I think Tamara might be the right entry point for you, as you've guessed. Her arc is a bit Buffy-esque (a bit, mind you). Starting off as a scared and whiny little girl who finds herself in an incomprehensible situation and ends up seizing her power and her destiny with both hands.

That being said, we've only had hints of her potential, so it may well be I'm reading to much into it. I do love the layered storytelling, and the complexity of the Gteystone relationship. I loved watching them struggle to understand their daughter and their grief, because parenthood is not all hearts and flowers and macaroni art and family picnics as TV would have us believe -- it's pretty damn messy, and can gut you like a fish, but that's the risk you take when your heart is really in it. They're doing that bit really well. I do love the Amanda actress, so we may just be differing on that one. Another interesting question for me is how do the best of intentions, or a series of small and big incidents, struggles, failures, coincidences, lead up to the civilzation's downfall.

We like what we like, though -- don't sweat it if it's not for you. Fandom should be fun.