BEAUTY & THE BEAST: Summer’s Lease Hath Too Short A Date

Episode 121: “Date Night”

THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD!

[Photos: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW]

We’re sliding into the end of the first season of Beauty and the Beast, but I confess I’m not that sad (yes, I’m ducking). There are definitely some nagging questions about the story line, but there aren’t any big mysteries or problems that actually worry me about the welfare of our two protagonists. I’m happy they’re together; I’m happy they’re happy; I enjoy watching them sort through both normal and unique-to-them couple issues, but there’s just not any one thing that has me biting my nails. My fingers are crossed that the season finale will give me the desired kick in the pants.

The episode kicks off with the Cat worried about her late period. As a mother of three and one baby due in September, I can relate to that situation! When Tess apologizes for her brain going straight to Breaking Dawn Part 2, I literally laughed out loud. Gallows humor, I love it! First great line of the episode.

Vincent understandably worries. Many prospective dads with relatively normal DNA fret about impending fatherhood, but can you imagine the train wreck of Cat having his baby? Most of you guys are probably too young to remember, but when the mini-series V came out when I was a kid, the scene where the scared teenager gave birth to a half-breed baby creeped the fire out of me, and I couldn’t ever watch the scenes in The Fly or The Fly 2 where Jeff Goldblum’s offspring came to life. Blech. Suffice it to say, Cat and Vincent have some “health” issues to sort through before they pro-create, if there is anything to be learned from sci fi from the 80’s. Cat gets it, but Vincent pouts about how Gabe could set her up with all the accouterments of a normal life.

Cat reports for security duty at the fancy shmancy luxury hotel where Gabe’s hiding out from the Bustamante gang. Gabe finally reveals his true beast self and his intentions. Did anyone think this scene was anticlimactic? Maybe because we’ve already seen Gabe sporting yellow eyes, it just didn’t have the same impact as it might have if he had revealed himself to Cat and the audience simultaneously  In any case, the beast is out of the bag, and Gabe wants to talk to Vincent, uh, man to man. Cat struggles with how much to reveal, but Gabe’s appeal for help and the possibility of help for Vincent convince her.

When Cat talks to Vincent about meeting with Gabe, Vincent is less convinced. In addition to doubting whether Gabe’s really a Beastie Boy, Vincent throws out argument after argument about why they can’t and shouldn’t trust him. In the end, Vincent gives in, but their trip to Gabe’s hotel suite coincides with the Bustamante clan’s attempt on Gabe’s life, Gabe beasting out, and Gabe hitting the streets of Manhattan in broad daylight. Gabe’s blond honey Tyler shows up just a few minutes too late with Gabe’s meds in hand, but Vincent and Cat take the meds and follow Gabe’s trail.

Vincent rushes to his new swanky, low-rent pad to get the tranq gun from J.T., where the next hilarious scene ensues between J.T. and Vincent. Both Austin Basis and Jay Ryan play the scene totally straight, but it’s a sort of “Who’s on First?” sequence of lines. Well done, gentleman, you gave me a good laugh.

Assuming that Gabe is going after the Bustamante family, Cat and Vincent head to a chop shop where they encounter a couple of Bustamante goons and take them down, but no Gabe. Tess provides another address for them to check, i.e., the new swanky low-rent place belonging to J.T. and Vincent. J.T. is on the phone begging off of dinner with Sara’s parents, and doing a bang up job of actually sounding sick. More solid acting from Mr. Basis. It was nice to hear that Sara is still around. Interesting that we haven’t heard anything about her for weeks, but she and J.T. are now in the parent-meeting stage. Wish it had been mentioned another time or two for continuity between their last contact and this week.

Gabe-Beast jiggles the door handle to get at J.T., before busting the door down to menace and manhandling J.T. Just in the nick of time, Cat and Vincent show back up with the handy-dandy tranq gun in hand. It takes several rounds of tranquilizer darts before Gabe-Beast drops to the ground. J.T. initiates a new rule: “No one takes the tranq gun unless we have a spare!” Sage advice.

J.T. and Cat hash out whether they should study Gabe’s Beast profile and medication. Cat has pushed to look at options; why wouldn’t she? Vincent has hesitated. J.T. points out that Vincent sought a cure for years, and the effort filled Vincent with self-loathing. Setting aside the hunt for a cure led Vincent to accept himself. J.T. worries whether looking at the issue again might unravel Vincent. Well, when you put it like that, J.T…

The meds from Tyler bring Gabe around to sentience, and Gabe lays out the situation. He wants to analyze Vincent’s blood to see what stabilizes Vincent and keeps him from being a Beast all the time without the help of meds. He also provides some of his meds to Vincent to take and to analyze. Later, Gabe smooths the sticky situation over with the police and the “kidnapping” by the Bustamante family, Vincent tries some of Gabe’s meds, and so begins a unique bromance, quips Cat.

Taking advantage of his temporary reprieve, Vincent and Cat hit the hotel pool. Was anyone other than me disappointed that we didn’t actually see more flesh, or am I just being a dirty old woman? Don’t answer. Vincent and Cat talk more about what their relationship could be if they had no limits, and Vincent admits he wants the fairy tale. Wow, it’s refreshing to hear the man be the one to say it for a change. Cat admits she’d like it, too, but downer J.T. calls with bad news; the medicine, while effective, will eventually kill Vincent. Cat makes Vincent swear not to take any more pills.

The next morning, what does that naughty boy do? He takes a freaking pill. Really? How many times you going to do the no-good, bad, wrong thing? Sheesh! Well, of course, the Bustamantes show up, all bitter-like after yesterday’s rough-housing at the chop shop, and they break into Cat’s apartment…which belongs to a detective in NYC and only has one easily picked lock on the door? Riiiight. Vincent and Cat win the fight comme toujours, but when Vincent doesn’t change, Cat calls him out. Police sirens sound in the distance, Cat urges Vincent to leave, but take the stairs. Later at the precinct, Cat sneaks out back for Vincent to apologize. They subsequently share some kissy face next to a dumpster, which icks out the Virgo in me. At least they reach an accord: they’ll try for a normal future, but if it doesn’t happen, it’s ok. Wow, was it really that hard to sort out?

Two final developments: 1) Bishop tells Tess he loves her, and her sweet facial expression was truly priceless. I still wish that Tess could have found baggage-less love, but really, I just want her to be happy. Love is seldom perfect. 2) Tyler concludes her evaluation of Vincent’s blood. Turns out Vincent can help Gabe, but it’ll kill Vincent in the process. Gabe’s ok with that; so much for bromance.

So, what questions do you have this week? There are so many tiny loose threads all over the place, and it sure doesn’t seem like all can get addressed in any kind of meaningful way in the next episode. My questions include: Where is Alex? How much does Cat’s dad know? Why was Vanessa’s body moved? Why hasn’t Muirfield continued to come after Vincent and Cat after they destroyed The Orchard? What role will the Bustamante family play in bringing Gabe down? What kind of mutation does Tyler have? Will J.T. still have a girlfriend after ditching on Sara? What kind of cliffhanger will the writers give us? Can we get another love scene or two before we wrap for the season?

Hope the finale is a good one, and we have something to look forward to with Season Two! See you guys later this week!

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