Bad Becky

Wednesday, Becky going at Kylie then the Platts, followed by her going at Liz, and finally, the fabulous moment of throwing Liz’s favourite clothes in a puddle. And as the driving force for all this, Becky taking control of her misery by grabbing a big bottle of whiskey and getting plastered. Bad Becky is back!

I loved Becky this week. Not everyone did, I see from Tvor’s blog. Some see her as immature and selfish. Yes, she is. But.

Her husband has the ex from hell and she lives next door. His child sometimes lives with them. While Becky wants and is expected to be a mother to Amy, she can never usurp Tracy’s position as “real” mother. Her controlling mother-in-law, who detests her, lives with them and is her boss. Or is it business partner? Whose house is it, whose business is it? Both are in the same space, and who’s in charge is always contentious. That situation alone would drive a saint to the brink.

Becky is no saint. She’s got a vicious temper and a basket-load of insecurities. Lashing out is her way of handling frustration, stress and fear of rejection. She knows it, doesn’t deny it and knows it’s not a good thing. A quote in The Tao of Horses applies to Becky as well as horses: “If you knew a horse, you could depend on him and if he was going to do something bad, you could depend on him to do that too.” Transparency of action and motive is valuable in people as well as horses. Becky has it; those around her, not so much.

Living in a madhouse

Steve has become more mature and rational, but he can be spineless and inconsistent. He’s ready to call Becky out on her foolishness, but flip-flops whenever he stands up to his mother or Tracy. Liz is trailer-trash enough to recognize, and dislike Becky’s trashiness but doesn’t see, or acknowledge, it in herself.

Decision-making in the Rovers, both business and residence, is contentious. Because management is split between Steve, owner, and Liz, manager whose name is over the door. Why her name? Because Steve has a criminal record. Steve was young and stupid, just like Becky, got caught and did time, just like Becky. Does anyone talk about that? Nooo! Steve is now Responsible Businessman. It’s good that his past is overlooked. But he had no good reason for his foray into criminality. Becky, if you accept that upbringing influences behaviour, did. Her criminal history is far from forgotten.

Becky can only stake her position in the Rovers through Steve. He needs to back her up as equal partner at home and in business.

Sister from hell

And Kylie, the sister from hell. Becky’s guilt over leaving her years before led her to forgive Kylie scuttling their chance to adopt.

Through Kylie, Becky has the chance to be a mother to Max, but it hasn’t been clear-cut. Like Tracy, Kylie won’t just go away but won’t do her full share of mothering either. Becky has been a good mother to Amy and Max, to her surprise as much as anyone else’s. But no one gives her total credit or support in that.

Nothing in Becky’s life is secure or simple. She changed her ways and expanded her new family circle. But she sees the ground constantly shifting under her feet. And she reacts in true bad Becky fashion. Do whatever is necessary to protect what’s important and, if that fails, lash out at everyone.