“What Lies Beneath” has given viewers a one-of-a-kind roster of characters that keeps the plot moving and pulsing with suspense. Among them is Elizabeth “Beth” Sevilla-Mora, the character whose fiery remarks continue to keep audiences hooked.
Throughout her deeply engaging snappish scenes, Beth’s sharp tongue has already pierced young Erica (Krystal Mejes), first when she vehemently refused to believe in young Edong’s (Renshi de Guzman) innocence—even going so far as to doubt Erica’s loyalty as a true friend to the murdered Louisa (Mutya Orquia).
Among the qualities that made Beth a tenacious figure in the series was how firmly—and almost immovably—she held on to her convictions.
This rigidity manifested in several ways: she was critical of Erica, Lucas (Andrez del Rosario), and Louisa when they were not yet friends due to the rumors surrounding them; she provoked Edong by carelessly mentioning his father’s abuse that led to his mother’s death; and she ultimately cast-off Erica for attempting to defend Edong at the height of his trial.
One would think that the 14-year time skip would have changed Beth, but she remained just as unflinching, stressing to Erica that she had never felt an ounce of guilt over imprisoning Edong.
She also deliberately worked around rumors, second-guessing Mel’s (Sue Ramirez) actions during the course of her controversies, and even embarrassing gossipers such as her fellow teachers—most notably Vivian, who had long been at odds with her and the rest of MABEL.
But because Beth has mostly been showcasing her strengths, it becomes refreshing to see the small moments that remind viewers of the thoughts and judgments she also endures.
The first episode immediately gives insight into this, showing Beth encouraging a student to continue in a journalism contest, even offering to visit the student’s mother to explain the benefits of the competition—only to be turned down, as the mother warned that her child might share the same fate as Beth, who had once been full of ambition to become a successful reporter.
Despite the implication that Beth’s profession was undervalued, she still soldiers on—but not without confronting painful reminders of what she could have been. In one instance, after reuniting with both Mel and Alice (Janella Salvador), Mel gave her expensive skincare gifts.
Labelling them as “gold,” Beth remarked to her husband, Ryan (Yves Flores), on how the wealthy are able to project their luxurious lifestyles through their beautified faces. Sensing her downheartedness, the unconditionally loving Ryan assured her that she would always be the prettiest to him. Beth is cheered up, yet later she breaks their embrace and stares sullenly at her reflection.
At the current point in the series, Beth reaches the peak of her exasperation when her daughter, Chloe (Jewel Milag), keeps bringing up the formidable Attorney Erica—whom she had known back then to be very reticent, unlike herself.
All of Chloe’s praises seem to have hammered into Beth’s mind—Erica’s main-character aura and Erica’s theories about Louisa’s death feeling especially plausible.
When Beth can no longer take it, she asserts with intense emotion that Edong was Louisa’s sole killer and that the case should never have been reopened, having already been resolved and left quiet for fourteen years.
She then gives Chloe an ultimatum, forbidding her from getting involved in Louisa’s murder case.
Through all her outbursts, the pattern of Beth’s characterization illustrates how she does not allow herself to dwell on matters that would undeniably push her to the edge of self-comparison.
Instead, Beth uses her voice every time to tear down any chance of people sizing her up more than her own mind ever could. From Erica and Vivian to her co-teachers at Amurao High—and almost everyone around her—she stands her ground with words laced with her own truths, refusing to shrink beneath anyone’s measure.
Dive into the secrets that refuse to stay buried in “What Lies Beneath,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and iWant.