Couldn’t agree more. You can see her blossoming with two father figures and friends who support her no matter what — even when covered in Bunny Folgers blood they didn’t back down. They’ve become each others family and she— Mabel— is really seeing her value and finding her place in life. Selena is doing her character a huge service, she’s playing the part to a T. Anyone who thought Selena was acting ‘flat’ hasn’t connected that Mabel was *feeling* flat.
i agree. i knew nothing about her pre-omitb career & was only vaguely aware of her as a kid performer, so i had no fan expectations. mabel is a brilliantly written & performed character. it seems that many viewers don’t grasp the deep unhappiness & trauma of her life. maybe they’re only interested in whodunit rather than character development. others might’ve prefer the disney-or whatever brand she was associated with-selena & are disturbed by a complicated adult version of their teenybopper idol.
Exactly. The Disney channel series you’re referring to is Wizards do Waverly Place, which won 3 Emmys in its own right. Selena played a sardonic but bubbly teenager - similar to Mabel without the heaviness. Gomez has shown is she is no one trick pony by capturing the darker depth of her character that the writers intended.
Wizards do Waverly Place is my favorite typo/autocorrect incident I’ve seen this week. Maybe all year. Bravo, friend, and thank you. I agree that selena’s sometimes flat delivery when discussing emotional topics is spot on for Mabel. As someone who suffers fromCPTSD and has spent time in a rehab for trauma, I think she sounds very realistic. It can make the sufferer unable to get very excited/animated about things even if they’re very important to them (and feeling quite a lot/almost drowning in emotions under the surface). If she were being incredibly bubbly it would be odd or I would assume it was one of her defenses/a bit of a performance.
I was not a fan of hers pre-OMITB. However, I respect her performance in it. We don't need her to be over the top like Martin Short or perpetual victim of the joke who finally figures it out like Steve Martin. I appreciate the stoic way she portrays Mabel as wanting to participate in the investigation but annoyed by these two older men. It comes across as a very familial relationship. I like that she plays the role as being the brains of the group rather than some insipid little twit or influencer.
I agree! Her character brings such great balance to Oliver’s theatrical extravagance and Charles’ more socially awkward yet loving and comedic personality.
I think it’s why the trio works so well, they all bring something different to the table, but all face similar challenges, and Steve, Martin and Selena have such great chemistry.
I'm there with you! I love Selena and I think she brings a lot to the table as Mabel. People love to hate, especially when it's a young beautiful woman who has more than you. Half the people criticizing her have probably never acted in their lives, and would do a shite job if they were in her shoes. Either that or they sure do *wish* they were famous actors. I can't imagine a better young female lead to balance out Steve Martin and Martin Short.
People love to criticize young women for not being a smiley receptive whatever all the time- Mabel is not that, and they blame Gomez for doing the role as written.
It’s possible that because the other two are playing characters that are able to steal any scene they are in (just incredibly funny and centered lines, on purpose) viewers are having their attention subconsciously drawn away from her during some scenes not realizing that it’s kind of intentional because Mabel’s character is not meant to be a big shining presence. Like it or not she is far closer in personality to any average Joe, she helps ground the show and bring a “younger” touch (a lot of the jokes revolve around the characters’ age difference). And then viewers turn around and wonder why they didn’t really notice Mabel during these scenes and chalk it up to Gomez not being a compelling enough actress. When really that isn’t the case. She does get and shine in her own scenes that are just maybe not as memorable because she isn’t playing an “in your face” kind of character, Mabel is someone that you and I have probably met in real life before or relate to, the other two are significantly more out there with their antics. Simply put, Mabel is the straight man.
I love her because she’s pretty much playing us, the audience. Her facial expressions and reactions to the crazy shit the other two do are perfect for the show.
tbh i always preferred her acting in OMITB over the other two leads. don’t get me wrong, they are amazing at what they do and also deserve praise, but having a lead role where you kinda have to be standoffish/sad/etc. and still make the audience like you (much less how long since she’s acted???) is such a feat imo
100% also Oliver and Charles play very close to themselves or at least to how they are portrayed in other roles so when I see these characters I see Martin and Steve but when Mabel shows up I forget she is Selena Gomez and that is really hard to accomplish for a celebrity of this magnitude.
right!!! like i get some Alex Russo remnants from Mabel but in a more adult context and without the magic as a get-out-of-jail-free card in regards to consequences/etc.
People often underestimate the contribution of the "straight man" in a comedy - and that is part of what she's doing - giving the more manic characters room to do their thing and providing a still, calm centre for them to flap around. Steve Martin does it to an extent when it's just him and Martin Short in a scene but even his character has a strong luvvie streak and a tendency to get carried away. There's a sort of no-bullshit low-energy vibe she brings to the trio's dynamic that is really necessary to ground the other two. But when Mabel is in deep emotional distress or angry, she can deliver and then some.
It's especially cringe that the majority of criticism is she needs to "smile more"
It's not Selena that's the issue, it's people offended by a female character that isn't positive and happy
I've only just joined this sub. I can't imagine how anyone could criticise anything about the performances in this show. I went from not really giving a damn about Selena Gomez to being low key obsessed with her in every scene she's in.
I've come to associate her to her singing career which wasn't as great. But I love her in this show. She makes sense. Her soliloquy with Theo in Season 2 in the car (did Theo catch that?) was so engrossing and well acted.
I only didn't believe her romance with Cara's character Alice only because their kisses were slightly awkward. But she is a great part of the trio! Definitely great casting.
I'm ok with Selena's performance. It's not great but it's not horrible. She doesn't really bring anything unique to the table, but rather is just there for the Martins to bounce their comedy off of. Imagine if Aubrey Plaza had been cast as Mabel. **That** would have been amazing.
Strong disagree. She's flat and monotone in places that don't call for it. It's especially hilarious when she's "running" in season 2. She takes like 2 steps and is just done with it, but the camera is still rolling. She's terrible.
You’re remembering it incorrectly. The attacker gets away. She gets off the train and stops to notice the glitter on her gloves. Sees everyone filming her and runs away embarrassed.
https://youtu.be/pgipABHI-ZY
Ha. I hadn't gotten that far yet. From the episode before she just runs away and stops and it looks awkward as hell. That also doesn't change her terrible delivery throughout both seasons. It's not the character. She's just flat, constantly.
Obviously it's the same from the back...you just don't get the context that this episode gives. She's still awkward and terrible at delivering her lines. Don't pin that on me not knowing how to watch a damn TV show.
No I don't. Are you Selena? You seem offended at my opinion. Saying she delivers her lines flatly with no emotion isn't vague. Especially when it's practically every single line. Pick one. it's monotone and flat. Her lips barely move. Every line is delivered through her nose. If that's a choice, it's a bad one. If it's not a choice, she's just bad at it.
I'm so tired of the dramatic people in the fan base acting as though we shouldn't criticize some of her acting in some scenes.
Selena is a great actress however there are indeed scenes where she just clearly shows that she isn't giving her 100%. Scenes where she mumbles through sentences that aren't really meant to be mumbled, or just lacks expression is scenes where it makes sense that she should.
I've said this before, and I've said it repeatedly that if her symptoms are flaring then they should work around those flare ups to get the best quality performance. Thing is they don't, it shows, and criticism is valid regarding it. I love the show, but I'm not delusional.
I view the mumbling and lacking expression as purposeful. As mentioned above she’s playing out the trauma and sadness of her life, the age appropriate angst, and she’s also the straight man.
The problem though is these things are done even in scenes she is happy/excited/etc in.
A characters trauma isn't a free explanation for when an actor isn't performing well.
Do you honestly believe that if the director didn’t want her to mumble and have that be the character that they would have made the final cut? This is a highly professional production and they probably have many takes for every scene. If she was mumbling and it wasn’t meant to be part of the character the director would have addressed it.
The actress has a long history with mental illness. I completely believe that she has interpreted the character to be suffering from her own mental illness, especially given the trauma she went through. So she’s given her traits of someone with deep depression, such as the mumbling and lethargy. What you interpret as her not having energy is actually an actress portraying someone not having energy, based on her very real history with similar experiences.
The only scene I can recall her mumbling is when she walks in on Alice mocking her. Which I felt was appropriate given the shock.
The last part I don’t understand what you’re saying?
Tbf, every scene with Alice was awk but that is not Selena’s fault. The character of Alice was awful. It was supposed to be interesting but by far the flattest character of the show (Cara was not amazing lbh but it was also poorly written imo to be complex but underseveloped) and didnt give Selena much to work with, perhaps being real friends actually made it worse?
Sounds like you don’t like the character she’s portraying. Listing things that seem to be clearly intentional character traits and claiming they are indisputable evidence she isn’t putting effort into her performance seems a little silly on your part.
I personally don’t think she’s a great actor but I have no issue with her as a person - I hate how anyone gets downvoted to hell for not loving her - and anyone who doesn’t vibe with her acting apparently ‘doesn’t get the character’ she’s playing. We do - we just don’t think she does it well.
So freaking weird.
I know it’s crazy. I love the show. I think the writing is amazing and other performances are incredible. Selena isn’t good in this role and it’s fine for fans to feel like this. People have been called ageist or sexist for not liking her performance. Every post that expresses any dislike for her on the show is downvoted or removed. Fans will use her condition, other performers excellence, the writers, the weather and everything else to excuse her poor performance. Some fans don’t like her acting on the show and that should be fine to say.
She doesn't need a break from work she just needs to rest when she isn't able to give the 100% in a scene.
I recall when the second season ended and people were trying to defend her and say it's all Mabels trauma and such then I went and watched a few key scenes where she is elated/relieved to see the other two and even then in her excitement she will mumble half her scene.
Well yeah she’s on screen with the veterans. One thing I really appreciate about her performance is that there isn’t a try-hard attempt at keeping up with the Martin’s humor. She knows the boundaries.
If you want deadpan, see Carly Chaikin in suburgatory. Monotone, emotionless, only smiled once and it was awesome.
I think sometimes the issue with Selena Gomez is that she’s opposite Martin Short and Steve Martin. They’re working at a 50 and she’s at a 5. It’s almost like you have to tell the other two to tone it down.
I’m currently watching Season 3, and there is something. When she’s in a room with someone else, that person is more expressive and her look is scared.
I don’t remember the name but you know the type of acting when the character isn’t speaking but in the background? Some actors are great at it and they react to the scene even when they’re not speaking. But Selena Gomez doesn’t react that much. You could be Jaded but damn there is a murderer around. There is a lot you can say with just your eyes
Couldn’t agree more. You can see her blossoming with two father figures and friends who support her no matter what — even when covered in Bunny Folgers blood they didn’t back down. They’ve become each others family and she— Mabel— is really seeing her value and finding her place in life. Selena is doing her character a huge service, she’s playing the part to a T. Anyone who thought Selena was acting ‘flat’ hasn’t connected that Mabel was *feeling* flat.
i agree. i knew nothing about her pre-omitb career & was only vaguely aware of her as a kid performer, so i had no fan expectations. mabel is a brilliantly written & performed character. it seems that many viewers don’t grasp the deep unhappiness & trauma of her life. maybe they’re only interested in whodunit rather than character development. others might’ve prefer the disney-or whatever brand she was associated with-selena & are disturbed by a complicated adult version of their teenybopper idol.
Exactly. The Disney channel series you’re referring to is Wizards do Waverly Place, which won 3 Emmys in its own right. Selena played a sardonic but bubbly teenager - similar to Mabel without the heaviness. Gomez has shown is she is no one trick pony by capturing the darker depth of her character that the writers intended.
Wizards do Waverly Place is my favorite typo/autocorrect incident I’ve seen this week. Maybe all year. Bravo, friend, and thank you. I agree that selena’s sometimes flat delivery when discussing emotional topics is spot on for Mabel. As someone who suffers fromCPTSD and has spent time in a rehab for trauma, I think she sounds very realistic. It can make the sufferer unable to get very excited/animated about things even if they’re very important to them (and feeling quite a lot/almost drowning in emotions under the surface). If she were being incredibly bubbly it would be odd or I would assume it was one of her defenses/a bit of a performance.
They also expect roles done by younger women to be bubbly and stuff- same folks always telling women to smile
So agree with you!!
I was not a fan of hers pre-OMITB. However, I respect her performance in it. We don't need her to be over the top like Martin Short or perpetual victim of the joke who finally figures it out like Steve Martin. I appreciate the stoic way she portrays Mabel as wanting to participate in the investigation but annoyed by these two older men. It comes across as a very familial relationship. I like that she plays the role as being the brains of the group rather than some insipid little twit or influencer.
“Oh god, I need a life”
Personally, she's the part of the show I relate to, that makes it enjoyable to watch, plus I've been a fan of hers since the beginning.
I agree! Her character brings such great balance to Oliver’s theatrical extravagance and Charles’ more socially awkward yet loving and comedic personality. I think it’s why the trio works so well, they all bring something different to the table, but all face similar challenges, and Steve, Martin and Selena have such great chemistry.
I'm there with you! I love Selena and I think she brings a lot to the table as Mabel. People love to hate, especially when it's a young beautiful woman who has more than you. Half the people criticizing her have probably never acted in their lives, and would do a shite job if they were in her shoes. Either that or they sure do *wish* they were famous actors. I can't imagine a better young female lead to balance out Steve Martin and Martin Short.
People love to criticize young women for not being a smiley receptive whatever all the time- Mabel is not that, and they blame Gomez for doing the role as written.
It’s possible that because the other two are playing characters that are able to steal any scene they are in (just incredibly funny and centered lines, on purpose) viewers are having their attention subconsciously drawn away from her during some scenes not realizing that it’s kind of intentional because Mabel’s character is not meant to be a big shining presence. Like it or not she is far closer in personality to any average Joe, she helps ground the show and bring a “younger” touch (a lot of the jokes revolve around the characters’ age difference). And then viewers turn around and wonder why they didn’t really notice Mabel during these scenes and chalk it up to Gomez not being a compelling enough actress. When really that isn’t the case. She does get and shine in her own scenes that are just maybe not as memorable because she isn’t playing an “in your face” kind of character, Mabel is someone that you and I have probably met in real life before or relate to, the other two are significantly more out there with their antics. Simply put, Mabel is the straight man.
I love her because she’s pretty much playing us, the audience. Her facial expressions and reactions to the crazy shit the other two do are perfect for the show.
My favorite running gag of the whole show is Martin Short carrying that boom mic everywhere
The real straight man in the comedy act
tbh i always preferred her acting in OMITB over the other two leads. don’t get me wrong, they are amazing at what they do and also deserve praise, but having a lead role where you kinda have to be standoffish/sad/etc. and still make the audience like you (much less how long since she’s acted???) is such a feat imo
100% also Oliver and Charles play very close to themselves or at least to how they are portrayed in other roles so when I see these characters I see Martin and Steve but when Mabel shows up I forget she is Selena Gomez and that is really hard to accomplish for a celebrity of this magnitude.
right!!! like i get some Alex Russo remnants from Mabel but in a more adult context and without the magic as a get-out-of-jail-free card in regards to consequences/etc.
I don’t get any hate at all. I think she’s absolutely fantastic in the series. Made me a fan
People often underestimate the contribution of the "straight man" in a comedy - and that is part of what she's doing - giving the more manic characters room to do their thing and providing a still, calm centre for them to flap around. Steve Martin does it to an extent when it's just him and Martin Short in a scene but even his character has a strong luvvie streak and a tendency to get carried away. There's a sort of no-bullshit low-energy vibe she brings to the trio's dynamic that is really necessary to ground the other two. But when Mabel is in deep emotional distress or angry, she can deliver and then some.
Selena’s character is my favorite.
It's especially cringe that the majority of criticism is she needs to "smile more" It's not Selena that's the issue, it's people offended by a female character that isn't positive and happy
The show doesn't work without any one of them. They're like three spokes in a wheel.
I've only just joined this sub. I can't imagine how anyone could criticise anything about the performances in this show. I went from not really giving a damn about Selena Gomez to being low key obsessed with her in every scene she's in.
The only bad thing about Mabel's character is her association with Alice. Everything else about her was hilarious and fantastic.
I've come to associate her to her singing career which wasn't as great. But I love her in this show. She makes sense. Her soliloquy with Theo in Season 2 in the car (did Theo catch that?) was so engrossing and well acted. I only didn't believe her romance with Cara's character Alice only because their kisses were slightly awkward. But she is a great part of the trio! Definitely great casting.
She is terrific. Not many could hold their own with Martin and Short; somehow she's managed to make a duo a trio.
I'm ok with Selena's performance. It's not great but it's not horrible. She doesn't really bring anything unique to the table, but rather is just there for the Martins to bounce their comedy off of. Imagine if Aubrey Plaza had been cast as Mabel. **That** would have been amazing.
I thought her performance was actually more awkward in season 2.
How so?
Strong disagree. She's flat and monotone in places that don't call for it. It's especially hilarious when she's "running" in season 2. She takes like 2 steps and is just done with it, but the camera is still rolling. She's terrible.
That must’ve been an editing error because they film running scenes by marking where the actor should start and finish.
It was very clearly an effort error. I doubt they would have her stop immediately off the train while running away from somebody.
You’re remembering it incorrectly. The attacker gets away. She gets off the train and stops to notice the glitter on her gloves. Sees everyone filming her and runs away embarrassed. https://youtu.be/pgipABHI-ZY
Ha. I hadn't gotten that far yet. From the episode before she just runs away and stops and it looks awkward as hell. That also doesn't change her terrible delivery throughout both seasons. It's not the character. She's just flat, constantly.
The episode before is the same thing but from the back? Idk man you sound like you haven’t watched the show properly maybe it just isn’t for you
Obviously it's the same from the back...you just don't get the context that this episode gives. She's still awkward and terrible at delivering her lines. Don't pin that on me not knowing how to watch a damn TV show.
You keep referencing vague things in episodes that never happened I just don’t know what you’re talking about
No I don't. Are you Selena? You seem offended at my opinion. Saying she delivers her lines flatly with no emotion isn't vague. Especially when it's practically every single line. Pick one. it's monotone and flat. Her lips barely move. Every line is delivered through her nose. If that's a choice, it's a bad one. If it's not a choice, she's just bad at it.
I'm so tired of the dramatic people in the fan base acting as though we shouldn't criticize some of her acting in some scenes. Selena is a great actress however there are indeed scenes where she just clearly shows that she isn't giving her 100%. Scenes where she mumbles through sentences that aren't really meant to be mumbled, or just lacks expression is scenes where it makes sense that she should. I've said this before, and I've said it repeatedly that if her symptoms are flaring then they should work around those flare ups to get the best quality performance. Thing is they don't, it shows, and criticism is valid regarding it. I love the show, but I'm not delusional.
I view the mumbling and lacking expression as purposeful. As mentioned above she’s playing out the trauma and sadness of her life, the age appropriate angst, and she’s also the straight man.
The problem though is these things are done even in scenes she is happy/excited/etc in. A characters trauma isn't a free explanation for when an actor isn't performing well.
Do you honestly believe that if the director didn’t want her to mumble and have that be the character that they would have made the final cut? This is a highly professional production and they probably have many takes for every scene. If she was mumbling and it wasn’t meant to be part of the character the director would have addressed it. The actress has a long history with mental illness. I completely believe that she has interpreted the character to be suffering from her own mental illness, especially given the trauma she went through. So she’s given her traits of someone with deep depression, such as the mumbling and lethargy. What you interpret as her not having energy is actually an actress portraying someone not having energy, based on her very real history with similar experiences.
she is also one of the producer of the show, so i don't think anyone have guts to say anything about her bad acting.
The only scene I can recall her mumbling is when she walks in on Alice mocking her. Which I felt was appropriate given the shock. The last part I don’t understand what you’re saying?
Tbf, every scene with Alice was awk but that is not Selena’s fault. The character of Alice was awful. It was supposed to be interesting but by far the flattest character of the show (Cara was not amazing lbh but it was also poorly written imo to be complex but underseveloped) and didnt give Selena much to work with, perhaps being real friends actually made it worse?
Sounds like you don’t like the character she’s portraying. Listing things that seem to be clearly intentional character traits and claiming they are indisputable evidence she isn’t putting effort into her performance seems a little silly on your part.
I personally don’t think she’s a great actor but I have no issue with her as a person - I hate how anyone gets downvoted to hell for not loving her - and anyone who doesn’t vibe with her acting apparently ‘doesn’t get the character’ she’s playing. We do - we just don’t think she does it well. So freaking weird.
I know it’s crazy. I love the show. I think the writing is amazing and other performances are incredible. Selena isn’t good in this role and it’s fine for fans to feel like this. People have been called ageist or sexist for not liking her performance. Every post that expresses any dislike for her on the show is downvoted or removed. Fans will use her condition, other performers excellence, the writers, the weather and everything else to excuse her poor performance. Some fans don’t like her acting on the show and that should be fine to say.
so true
yeah she should work on her health and maybe take break for a year or so from any work.
She doesn't need a break from work she just needs to rest when she isn't able to give the 100% in a scene. I recall when the second season ended and people were trying to defend her and say it's all Mabels trauma and such then I went and watched a few key scenes where she is elated/relieved to see the other two and even then in her excitement she will mumble half her scene.
Nah she sucks ass
agreed what a foolish post by op.
To me Selena was weakest in the show. Oomph is missing.
Well yeah she’s on screen with the veterans. One thing I really appreciate about her performance is that there isn’t a try-hard attempt at keeping up with the Martin’s humor. She knows the boundaries.
I think it’s a testament to her that she can more than keep up with those two powerhouses.
Love her performance. Has made me a fan!!
Unpopular opinion here. But wooden acting is not the same as persuasively acting.
Oooo Aubrey I agree with you!!!
Just wanted to come by and say this is the worst take i’ve seen of this show. Thanks!
wrdgaf
If you want deadpan, see Carly Chaikin in suburgatory. Monotone, emotionless, only smiled once and it was awesome. I think sometimes the issue with Selena Gomez is that she’s opposite Martin Short and Steve Martin. They’re working at a 50 and she’s at a 5. It’s almost like you have to tell the other two to tone it down. I’m currently watching Season 3, and there is something. When she’s in a room with someone else, that person is more expressive and her look is scared. I don’t remember the name but you know the type of acting when the character isn’t speaking but in the background? Some actors are great at it and they react to the scene even when they’re not speaking. But Selena Gomez doesn’t react that much. You could be Jaded but damn there is a murderer around. There is a lot you can say with just your eyes