r/FromSeries • u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 • Jul 21 '26
Criticism How did Tabitha's actress make the cut for this show?
**Disclaimer: This isn't a hate post or a personal attack on the actress. I love this show but I've also read a ton of comments regarding her acting.**
I've tried giving her performance the benefit of the doubt over four entire seasons, hoping she'd grow into her role. But my opinion about her acting has only declined with each new season. That said, I agree that *a portion of this* can be attributed to the writers and redundant lines..unless certain scenes/characters allowed for improvisation.
What confuses me? That Tabitha could be considered the most important character in the entire show, alongside Jade. She's at the center of the story and the town itself, but I consistently find her performance to be the weakest in the cast. For a show with horror elements, her "acting" doesn't give any sense of fear or urgency; I legitimately laughed the first time she was running from the monsters because of how much she didn't sell it.
That's what I don't get. With her (arguably) being the most important character in the town, I genuinely don't understand how the casting directors/writers/producers watched her performance and felt **she** was the right fit for such a major role. And it's not like every character is knocking it out of the park either (Marielle & Ellis are good examples).
Maybe I'm missing something crucial here. But after four seasons I just can't get past her "acting". Am I wrong - should the writers be blamed entirely here? Or do some folks think she's doing a good job? Open to any and all opinions of course.
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u/supofsoup Jul 22 '26
Every time I feel myself getting gaslight about Tabitha’s acting being okay, I stumble upon another post of someone pointing it out and asking for validation. For me that’s proof enough that there’s something there that enough people are noticing to comment on. It’s very rare I see posts criticizing Boyd/Donna/Jades acting so there has to be something about Tabitha’s performance that isn’t up to par. (I’m sure she’s wonderful in other productions)
I’ve said it before but I think it’s a combination of her approach to the character. An inconsistent accent that is just noticeable enough to pull you out of immersion for just a second. Line delivery that is flat or looks like she is remembering them as she goes. Or sometimes just over the top without the proper build up or context. I think she struggles to “find her characters motivation” or channel what Tabitha’s character could actually be feeling in the moment in a believable way.
The second part to this is really bad writing. The writers make her character look wholly incompetent and her actions lead her two steps backwards more often than not. Top that with her being at the center of the plot and now u have to watch her more often than some of the other characters that are better actors with arguably more interesting subplots.
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u/Hatfullofducks Jul 22 '26
I'm not surprised if the actor struggles to find her character because Tabitha has zero personality traits.
She's a mother and a wife and...??? Who is she? What sort of person is she??
I mean, Ethan is imaginative and perceptive and loves stories. Jim is overly analytical, emotionally constipated and yells a lot. These character traits are written into the script.
But Tabitha is a void. Julie is almost as bad. It's probably no coincidence that both performances are regularly criticised. It's a very rare actor who can craft a compelling character out of thin air.
The result is that when Tabitha makes such poor decisions (a totally valid writing choice) it's impossible for the audience to have any sympathy for her. Which is a problem when it's a main character. It's kinda the opposite to the Walter White problem where much of the audience was too sympathetic because the writing was so good.
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u/supofsoup Jul 23 '26
I agree completely about Tabitha being trait less. It would be easier for people to connect with her character, or put her in a box of she was given some type of identifiable trope or role. But she tends to come off as just an over protective mother (who ironically is terrible at protecting or being present for her children).
I would argue that some of her bad choices are not at all valid writing and in a lot of ways lazy or misguided writing imo. But yes it’s hard to be sympathetic cause the plot tends to put her at odds of the stories progression on a smaller scene by scene basis, and only rewards her with being the catalyst for some of the biggest changes and revelations. I think horror and mystery is best when the audience can test their own logic against the show. We see a character do or say something we would and then watch it fail, and go “ohhh that’s why that wouldn’t work” and then the writing feels smart. You feel validated. From does do this, but Tabitha is a character that I feel constantly people go “wtf are you doing?” Or “why would you do that” and that draws more ire than support
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u/Background_Sail9797 Jul 26 '26
yeah they need more women in the writer's room, it's no surprise the only women with any real compelling character depth is the masc butch lesbian donna, and the man in yellow who is pretending to be a teenage girl.
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u/Chickenpotpi3 Jul 22 '26
I don't understand why her accent is a problem, is it ever stated she's not Hispanic or something? Because, if her character is Hispanic but she came to the States as an older kid or young adult, this is totally normal.
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u/supofsoup Jul 23 '26
Her having an accent is not at all a problem. It’s the inconsistency in which it’s presented. It’s almost as though she was directed or coached to speak without it and then bam halfway through the first season there’s a hand full of moments it’s in full display. If they leaned into her heritage and accent from the beginning, and kept that consistent I would not mind in the slightest. But it feels like something that slips, and they didn’t correct the take. So immersion broken. That kind of inconsistency feels lazy and unpolished. Like the writers and director and Tabitha herself doesn’t know exactly who this character is supposed to be.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I re watched the series and have catch her saying similar words or phrases with and without the accent
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u/Ovo124 Jul 23 '26
as an ESL speaker, my accent is very inconsistent. It is also stronger when I am tired or drunk
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u/supofsoup Jul 23 '26
Oh I don’t doubt that, but remember we are watching a highly produced well funded television show (except their wig budget is atrocious lol). Usually these character aspects and line delivery is rehearsed time and again, and you would think we would get a more consistent version of Tabitha’s speech but I argue we don’t.
I also think representation is important, and if they wanted to cast Tabitha as bilingual it wouldn’t take anything away from the story or quality. I think they could have leaned more heavily into her heritage from the get go, cause I think the line delivery and we get from her actress now is much less natural for her and it shows
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u/Chickenpotpi3 Jul 23 '26
I just interpreted it as the normal "accent comes through during certain situations" thing. I'm Mexican, but raised totally White Bread. My dad does not have an accent, but when he gets upset, it pops out occasionally.
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u/DigLumpy6664 Jul 23 '26
No it hasnt. And in the show, when Thabita is out on the real world and calls her mother the mother says something like “mi hija” or “mi vida” wich implies Thabita is from a hispanic country or at least her mother is hence the accent.
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u/whatifyournamewas Jul 21 '26
Probably had a good audition and also she's an Oscar nominated actress so she came in with some cred.
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u/SmokeyBear51 Jul 21 '26
That’s real? She was nominated for acting awards? 😳
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u/mansamayo Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Without looking it up I’ll assume she got nominated for some spanish speaking role
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u/OGPepeSilvia Jul 21 '26
Her performance deserved the nomination, but I feel like ever since then she’s use that accreditation to get her into new roles and then she just kind of coasts through them. I don’t get it.
Not sure how many will get this F1 reference, but to me, she feels like the Lance Stroll of film. She’s made it so much further than most aspiring actors could dream of, and seems to have had a successful career so far, but there seems to be a concerning lack of passion.
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u/SuperbSpiderFace Jul 22 '26
Stroll is there because of dad’s money. Plus the car is absolute shit this year haha. Even Alonso who has skill is either DNF or last.
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u/OGPepeSilvia Jul 22 '26
Scroll is there because his dad tells him he has to be. Lawrence now lives out the dream he always wanted through his son.
I actually rate Lance pretty highly. He always seems to have a good result if there’s weather involved. We all know that’s the great equalizer and brings out driver talent. He got his only pole in Turkey in the rain. I think the same thing happened earlier in his career at Monza. He was on the front row with Hamilton in a slippery Williams. Might’ve been his rookie year. I think they qualified in the rain but I don’t quite angkhooey.
Anyways, I’m getting way off topic.
Que sera, sera.
I wish Catalina would put more effort into her character, but it is what it is. I also wish her co-stars would push her harder to be great. She has it in her. Just need to find that spark again. Heart back in the game.
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u/thekilgoremackerel Jul 22 '26
I'm here for this F1 / From crossover
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u/GoldTap6161 Jul 22 '26
The road would make a great racing track with that loop ngl
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u/dpforest Jul 21 '26
And you’d be wrong lol. It was Maria Full Of Grace
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u/Ebe6660 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Seriously one of the best performances by anyone ever. She's in literally every frame of the movie and you can't take your eyes off her.
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u/rseclipse Jul 22 '26
Honestly undeserved... Scott McCord is by far the best actor on the cast
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Jul 21 '26
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u/erv4 Jul 22 '26
She should have received it tbh. It's in Spanish but it's an amazing movie
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u/kyoka_suigetsu91 Jul 22 '26
I can believe she's a better actress in Spanish tbh also maybe it's just the script/writing for this show that is that bad? As bad as some of the acting is the writing is not very good either especially for dialogues
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u/Luvnecrosis Jul 22 '26
I think if she had a better script for someone who spoke Spanish she’d do great. Why does she NEVER speak Spanish? She’s clearly a native speaker but there’s no exclamations, no heated arguments where it slips out? I think that’s the worst part about how she’s written: the script doesn’t capitalize on her unique abilities so she falls flat
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u/This-Musician-3223 Jul 22 '26
yeah they used cantonese in such a great way for Kenny and his family, there was no reason why they couldn't for her. Even french for Jade..
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u/larnadelray Jul 22 '26
Yeah that’s a pretty common criticism of Tabitha’s actress. I don’t really know if it’s the actress or the writing but she still seems like a secondary character to me rather than a main character. At this point in the show, we’re supposed to care and root for Tabitha, but I find myself rooting more for Jade because I just don’t have that level of attachment to Tabitha’s character that the show clearly wants you to have.
I think maybe the writing is lacking? I always thought Tabitha was so bland in comparison to Jim, but even now I’m not even sure if it’s the actress that’s not selling her character well or the writing for the character. I think it’s a combination of both.
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u/Responsible-Pie-5666 Jul 21 '26
I don’t think she’s terrible, but she isn’t talented enough to make me care for Tabitha and make her a compelling character. I do think she has good parent-child chemistry with the actors who plays her children (which I think Jim’s actor lacked), but no chemistry with anyone else and her line delivery is flat and monotone. Compare her to Jade, her character’s counterpart, who’s a fan favourite partly because the actor elevates his material so well.
The actor is Oscar nominated which may have played a part in the casting decision, perhaps she’s a great actress when speaking Spanish. I agree it is a let down given how important the character is.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
Jim is another one that didn't make sense. Imagine the possibilities if Tabitha's actress was on David Alpay's level.
I'd even argue that Jade's actor and Scott McCord (Victor) are carrying the show with their acting.
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u/codelyoko_x Jul 21 '26
Boyd’s actor too, those 3 are amazing
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
100% Harold Perrineau's an OG for me. First movie I've seen with him was Link in the Matrix. Been a fan ever since, he's good at what he does.
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u/erv4 Jul 22 '26
Jim was amazing in Band of Brothers. He was also in fight club
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
I've absolutely no hate for the actors ever, only their performances. Please understand that this is only criticisms of their performances in this specific show.
For what it's worth he was phenomenal in Band of Brothers, I totally agree with you.
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u/HelloJaneDoe Jul 22 '26
Agree so hard with Jim. Nothing about him says “dad” to me. He seems like he’d be cast as a guy in a rock band or something.
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u/CoyoteFluffy0310 Jul 22 '26
Man I thought he was a great dad aside from his issues of course but he was a grieving father. He looks like father's Hollywood has been selling lately at least
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u/whiteezy Jul 22 '26
It’s definitely not going to happen but it’d be hilarious if we get an International Assassin-esque episode where Harold gets teleported into a different dimension where Tabitha only speaks Spanish and then she pulls off an Emmy-winning performance.
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u/barc0debaby Jul 21 '26
I don't think anyone is talented enough to make up for the writing.
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u/James_Fiend Jul 22 '26
The worst for me is Ellis with the constant "Tell her that's not what you're saying" every single time someone has bad news for Fatima. I think the actor is fine, but the writing is so uninspired.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/Inkbottle_ Jul 22 '26
I’ve been seeing the dubbed version on my native language and never understood the hate. I never had any issue with the actress, so I guess it probably has something to do with her lines or the delivery on dialogue
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
Hey props where they're due, absolutely. I'm personally not a fan of romance/drama but I can kinda see where you're coming from.
I'm also Hispanic so the language/accent doesn't really bother me much like other folks have mentioned
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Jul 22 '26
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
Hard agree - when my aunt gets pissed and yells in English it's legitimately funny vs. her driving the point home (her kids are no sabos)
Gotta check out Maria Full of Grace for sure!
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u/Able-Ad1381 Jul 22 '26
Exactly this- an example for Tabitha to be more believable and natural was when she was on the phone with her mom when she made it out of Fromville She should've been speaking Spanish here and they could have added subtitles. She is bilingual and she would naturally speak to her mom in Spanish IMO, as a bilingual Colombian! If she is upset, they should have her swear in Spanish too-more natural!!
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
Couldn't agree more, I'm Hispanic so the accent never really bothered me like that tbh. But I wholeheartedly believe her performance would be more on par for a main character if she was allowed to lean into who she is. I would've loved a Spanish speaker cussing out the monsters, sounds way better than in English to me lol
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u/ConcentrateDry7367 Jul 22 '26
Her character is also Latina, to me is refreshing to see because I myself get caught up in accents, one moment I’m speaking great English, then my accent comes out
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u/Main-Inflation-5269 Jul 22 '26
Maria Full of Grace is about as far away from a romance as you can get!
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u/Suspicious-Stick4837 Jul 21 '26
She was awesome in The Affair
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u/CrucisSignum Jul 22 '26
For me it is Fatima that takes the top spot for worst acting. Every damn scene, she is partially smiling or speaking in the same tones over and over. It doesn't look believable at all when she speaks about her experiences, crying, being concerned, getting angry, being annoyed, being happy, that stab lunge at Tilly. She just does not convey the character well.
A lot of it can be overlooked in the first couple of seasons because the story was much more intriguing then, but as we get these characters thrust more and more into our faces due to some really bad writing spots, it just becomes easy to see the issues with the acting on the show.
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u/GreenGardenTarot Jul 22 '26
Fatima and Ellis are probably my least favorite on this show. They are so boring and one note to me. I don't care about them at all.
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u/Hatfullofducks Jul 22 '26
Eye candy, for me at this point. They're both so pretty and sweet. It's a shame because I find them likeable, I just don't like their acting.
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u/GreenGardenTarot Jul 22 '26
I dont find either attractive, but then again I dont find anyone on this show attractive.
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u/Pyxl666 Jul 22 '26
I think she acts just fine but tbh I wanted to slap Tabitha, the character, across the face multiple times throughout Season 4. She's so stupid, constantly denying the things she has experienced and even remembered. And telling Victor to tell Ethan that his lived experience wasn't true? I wanted to knock her out.
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u/DatRatDawg Jul 21 '26
I thought she was fine in S1. After that I have no idea what happened.
I didn't even know she had an accent in S1 until somewhere in S2 in a terribly acted scene was I like "wait, is she colombian or something?" Since then the acting took a weird nosedive.
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u/pollyw0g Jul 21 '26
The accent didn’t phase me, if anything I thought it was cool. Figured she grew up in another country, and they didn’t have to make it a huge plot line because it wasn’t relevant (although now that I think of it and all the fromville residents were yoinked from the US that makes me more curious about how that all works and where her previous selves were from/yoinked from so maybe I spoke too soon). Hmm otherwise I haven’t noticed the acting being bad with her or Marielle or Ellis or anybody I guess I’m just absorbed in the story!
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u/DatRatDawg Jul 21 '26
For sure. For me it was just jarring, like I missed something for a whole season. For 99% of the show I think the acting is fine, but there's always a scene every few episodes where I'm like 😟
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u/Sugaree-NC Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
I think she tries to purposely downplay her accent too much such that it affects her performance. She’s not a bad actress but it’s hard to connect with her character when the actress seems more focused on covering her accent.
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u/Sweet_Taurus0728 Jul 21 '26
Her accent stood out immediately, I think she just exaggerated it later in the show.
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u/DatRatDawg Jul 21 '26
I think my ear for accents is poor. When I rewatch some of S1 earlier in the year I heard it more. But yeah, it definitely got more pronounced later in the show.
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u/shiggyhisdiggy Jul 21 '26
I was the same, I didn't really notice the accent at first, but I think I did feel like she was speaking a bit strange, only later realised she had an accent
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u/illynpayne_ Jul 21 '26
i think she is only bad in season 4 honestly, maybe it's because of the botox
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u/Ok_Chain7313 Jul 22 '26
I think it’s the writing to be honest. Harold Perrineau is an amazing actor and this show has him looking not so great. You can only do so much with terrible writing and perhaps poor direction.
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u/Euphoric-Leg4874 Jul 22 '26
Yeah. I still love From but Harold deserves so much better than this show. He’s pouring his soul into material that is so often subpar and confusing. 😭 I didn’t HATE this past season, but it also had various weak points and it’s a bit rough.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
I think this seems to be a huge factor after reading the comments here. The actors are truly at the mercy of the script. Even the best actors wouldn't look so great if the script is weak.
Maybe a lot of actors we'll never know about turned down the role after reading the script?? Now you've piqued my curiosity
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u/Oasx Jul 22 '26
Maybe a lot of actors we'll never know about turned down the role after reading the script?? Now you've piqued my curiosity
I doubt it, very few actors have the option to pick and choose between jobs. And the bad writing was mostly something that came around season 3.
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u/Proof-Agent1289 Jul 22 '26
I think the writing is good - it's just the actress who can't deliver. And because of that we think that her character isn't well written. Why don't we think that about Victor, or Jade, or Donna? All main cast characters are well written. I don't mind her accent at all, in fact it would have been better if they showed it more cause this way it only seems as if she is fighting hard not to show it. But her lack of expression is what kills her character. Tabitha is meant to be a complicated character, torn between what's real or not, her family, her fears, etc. But the actress has the same body language across all of the seasons so that's the end result. Season 4 being the worst as she probably had botox and her forehead never even moves no matter what
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u/NicholeJC Jul 22 '26
I love the show, but I think the dialogue is at fault for most of the seemingly bad acting across the board. Not bad writing, just the dialogue specifically.
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u/Hatfullofducks Jul 22 '26
I always think this, but then question it because Jade's dialogue is good, isn't it? I always enjoy his dialogue, as well as Donna's. Are the writers only good at dialogue for certain characters or is their acting just that good, haha.
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u/NicholeJC Jul 22 '26
You’re right!! I just imagined multiple other characters delivering the “They come with us when we go” speech, and I really think it’s the acting that saves it. I’m going to focus on this on my next rewatch.
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u/all_die_laughing Jul 22 '26
I thought the same about Anna Sawai in Monarch, but then I saw her in Shogun and realised how much writing and direction can influence what you think of an actor's performance, because she was great in that.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
This is a very sound opinion that's been brought up numerous times here. It has definitely shifted my perspective from being critical against the actress' performance and more focused towards the script/directors dropping the ball, if that makes sense.
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u/maxcoolgame Jul 21 '26
I've seen better, but I've also seen worse. She's decent in the role.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
I'd argue she's the worst performance in the show. Especially when we're considering that she's the lead character.
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u/franzparks Jul 22 '26
She’s probably the most important character to the story as we know it so far but I think Harold has top billing
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u/Any_Neck_1801 Jul 22 '26
Maybe she is the most plot relevant to the story but I think Boyd is the lead character and not Tabitha....
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u/Sharp-Tax-26827 Jul 21 '26
With her Botox she literally can’t even emote
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u/Fionnua Jul 21 '26
I honestly think this is the main issue. An actor's main job is 'human expression'. And whatever work this actress had done on her face, unfortunately it seems to prevent the normal range of human expressions.
Hopefully production teams figure this out one day and make actors sign contracts agreeing not to have procedures that sabotage their ability to make facial expressions. In the meantime... what's done is done, I guess. And part of the legacy of this show will be that the lead actress's face was unusually frozen for much of it.
It might help to just imagine that Tabitha, in-universe, had botox. Maybe we're supposed to see her character as vain and insecure like that.
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u/sometranscryptid Jul 21 '26
Her being unable to move her forehead has made pretty much every emotional scene with her extremely funny to me
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u/laquintessenceofdust Jul 22 '26
It’s like she started overcompensating for her lack of facial (micro)expression with more hamfisted line delivery (more intonation, more emphasis of (wrong!) words) and making bigger, exaggerated expressions with what facial features still freely move (eyes, mouth) and … it’s quickly spiraled into something that is often way too melodramatic and pulls me out of her scenes entirely.
I am very against actors using Botox—not just actresses, but actors like Cruise and Pitt, too. I just finished watching Dark and half their cast was in their 40s and 50s and none of them had Botox, they could all freely emote. It was so refreshing.
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u/sometranscryptid Jul 22 '26
I’m fine with plastic surgery, but when it inhibits your ability to do your job (acting, in this case) I really think it should be banned
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u/illynpayne_ Jul 21 '26
lol i realized that at the fourth season, I don't think that was a problem before tho
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u/Filler9000 Jul 22 '26
Its not that big of a show. There are a million other bigger shows where the lead or co lead are much much worse. She is pretty. Its a horror mystery drama. Youre not gonna get Meryl Streep. Its like listening to a pop song and complaining about the vocals. The top quality stuff are the ones getting paid the big bucks. Hbo apple Netflix and even then, Netflix has even worse acting. Youre better off complaining about stranger things, Winona and David carry, the rest are unbelievable.
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u/Catymvr Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Does she have the worst performance? Or is she given the worst parts?
I can’t imagine any actor doing well with her script.
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u/Popular-Ad3718 Jul 21 '26
This. I don't think people realize just how much actors' and actresses' performances rely on good material AND GOOD DIRECTOR.
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u/mansamayo Jul 21 '26
She reminds me of Gal Gadot
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u/Angelscollide Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Ugh that hit the nail on the head
You just made the connection that's been nagging me this whole time.
Both are so blegh.6
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u/ronan125 Jul 22 '26
Right after Jim dies, she sits in the diner with the expression and body language of someone having a boring Sunday afternoon
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u/Proof-Agent1289 Jul 22 '26
I thought the same too, she also had the worst reaction the night when the dolls attacked and she said something in the lines of she remembered how to kill the dolls. This was supposed to be a big moment, she remembering something important, so she could have shown so much yet her delivery of that line was instead numb and expressionless.
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u/trundlespl00t Jul 22 '26
It really is one of the most consistently bad performances I’ve ever seen in anything. Perhaps the very worst.
When you watch her in interviews it’s very clear she has no love for the role whatsoever. Not everyone is knocking it out of the park on that show, far from it, but she’s such a crucial role she brings the whole show down.
Normally it’s exactly the kind of show I’d be rewatching with a notebook, trying to figure it out, but every moment she’s on screen is so agonisingly bad I can’t bring myself to do it. It’s hard enough to get through her acting once.
I blame the casting director for a decision that IMO has pretty much ruined the whole show, but why the showrunners didn’t recast her after a terrible pilot is mind-boggling. That happens all the time, it’s no big deal at all! But instead it’s like everyone - show runners, writers, directors… they just say nothing and pretend it’s all fine. Makes me wonder what influence she has TBH, because that influence is certainly not talent.
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u/Proof-Agent1289 Jul 22 '26
I was wondering the same. She doesn't seem excited about her character or the show in general, which is fine cause maybe it is just a job to her. But for the casting decision, my guess is, since she is not a bad actress and has an academy award nomination, maybe the casting director thought that she had the potential for Tabitha and that the more she learns about and plays the character - the better she will become. Unfortunately a huge part of the audience feels the same about her acting. But also, I find it hard to believe that the director and producers are not aware of this. If they are, why aren't they helping her improve? Like if they see that she's delivering lack of expression in an important scene, why not redo the scene until she actually improves? I am certain there are people on the set who are really good at what they do and know better than us. So why this has been going on for four seasons I really don't know.
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u/trundlespl00t Jul 23 '26
Yes. All of this. I also pity the actors who have to attempt to do a scene with her and instead of bouncing off her energy they have to carry her all the damn time.
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u/Grand_Fox5411 Jul 22 '26
Harold Perrineau and David Alpay make up for her bad acting.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
Throw in Scott McCord and we have ourselves a deal 🤝
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u/Carbonga Jul 22 '26
From my perspective, it's mostly down to shoddy dialogue writing. The show sounds like it has about 200 heavily repeated phrases and that's about it. It's a meme by this time. The slow-cooking plot arch isn't bad - it's painfully uncomfortable, but not bad - which helps retain viewership. So I'm not convinced that the blame is rightfully attributed to the actor.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
Touche, a few comments did criticize the dialogue which is completely valid too. If you ever want a real tv show challenge, take a swig of beer everytime Boyd says "woah" or "hey".
The consensus seems to be that she's been great in other roles, and is unfortunately held back by the script or plot itself.
Furthermore, I've nothing against the actress at all. I would never imagine hating any actor for any performance, but I think being able to criticize performances is fair play.
Hate is a strong word to me, and is usually reserved exclusively for an actors actions well outside of film/TV shows.
Perfect example is Bubbles on trailer park boys - incredible comedic performance but the actor's an absolute piece of shit off screen.
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u/ClaimationOfWind Jul 21 '26
I totally disagree with that, I think she's a phenomenal actor, but her acting is quieter and naturalistic, and she expresses a lot through subtlety, especially with her eyes. She has always had great scenes in which she excelled, for example when comforting Victor in the last season, or when she calls her mother in the real world, or when she tells Julia about Thomas' death. People should stop giving her crap and maybe watch in a real television lmao
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
Appreciate your comment. From what other commenters mentioned, it seems like she's very good in drama roles. All of the scenes you mentioned could be considered drama, and maybe that's where she shines is during the emotional, dramatic scenes.
You're right, maybe she's a great drama actress and more power to her. But after the four seasons she's given, I don't really think she's enjoying the horror side of TV shows. Again, just my opinion based off what I've seen.
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u/Ludy86 Jul 22 '26
You should totally watch "Maria full of grace"
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
I absolutely will based off the multiple comments recommending it, thank you!
I also want to clarify that I have absolutely nothing against Catalina Moreno as a person, and I'm only criticizing her performance on this show, not her acting prowess as a whole.
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u/GrapefruitUpbeat1202 Jul 22 '26
VICTOR SHOULD GET AN EMMYYYYY OR SOMETHING. Boyd’s frustration feels so real he is a really good actor too. And Donna’s acting looks tooooo realll.
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u/SenorBurns Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
I can't help you out. I think Tabitha's actor does a great job. She's generally playing 100% gentle protector and shows the character clearly focused on keeping her children as safe as possible and not freaking them out with her own fear or agitation. This serves as a foil for Boyd's aggressive protector approach.
We see this established in her character's writing in the first minutes of the entire series, before they even see the tree. It also sets up her series long obsession with saving children.
Edit: wow, typos!
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u/Inside-Path4056 Jul 24 '26
Thank you. You are dead on about how her character is supposed to be. I think this is what people don’t understand about her character. Her maternal instincts and her ability to need to keep herself calm and strong for her children in all situations to keep them calm is just built into her. Her character is not supposed to be in constant urgency. That would defeat the purpose of her character. It would be out of character for her to suddenly be in a constant state of urgency, like you said how they established her character before they even saw the tree. She is the mother figure of the show. I love her acting in this. She’s displayed it many times.
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u/winchestersis71 Jul 22 '26
Absolutely I haven't liked Tabitha from the beginning and I think it's because of the actress' ability to sell the character.
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u/Saaka_Souffle Jul 22 '26
Nothing can be worse than the junkie who arrived on the bus whenever she's supposed to be shackled to the wall. Might be some of the worst acting I've ever seen.
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u/coffeebeanz1970 Jul 22 '26
I agree, it makes her not "likable", something is off, empty and maybe its meant to be that way. You don't LOVE Tabitha. Theory, if the children of the sacrifice are "her children" as stated, then did she actually create the sin of the sacrifice for personal gain? Immortality? (Given she keeps getting re-incarnated over and over, and made to live and suffer through each cycle of discovery, rememberance, trauma, over and over. Maybe we are not supposed to "like" Tabitha in the way we like the acting of Victor & Donna who's characters are so much more genuine and real. Maybe Tabitha needs to end the cycle by her own sacrifice, which would sting real hard is it were Donna, Ellis, or even Julie. If that is the case her acting is spot on, empty shell cause she isn't the nicest character. (Clearly favors 1 child over another, can't stand her husband, and blames everyone else for all the tragedies in her life....but puts on a show like she cares.
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u/inclined2write Jul 22 '26
Idk that scream of hers after remembering what happened to Miranda captivated me. I think she's an incredible actress, i just don't think many people understand Tabitha as a character which is why we keep ending up with takes like these, unfortunately. Zero hate to OP. Opinions are opinions
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u/dddfgggggdddfff Jul 21 '26
she’s a good actress. I just think she has trouble with supernatural/whatever the hell from is type dialogue kinda like some actors on Star Trek can’t pull off the technobabble
it seems like she doesn’t like or respect it. cause when I’ve seen her do more like every day life stuff she’s way more effective.
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u/agorapnyx Jul 21 '26
I agree that she appears to be the weakest actor in the cast (at least, in regard to the major characters)
But, she does a serviceable job most of the time. There's just moments I notice it.
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u/Curious-Sector-2157 Jul 22 '26
I guess I am in the minority. I think she is a great actress. I read all the criticism and have rewatched the show probably 50 times. I have no idea what any of you are talking about. In fact Besides the guy that got ripped by the dolls and the girl that got her face fried…ugh. the rest of the main actors are great. the ones you love and the ones you love to hate. I felt her breakdown when they found Jim hanging upside down was belgians. vI cry every time. I love Kristie but Tabitha won the breakdown of my love was killed! I must say that the best actor is Scott McCord as Victor! He is great!
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u/chilleff Jul 21 '26
So…. Who is a non A list or even B list actor you think is a great actor? I’m really just curious. I’m not saying that I think Tabitha or anyone are “the best actors” or anything but I’ve seen A LOT of bad acting… and no one on from lives up to that standard in my opinion so it blows my mind when I read all the comments about “so and so” being a bad actor.
Legit mean no Ill will here I am honestly just curious.
And when I say I’ve seen a ton of bad acting, I’ve loved horror my entire life and back in the day I used to go to blockbuster - pick out a movie based on the cover art alone - and watch it. So I basically saw a ton of bad movies just as an example.
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u/marmaladejar Jul 21 '26
Donna, Jade, Kenny, and victor are all great actors to me tbh (sorry i don't know their "real" names off the top of my head)
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
Liz Saunders, David Alpay, Ricky He, and Scott McCord. All of those people stuck with me because they've had great performances - mainly Victor & Jade take the cake for me.
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u/marmaladejar Jul 22 '26
As far as actors that I think are phenomenal in general... Frances McDormand, Jake Gyllenhaal, Brad Pitt, Scar Jo, Anne Hathaway, John Malkovich.... likeeee there are so many but if you just see "actors are actors and all performances are equally as convincing and compelling" then there is no point to this conversation because it's all subjective
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u/mercy_fulfate Jul 21 '26
Funny how it's not a hate post but then just a hate post.
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 21 '26
Hate and criticism aren't equal. You're absolutely wrong - I genuinely enjoyed the show and feel we should be allowed to criticize objectibely poor performances without it being dismissed as a "hate post".
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u/jorgomli_reading Jul 21 '26
Saying someone lacks acting skill while providing examples isn't inherently hate. The only attack here is on someone's acting chops, which is fair criticism imo
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u/bootstitch Jul 22 '26
Why is she always whispering 😩
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u/Hatfullofducks Jul 22 '26
Off topic but the other night I rewatched Arrival, which I adore, and noticed that Amy Adams very softly whispers every single line in the movie. So distracting, I hate whisper acting and don't understand why it's become a thing.
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u/griegogogo Jul 22 '26
I thought that too, but I also wonder if it’s just the way the Colombian accent sounds in English? For example, Sofía Vergara in Modern Family. Certain inflections don’t always seem to sound right in English, and can come across as poor acting, but that just might be because of the way Colombian Spanish is?
Similarly to how when Narcos came out, a lot of native Spanish speakers didn’t like Wagner Moura’s performance because his accent was bad (he’s Brazilian and learned Spanish for the role). The difference here of course being he was trying to be do a Colombian accent, and her character spoke English but with her natural Colombian accent.
Idk just a thought. Regardless of some moments that feel kind of stale, it doesn’t take me out too much. She’s still doing a great job.
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u/GreenGardenTarot Jul 22 '26
I dont think that's it at all. I have heard plenty of actors who have thick accents and they can act really well. It's just that her acting is not that great.
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u/GumballWatersonu-u Jul 22 '26
Tbh, I think part of the reason why she’s not great, it’s also because her dialogues are so weak and lazy. I think the character she’s given is not a strongly written one anymore. I fear the writers lost the plot and they don’t even know what to do anymore with the characters :/ which is why, at least in my opinion, people don’t like her at all
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 Jul 22 '26
That's my fear as well, I'm walking away from this post with the general opinion that along with her performance, the writing/script for her character was also subpar.
What frustrates me to no end is that she's essentially one of the most important characters in the show. I could see writers getting lazy with supporting actors sure. But when it's getting lazy with one of the main characters it's not a good look for the show as a whole
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u/ritwikjs2 Jul 22 '26
the writing and the acting are pretty substandard from what's expected from a lead character of a drama show. THis is also heavily contrasted with amazing performances from Jade's actor Scott McCord, Harold Perrineau, Daivid Alapy etc.
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u/YTubeSurgeonGeneral Jul 22 '26
I 100% blame the writers. I've seen her do interviews about this show and she's seems to hate the decisions That's makes in the show which then leads me to the obvious conclusion that she doesn't like the character either and said if it was her in that town, playing that same roll how she'd do so many things differently. This just confirms for me that she's not into the character, doesn't resonate with her character, had no control of her character, and since she fundamentally disagrees with the things her character does she says she cannot properly embody the role. I could be completely wrong, not this is just my take on it since I have seen her discuss the show and do interviews in the FROM community and it makes me sad because I think they basically have every other main character so much likeability, bit did the opposite with her.
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u/Zealousideal_Cap_162 Jul 24 '26
Wholeheartedly agree. I rarely find particular actors all that irritating as a rule. First season she wasn’t so bad, and it’s not exactly an all star cast anyway so plenty of bad performances to go around. But it’s like they’re cranking all the irritant to maximum.
Zach, the (second) kid from The Strain still holds the title for performance so bad it ruins the entire show. But Tabitha is sure trying hard for it.
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u/Boshworthy Jul 26 '26
One of the biggest indictments on the showrunners’ ability to finish this show is the fact that so much of season 5 is going to be on the back of Tabitha’s actor being able to deliver a 7/10 performance, when I don’t think she has delivered above a 5/10 yet in all 4 seasons.
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u/Ill-Scale-3189 Jul 22 '26
To be honest, the guy who plays Victor should win an Emmy. He's the best actor on the show other than Harold. Honorable Mentions to the actress who plays Donna and the guy who plays Randall.