Anyone else hate Beth?

[Bloom]

Are you talking about the hospital scene where the burns are first revealed?

I think it was a BIG scene for Matilda and hence Indiana and I don't think Clarissa wanted to intrude and steal her thunder. The way it was filmed, with the camera slowly zooming out from Matilda, there wasn't really much Clarissa could do without getting in the way of the shot. Actually, If you look carefully you actually see Clarissa move Indiana's arm as she can tell it's blocking the camera's view of the burns. Very considerate and helpful of her, I'd say.

Lucas showed a reaction, and he was just her friend - beth is her freaking mother, she should at LEAST look concerned! even tony did, and hes not even matildas real dad

[MarcHall0606]

I like Beth. She's the coolest mum lol.

[ste]

Are you talking about the hospital scene where the burns are first revealed?

I think it was a BIG scene for Matilda and hence Indiana and I don't think Clarissa wanted to intrude and steal her thunder. The way it was filmed, with the camera slowly zooming out from Matilda, there wasn't really much Clarissa could do without getting in the way of the shot. Actually, If you look carefully you actually see Clarissa move Indiana's arm as she can tell it's blocking the camera's view of the burns. Very considerate and helpful of her, I'd say.

Lucas showed a reaction, and he was just her friend - beth is her freaking mother, she should at LEAST look concerned! even tony did, and hes not even matildas real dad

Lucas showed a horrified reaction because it was in the script and it was the catalyst that sparked Mattie's self hate. Beth was being strong and supportive. I imagine she'd had several conversations with the doctors before the bandages came off, so she knew what to expect and was probably advised that Mattie would be destressed. From this thread and several others I've seen, it seems people go out of their way to pick fault with Beth sometimes.

[Jay Preston]

I don't hate Beth in that I don't mind when she's onscreen. I don't find her boring either. She's very interesting, in that she comes across as a loving and decent mother but that really hides the fact that to me she's not nearly as good a person as everyone thinks she is.

She's very flawed and if that were to be played up more, it could be quite a bit more interesting than it is now. And useful for storytelling. She doesn't always do a lot, but when she does I quite like it. I think she has become selfish and is no longer invested in any relationships outside her children and Tony. She doesn't care about Lucas or Jack the way she cared for the Sutherlands and it could be symptomatic of a coping mechanism, or just undisciplined writing. Whatever, it's still interesting to me.

I think all of the looks Clarissa does on the show are conscious acting choices, because they're so frequently recurring. She does look like she (or actually, the character) can't be bothered sometimes, and othertimes looks bored. I think Beth is sick of the drama that surrounds everyone else. I remember watching a scene where everyone else was laughing and she just had a "what the hell?" look on her face (not seen overseas yet so I can't elaborate). In more than one shot during that scene too... Clarissa house knew what she was doing, and it made me interested that Beth was not enjoying "Summer Bay" time like everyone else, and this has been something I've noticed more than once over the last year. She's not warm anymore, and if Clarissa had chosen to, she could have easily played her as the warm Pippa-type like she arguably was with the Sutherlands, but for some reason decided not to.

[alexx]

Yeah...Itd be interesting to get an interview with her, a proper one not 'Why do you think the show has lasted so long...etc'. I'd really like to know whether it is Clarissa House deliberately playing her that way, or how she perceives Beth to be. I'd love to read her reaction to a question like 'Beth comes across as cold, selfish and blaze at times, why do you think this it?'

I dont hate Beth, I like her screen time - but I personally would like to know for sure who Beth is supposed to be, because I get the feeling the writers try and make her a nice/warm mother, with obvious flaws, but in general a moral woman - but the way Clarissa plays her confuses me - thus she comes across as selfish to people and blaze to me.

II think all of the looks Clarissa does on the show are conscious acting choices, because they're so frequently recurring. She does look like she (or actually, the character) can't be bothered sometimes, and othertimes looks bored. I think Beth is sick of the drama that surrounds everyone else.

At times I have thought, as an actor, Clarissa thinks some of the storylines are daft, and she wanted to subconsciously portray that frustration to the audience, that she doesn’t take H&A seriously...but I'd like to think that isnt the deal - that just how I have pereiceved the 'bored' look at times - and its only due to the difference in scripting (what coems out of her mouth) and then the direction (how Beth looks at times).. What ever it is, it distracts me and interests me alike, so it'd be good to know for sure.

[Riley99]

I don't hate her...but i do understand where she is coming from when she interferes with her kids lives...but that doesn't mean I have to like it lol. Because seriously...she's had a million problems to deal with between the 5 of them over the past 2 years. No wonder she meddles so much in their lives lol. I would though love to see her in a storyline of her own that gives her something seperate to do away from her children.

[bodwod]

I'm in two minds with Beth. I like the softer side of her but there are those moments where she goes totally OTT and comes off as a bit of a nutjob (which I agree is more about the performance than the writing). I'd like to see the performance toned down a bit and then I think I'd like her a lot more.

[Jay Preston]

I think I agree bodwod. I've sometimes thought that Clarissa's performance could be toned down. She's quite good, but she is a little over the top sometimes. I don't dislike her performance at all, but I have felt that she overacted in some instances.

[ste]

I love it when she overacts. I think Clarissa is great and it's the only time I find Beth interesting.