The Temp (1993) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kris eliminates anyone who threatens her position or stands in the way of her climbing the corporate ladder. Each death removes a potential rival or obstacle: Lance was her direct competition for Peter's assistant role, Jack Hartsell was Peter's workplace rival, and Roger Jasser was a vice president who could have blocked her advancement. By strategically eliminating these people, she clears the path for Peter (and by extension, herself) to rise through the ranks, while framing the deaths as natural accidents or suicides.

Foreshadowing: Early on, Kris demonstrates her willingness to do whatever it takes to help Peter solve problems, hinting at her extreme loyalty that crosses moral boundaries.

• kris bolin
• murders
• corporate ladder
• promotions
• accidents

Kris likely used her knowledge of Jack's allergy to wasps (a detail she could have gathered from the office) to stage his death. She somehow introduced a wasp into his car while it was stalled on the Marquam Bridge, causing his fatal allergic reaction. The death was designed to appear as a tragic accident rather than foul play, reinforcing her pattern of making murders look like natural occurrences.

Foreshadowing: The office environment gives Kris access to personal information about colleagues, which she uses to her advantage throughout the film.

• jack hartsell
• wasp sting
• marquam bridge
• murder method

Kris uses temp positions as a hunting ground to identify wealthy, vulnerable executives she can manipulate. Her pattern suggests she deliberately seeks out high-powered companies with stressed, recently divorced or emotionally vulnerable male executives. By positioning herself as a loyal, capable assistant, she gains their trust while plotting to eliminate their competition and rise alongside them. The temp role allows her to move freely between companies without raising suspicion.

Foreshadowing: Kris's own explanation that she's looking for the 'right fit' is deliberately vague and evasive, hinting at ulterior motives.

• temp worker
• overqualified
• manipulation
• corporate targets

The photo of a man and child (supposedly her husband Mark and daughter Lizzy) was a prop designed to make her appear less threatening and to deter unwanted romantic attention from male colleagues. When Rosemary explains that the identical frames contained stock photos, it confirms the entire backstory about her family was fabricated. The photo served as both a psychological shield and a way to appear wholesome and trustworthy.

Foreshadowing: Peter notes the photo early but doesn't investigate it thoroughly until later, when it becomes a crucial clue to exposing Kris.

• photo
• stock photo
• mark
• lizzy
• Kris's backstory

Charlene had discovered Kris's true nature and arrived at the bakery to confront her, likely intending to expose or eliminate Kris. During the confrontation on the catwalk, Charlene attempted to strangle Kris, but Peter intervened. In the struggle, Charlene fell from a plank and died while hanging from a railing. Her final words 'The picture' indicate she had figured out the stock photo deception and was trying to warn Peter about Kris's manipulation before she died.

Foreshadowing: Charlene's earlier demands for cutbacks and her ruthless management style suggest she would not tolerate Kris's deception if she discovered it.

• charlene towne
• bakery
• fall
• picture warning

Kris likely allowed or orchestrated the brake tampering on the way to the bakery retreat to further frame Charlene and solidify Peter's suspicion of his boss. By appearing to be a victim of the same forces threatening Peter, she deepens his trust and diverts suspicion away from herself. The incident was designed to make it appear Charlene was trying to eliminate both of them, when in reality Kris was orchestrating the danger.

Foreshadowing: Kris's pattern of turning dangerous situations to her advantage is established earlier when she takes responsibility for the 'computer error' to earn Peter a promotion.

• brakes
• tampering
• charlene
• frame job

Kris employed multiple manipulation tactics: she presented herself as the perfect employee who could solve any problem, took credit for her own crimes (like the 'computer error') to appear loyal, and strategically inserted herself as Peter's sole support system in the hostile corporate environment. By being simultaneously capable and vulnerable, she created an emotional bond that made Peter reliant on her while eliminating anyone who might challenge her position or reveal the truth.

Foreshadowing: Her immediate usefulness upon arrival and her unwavering loyalty despite Peter's paranoia should have seemed too convenient.

• manipulation
• trust
• loyalty
• psychological control

Roger Jasser's death was staged as a suicide but was actually another murder orchestrated by Kris. As vice president, Jasser represented another obstacle in her path to power. By making his death look like a suicide, Kris maintained her pattern of making each killing appear accidental or self-inflicted. His death cleared the way for Peter's promotion to vice president, which Kris had engineered all along.

Foreshadowing: The pattern of deaths followed by promotions is established after Jack Hartsell's death, making Jasser's 'suicide' part of an obvious pattern.

• roger jasser
• suicide
• murder
• vice president

Kris strategically positioned herself as Peter's indispensable ally while systematically eliminating his competition. Each death removed a rival or superior, creating a vacuum that Peter's 'success' (driven by Kris's behind-the-scenes work) could fill. Kris's orchestration of these promotions was designed to make Peter dependent on her and to rise alongside him, ultimately achieving her goal of reaching a powerful position within the company.

Foreshadowing: Peter notices the correlation between the deaths and his promotions early on, which fuels his paranoia.

• promotions
• deaths
• corporate rise
• manipulation

Kris fabricated an impressive academic background to make herself appear more desirable as an employee and to add credibility to her persona as a talented professional. The lie about Stanford was part of a larger false identity she constructed to operate undetected in corporate environments. When Peter discovers this lie, it becomes one of the first concrete proofs that Kris is not who she claims to be.

Foreshadowing: Peter's investigation into Kris's past begins with simple credential checks, revealing inconsistencies that build toward the truth.

• stanford
• fake background
• lie
• credentials

Peter discovers the truth about the stock photos in Charlene's office and realizes Kris orchestrated the entire plot, including Charlene's death. With no direct proof but undeniable suspicion, Peter fires Kris and has her detained by security until police arrive to escort her off the premises. The film ends with Kris's immediate threat neutralized, though she escapes formal legal consequences due to lack of evidence, leaving the resolution bittersweet.

Foreshadowing: Charlene's dying words 'The picture' are the key clue Peter uses to finally piece together the truth.

• firing
• police
• detention
• ending resolution

Peter was not Kris's target but rather her vehicle to power. Kris needed a vulnerable, recently traumatized executive she could manipulate into becoming her ally and eventual partner in crime. Peter served as the perfect mark because his recent divorce and treatment for paranoia made him emotionally dependent and socially isolated. However, the brake tampering incident at the bakery suggests she was willing to eliminate him if he became a liability or threat to her plans.

Foreshadowing: Kris's willingness to do 'whatever it takes' is established early, including taking responsibility for crimes she didn't commit to maintain access.

• peter as target
• vehicle to power
• elimination