MovieChat Forums > Ally McBeal (1997) Discussion > Claire Otoms

Claire Otoms

posted 14 years ago by ezihp
20 replies | jump to latest

The absolute worst thing to hit Ally Mcbeal in my opinion.

I was literally gutted when I saw he/she was going to be in the series until the finale. I hate her! Her voice is annoying, her antics unfunny, her acid reflux truly horrific and her input is not needed. Considering the firm was supposedly haemorraging money, why employ her to do what Elaine does? (even though I have yet to see her get any work done). Then there were the other people suddenly employed after Freckles and Singing Boy Cyclops left - wtf? Anyway it's got to the point where I dare not watch the last few episodes in case she belches into shot. Whose bright idea was she?

There, rant over. But honestly, what did she bring? If you liked her please explain to me because I just can't understand it! Jon Bon Jovi just about balances out the awfulness of her.

[–] Ziyi 14 years ago

*Spoilers ahead*

I thought the Ally-Victor storyline was terrible. He was a nice guy, nothing really wrong with him, ok the assfetish was a little weird but also funny and nothing to be angry about in the end. And all the time she bugged him, she had always something to complain about, always bitchy to him , condescending, and even, yeah, elitist.

Sorry, but I have to say that last one as well. Come on, who cares if your boyfriend is not in the same academic line as you are? And then when he mentions his degree, she finally gives in?

Yeah Claire sucked too but sometimes she was funny. I liked it when she always said: 'Hello, I'm Claire Otoms'.

[–] ezihp 14 years ago

I agree they weren't right for each other and Ally wasn't particularly nice to him. I just meant seeing him haha, I'm a Bon Jovi fan :)

I couldn't ever find Otoms funny though. Just no.

[–] suche_dich 14 years ago

I totally agree! Just finished watching all episodes and I never disliked a character in a tv show or film as much as Claire Otoms!
I ALMOST threw up when she/he/it did this acid reflux thing. And I watch a lot of horror/splatter movies and never feel so DISGUSTED!

Also, what's the point making her female, when it is OBVIOUS for everyone that she is being played by a man? All those little jokes about it were not funny neither!

She just did not fit in to the Ally McBeal WORLD. She destroyed so much for me. I used to think if I ever star in a film/tv show I would want to have Billy Dickinson (Director of Photography) to light me and the make up people to do do me. But this MONSTER Claire Otoms makes me want to vomit!
It's the reason why the fifth season was my least favorit Ally McBeal season.

I'm glad I don't seem to be alone with this opinion!

[–] ezihp 14 years ago

Thank you! I've just never watched anyone who made me so angry at the screen. It actually took me a while to figure out they had written her in as a woman - I thought she was meant to be a transvestite at first...

[–] willjohn 13 years ago

Did Barry play it like Edna Everage?

[–] danakay68 13 years ago

IMHO Claire Otoms was the worst most horrible character in media history. She was Ally McBeal's Jar Jar Binks. I just finished the entire series and season 5 was a huge letdown after the previous 4. To me, the seasons awfulness was due in large part to Claire.

Of course there were other thinks. For the record, I didn't think Jon Bon Jovi was awful, he could have worked but the situation was written poorly. He was a decent normal-ish guy who 1)was hot 2)had home improvement skills 3)babysat cheerfully 4)was super patient with Ally's brattiness. IRL, you don't let this package walk!!!

[–] Gellert_Grindelwald 14 years ago

Lol, I actually disliked Jon Bon Jovi's character more. Claire was at least kinda funny in an obnoxious, over the top way at times. JBJ was like a boring, emotionless robot who couldn't move his face due to all the botox and facelifts. Bleh.

For the Greater Good.
The scream lives on.

[–] lynn-ash 14 years ago

Claire Otoms: Yuck. I never believed that the gentleman playing that character was ever acting, just making faces for the camera. Otoms was part of the downfall of the series, I think.
Jon BonJovi was over-rated -- to me. I didn't like him, either.
They shouldn't have killed off Billy, but perhaps the actor was sick of the series.
I also understand why Robert Downey, Jr. had to leave the series. He most likely needed rehab--bad. I know that people were fearful for his very life. I'm glad to see him healthy and acting again. (Though I didn't like Sherlock Holmes the movie. See the BBC/PBS new series with Benedict Cumberback; it's terrific.)
My biggest complaint is what they did to James Marsden. Glen Foy was always being characterized as "the Boy." Marsden himself made some sort of comment that they probably hired him because he could sing. If that were true, why did the other characters constantly talk through his singing? Inane conversation by the other actors simply infuriated me. Some bright person put together a nice version of his singing of "You Were Always on My Mind." That person, thank God, did better than the program did. I wish that person would put his other songs on Youtube also. That would make me happy.
They knocked Marsden off the series; but maybe he got tired of the treatment he received, which was always demeaning and never respectful. He has been saddled with a "pretty boy" reputation, and he is much more than that. That show did him more harm than good, I think.
So--- the last part of Ally McBeel, in my opinion, was ruined by several factors. And Flockhart herself looked like it was too much of a strain for her.
It probably was. There were other disasters I didn't touch on.

[–] lostlilly 14 years ago

I wish that person would put his other songs on Youtube also. That would make me happy.

lynn-ash, there's a Yahoo fan group for Marsden where some kind soul has uploaded a few of the songs he sang in Ally McBeal (with the bits where characters talked over him edited out), you can find it here:

http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/Man_Behind_The_Shades/files/Songs /

I think you have to join the group to see them. There are also downloads for other music projects of his.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] buffster2002 13 years ago

Call me crazy but I actually liked Claire! I know I'm in the vast minority here.

The only thing I hated about season 5 was Jenny and the 2 new guys. Could. Not. Stomach. Them. GROSS.

Claire was funny to me and fit perfectly with the eccentricity of the show. That said, she wasn't really needed, they could have focussed that time on Nelle or Elaine.

[–] There-Can-Be-Only-One 13 years ago

I couldn't agree with you more. Every single thing you said about Claire is exactly how I feel. And to add insult to injury, we're still in pain and shock over losing Larry when this abomination pollutes our screen and ruins our show. Bad BAD decision. I'm NOT happy about it. I dread getting to Season 5 whenever I'm watching the show, but I watch it anyway because there are so many other things I do like about it, and I don't want to miss them. But it still makes me really mad.

[–] coldgreenwater 11 years ago

I hated Claire so much! Worst character I have ever seen on television! She made me go from loving the show to hating it! No wonder it was cancelled. What the hell were they thinking giving her so much airtime when she was not even a regular?

[–] jajceboy 10 years ago

I liked Claire, but that's due to me more liking Dame Edna than anything.
However as much fun as she was, she should just have been a guest for one or two episodes cause Dame Edna is only fun in small doses. Making her a recurring character was stretching it to the point of making her intolerable.

[–] superherolu 10 years ago

Claire was garbage. I'm watching the show on Netflix and skipping every single scene with her in it. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and all she does is make everyone cringe, both the audience and the actual characters.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Hah this was posted 10 years ago. Damn.

Well i agree, this character felt like it came out of a saturday night live sketch. The show was already silly but this was just absurd.

We must never forget how bad that character was.

[–] Stratego (31082) 3 years ago

Dear god, not sure if I blocked it or just missed it because I never watched the show, but who on earth would think it's a good idea to give a recurring role to Dame Edna???

[–] Mustang (5571) 3 years ago

Lol I kept wondering if Yanks even knew who "she" was! I never found Edna or Barry Humphries funny so it was just cringe worthy for me.

[–] Mustang (5571) 3 years ago

Being Aussie I couldn't believe they put Dame Edna on the show! Edna did seem to be very wrong for the Ally universe.