BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Expect To Be Scratched

Episode 218: “Cat And Mouse”

[photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/CW]

Here we are, half-way through June already, and with only three episodes left (according to IMDB.com), plot lines should be drawing to a close. So why does it feel like plot lines are just buying time?

Hung over from the previous night’s fun, JT lingers on his couch, but Tess is anxious to find Vincent, so he can track Cat. JT wonders whether Cat’s actually missing, but the ever-deductive Detective Vargas reasons that if Cat left her purse, phone and keys behind, Cat’s actually missing.

JT and Vincent rendezvous at the premeditated “if crap goes down” spot. The place reminds me of the diner in Twin Peaks, and left me hankering for cherry pie, but I digress. The most significant plot development at the diner is that Vincent claims he doesn’t want to run anymore because he doesn’t want to leave Catherine behind. Big question: how will Vincent track Catherine’s abduction from her apartment, if her apartment is under watch by mercurial, jerkface Gabe?

JT plays decoy and distracts Gabe and his unis from the apartment for a few moments. Vincent comes in through back door and replays the kidnapping incident, but Gabe sneaks up on him and points a gun at him. Gabe admits to Vincent the role he’s played. As a viewer, I suspected, but man…I just really hoped that Gabe would remain a sympathetic character. Vincent flees before he kicks Gabe’s butt, so Gabe hauls JT off to jail. Feigning righteous indignation, Gabe rains down Jonathan Edwards-quality sermonizing, but Tess comes to JT’s rescue. Maybe that’s why I manage to like this show, despite some of its challenges. Women save the men just as frequently as men save the women.

Cat, in the meantime, prowls the perimeter of her enclosure. A couple of dangerous looking men with dark complexions enter the room, and briefly, we worry Cat might be in trouble. When said dangerous dudes speak with neutral American accents, it’s a reminder to us all of the stereotypes we carry around with us. Or maybe it’s just me, but I’ll admit I was surprised. Thanks for the lesson, CW!

The swarthy American-sounding dudes claim to be FBI agents sent by Dana Langdon; they want Vincent’s help locating an American agent who went missing while she was investigating a terrorist organization. Uh oh. Vincent traces a skeptical Cat back to the warehouse-hideaway just as she breaks free and runs.

Worried about Gabe’s ability to track Vincent via city security cameras and facial recognition software, JT & Vincent break into Gabe’s apt. Vincent hesitates, but JT explain how hacking into Cat’s camera will help; when Gabe is alerted about Vincent’s whereabouts via the security software, JT will also get alerted about Vincent. Always good to know what your jerkface ex is up to when subverting your current flame.

A quick phone call between Cat and Tess alerts Cat that the NYPD is now after Cat, as well. And if that weren’t enough to convince the star-crossed lovers that things are serious, Gabe hosts another press conference extolling all of Vincent’s vices. Which all leads to the big question between Cat and Vincent: do they stand and fight for the chance to be together? Oh, come on, you’re not a real fan if you think they’re going down without a fight. Cat and Vincent approach FBI agent Knox to see what he has in mind.

Seems that FBI agent Mallory has been taken captive by terrorist agents on UN property, a place where the FBI has no jurisdiction. Agent Knox wants them to go in and get the wayward Mallory, but if they were to get caught, they’re on their own; if they make it all happen, Vincent will be exonerated. Given Cat’s raw feelings about the FBI, she demands the exoneration papers in writing and upfront.

Cat and Vincent survey the situation; given the level of security, they finally decide Cat should set herself up with a profile, courtesy of Agent Knox, that will raise the hackles of the bad guy terrorists when Cat gets on the UN campus.

Tess gives Gabe some details about where Vincent is and what he’s up to, but it turns out that the side she’s chosen is with her friends. Gabe follows Tess’s leads, and lands nowhere. He’s peeved, as can be expected, but when he starts threatening to investigate further, Tess alerts Gabe that the misleading video feed that took Gabe down a rabbit hole actually came from Gabe’s apartment. Oops!

As planned, the bad guy terrorists come after Cat. She gives them plenty of good fight, but ultimately allows them to catch her. Accordingly, she’s taken straight to Agent Mallory. Vincent tracks them down, busts down the door, and runs for the garage door, where Mallory alone gets out. Vincent and Cat run up a stairway and straight out a window to the Hudson and back on American “soil”.

Vincent and Cat head back to the rendezvous point to meet with Agent Knox, where he’s embarrassed to admit that the exoneration offer has been rescinded. Vincent realizes that Knox isn’t lying about any of it, and when Knox mentions that the Bureau of Prisons got involved, it doesn’t take long for Cat and Vincent to reason that Gabe was behind that piece of skulduggery, as well.

As one can imagine, Cat’s a bit peeved at this point, so when she pays a visit to Gabe, she advises he clear the room, and then strikes him. The writers on this show need to find another way of making strong displays of anger. Neither man-on-woman nor woman-on-man violence is appropriate; self-defense is one thing, but Cat struck out of anger. I’m disappointed in the character and in the show’s writers. Shame on you guys. Gabe says he’s out to destroy Vincent. Cat pretends to be surprised that he’s not just after an arrest.

Vincent and Cat meet back at Cat’s rooftop, where they decide they deserve a future together, and swap some fairly ho-hum, chaste kissing.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for a plot twist. Quit stalling, move the story forward, and for goodness sake, let’s not have any more domestic violence. Is that too much to ask? And who wants to take bets that Gabe turns back into a beast? If I’m wrong, I’ll drink bad American beer. I’ll even take a picture of it. My fingers are crossed, because I really hate bad American beer, but I’m 90% sure I’m going to win this bet! Stay tuned with me, and we’ll see!

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