.jpg)
The lead stars of “What Lies Beneath,” powerhouse actresses Kaila Estrada, Charlie Dizon, Sue Ramirez, and Janella Salvador, have always been confidently vocal about the teleserye’s strong, honest, and unapologetic portrayal of both the nuanced struggles and heartwarming triumphs surrounding women’s rights and empowerment, even before the pilot episode premiered.
As the show reaches its anticipated finale, we get to proudly see how each of the current MABEL quartet grew from their youth, overcame long-hidden shortcomings, and confronted deep-seated traumas, leading them to a path of liberation and ultimate realization of their strength and worth as women.
Revisit Erica Melendez (Kaila Estrada), Beth Sevilla-Mora (Charlie Dizon), Mel Barrera-Montenegro (Sue Ramirez), and Alice Quintana-Miller’s (Janella Salvador) most powerful moments, each depicting the realistic makings of a narrative created around the core of women empowerment.
Mel finally defies the patriarchal principles of her father
Mel’s harrowing story is among the first ones to be fully unveiled. Even before she got married to Anton Montenegro (Jameson Blake), abuse had always been his default expression towards her, eventually becoming the cause of Mel’s traumatic miscarriage. Enduring the pain, she soldiered on, making a name for herself in the fashion scene, even attaining her dream ambassadorship with Grace & Glam—which Anton unfortunately destroyed with his family’s influence.
Although she tried to seek a safe haven through her love for Lucas (JM de Guzman), Mel slowly came to the realization that her true healing should begin within her, and through the support of Jo, her former house helper who had connected her to SINTA, a women’s rights organization, she started taking steps toward her liberation.
When the truth of Anton’s abuse has been revealed to the public—alongside his enraged beatings of Mel, Erica, Beth, and Jo—Mel bravely holds her own press conference to speak about her side as his victim for years. Despite this, Cedric (Franco Laurel), her father, arrives and doesn’t hesitate to criticize her actions, more worried about his reputation.
Cedric orders Mel to drop the charges against Anton, but Mel refuses. She stands her ground, finally speaking against her father, who had always controlled and belittled her even when she lost herself just to get his approval. In the process of her cutting ties with Cedric, she also frees her mother, Margie (Karen Timbol), from his grasp.
Beth is always prepared to defend her friends and family
A lot of viewers might have perceived Beth’s character as irksome due to her outspoken nature, which admittedly pierces one’s heart—like what she’d inflicted on Erica from their youth and throughout her defense of Edong (Jake Cuenca) or the judgments she would impose on the difficult experiences of Alice and Mel.
Behind her imperfections is actually a person searching for success that will end her intense social comparison with her peers. Moreover, she is a fighter who would readily defend herself and her loved ones from harm’s way.
In multiple instances, Beth was the first one to come to Liezel’s (Mary Joy Apostol) aid before and after the emergence of rumors that pinned Liezel as the abductor of a missing student. At the time of Anton nearly killing Mel, it was also Beth who had courageously struck Anton back, rendering her injured.
Ultimately, for her family with Ryan (Yves Flores) and Chloe (Jewel Milag), she finally lets go of her entrenched pride, particularly tied to her false accusation against Edong for Louisa’s (Mutya Orquia) murder fourteen years ago, which had already evolved into his relentless vengeance against her and the rest of MABEL.
Seeing her family in danger at Edong’s looming presence, with Chloe turning traumatized and Ryan nearly imprisoned, Beth decides to admit the truth of her involvement in Edong’s incarceration to Chloe and kneels to Erica, begging her to save Ryan from injustice.
Alice embraces motherhood and decides to face past traumas
When Alice appears onscreen, the mystery factor rises, specifically caused by her journey to unravel her long-buried trauma when she got lost at five years old. Her marriage with Scott (Mark Neumann) gradually became involved and nearly fell apart, as she mistook him for being her abuser.
Alice’s strength comes from her being open to being accountable for her mistakes and not condoning a friend’s ill intentions—this was something she had learned after reflecting on her role in the imprisonment of Edong.
She was the first one to completely reconnect with Erica after fourteen years of estrangement and didn’t push Scott to forgive her for accusing him of abuse. When faced with Mel’s frank statements that would unintentionally wound others, Alice was also the one who would call her out the most.
When it came to the unspoken tension between Erica, Mel, and Lucas, Alice took the initiative to remind Erica to be clear about her feelings toward Lucas and assure Mel that there are people who love her for who she is.
More nuances of Alice’s character, which had garnered proud reactions, were her growth from being a bystander and follower to an active mediator; she had also developed a dedication to overcome her trauma, finally refusing to struggle emotionally.
The highlight of her trip was, of course, the toughness of her motherhood for Seth (Rhys Stevens). Even if she exposes herself to more imminent danger posed by Edong’s revenge and Edward’s (Joel Molina) devious secret involving her, she willingly planned for Seth and Scott to return to America, securing their safety.
Erica continues to strongly fight for the rights of the marginalized
Erica, widely regarded as a formidable lawyer, can be likely defined as the “voice” of the public, most especially by the marginalized people, whom she would wholeheartedly offer her legal assistance to.
A perfect protagonist, Erica remains unshaken, even by the powerful system or any political giants or syndicates. Her unyielding strength was born from her 14-year guilt of not speaking up for Edong in the midst of his trial for Louisa’s murder. Viewers turn to admire her character more as she strives to take accountability, and more so as her heavy struggles are revealed—from her mother’s neglect, her friends’ betrayal, and her lonely fight in Manila to learning of her identity as a child of her mother’s rapist.
Throughout her experiences, Erica has gained a heart surrounded with walls, not letting anyone in after being hurt countless times. Despite this, her goodwill still prospers; she remains steadfast in clearing Edong’s name, giving Louisa and her clients legitimate justice, and fighting back against patriarchy.
She had reminded Mel of putting herself first instead of dwelling on her lost love with Lucas, confronted Marco (Race Matias) on the expectations toward women when relationships are involved, reassured Mel’s mother on how to survive the public’s prejudice, and openly criticized the system that continuously oppresses the underprivileged—or rather, dictates who should be oppressed.
Marvel at the individual strengths of Erica, Beth, Alice, and Mel as they near the height of their struggles in “What Lies Beneath,” airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.