BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Fear Is the Mind-killer

Episode 302: “Primal Fear”

[photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/CW]

Beauty and the Beast has started out this season with a couple of fairly strong episodes.  It’s nice to see that the writers aren’t squandering the additional seasons that the viewers fought so hard to give to the cast and crew.  The storyline now focuses on the other supernatural creatures that go bump in the night, as well as the new challenges that Cat and Vincent face with their evolving relationship.  As usual, I break it down to the great and not-so-great points during this latest episode.

Best Moments:

1. J.T., Tess, and Heather bring an oft-needed lighter tone to a series that sometimes takes itself too seriously.  This week, Heather knocked it out of the park, courtesy of Nicole Gale Anderson’s comedic excellence.  The shower scene and all associated aftermath?  Nicole…killed…every…scene.  Totally awesome.
2. If you guys have been following me from the beginning, you may recall that I’ve been fairly critical of the show’s special effects.  Season 1 beast effects were just terrible.  But I actually thought the special effects for the baddie-of-the-week were kinda cool this time, and it made me realize that this aspect of the show has grown considerably.  Way to go, guys!
3. Guess who’s back, back, back….back again…J.T.’s back, back, back…tell a friend…(and I have just given you a little hint about the musical artist I’m most embarrassed to admit I like…see the Austin Basis interview to get the reference).  But my real point is that J.T. took Tess’ advice and grew a pair this week.  Initially intimidated by Tess’ douche-y brothers at the gun range, J.T. steps in to defend his girl’s honor when her brother’s brotherly kidding goes too far.  “You owe your sister an apology, birthday boy!”  Seriously.
4. Cat is such a sweet person, I hadn’t really thought of her as controlling.  But when Tess calls Cat out on it in front of the DHS building, it made a little light bulb go off for me.  Yeah, Cat really kinda does have that going on.  I don’t often need characters to explain other characters to me, but Tess’ observation this week was spot-on.
5. “Pot meet kettle…be the man she loves, not the beast you fear”.  More J.T. wisdom.  Back in Season 1, J.T. was so anti-Cat, he was a jerk.  This season, his character is able to be a better friend, one who provides sagacious counsel.  We could all use a J.T. in our lives, don’t you think?
6. When Cat asked Vincent to defrost some hamburger meat so she could make tacos for dinner, I suddenly realize how little these characters talk about normal things like what to make for dinner.  And granted, we all watch shows like this to escape the day-to-day routine, but I thought this one little comment served a couple of purposes.  First, it served the intended purpose of showing how these characters are struggling to do normal, but it also served to make them more accessible and human.  When you’re talking about a gorgeous 85-lb. woman who kicks ass and has a luscious fiance, like what Cat does, a little humanizing is a good thing.
7. J.T. needs to write a book on how to keep your woman happy, and we can all give it to our partners.  Because you know what we want from a partner?  Validation.  Support.  With a soupçon, perhaps, of admiration?  J.T. says to Tess, “You could be captain, you would be great.”  That’s the exact kind of thing that gets me weak in the knees.  J.T., let me know when that book is on its way; I’ll pre-order it.
8. Cat’s a pretty sincere character who doesn’t speak fluent sarcasm like what J.T. and Tess do.  So when Vincent confesses he’s having a few primal issues, her angry “Glad it’s nothing big” retort really plays well.
9. Agent Thomas warns Vincent to be careful of J.T., because while the serum he was injected with may have healed him, it was the same serum that’s been used to experiment on the crazies coming out of the woodwork these last couple of weeks.  So yes, I know that the PC interpretation of this information is “Oh, no!  J.T.’s in danger!”  So, I’m not always as PC as many interested parties would probably like.  Nope, I’m like, “Wait, J.T. might be a bad guy?  Cool!”  Look, if the writers can make us like Vincent again after last season, what with tying Cat up, pushing her down, killing loads of people, and let’s not forget Tori, then I’m pretty sure that J.T. can go off the deep-end and come back to us.  And J.T. just seems like he could be a really interesting bad guy.  A smart, sarcastic, probably dastardly one.  I’ll be maniacally wringing my hands, watching this one unfold.
10. More Heather crushing: “Normal stuff is hard.”  I obviously touched on this a bit back in #6, but I think this deserves another look.  Damn straight normal stuff is hard.  Job, family, house maintenance, dinner on the table every day, dust, dishes, laundry, bills, homework, groceries…I mean, it’s exhausting.  And so I so appreciate this little show taking a moment to recognize what we all deal with.  These are unusual people dealing with difficult circumstances, who find that normal is hard, and that is so validating to the rest of us poor shlubs trying to keep it together on a day-to-day basis.  Did I mention I dig validation?

Worst moments:

1. When Vincent begins bolting, Cat wonders if he feels like she rushed him into moving in.  Cat, why are you so quick to blame yourself?  Get a grip!
2. When Vincent pulls back the shower curtain and asks if there’s room for one more.  Yes, hilarity ensued, and I’ve given props for that.  However, I was looking forward to…uh…well, what all the rest of you were looking forward to.  You know what I mean.  And don’t pretend you weren’t disappointed, too.
3. Tess has never mentioned her brothers before that I recall, and they pop in this one scene, and then they pop out again.  Generally speaking, I feel that the writers don’t treat family members on this show much better than window dressing.  Tess’ character strikes me as one who would be very tight with her brothers.  Cat’s father is in jail, and we haven’t heard anything about him for a long while.  Heather never introduced her fiancé to Cat.  Vincent’s nephew who is a firefighter in the area hasn’t checked in with Vincent despite all the news coverage about his exoneration.  I realize there is a limited amount of time every week to devote to plot development, but family is important and deserve a little more realistic treatment, in my humble opinion.
4. Cat is able to break into a Department of Homeland Security office, spends one minute in the office, and pulls a random pic off the board.  And it just miraculously happens to directly relate to the baddie of the week.  I’ve complained about this before.  Yes, I realize this isn’t a police procedural show.  But I’d still like the investigation portions to have more heft.
5. Speaking of baddie of the week: the explanation around who he was, how his special talent worked, and what he was after was very jumbled and hard to follow.  Or maybe I was the only one, but I definitely struggled to wrap my brain around all the Alton explanation.
6. Tess calls Vincent and Cat, asking if they know where J.T. is.  It’s only just now when Tess calls you that you think to tell her that J.T. may have been taken hostage at the hospital?  Stop and turn the situation around.  Vincent gets kidnapped, and Tess and J.T. decide to try to find him, but don’t bother to call Cat.  See what I mean?
7. Cat talks both Vincent and Alton out of killing each other.  Okay, so Vincent’s in love with her and has been for a long time, so it makes sense that she’d be able to get through to him.  But Alton is desperate, dying from a brain tumor, injected with a serum that makes him cray-cray, and doesn’t know Catherine from the King of Spain. And yet, her powers of reason and oration overcome all.  Hmm…
8. Holy cow, when are Cat and Vincent going to learn to talk to each other?  I mean, why is Heather having to persuade Cat to talk to Vincent?  Why is J.T. having to persuade Vincent to talk to Cat?  Why is Vincent agreeing with Heather not to tell Cat about the shower and Heather’s breakup with Matt?  Why can Cat and Vincent not get this one figured out already!?

So, what do you guys think?  Agree?  Disagree?  We always love to hear what you guys have to say, so share below or on Twitter.  See you again on Thursday, when The CW airs episode 303, “Bob & Carol & Vincent & Cat” – When two married agents from the FBI take over an investigation, Cat and Vincent hope they are seeing a future version of themselves.