BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Sins of the Fathers
Episode 210: “Ancestors”
[photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/CW]
Beauty and the Beast continues its exasperating polarization of its two leads, as Vincent forges a dark path of smug and indifferent dickishness in the latest episode, “Ancestors.” In an unexpected effort to further his exposure, Vincent appears on The Talk with Sharon Osbourne and Julie Chen. This collision between fiction and reality was a fun departure for this series, which has lost its sense of humor of late. The hosts of the show tease and flirt with Vincent as one might expect, but when they question his girlfriend status, Vincent’s “no comment” reply doesn’t sit well with Tori. Good.
Cat, meanwhile, nurses her wounded heart; it’s a task made all the more difficult with images of Vincent splashed all over Manhattan. A federal agent asks Cat to play a thief undercover, citing Cat’s arrest of her own father as proof of Cat’s trustworthiness; Cat jumps at the chance, despite Gabe’s strong misgivings. Cat wants to get back to the business of being a cop; I can respect that.
As Cat plans her undercover gig, Vincent and Tori discover that J.T. was attacked in his home. The attackers wanted the shackle, but didn’t seem to care about the skeleton. This strikes J.T. as odd, considering that the DNA of the skeleton has some of the same beast markers that Vincent has. Vincent re-enacts the attack in his mind using his beast senses, which leads Vincent and Tori to one of the attackers’ apartments, although no one is there.
Tori wonders why Vincent cares so much about finding the shackle, when all she wants to do is focus on their future; Vincent reasons that if it gives him any answers, he’s for it. Tori’s real concern is revealed next: Vincent’s focus on the past worries Tori that that means he’ll go back to Cat. Well, honey, you’re probably right there, especially as seeing how Vincent hasn’t made you any commitments or promises, at least on screen.
A fair amount of fluff occurs between now and the actual execution of the heist, with a couple of exceptions. The first is the bar scene; Vincent tracks down our bad guy to the same bar where Cat’s meeting her heist contacts for the first time. She sees Vincent, so she starts making out with one of her comrades. Tori waltzes in, sees Vincent has led them right to Cat, and storms out in disgust. Oh, that was satisfying.
The second exception to the fluff factor is that Cat takes a quick dunk in the Hudson. Dutiful Cat wears a wire to appease Gabe’s anxiety, but when her crew suspects her of being a cop and conveniently plans to use a signal scanner on her right by the river, Cat scuffles and goes overboard to short the wire and keep her cover intact. Shudder.
Okay, so on to the heist. Our team of baddies (led by Ian Bohen of Teen Wolf, that’s the second week we’ve had a visitor from that show) pulls up to Russian consulate with fake IDs and a catering van. Their job is to get a gem from the upstairs safe. Vincent has also discovered that the gem is important and is also there, chatting up the consulate’s wife. How’d he get in? One can only assume his recent local celebrity status and the way he wears a suit.
Cat and Vincent naturally exchange words, and both realize they’re after the same thing. When Vincent informs her that the gem has to do with beasts (what with the gem being related to the shackle), Cat is surprised, but keeps her cool enough to warn Vincent not to make her shoot him again.
When Vincent follows the consulate’s wife up the stairs to her private quarters, Vincent makes sure to tip his champagne glass and smirk at Catherine. Grrr. Vincent and the consulate’s wife exchange some purely first-base pleasantries, before he utilizes a Vulcan nerve pinch and renders her unconscious. I didn’t know they taught that move in the army.
Vincent finds the safe just as Patrick the nice guy from Cat’s crew drops out of the duct work upstairs. They fight, but Cat intervenes. Vincent attacks Patrick again, almost appearing to take delight in the altercation. Cat asks Vincent, “What happened to you?” It’s the question we’ve all been asking ourselves, Cat.
Back at the precinct, Cat and Agent Landon have a strange conversation regarding why Landon really involved Cat in the case. I’ve watched it a couple of times now, but while I understand that the writers are trying to create mystery that will play out in the next few episodes, Landon’s explanation has too many holes and I still don’t get it. Something about the gem, Cat and her father, Landon’s husband’s death, several gangs of thieves going after artifacts, and Cat’s ancestor helping out Scotland Yard in 1836. Cat just takes it in, without question. Huh?
Back at Ye Olde Gentlemen’s Club, J.T. and Vincent realize a bunch of things that really should be gimmes: 1) the gem fits perfectly in the shackle, 2) the shackle is a leash, 3) the leash is more than just ornamental, and 4) the answers will be found with whoever is pulling the strings. For two guys who are supposedly brilliant, no duh.
On an up-note, Cat ends the episode with a sweet kiss for Gabe, in plain view of everyone at the precinct. All dimples and dayglow-white teeth, Mr. Lowan realizes that his decision to let Cat control her own professional and personal destiny without interference from him might have paid off. What a modern concept.
Questions for next week: Can we expect anything from Vincent except more douchebaggery? In the previews, we see a Cat-fight (pun intended); does Tori gets her butt handed to her? Or is it too unrealistic to hope that 90-pounds-when-wet Cat has met her match? And as far as the gem mystery, I don’t even know what to ponder; will it all make sense eventually?
See you guys next time!
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