2. Matilda is described as a "bit of a snobby brat" who can also be a "drama queen". However, she is not necessarily mean. Matilda is angry when her mother begins dating another man shortly after her father, Jack (Ian Lind) died. After she settles in the Bay, Matilda develops some "desperate" crushes on a some of the boys in the area. Channel Seven said these are all learning curves for Matilda.