BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Caught Up In A Moment

Episode 215: “Catch Me If You Can”

[photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/CW]

Nice to see you guys again, after a short two-week break from Beauty & The Beast. Time to mull and stew over our pulchritudinous protagonists, and their machinations. Away to it, shall we?

Vincent determinedly kicks off the episode early one morning, with JT’s tech-savvy computer set-up and a bagful of gummy worms. While plugged into the police surveillance system, Vincent runs facial recognition software against the mugs of all passers-by, just hoping that evil nemesis Sam will happen to pass by one of the police cameras. JT wakes earlier than desired, apparently, and challenges Vincent: why not just sense Sam? But Vincent hesitates to resort to his beast powers after everything that his beast side has put Catherine through. To win Cat back, he has to show he’s more man than beast.

Tess and Cat also share an early morning talking over coffee about Cat’s dreams of Vincent. Cat worries that Gabe would understandably have issues with the dreams, but while Vincent plans to bring her closer, she plans to solve the Sam issue so that she can distance herself and focus on Gabe.

When Cat returns to Gabe’s after coffee, Gabe shares that his research into Sam continues to show just how slippery Sam is. Although Gabe has no evidence on Sam to support a murder charge, Gabe feels certain that he can make a case for identify theft. Once Sam’s in the slammer, Gabe can spend the rest of Sam’s prison sentence building a case against him for murder. Apparently, thoughts of justice give Gabe the warm fuzzies. At the end of their conversation, Gabe gives Cat a key to his loft. Cat’s stunned, but gets saved by a phone call that Vincent and JT have Sam in hand.

Although Vincent had initially resisted using his beast sense to find Sam, JT sways him with advice that Vincent can’t completely deny his other half. Vincent gives into his beast senses, resulting in Sam locked up in the prison cell where JT originally found Sam. But Sam’s smart: he trash talks Vincent until he beastifies right as Cat and Gabe show up. So much for restraint.

Now Gabe, as much as I really like him as a character, eye candy, and good boyfriend for Cat, goes off on a sanctimonious diatribe about how Vincent and JT should have called before they caught Sam, that beast justice doesn’t work, blah, blah. Is it just me, or does Gabe seem totally fine with beast justice when it suits him? Gabe brushes JT and Vincent to the side and threatens Sam with identity theft charges. Sam counter-threats with the death of his new beast; seems Xavier is chained up without access to food and water. How does Gabe respond? Well, he does what any reasonable ADA would do. He lets Sam go. Yep.

When Vincent returns to his houseboat, Gabe is already there. Gabe appeals to the human side of Vincent, and suggests that Vincent stop thinking about himself and stay away from Cat for her sake. Briefly, Vincent buys into Gabe’s position. JT later advises that Vincent be his full self, both human and beast. If Vincent were to stop doing what he thinks Cat wants, and start doing what he himself wants, what would that be? Vincent realizes he wants to save anyone else from having to go through what he himself went through, and he vows to save Sam’s next victim.

Independently, Cat and Vincent have both decided to track down Xavier; both end up in Xavier’s neighborhood and Cat nearly runs Vincent over. Cat realizes that if they’re both in the area, Sam likely is, too, so she suggests that Vincent get in her car. Just a couple of blocks later, Xavier plows into Cat’s car with a large truck. Although Cat and Vincent are pinned inside the car, Xavier can’t do much with the two sitting ducks due to the gathering crowd. What follows is a fairly hilarious scene involving Cat and Vincent intertwined and trying to carry on a normal conversation with Gabe via phone. At least Gabe provides the next address where Sam is likely to show with his new pet in tow.

Xavier and Sam show up where expected, and Cat and Vincent arrive shortly thereafter. However, in order for Vincent to rescue Xavier, he’s got to traverse an oxygen-deprived area of the building. Cat asks Vincent not to go, but Vincent feels he has to do it, for himself. Vincent finds Xavier passed out, wearing a C4-jacket and near a download of computer files in progress. Vincent removes the vest and carries Xavier’s body to safety. Elsewhere, Cat busts in on Sam. Cat sees the detonator in Sam’s hand, they struggle, he sets off the detonator, and she handcuffs him to a radiator. After Cat leaves, Sam pulls a pill out of a briefcase just within reach and smiles smugly for the camera.

Cat runs for Vincent. She’s worried about the state she’ll find him in, but she finds him performing CPR on Xavier’s lifeless body. Eventually, Vincent revives him. Cat’s so relieved that Vincent is still alive, and she’s so caught up in the joy and relief that Vincent feels about Xavier, that she hugs Vincent just as Gabe walks in. The hug isn’t passionate, but it’s intense, and Gabe feels clearly awkward.

After Sam’s arrest, Gabe confronts Catherine about why she keeps ending up in Vincent’s arms and demands to know where her loyalties lie. Good girl Cat, who always tries to do the right thing, be the right person, take the high road, etc., etc., assures Gabe that she is with him. And while Gabe frames it as a request that Cat tell Vincent the very same, it’s pretty clear his request is a requirement.

Accordingly, Cat visits Vincent in his houseboat. She states how it needs to be; Vincent agrees amiably. Yet, at the end of the conversation, Cat stands still, Vincent inches closer. They lock eyes, then lips. For a brief moment, it seems Cat may pull away. However, she gives in to the moment, and Vincent picks her up and carries her upstairs. And that, my friends, is all we get. Last season, we got one brief, hard-won love scene. This season, we finally see Cat and Vincent reunite, and the above description is all we get. So frustrating, especially considering that the previews for the next show indicate that this reunion may be a one-time thing.

Questions for next week: What’s the story with Cat’s relative? Has that storyline been completely dropped? What about Agent Landon? Will she get pulled in to resolve the Sam storyline? What about the collar and leash from the Tori days? What happened to those? How much longer does Gabe have (nooo, Gabe don’t go!)? How can Cat have forgotten all about Vincent’s nasty temper from earlier this season, and the fact that he was an assassin there for a while? What is the deal with the little pill that Sam has in hand? Does anyone on this show freaking knock on doors? And the most important question of all: do you guys realize there are just a few episodes left? Lots of ground still left to cover, so stick with us! Until next time!

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