a Brunton Pocket Transit, a model used by geologists since the early 1900s.
- Abigail's last name "Fleming" may be a reference to Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond) or Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin). Neither has been confirmed.
- The moth-like patterns that appear on her skin in Episode 1 were designed to mirror the Mothman's wing patterns.
- In early drafts, Abigail was named "Miranda Wells" and was a former nurse rather than a police officer.
- The fan casting of Gina Rodriguez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Sonequa Martin-Green comes directly from the show bible.
Memorable Quotes
Fan Theories
Some fans theorize Abigail's "otherworldly" mother was actually a benevolent aspect of the Wendigo itself, explaining her unique connection to the entity and her ability to internalize its essence without being consumed. Evidence: her EMF sensitivity mirrors the Wendigo's frequency manipulation; she's able to communicate with it when others can't.
Given Clara's agelessness, her protective behavior toward Abigail, and the revelation that Clara "spirited her away" as a baby, many fans believe Clara IS Abigail's mother, hiding in plain sight. See the full theory on the Fan Theories page.
A more esoteric theory suggests Abigail's beloved compass contains or is connected to her mother's essence, explaining why it responds to supernatural events and why Abigail feels such attachment to it.