Hero - Speaking strictly in terms of archetypes, the character who changes, sacrifices, and learns the most (all characteristics of the Hero) is Victor. In Victor we find a familiar "town sheriff" character who strives to impose stability and order on his surroundings and holds firmly to the religion of The Law. He assumes responsibility for those around him and is willing to sacrifice himself for their good. This includes strangers, as well as his loved ones. This is a characteristic of a Hero.

Mac, the ostensible "Hero" of the series functions as a Shapeshifter-Trickster character, demonstrating characteristics of all three types. He is more of a "travelling gambler" type, irresponsible and nonconformist with a morality that "shifts" to fit the situation. He's a Shapeshifter because during much of the series, neither his partners nor the audience is really certain of how he'll act. The question of, "can I trust him" that is one of the main indicators of a Shapeshifter character comes up frequently when Mac is around. He offers comic relief and certainly challenges Victor's "status quo", marking him as a Trickster. However, the character does take risks, and does change to a certain extent in his own half-regretted Quest toward respectability, so he's also a Hero.

Mentor - The Director is an example of a Shapeshifter-Mentor. Her advice cannot always be trusted to be for "the good" of the team as much as it is for the good of the mission and she tells them only as much as she believes they need to know, making her a Shapeshifter whose loyalty is questionable. Her Shapeshifter characteristics are demonstrated in her behavior and her wardrobe which range from the extreme to the bizarre. She's also a Herald-Mentor who delivers the Call to Action to each of the team members.

Shadow - Victor is Shadowed by his past, by the emotional scars he carries as the result of being betrayed by his police buddies.

Mac is Shadowed by the Tang family since discovery of his survival will insure that his "family" will hunt him down and try to kill him. He's also Shadowed by his own criminal past, the training he's had that has left his morality somewhat less than clear-cut.

Shapeshifter - Li Ann is Mac's anima reflection, his ideal complement. A similar anima for Victor doesn't seem to be available, although Li Ann was clearly destined for that role in the beginning.

Threshold Guardian - Assorted baddies, of course. For each of the men, the adjustment to the Agency was a Threshold they had to pass. Li Ann was also a Threshold Guardian and both men had to learn to adjust to her place in their lives in order to be successful in their "Quest" of this new life. This is an example of how a Threshold Guardian can pose a challenge without being an agent of Shadow.

Caveat: Inconsistent writing in the show meant that characterization was frequently muddled so that the lines being delivered by one character could have been more appropriately delivered by another. This makes it a difficult show to construct a story for and muddies the archetypes.

It's also difficult to make a trinity of major characters function equally and in the end, the Li Ann character was neglected in favor of the more dynamic partnership between the two men. Li Ann was at her best when working independently of her partners or, as happened later in the series, when the two men were portrayed as one in a bonded unit and Li Ann was placed in contrast to that unit, creating the usual "pair" structure.