BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Meh & Meh & Meh & Meh

Episode 303: “Bob & Carol & Vincent & Cat”

[photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/CW]

Beauty and the Beast had started out this season pretty well.  The first two reviews I did, I was pleased with the ratio of my likes to dislikes about the episodes.  I also felt that my dislikes were for the most part nitpicks, things that needed to be pointed out, but didn’t necessarily detract from the show.  However, with this most recent episode “Bob & Carol & Vincent & Cat”, while there were a few really great moments, there were more not-so-great moments that I had trouble getting past.

Here are the most triumphant and most non-triumphant points.  And remember, I just call ’em as I see ’em.  If you see something differently, let us know below in the comments.  We are always interested in different perspectives here at SciFi4Me.

Triumphant:

• Vincent falling asleep on the couch when Cat’s trying to get in some “quality time”.  If you read my first couple of reviews from this season, you know that I dig when the writers do things to make these characters seem more relatable.  Wait, TV characters can be too tired for nookie!?  Who knew!?  And then Cat’s discussion with Tess afterwards was totally how two girlfriends would chat that up.  Love their friendship.
• When Vincent wanted to make it up to Cat for having fallen asleep the night before, he wrote “us” on one of his prescription pads.  It was a cute touch.
• Vincent playfully challenges Cat to lock him down and eliminate his options.  He took Cat’s question about why he was keeping the houseboat, and instead of getting defensive, he played right along.  But he’s right, Cat.  Lock that man down!
• No pink, lace and no frilly flowers.  Amen!  There’s my girl, keeping it simple and real.
• I literally (yes, literally) LOL’d when J.T. looked like he was trying to use the Force in his quest for talent discovery, mostly because I’m pretty sure that every one born between 1970 and 1980 has done this on more than one occasion.  It resonated.
• Cat takes off her shoes while under cover, and uses them as weapons.  Double heels crane style!  My daughter, who actually studies kung fu, loved this scene.  And it makes total sense.  High heels on your feet during a fight, a major disadvantage.  Spikes in your hands during a fight, major advantage.  I adore it when a comical moment also is totally logical.
• The look on Bob’s face when Vincent beasts out?  Priceless.
• “If we can’t find us in our engagement, we won’t in our marriage.”  Although I am not sure this is 100% truth, I do think they should take more time to just enjoy being engaged.  If you do it right, you only get to do it once.
• Tess: “I didn’t have time, I was arresting Espinosa…that’s my letter of recommendation.”  Captain Vargas, you’re just too bad.  Which brings up another amazing point.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that this is a show that says, “A woman can be a police captain.”  Thank you, writers, for seeing what’s possible.
• J.T.’s power of super-healing.  That’s great, it means he’ll be hard to kill when he goes psycho, and that should make for some dramatic TV.  Bring it!
• “Getting dumped sucks.”  Heather’s super-power is stating the obvious.  Think about it.  But she’s right, and again, more relatable for expressing what we’ve all felt before.

Non-Triumphant:

• There was a major disconnect between CatVin’s decision to take Heather’s wedding, but then not wanting to do it her way.  What exactly did you think you were signing up for?  Heather was admittedly annoying about it, and ran off pouting when Cat reasonably asserted herself.  Le sigh, Heather, it’s not always about you.  But still, Cat and Vincent seemed surprised when Heather asked them to make some decisions, and instead of being grateful for her help, they resented her intrusion.  Didn’t really seem fair to me.
• The Chief of Police didn’t bother to check if Bob and Carol were DHS agents?  He just took their word for it when they showed up and said they were taking over Cat’s case?  It took Cat digging into it to figure out they were fakes?  That’s disconcerting if that’s how NYPD operates.
• Cat and Vincent get that rooftop all to themselves whenever they want it, and they are up there a lot.  This one I’ll conceded is a nit.  It’s a TV show, and there are some artifices.  But still, it bugs me from time to time.
• Heather lets herself into Cat’s apartment that Heather knows Cat is sharing with a man.  Honestly, Heather, the one encounter with Vincent wasn’t enough to teach you!?  Or maybe you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Vincent with naught on but what God gave him.  Now that, we can understand.  But it’s really not very sisterly of you.
• The captain’s remark to Tess about her having a legitimate shot at captaincy, and not to let Cat ruin it for her.  There is something about that that sits poorly with me.  Maybe it’s just the trash-talking of Cat.  He could have kept his advice high level, “Be careful in the next few days about how you conduct yourself.  Stay above board.  You have a real shot.”  Something like that without getting in a dig at a woman that he knows Tess is close to.  I found it offensive.
• Snipers sniping bullets.  C’mon, it’s just really asking me to suspend too much disbelief.
• J.T.’s a ballistics expert, too?  Like enough to be able to tell that you’re looking for two shooters?  Biochemist, hacker, and ballistics expert.  J.T.’s obviously great and all, but you can’t be an expert in all sciences.  There just isn’t enough time in a day for all that study.
• The whole thing with Bob and Carol was just weird and suspicious from the start.  I mean, they kept talking about how hard being engaged is.  The whole time I was watching I was thinking to myself, “I’m married and I wouldn’t be going on and on about the hardships of engagement. First of all, it’s not really supportive, and second, engagement is the easy part!”  Then, when they bust Cat and Vincent in the hospital, they go from there, to the police station, to over to the houseboat for drinks.  Vincent does finally clue in that something is off, but it’s a little too late in the game.  Vincent’s spidey senses should have tingled earlier, methinks.
• Along the same lines, Vincent who normally has amazing perception, can’t hear the timer on the bomb.  Maybe this is a nit, but it seems like he’s able to hear every darn thing.
• Is Cat ever going to think to herself, “There’s this place that I’m contemplating breaking into, because there is information in there that I want.  But hmm, that’s breaking and entering, maybe I shouldn’t.”  Honestly, Cat, sometimes you need to be rational.
• The loss of the houseboat.  Bummer, I really dug that place.  This one isn’t a criticism.  Just acknowledgment of a loss.

So, love? hate? agree? disagree? If you like, we ask you to remember what your Mom taught you, and share. Reply, comment, favorite, or retweet.  We’re not picky, just pay it forward, lovelies. See you again on Thursday, when The CW airs episode 304, “Heart of the Matter” – When Cat and Vincent don’t see eye to eye with regard to Cat’s ongoing investigations, marriage counseling seems the right way to go…but how do you make headway in counseling when you can’t tell your therapist anything!?