Good Girls, Analyzing the Character Beth Boland

Let's talk Beth... and let's discuss her backstory. We aren't given much, but the couple of flash backs identified a few things to me. Look at the episode "Thelma and Louise," where Beth and Annie meet Ruby. Beth was attempting to drive Annie and herself to get groceries, and when Ruby asked where their mom was, Annie shouts "She's in Bed." Much could be assumed here, maybe their mom was sick and that's why Ruby could bond with the girls, maybe their mom was a single mother who worked many hours and they were latch key kids, or maybe their mom was strung out; regardless, the flash backs identify absent parenting and care-giving. Attachment theories teach us that absence of care-giving can lead to detachment in relationships.

(GIF retrieved from giphy.com)

I know this isn't true in her relationship with the girls (Ruby and Annie), but they are the only ones she allowed into her circle, but let's look at how this appears in her romantic relationship with Dean. I get the sense that not only Beth, but Annie had to live in "survivor" mode their whole lives. I believe that "young Beth" who met Dean saw him as an opportunity. His family had a car lot that could provide a lucrative lifestyle she thinks every woman would want. Many young women see marriage as an opportunity to improve their lifestyle, unfortunately it did not pan out as she imagined it, and the "dream of having the house, kids, and husband" wasn't everything she thought it would be. Especially when flaws in this plan appeared when her husband struggled to provide and give her the comfort she wanted.

Beth quickly slips back into survivor mode. What does a woman who's aspiration as a house wife fell through do? She doesn't have job skills, and her ego was obviously too large for minimum wage. She has eyes, and she sees how well that lifestyle is fairing for her sister and best friend. Beth's survivor instinct knows quick money comes in the wrong ways, and she knows her "good" status makes her an unlikely suspect when she commits to robbing the grocery store with the girls. She did not know this choice would bring Rio aka "Gang Friend" into her life.

Beth has been with Dean since she was young, but it's obvious for her, the marriage was a calculated choice of what she thought was an "opportunity," and not built on a chemical romance. The chemistry she has with Rio is different, it is a natural chemistry. However, even in that romance with Rio, she cannot attach herself or let herself go. However, it's for good reasons because Rio will lift her up in one moment, and in the next rip her down off the high horse she tends to climb on from time to time. Let's be honest, Beth show a sense of entitlement, and in times appear cold. This coldness can be extended to anyone who is not in her circle (Ruby and Annie). Times Rio lets his walls down, Beth strongly puts hers up, which makes their relationship teasing, the cat and mouse game us fans love to watch.

Fans love to peg Beth as this person who is weak, but Beth is torn between two worlds which creates vulnerabilities. She desires to have the things and comforts that were obviously not provided to her in her younger life; however, she also has moments when her "survivor" nature comes out which people in her privileged circle cannot understand. This is why Rio's captivation in her, his push for her to step up and go for what she wants, and his darkness appeal to her. She once thought her ticket out was being a pretty housewife, but now she sees she needs to build her own throne to not be knocked off of it by anyone (Dean or Rio).

Some fans say she loves Rio, but Beth would never be able to truly love Rio because she can't trust him. He rips her sense of security from her too much, and as toxic as that is, she actually loves the challenge. She might not be completely on the "Gang Friend" bandwagon to murder, but he's helped her to overcome many of her reservations that keep her "good." In a way, Rio has "groomed" her, and the taste of the game, the money, the darkness, and the power have planted a seed that continues to grow in her.

(GIF retrieved from: giphy.com)