Villainess Review: Belinda Zalman (Beauty and the Beast)

Another show I enjoyed binge-watching was The CW's take on Beauty and the Beast, which featured its share of amazing villainesses, though the best one, IMO, was in the episode, "Heart of the Matter." The episode centered on wealthy philanthropist Marshall Zalman, who was dying of a heart condition and needed a transplant. Catherine Chandler and Vincent Keller ended up confronting the Zalmans at a gathering they were hosting, as they found out that Marshall's new heart had superhuman abilities, leading Cat to believe that Marshall was up to no good and planning to use the abilities for sinister purposes.

Marshall ended up hospitalized, and afterwards, his wife Belinda lashed out at the pair and threatened to sue (keep in mind, this episode aired a good five years before the "Karen" meme became a thing) should her husband pass on. The pair had to do something about that heart, as it had superhuman effects, but their quest was hampered by a thief who had stolen the heart needed for the transplant. Cat and Vincent take down the thief and get the heart back, and regarding Belinda, she's calmed down a bit (just a bit) and speaks fondly of her husband, while thanking the pair for retrieving the heart.

Later on, the same thief appears to sneak behind Belinda, who turns around and berates him for letting the heart be found. Her exact words: "You were supposed to make sure they didn't find the heart. And now, we have to make sure my husband doesn't get it."

Holy heel turn, Batman!

So as Cat and Vincent are driving, they phoned their marriage counselor, as they felt that they were too co-dependent on each other. As they talked, they began to sense that Belinda had that same co-dependency on Marshall and realized that she was behind the theft of Marshall's planned heart. As the pair deduced, Belinda felt that she gave up her own life for Marshall, but saw Marshall's plan to give his wealth to charity as some sort of betrayal, leading her to mastermind the aforementioned theft, which would result in Belinda inheriting her husband's wealth once Marshall passes. Cat and Vincent figured that Belinda wasn't done with her scheme, and they were right, as the evil Belinda ordered her henchmen to shut off the lights to delay the surgery. The pair returned to the hospital and fought off the henchmen, though Belinda escaped; however, the final scenes showed Belinda in cuffs, as she was arrested while attempting to get away in her private jet.

"Heart of the Matter" was the fourth episode of Beauty and the Beast's third season, and aired on The CW on July 2, 2015. The episode's villainess, Belinda Zalman, was played by Emily Swallow, who returned to The CW months later as Amara on Supernatural. To say I loved Belinda Zalman would be an understatement; as I said before, she was the best villainess in the entire series. Swallow has the ability to play all of her emotions very deeply, and we saw that in the early scenes when she portrayed herself as a concerned wife. Belinda's heel turn was very masterful, as it saw her go from 0 to 60 and become a ruthless villainess bent on having her husband killed for his wealth. In that regard, Swallow brilliantly portrayed Belinda as the murderous mastermind she was; acting out Belinda's coldness and fiendish demeanor to perfection.

Emily Swallow also guest starred on Rizzoli & Isles as corrupt parole officer Elizabeth Keating, and recurred on The Mentalist as Kim Fischer. She has also appeared on shows such as How to Get Away With Murder, Bull, Elementary, and Instinct, just to name a few.

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Click here for Belinda Zalman's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!