Lilith Luvs TV

When You Need to Forget, Try a Mind Eraser

A Beastie Inspired Treat: The Mind Eraser

After episode 2x04: Hothead aired I was dying to find out just what were in those darn ‘Mind Erasers’. I hope these weren’t cause of Cat’s urges to start a bar room brawl, because they are pretty freaking tasty.

About the Drink
When drunk properly, the Mind Eraser creates a head rush similar to the one you get when you've eaten ice cream too fast. The drink is a sort of lowball shooter. It's built over ice and served with a straw. The trick is to drink the all of it through the straw in one shot. When you do this the carbonation gives you a quick head rush before the alcohol sets in to do its job. The Mind Eraser is a popular party shooter that poses the challenge of finishing it off in one drink.

I have come up with 4 variations of the drink. Sorry but I could not find a tasty virgin option this time. Next time you have a Beauty and the Beast viewing party try serving up one of the following drinks, it’s sure to be a hit.
Bottoms Up!

Recipe #1

Ingredients:
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz Midori® melon liqueur
1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1/2 oz lime juice

Instructions:
1. Shake with ice
2. Strain into a shot glass
3. Serve

Recipe #2

Ingredients:
1/2 shot Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1/2 shot vodka
1 shot Sprite® soda

Instructions:
1. Place three to four ice cubes in a small, narrow glass.
2. Carefully layer the kahlua, vodka and finally the sprite. (Sprite should be about half of the shot, or to taste.)
3. Serve unstirred with a wide straw.

Recipe #3

Ingredients:
2 oz vodka
2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
2 oz tonic water

Instructions:
1. Pour vodka, Kahlua, and tonic water into a rocks or old-fashioned glass.
2. Serve with a straw.

Recipe #4

Ingredients:
2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
2 oz vodka
2 splashes butterscotch schnapps
2 oz 7-Up® soda

Instructions:
1. Fill a cocktail glass with ice, a
2. Carefully layer in each ingredient; kalhua, vodka, butterscotch schnapps, then 7-up.

Beauty and the Beast – 2.04 – Hothead – Review: The moon of his life and the sun and stars of hers

“The moon of his life and the sun and stars of hers“

Beasties we finally have some good rating news. Click here to check it out!


I just want to say that I’m proud of us Beasties. We got a world- wide double trending event two weeks in a row. We also moved up on the Monday night Get Glue chart to #3 from an abysmal #7 rank last week. Just keep on roaring louder and harder every single week. Please also note that it is PCA voting time so, you know what that means, right?. Rally the troops and steady the F5 button, we’ve got work to do. Let’s make Beauty and the Beast a two time champion this year.

Also TV Guide has been showing us a lot of love lately so be sure to give them so page views on all of their Beauty and the Beast articles.

Now on to the regularly scheduled Beauty and the Beast recap and review…

This week's episode saw a fan favorite return to the writers' room, a one, Roger Grant. There was a new comer in the director's chair this week, Michael Robison. The two came together to make one hell of an episode.

Cat and Vincent just can’t seem to escape each other’s orbit no matter how they try. This week was no exception. Just when a few Beasties thought all hope was lost for VinCat along comes this episode. Redeeming and triumphant. Beautiful and poignant. But more importantly, just in the nick of time.

This episode gave what quite a few of the Beasties have been craving, Cat stopping and taking the time to put her life back together and reconnecting with Tess. While only the latter and not the former happened on screen, I was glad for both. But more importantly this episode put VinCat right back on track but in an unexpected way. Was it too soon? Perhaps for some. Was it needed? Desperately so.

We finally seemingly have a time jump of about one month according to the first scene’s dialog. Cat has been busy trying to deal with all the craziness that is her life and nothing seemed to help. Not crying, meditating or a kickboxing class seemed to help poor Cat so it was up to one of Tess’s good old nights out on the town. I loved the bestie banter about clothing options, wine and therapy. And real talk, Cat really should look into therapy to help deal with her sister leaving and finding out about her father not being her biological father. Her life is a mess and Vincent’s might not be able to heal all of it. Just saying.

It turns out that Cat isn’t the only frustrated party involved in the beastly time out. We are treated to a rare Vincent work out scene. He is doing his classic pulls and some very hardcore pushups with his fists. He has no Cat and no mission and that’s makes for a very intense Vincent. I’m sure Agent Reynolds has noticed and seems like he desperately trying to get Vincent back on task.

Cut to a building on fire and a man seemingly controlling said fire. We have found our beast of the week and it looks like he might be the titular ‘hothead’ of the episode. The news woman is reporting on the fire and the serial arsonist that is at large. Gabe is rushing his office filling in wall of weird and talking to the TV. He has a breakthrough and pokes his head out of office demanding someone go find Chandler.

But Chandler and Vargas are out having some much needed fun. They’re in a dive bar shooting pool and blowing off steam. Although, Tess is open to NOT pretending like everything is OK. Cat says she just wants to forget for one night. An overly inebriated dude bro spots Cat, stumbles over to her and makes a pass at her. Cat turns the guy down but he won’t take no for an answer. Push comes to shove literally and the beginnings of a ‘Roadhouse’ fight scene ensue. Unfortunately for Cat she has roundhouse kicked a federal judge in the head.

No worries. Gabe comes to the gals rescue and bails them out. But not before giving them but mostly Cat, a stern lecture. Gabe just a few episodes ago you said you use to be cool and I believed you. But now you just sound like a blathering little narc. Anyway, after the stern talking to, Gabe dismisses Tess so that he and Cat can have some alone time and discuss the latest beast that’s on the loose and his plan to catch him, which regrettably involves Cat reaching out to Vincent. Cat thinks Gabe’s idea is bad and doesn’t go along with it. She says that she needs to save herself first. I like that, it seems as though the old Cat is still in there somewhere.

In move so bold I’m now sure Gabe has to sets of balls, he marches himself right over to Vincent’s unlocked houseboat and tries to enlist Vincent into working on a mission for him. Gabe was completely honest about their history. And apparently his intentions for wanting to save Gabe and reunite him with Cat. I’m pretty sure this scene might have sparked a few slash fiction writers’ imaginations because when Vincent grabs Gabe by throat, I have to admit, I found it a little hot.

Vincent traipses off to the closest tall building to use his handy dandy beast senses and in no time flat he’s on the trail of the beast of the week. The beast is shocked that someone found him. He quickly realizes that Vincent too is beast, though he does not have the same cocktail that allows him to be fire proof and have a little control over the flames. The beast of the week makes quick work of disabling Vincent and leaves him to be engulfed by the flames.

Meanwhile, Cat and Tess are having a spa day in Cat’s apartment. Complete with massages, pedicures and aromatherapy candles. Cat is kind of coming unhinged and talking about the case around civilians while Tess tries to do not only damage control but ignore Gabe and try to get Cat to focus on herself. But to no avail. Persistent Gabe has won out.

Cat and Gabe head over to the hospital to see Vincent. Though they are not the only ones. Agent Reynolds makes his way over as do the arson investigators. But not before VinCat steal a sweet and tender moment together. Also not before Cat scolds Vincent about the risks he taking. Agent Reynolds skulks off when he sees the arson investigators. The arson investigator come to question Vincent, or “Victor” as Gabe dubs him. They don’t get much out of any of them and the young arson investigator is frustrated and quite the ‘hothead’. Turns out, this Aaron kid is Vincent’s nephew and that revelation causes Vincent to have a code yellow. A code yellow which triggers a flashback. Gabe shoes everyone out of the room and hopes Cat can calm him down. Cat cannot calm him down and an overwhelmed Vincent jumps out of the hospital window, to a stunned and shocked Cat and Gabe.

Shortly after Vincent’s escape from the hospital an annoyed Agent Reynolds calls Vincent. He tries to get Vincent back on track while giving him assurances that this will be all over soon and he can get back to his normal life. But until then he’s the only one that can stop the beasts. He also gives Vincent some background on the beast of the week. His name is Eddie Long. Muirfield bought him from a prison. He was not only a pyromaniac but a structural engineer as well. Agent Reynolds tells him to lay low while they track him down and to avoid anything that may act as triggers to his memories. Well, that could only mean Cat was about to show up. And she does. She’s sitting on his couch waiting for him to see if he is OK. Cat wants to know what he remembered and Vincent tells her. It turns out Vincent was a firefighter before he was a doctor. Something neither Cat nor us Beasties knew before.

Back at the 125th precinct Gabe is packing a bag filled with all of things he might need to kill a beast and revive a man. He enlists Tess help for the most simplest of task but receives the highest levels of sass. Tess once again queries Gabe’s motives as well as his feelings for Cat. Gabe basically admits his feelings for Cat but assures Tess that his intentions are pure in wanting to save Vincent. Both Tess and I still remain unsure and a tad bit leery.

Cat has managed to quell Vincent about his worries of being recognized at the firehouse by his nephew. Though it irks me to no end that there were apparently no pictures of Vincent left anywhere in the Kellers’ possession. Aaron is none too pleased to see the very two people who stonewalled his investigation. But his partner welcomes their help with no questions asked. With both sides providing information the case is cracked easily. Aaron slinks off right before a 4 alarm fire to Segen headquarters is called in. The very place they were just suspecting of being the next target as did Aaron.

Everyone rushes over to Segen headquarters and Cat and Vincent share a moment and a kiss. Vincent feels an imperative to save his nephew and thinks that maybe just maybe in the heat of the moment his training might kick in. Gabe also shows up to the scene with a bag filled with the tools he and Cat are going to need to test out their cure on Eddie.

Aaron has found Eddie and dear he has a gun. But that gun does no one any good. The beast incapacitates Aaron post haste and the poor little lamb is knocked out. Thank goodness Uncle Vincent was there. Vincent soon runs into Eddie and manages to get the drop on him. Just when Vincent was about to have the upper hand, he gets distracted by Aaron’s distress signal and flashbacks of his brother William. In the end a vision of William leads Vincent to where Aaron is passed out and Vincent scoops him up and leads him to safety.

Eddie thinking he has gotten away is met by Cat and her gun. She told him not to move but he did and she dropped faster than I could blink. Gabe rushes up from behind and tries to recreate the circumstances that killed his beast. But it didn’t work. Maybe it didn’t work because Gabe’s a first generation beast. How come they didn’t think about that possibility yet?

Once again, our case of the week is wrapped up nicely, though the media has gotten wind of it and Tess is worried and thinks Gabe should be worried as well. It’s not clear if Gabe is as worried as he should be. But what is clear is that he very disturbed that his little experiment didn’t work out. Tess thinks his pursuit is noble but she also still thinks he is carrying a torch for Cat.

Back in the bullpen Aaron stops by to thank Cat and see if Vincent is around. Cat hands Aaron back his gun and tells him that he should be glad that he wasn’t the one to pull the trigger on Eddie. As well as to stay safe because the world just can’t afford to lose anymore Kellers.


The closing scene starts with VinCat walk and talking and reflecting about memories and emotions. The episode could have honestly ended there but the writers did even better. The walk culminated in a visit to the 9/11 memorial. Vincent wanted and/or needed to feel his brothers’ presence. To acknowledge their heroism. To honor their memory. He also ponders that if he hadn’t become a doctor maybe he could have been there to save them. Cat reminds Vincent that he could have died that day to and not been able to be here now to save his nephew. Cat tells Vincent the past is the past and that all one can do is remember, learn from it and move forward. And she hopes that they can move forward together as well. The scene ends with them holding hands and tears in my eyes.
It seems as though they are going to fall in love all over again, but perhaps in a different and even better way. They both obviously have a lot to uncover about themselves and maybe just maybe they can do it together and build a love even more epic than season 1.

Grade: A
Reason: This episode was almost flawless. Almost. If they could have just given me one scene with JT then all would have been right in the world. I just feel like he should have been given the heads up about JT’s memory returning. I’m biased, don’t judge me. But everything else was basically perfect. The lovely addition of Bryan Dechart as Aaron Keller, Vincent’s nephew was wonderful. He breathed life into the role and connected with both Kristin and Jay very well.

The action of the episode was dangerous and beautiful. Just the way we Beasties like it. The episode was shot beautifully. The lighting was just right. I especially loved all of the light and shadow during the VinCat hospital scene. Jay actually was able to do all of his own stunts, which is impressive. Everything came together to make this the best episode yet of Beauty and the Beast.

That last powerfully poignant moment of reflection at the 9/11 Memorial had me bordering on the edge of tears. VinCat is back and with a vengeance. Might not be the old one we fell in love with but this new VinCat has the potential to be something even more wonderful. I love that we got to explore even more of Vincent’s back story. It added so much needed layers and depth to the character. I thought that it was wonderful to bring in the Keller family since the Chandlers are no longer a part of the story.

Family is and should always be an essential part of the show because what love could be more epic than that of familial love. Familial love is a love that is unconditional and forgiving. And to steal a line from another one of my fandoms, ‘family don’t end with blood’. Sometimes the family you make is better than the one you’re born into, so here’s hoping now that VinCat is back on track, Team Beastie will be whole once more and better than ever.

Awards

WTF Moments
1. Vincent use to be a firefighter
2. Gabe basically admits he has feeling for Cat to Tess

Character of the Night

It was a tie for me between Vincent and Aaron.

Why I Choose Aaron – Aaron was a catalyst for Vincent’s potent and powerful memories this week. It was nice to find that Vincent could another pull and trigger besides Cat. Aaron also very much embodied the Keller spirit. A hothead? Sure. Stubborn? Absolutely. But at the core a hero ready to dive in head first. I like that heroism is practically hereditary when it comes to those Keller boys. I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. I think that spark the really lit Vincent’s memories was Aaron as Aaron represented hope and in a sense the yearning to make a connection and to have ties that bind him to the world as oppose missions that keep him from living in it fully. I believe Aaron reminded him of not only his brothers but himself as well. I found the addition of a Keller family member to be a wonderful juxtaposition against the fact that the book is closing on the Chandler family chapter. Aaron has the potential to be so much for Vincent, past, present and future. It not only taps into the beast side of him but more importantly, the human side of him.

Why I Choose Vincent – Let’s be honest. Vincent was THE star of the episode tonight. Jay Ryan killed every scene he was in. Whether he was frustrated, happy, scared or overwhelmed he put his emotions and facial expressions on display. I love that writers are giving the character of Vincent more layers and depth. I’m super excited to see what Jay is going to do with all of this new information.

Best Character Interactions

This award goes to VinCat this week without a doubt. With scene after scene of sweet and tender moments, how could it not?

Favorite Moments

1. Vincent rescuing his nephew
2. Code Yellow makes a come back
3. Vincent’s flashbacks
4. Vincent jumping out the hospital window
5. Tess giving Gabe an actual compliment while still managing to tease him
6. The VinCat kiss

Favorite Lines

1. Tess: But Cat do you really think you can just wake up one day and be done with Vincent?
2. Aaron: Well, look who it is… bad cop, mute cop.
3. Cat: Because you feel it too. Memories aren’t just playback. The trigger emotion and emotion doesn’t lie. It’s real. It reveals who you were. Who you are.
4. Cat: Vincent we can’t change the past as much as we both may want to. The best we can do is remember it, learn from it and move forward. Hopefully, together.

Favorite Scenes

1. The opening Cat and Tess scene
2. The VinCat hospital scene
3. Gabe goes to see Vincent
4. Cat and Vincent at the firehouse
5. Cat and Vincent at the 9/11 memorial
6. Vincent working out and telling Agent Reynolds that he can’t focus

Fangirl Complaint

Is it just me or does Stephen Amell's abs have some sort of contract with the CW to be the only set abs to be put on prominent display? Jay Ryan has a nice body and probably works just as hard to keep his physique in top form. It's such a shame Jay doesn't get to show off as often as Amell does. Filed under: #Just Saying

Burning Questions

1. Does Vincent really believe Agent Reynolds is going to let him go back to his life after he is done?
2. Did Agent Reynolds recognize Aaron at the hospital?
3. Why is Vincent’s houseboat always unlocked?

Kudos

Beauty and the Beast’s Visual Effects team on the code yellow eyes during the flashback.
Beauty and the Beast’s stunt coordinator
Beauty and the Beast’s fight scene choreographer

Side Note: I really struggled writing this review (I hope it didn’t show too much). I really didn’t think my words could do justice to describe such a beautiful episode. I was sincerely and deeply moved by this episode. My faith in the writers’ room paid off immensely and I’m looking forward to see what they have in store for the rest of the season.

Polls

Last Week’s Results – The votes are in and a not so shocking turn of events, most of the fans that voted wanted to spend a day with Jay Ryan. He received 70% of the vote.

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #4 – Which song should be the Beasties’ unofficial theme song?
If you don’t like the choices provided, please leave a comment and include a YouTube link to the song of your choice.
Also, looking for poll topics so tweet me some or leave them on the Facebook page.


Shameless Self –Promotion

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*Remember I’m always looking for fellow passionate and enthusiastic Beasties to join me on the podcast.
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Want to see what’s happening in the Beastie Fandom for the rest of the week click here.

Remember to watch and live tweet (@cwbatb and @BatBWriters) with the show and me every Monday at 9 PM/8 PM Central on The CW.

Feel free to sound off in the comments below.

The Carrie Diaries – 2.01 –Win Some Lose Some – Advanced Review: ‘Life is like a game of chess…’

“Life is like a game of chess.
To win you have to make a move.
Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHT
and knowledge, and by learning the lessons that are
accumulated along the way.
We become each and every piece within the game called life!”

- Allan Rufus, The Master's Sacred Knowledge

Title: Win Some, Lose Some
Written By: Amy B. Harris
Directed By: Andy Wolk

Synopsis: It’s the summer of 1985, and, for the first time, 17-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) can call Manhattan home. After her boyfriend Sebastian (Austin Butler) and best friend Maggie (Katie Findlay) betrayed her, Carrie is happy to accept the offer to spend the summer living in the downtown loft apartment of her Interview magazine boss Larissa (Freema Agyeman). But as summer turns to fall and Carrie heads into her senior year, she and her friends and family discover that letting go of old loves and embracing new dreams comes with some tough new realities but also incredible new opportunities.

When it was announced that The Carrie Diaries would be getting a second season, I was happy. Maybe a tad bit flummoxed due to the ratings but happy nonetheless. It would have been a shame to leave fans wondering what happened next after a finale like the first season had. So when the opportunity presented itself to receive an advanced look at the season 2 opener, I jumped on it.

I should have probably prefaced this in the beginning but I’m a casual fan of the show. It lured me in because I loved the prequel book which the show is based on. Also I heart the lovely and talented AnnaSophia Robb to pieces. The Carrie Diaries is not one of the shows that I seek out spoilers for. I like to just sit back, be surprised and enjoy the ride. I couldn’t avoid the biggest spoiler of season 2 however which was the character introduction of Samantha Jones.
Samantha Jones is not my personal favorite character in ‘Sex and the City’ but she is a fan favorite in general. In the pictures the actress, Lindsey Gort, looks so much like a young Kim Cattrall it was a little uncanny. But I think something gets a little lost on the little screen unfortunately.

I find the show to be most delightful when it focuses on Carrie’s internship in New York, the adventures that ensue from her job and her relationships with Walt and Sebastian. Carrie’s other friends are not that interesting and her family time absolutely bores me to tears. I guess I wasn’t the only one because in the season 2 opener a few things have been retooled a bit and the main focus is on Carrie’s summer adventures in The City where she is loft sitting for Larissa.

So let me catch you up with where the characters are at the beginning of season 2…

Carrie

Carrie is still nursing her wounded heart and is avidly avoiding both Maggie and Sebastian by avoiding Castlebury as much as possible. She has thrown herself into her summer internship. Which has the perks of partying at all of the hot spots in mid-80’s Manhattan and a stylish loft provided by Larissa. She has a new ‘do and a seemingly new attitude. While Carrie does indeed lose something very near and dear to her in this episode she gains something that is much more needed at this particular time in her life.

Walt

Walt has a guy in his life that he can’t be with until he’s legal so he just going to look at all the hot guys his eyes can handle. He seems very worried about the whole town whispering about him and his sexuality. Much like Carrie, he too is hiding out in the city avoiding things. His friendship with Donna has grown leaps and bounds. Donna keeps him in abreast of what’s happening back in Castlebury and he in turn tries his best to not inform Carrie.

Sebastian

Sebastian has been avoiding the country club because Maggie is working there. Sebastian is really upset with himself for kissing Maggie. He is also quite remorseful for outing Walt. He is still holding out hope that he and Carrie might still have a chance of working things out. It seems as though he spent his whole summer pining for Carrie.

Donna

Donna may seem like that same old mean girl mold. But she just wants to have fun and being bitchy to people is her way of having fun. She does have a soft spot though she doesn’t like to let it show. She’s spent her summer at the country club on the lookout for scandals and juicy tidbits to gossip about. She’s really coming into her own as a young woman. I love that show she knows what she wants and how to get as well as not being afraid to speak her mind. She also doesn’t do apologies. She has great insight and I sense she dumbs herself down a bit. Hopefully, a little more time with her cousin Samantha will fix that.

Mouse

Mouse is having fun with her geek boyfriend. Her parents have taken to him like a fish to water. Her and West have decided to take SAT prep courses as well some high level math class to beef up their course loads. Yes, to Mouse that is fun. Mouse is also avoiding Maggie like the plague because of what she did to Carrie. Carrie convinces her to the 4th of July barbeque at the country club and to take West and have a good time.

Maggie

Maggie has had a rough summer and found out that if she wants to go to college she’s going to have to pay for it herself. Thus her mighty need for a job at a fancy place with fancy people who should tip well. Maggie needs to stop playing the victim though. Even with her implied neglectful parents, I’ve never felt sympathy towards the character at all. She’s way too needy, clingy and pouty. Time for this character to really grow up or move away.

Samantha Jones

When we meet her, she is the keeper of the cool aka a bouncer. She’s definitely into the 80’s music scene and the bar that she works at is THE place to be. We can see that oh so familiar sassy, independent and confident streak but there are a lot of hard life lessons to come that will ultimately shape Samantha into what she becomes later on. Right now, she seems very lost and drowning in the real world while desperately seeking to find her place in it. At least she’s found her anchor in Carrie so now she can settle down and begin to blossom.

The Rest of the Bradshaw Clan

Mr. Bradshaw was clueless as ever until Carrie let it slip that Dorrit had a guy in her life. Now he’s on a mission to keep close tabs on Dorrit and her boyfriend. He seems to like Miller.

Dorrit has been sneaking around with Miller and using her best friend as her cover to be alone with him. Now that her relationship with Miller is out in the open and Miller seems to like her Dad I have a feeling her rebellious streak is going to come rearing back, if one of the last scenes is any indicator.

Favorite Moments

• Carrie and Samantha walking down the street together looking very stylish.
• An awkward Bradshaw family brunch.
• Carrie’s opening dream sequence.
• Sebastian tucking in Carrie after a rough night.

Favorite Lines

• Maggie: It takes to tango.
Donna: Not when you’re involved. You just drag the poor soul along.
• Carrie (to Mouse): Well, apparently “in love” Dorrit is just as sullen with my dad as she ever was.
• Carrie: Sometimes you have to sacrifice something valuable in order to win.
• Carrie: I don’t have time for regrets, only fun.

Favorite Scenes

• The introduction of Sam(antha) Jones.
• Carrie and Samantha breaking into Larissa’s loft.
• The arrival of Donna at the loft with Sebastian in tow.
• Dorrit’s rebellious streak returns.
• Walt and Sebastian get to talk it out.

The Standout Character

While the beginning of last season had me all set to hate Donna LaDonna (Chloe Bridges) for life but by the end of the first season, I was on a hate to love her basis. During this episode, it became official I just flat out love her. She’s snarky, sassy and very pragmatic (I guess it runs in the family?). As well as stylish and not afraid to go after what she wants. Best of all she breaks the awkward silences and lightens the mood. Love to hate her or hate to love her you have got to admit Chloe Bridges is a scene stealer.

Best Old School NYC mentions: Limelight, Area and Danceteria

Most Out of Place Pop Culture Mention: Charlie’s Angels

Cool News – Though the actor has not been cast yet, word on the street is that the character of Standford Blatch will be introduced this season as well. I’m sure we here at Spoiler TV will keep you abreast of the situation.

Grade: B-


Don’t forget to connect with the show!
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Season 2 of The Carrie Diaries premieres Friday, October 25, 2013 on The CW at 8 PM/7 PM Central.

Feel free to sound off and/or ask me general questions about the episode in the comments below.

Beauty and the Beast – 2.03 – Liar, Liar – Review: Secrets, Lies and Artwork

‘Secret, Lies and Artwork’

It looks like it is once again time to boost Beastie morale, unfortunately. But I do have some slightly good news. While our .3 in the demo remained the same, we did get a slight uptick in total viewership. Now is not the time to time waiver or get complacent, for instance, we didn’t trend #1 on Get Glue last week. It’s time to step our game up Beasties. Don’t get discouraged, instead roar even LOUDER.

There is so much more that we as fans can do to let The CW know that our show should get a third season. Word of mouth is, has and will always be the best form of marketing. With the advent of social media it makes all the more easier. If you would like to know how you can help Beauty and the Beast get a third season click here.

Now on to your regularly scheduled recap and review…

This week’s episode was entitled ‘Liar, Liar’. I must say it captured the theme of the episode quite well. This week we welcome another new writer John A. Norris into the Beastie family. Meanwhile, we had a familiar name to the Beastie family in the director’s chair, Bradley Walsh. His last contribution to the show was episode 1x14: Tough Love. But my preferred episode that really showcased his directorial eye was 1x04: Basic Instinct.

This week’s episode opens yet again directly following the events of the previous episode. It’s the following morning after the shove that shocked the Beasties around the world. Apparently that shove was a lot harder than any of us thought because that is one nasty bruise around Cat’s neck. While Cat is standing in the mirror and desperately trying cover up the bruise by applying concealer to the unsightly bruise, she gets a phone call from Gabe. She assures him that she has a plan and that they will discuss it later.

No sooner than she could rush Gabe off the phone does Heather come bounding in with coffee and news. Heather has been offered a job. The job is in Miami. Heather makes a date with Cat to hash out the pros and cons of taking the job. In the process notices Cat’s terrible job of concealing Vincent’s temper. She makes a few pathetic attempts at explaining what happened and Heather seems convinced or at the very least not too terribly worried. The exchange ends with Cat deciding to wear a scarf.

Next we were treated to a lovely moment of JT working out via jumping rope to an awful and out of place song which gets cut short by Vincent barraging into the lair. JT appears unsettled but happy to see Vincent back in the lair. But that all gets cut short when Vincent confesses to what he’s done. Since Cat did not tell him what happened, JT thinks that Vincent is talking about his memory loss and gives him a few VinCat relationship highlights. Frustrated and ashamed of himself, Vincent just blurts out that he physically hurt Cat and wants JT to tell Cat that he is sorry and that it will never happen again.

Vincent is barely away from the lair before he gets a call from Agent Tucker, his other handler. Just as Agent Tucker is giving Vincent the details about his latest mission a beast ambushed him from behind while Vincent is forced to listen. The new beast picks up Agent Tucker’s phone and taunts Vincent a little before hanging up. These events leave Vincent as stunned and confused as the rest of us Beasties.

Cut to a beautifully lit diner scene with Cat and Gabe. Cat and her scarf are there to convince Gabe to go along with yet another one of Cat’s ridiculous plans. Gabe ever the incredulous ally gets in some good digs at Cat before acquiescing to her whims. In the middle of the conversation, Tess calls Gabe and interrupts him for a change. There’s been another beast attack and of course she thinks Vincent is behind it. Cat and Gabe rush right over to analyze the crime scene. Guess who shows up? Yep, none other than Agent Reynolds who starts a pissing contest with Gabe over jurisdiction. But Cat comes to the rescue with her charm to smooth things over and assurances of keeping him in the loop.

JT calls Cat and scolds her about not telling him about what happened with Vincent. Cat seems surprised that Vincent confessed to him. The phone call proved to be serendipitous because it gave Vincent an alibi so he couldn’t possible have been the one to kill Agent Tucker and lets Tess and Gabe know that in a very no fuss no muss sort of way.

After learning of Cat’s plan and having Gabe agree with Cat, Tess gets coerced into helping Cat learn how to pass a polygraph test. First, much to Cat’s dismay, antiperspirant has to be applied to hear forehead. Sweat is the number indicator of lying. Then she is given a thumbtack to place in her shoe to elevate her blood pressure to fudge the baseline. Tess starts with the questions and a worried Gabe tries to distract Tess from the Vincent incident. But the ever suspicious Tess is curious to know what’s up with the scarf. Cat tells her that it’s a hickie. This annoys Tess almost as much as when the truth is revealed about what really happened to her neck. But Gabe cuts the practice short.

Agent Reynolds aka Condor calls Vincent and sends him to the crime scene to see what beast they’re up against. Vincent arrives to the scene of the crime and begins to use his beast senses. A beast with a flair for the dramatic (and magic apparently) interrupts him for a more face to face taunting. He informs Vincent of a list (of names of Muirfield created beast is what we’re left to assume) that has his name on it. All while subverting Vincent’s attempts to capture him.

Meanwhile, Cat is all wired up for her reconnaissance and/or rendezvous with Vincent on his houseboat. Gabe and Tess provide back up and listen in via the wire. Cat timidly enters the suspiciously unlocked houseboat. She calls out to Vincent but he isn’t home so she snoops through his laptop and discovers a juicy email just might provide some answers. She downloads it to a thumb drive and just in time as an angry Vincent is about to return. Vincent looks happy and sad that Cat is there. Cat tries to dance around the issue of what happened the night before to keep it from Tess. But Tess knows that it’s something more. Vincent asks for a second chance at a date and Cat says yes.

Cat hauls JT into the precinct so that he can decrypt the email where Gabe and Tess hover around uselessly. They bicker yet again about the virtues of Cat’s plan and Cat’s motives and what the real leads are and are not. Cat blows them off for a change and actually leaves to meet Heather. While they are doing that Agent Reynolds is calling Vincent, again. He has some intel on the mysterious new beast. As well as an update from the police. It seems as though the police have details that shouldn’t be possible. There seems to be a security breach somewhere. Vincent thinks it’s from his handler side but slowly begins to piece the puzzle together.

Heather and Cat actually do get a chance to get coffee and discuss her pros and cons list of her new job. They share a few sweet moments that get cut short way too fast. But Heather has something to get off of her chest. Heather is finally able to tell Cat that Papa Chandler wasn’t her biological dad. A stunned Cat lashes out and storms off. Cat arrives home to a waiting Vincent, who has a pretty bouquet and is eager to take her on date as well as get to the bottom of the security breach. Cat tries to throw Vincent off the deception scent but to no avail. Vincent can practically test the betrayal and half-heartedly seeks a rain check for their date. Just to be 100% sure of Cat’s betrayal, Vincent returns home and uses his beast senses to uncover Cat’s snooping.

In the interim, Cat gets a call from Tess. They talk about the FBI and whether or not they are in the loop about beasts. They decide no and that it was a sheer coincidence. Best theory: The FBI was tracking an art thief. Yeah, it’s starting to look like everyone at the 125th precinct should be turning in their badges because this is not ace detective work by any means. In a stunning turn of interrupting events, it’s Vincent who interrupts Tess with Cat this time. Vincent lies about regaining a memory about them going swimming in a hotel. He wants to meet her there to see if it will jog his memory but he wants to do it ASAP, which sets off suspicion alarms in Cat’s head. She agrees to it and immediately calls JT to see which highlights JT gave to Vincent. It’s just as she suspected and she kicks her research mode into high gear. She discovers the meaning of the email and rounds up Gabe and Tess to crash a fancy art exhibit.

Cat and her entourage make a stylish entrance and no time is wasted by Cat to confront Vincent about his faux memory. Sebastian watches from the shadows. Vincent is dragged onto the dance floor by Cat in a steamy and heated exchange of accusations and flared tempers. A slightly annoyed Tess and a seemingly longing Gabe look on at the two. Gabe gives Tess something to search for while he continues to stare at, I mean watch, Cat’s back.

Sebastian rears his meticulously coiffed head and begins his flair for the dramatics once more. Vincent tries to initiate a beast off with him but Sebastian slips Vincent’s grasp by knocking him out. Instead he heads for his father and incidentally, Cat who has managed to lure the man away for his own safety by claiming she destroyed a piece of artwork. Sebastian cuts the power to the elevator and tries to tear through the top like a sardine can but Cat uses a tranquilizer gun on him. It jams and he snatches her up. But she can defend herself when need be and holds her own. Her ratcheted heart beat awakens a knocked out Vincent and he springs into action. Just in the nick of time too. Cat managed to throw Sebastian off balance and toward the edge of the platform but he could have taken her with him. But not on Vincent’s watch. He grabs her arm and in that moment he gets a few flashes from a few of the times he has saved her. Sebastian falls to his death and Vincent carries his body off (which leaves me asking for yet another week, ‘Seriously, what the heck are they doing with the beast bodies?).

After another long, hard day at work, Cat yet again has another visitor. This time it’s Heather. The Chandler sisters have a heart to heart, hug and make up. It warms my heart to see Cat be close with someone again.

In the epilogue scene of the night, we spy Gabe and Tess back at the precinct basically telling us the viewers what happened after the elevator incident. Blah, blah, blah. I could care less. Cut to the good stuff and we see the polygraph machine on Tess’s desk. Gabe spots it as well. Tess tries to get Gabe to take a polygraph but he assures Tess that he has nothing to hide. Tess ponders if he has a crush on Cat (or perhaps unseen darker motives?) and Gabe wonders if Tess’s jealousy is rearing its ugly head again. It appears these two are at an impasse once again.

Finally, we’re back to Cat and she’s dressed for bed. But she can’t rest. She spies Vincent on the fire escape. She’s not amused and accuses him of pumping JT for the tid bit of sentimental information. Vincent tells her about the flashes he got in the elevator. He’s starting to remember her. If he can remember her, he can trust her. But Cat is tired of all of the lies in her life. She points out that the relationship that he was remembering had no lies in it. This one does and she can’t bear that thought. She tells Vincent that she needs to time and space to sort things out and shuts the window and heads for bed.


Grade:A-

Reason: I liked this episode. It was another week of being a little light on the action and the having the myth arc plod along to a crawl. The lack of JT really didn’t help either. But what really made the episode for me was the Chandler family time as did Vincent and his memory flashes. At least there were some twists and turns and a blip on plot development radar (the list). Throw in the fact that Cat finally seems to be coming to her senses and realizing that she and Vincent need some space and my season 2 Wish List has finally begun being addressed. Hopefully, this means that she will start reconnecting with Tess, since Heather is officially out the picture now. I also hope she will start taking her work a little more seriously. It’s time for Cat to start putting her life back together. Also, I hope this will lead to her seeking out her birth father. Yes, that’s my favorite storyline this season. I just don’t want them wasting Ted Whittall, OK?


Awards

Character of the Night

My character of the episode is Heather Chandler. If you have to ask why, just re-watch the episode. Nicole Anderson killed it. The writers gave her awesome dialog. Not to mention some deep heartfelt moments with Kristin. I really think the writers gave the character of Heather a lovely send off. At the same time I hope we see her at least once more before the season comes to a close.

Favorite Moments

1. Tess getting a dig in at Cat about her constant lying about Vincent while teaching her to beat a
polygraph.
2. Tess asks about why Cat is wearing a scarf.
3. Cat kicking a little beast butt in the elevator shaft.
4. Vincent showing up on the fire escape.
5. Vincent having memory flashes while saving Cat in the elevator shaft.

Favorite Lines

1. Tess: I don’t know if I’m relieved or disturbed.
2. Cat: You think… You think I should wear a scarf?
Heather: Yeah…people are going to think you have an abusive boyfriend.
3. Gabe: Hi?! That’s you’re big idea?
4. Cat: Right now, I have a date with my sister and that’s real.
5. JT: Maybe he just wants to see you in a bathing suit.

Favorite Scenes

1. Vincent uses his beast senses and realizes Cat was snooping through laptop.
2. Vincent coming to confess to JT.
3. Cat and Vincent hash it out on the dance floor.
4. Cat luring Clifton into the elevator to protect him from Sebastian.
5. Cat closing the window on Vincent.

Best Character Interactions

My vote goes to Tess and Gabe. I know there are a lot more JTnT shippers out there but Varwen(?) is the secondary ship to beat in my opinion. I don’t think they are showing us all of these Tess and Gabe scenes for nothing. Week by week she is slowly warming up to Gabe. Gabe is also doing a bit of that 3rd grade playground flirting by antagonizing Tess every chance he gets. It’s fine if you don’t see/feel that palatable sexual tension yet. But mark my words, you will.

Runner Up – Cat and Agent Reynolds. Oh she is going to be so mad whenever she finds out. But I like that she tried to soften him and play nice with him. Charming Cat is my second favorite Cat. The first being kick butt Cat.

Polls

Last Week’s Results – Vincent won this one by a landslide, receiving 65% of the vote, even after he pushed Cat.
This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #3 – Which actor would you most like to spend the day with?
Feel free to leave the reason why in comments section of the poll.

Friendly Reminder: Nicole Anderson’s new show, Ravenswood, premieres tomorrow night, October 22, 2013 right after the Pretty Little Liar’s annual Halloween special episode at 9 PM on ABC Family. Be sure to show it some love.

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The Infamous Nutty Professor: A fun new Beastie treat

Beastie Inspired Treats: The Nutty Professor


After episode 2x02: Kidnapped aired I was dying to look up the ingredients in that ‘Nutty Professor’ milkshake. I found two very tempting options.
The first one I think I will definitely be making my regular Monday night Beauty and the Beast watch and live tweet treat.

Caution: It’s an adult beverage that contains alcohol.

INGREDIENTS


• 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1 ounce hazelnut liqueur, such as Hiram Walker or Frangelico
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla-bean ice cream
• Whipped Cream
• Almonds (or really any nut of your choosing)
• Chocolate Sprinkles (or any garnish of your choosing)

DIRECTIONS

Place liqueur and liquor in a blender and top with the ice cream. Blend on medium speed until it’s incorporated, about 1 minute. Pour the milkshake into a parfait or tall glass, leaving about an inch at the top for the whipped cream. Top with whipped cream and/or other desired garnish and serve.

The other recipe I found was a healthy treat that I might incorporate into my get ready for ‘Spring Break’ diet plan.

Ingredients

• 1 CUP 1% CHOCOLATE MILK
• 2 TABLESPOONS LOW-FAT VANILLA YOGURT ADD TO SHOPPING LIST
• 1 TABLESPOON FROZEN ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• 1/2 BANANA
• 1 TABLESPOON SLICED ALMONDS
• 2 TEASPOONS CHOCOLATE WHEY PROTEIN POWDER
• 2 TEASPOONS GROUND FLAX SEED
• 6 ICE CUBES



Directions

1. Blend together any liquid ingredients (milk, yogurt, juice, etc.) and protein powder; this will help break down the grainy powder and make sure it's evenly distributed.

2. Next, add mushy ingredients, like precooked oatmeal and fruit, then add ice at the end.


3. For a thicker shake, you can toss in more ice cubes; you'll add volume without the calories.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 172.6 CAL

FAT 3.6 G

SATURATED FAT 1 G

CHOLESTEROL 7.5 MG

SODIUM 93 MG

CARBOHYDRATES 27.4 G

TOTAL SUGARS 21.8 G

DIETARY FIBER 2.8 G

PROTEIN 10 G

Beauty and the Beast – 2x02 – Kidnapped – Review: ‘A picnic?’

‘A picnic?’

OK, first of all, cheer up Beasties! I know last week’s ratings were a tad bit depressing to hear but, there’s always this week and twenty more after that. There are so many other factors nowadays besides ratings, especially when it comes to programming on The CW. We’re killing it on all the other fronts as well as having a very healthy international market for the show.

Just keep live tweeting, checking in on Get Glue, watching the show on the CW site and/or CW app, purchase iTunes season passes and whenever season 2 is available for pre-order, order as many as you can. Also be sure to follow and interact with Beauty and the Beast on all available social media to show your love and support. OK, getting down from my soap box now.

I was super happy this week when I saw the words ‘written by’ were supervened by two very lovely names, Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper. While we are still in the memory wiped! Vincent storyline, there were some callbacks to season 1 as well as a more in character Tess that just lightened my heart. It was also nice to have Rick Bota back in the director’s chair. I just like nice familiar names, OK? I think consistency in the writers’ room as well as in the directing chair only helps a show, not hinder it.

This week’s episode didn’t have any time jump at all. It’s literally the next day and all hell is breaking loose from the Li Zhao mauling/murder. Luckily, Gabe is smooth operator who loves to put on a show for the cameras. Can you blame him? If I looked like that I’d definitely be a camera hog too! Cat and Tess watch the press conference on TV in a diner. Tess says tries to assure Cat it’s OK because only Gabe knows who they’re looking for. Cat counters with hope that maybe it wasn’t even Vincent who did it. Before the conversation can get to heated Captain Interruptus, I mean Gabe comes into the diner and tries his best to rally the gals into participating in his makeshift taskforce to watch the surveillance cameras around the city to find Vincent.

Cat doesn’t trust Gabe and is annoyed that it seems like Tess isn’t siding with her so she races over to JT’s place. JT tries to rejoice and celebrate about the fact that Muirfield is no more but Cat doesn’t care. She cuts him short and puts him to work looking for Vincent. Cat pitches her idea to JT on how to jog Vincent’s memory. JT gets a bit incredulous (as do I) when he thinks she wants to take him on a date. She says that’s not it. Then he makes the next logical leap that she wants to have sex him. But that’s not it (unhuh, sure Cat); she wants to throw a picnic on the rooftop. Turns out it was a pretty good idea and a nice bone (in theory) to throw the Beasties.

Cat rushes home to fix a picnic basket while recalling fond memories of the previous night’s events with Vincent. That is followed by even more flashback from the last episode of when she tracking Vincent while he was tracking Li Zhao. Meanwhile, we catch a glimpse of Agent Reynolds and his lackey worried discussing Vincent. He’s nowhere to be found. He’s not even with Cat. But Reynolds trusts Vincent’s programming since Li Zhao is dead. Vincent has yet another mysterious mission to complete at 2100 hours. If he doesn’t complete it they decide to worry about it then.

Just when Cat was on the verge of giving up, Vincent shows up the rooftop. He’s curious to know why she’s been tracking him. Cat pitches her picnic idea to him. He’s still leery of her intentions and gets spooked despite her assurances that she doesn’t want to arrest him, she wants to protect him. Vincent jumps straight down off the roof to the street below. In a panic she calls JT to track him. But that’s not necessary. Gabe has been watching the streets around Cat’s apartment (very smart move Gabe) and calls her with a heads up. She seems a little mad but Tess tells her that she left her a message explaining the situation. I decide Cat needs to throw away her phone since she ignores practically everyone who isn’t JT. Cat and JT can get walk talkies.

Anyway, Gabe asks Cat if she can follow orders. Tess tells him to tread lightly on the subject. But Gabe had just reason to suspect as he quickly finds out when Cat forgets how to handle call waiting and says something meant for JT to Gabe and Tess.

Cat hurriedly gets off the phone with Gabe and Tess to pursue Vincent. Turns out, Vincent is heading to Riker’s Island prison. There we see Vincent prepping his sniper gun. Inside the prison we see a guy with a lot of pull “ordering” his dinner. But he will not get to eat that meal because Vincent shoots him with something that sends him into a mouth foaming convulsion. I think to myself, well at least he didn’t kill the guy. In a throwback to season 1 we get to Vincent back in a doctor’s white coat spewing all kinds of medical jargon. He’s posing as a Dr. Braunstein, the doctor on call for the prison. He gets all the staff to leave and interrogates the man named Carlos. He wants to know where Carlos’s asset is.

Cat manages to make it to Riker’s Island and gets a worried call from Tess. Tess manages to convince Cat to tell her where she is and that she’ll ditch Gabe and come be her backup. But it’s too late. Vincent has spotted Cat and doesn’t like the conversation he heard transpire between Cat and Tess. He comes up behind her in a blocking sequence that is very reminiscent of episode 1x02: Proceed With Caution. In a panic he knocks Cat out through the power of acupressure and shoves her into the passenger side of her own car.

Cat wakes up blindfolded and tied to a chair on Vincent’s houseboat. She manages to not only get him to take the blindfold off but eventually untie her too! Vincent is very distracted by her. He notices she has motion sickness and gets her a glass of water. He even massages her wrists to quell the motion sickness. He lets his guard down and they actually manage to have a decent conversation. He even offers to make her a meal.

Over the course of prepping that odd sandwich concoction Vincent inquires about some of their firsts and is alarmed that he sounds like a bad boyfriend. Cat assures him that he was not and initiates a make out session which leads to some hanky panky (that we Beasties get short changed on by the way, not cool). Much to Cat’s disappointment, this doesn’t jog Vincent’s memory at all, though Vincent suggests maybe a second time might.

But Vincent’s mysterious mission interrupts and like a switch Vincent’s personality turns on a dime. He tells Cat to get dressed. Cat is in full panic mode because she doesn’t know what will bring her Vincent back to her if the sex didn’t ring any bells. To add insult to injury, Vincent ties Cat up before he saunters off for his mysterious mission. Just when you think he’s going to untie her, BOOM! More salt in the wound, he only comes turns around to close the lid to his laptop.

As a little break from the VinCat mess we get treated to Gabe, JT and Tess in the Riker’s Island parking lot examining Cat’s car. Tess is annoyed with JT because her password was ‘Nutty Professor’ one of their many new inside jokes that Cat and JT share. Also, JT has been eating fast food in the car with Cat while they were looking for Vincent. Tess is jealous and worried. Tess tries to pick a fight with JT but Gabe squashes it and decides they are both too close to the task at hand and he’s going to go alone to rescue Cat. But really he just wanted to score some brownie points.

Gabe comes to Cat’s rescue. An embarrassed Cat who is tied up and tipped over tries to keep Gabe from seeing the messy sheets on Vincent’s bed but to no avail. Gabe sees them but he does not make mention of it. Which I find very classy. Gabe unties Cat and the peruse Vincent’s laptop. Gabe wants to know if Vincent spilled any information all while kind of telling Cat that he told her so. They discover what Vincent is up to and head out to stop him.

Vincent looking dapper as ever finds and acquires his target. He even manages to get Gina alone. But of course Cat has interrupted once again. He goes to Cat and confronts her about her stalker behavior and makes clear that they are not boyfriend and girlfriend. While this is going on Gina has been approached by another guy. Gabe sees them together and alerts her to the threat to her safety. The guy offers to take Gina out of the club. Vincent comes back just in time to see the guy take off with Gina. Gabe tries to stop Vincent but gets flung like a rag doll. The guy that took Gina, turns out he was another beast. Vincent dispatches him and takes off with the guy’s body. Cat reveals to Gabe that there are more beasts out there.

Gabe calls JT who tells Tess that Cat is alright. Tess would prefer to hear that for herself from Cat. She also ribs JT about Cat. JT tells her he’s not trying to steal her best friend. He also tells her she’s lucky that Cat at least remembers her. Tess kind of empathizes with JT and the two share a very sweet moment over a beer.

Meanwhile, back at the precinct Gabe and Cat decompress about the night’s events. Gabe has found a money trail that leads back to Muirfield. Turns out they were selling the beasts to the highest bidders. The beast that Vincent killed was a hired gun for an elite level criminal.

Cat returns home after a long day to discover a note on her door that reads: Roof. She rushes up there to find Vincent. She wonders if Vincent remembered that he use to do that. He does not. Cat gets a little bummed out. Vincent came to return her phone as well as set up a time to actually have that picnic and hang out. Cat gets overzealous and pushes Vincent by asking him questions that he doesn’t or quite possibly literally cannot answer due to his programming. This ends in a heart breaking action. Vincent beasts out and pushes Cat down. A devastated Cat appears to have lost all hope and actually seems afraid of the new Vincent for the first time.

This provokes a strong reaction in Cat that leads to her barging into Gabe’s office and declaring that she has seen the light: Vincent is indeed dangerous and then need to capture him and assess him.

Grade: B+

Reason: The dialog was a bit bland and flat. Although, I will say every character got a good line and a moment to shine. There was very little action which is kind of unusual. With Nikita being its last season, I think they should ramp up action to feel the void and draw in some new viewers. I feel there was also too much reused footage from the previous episode where we could have an FBI scene or more VinCat or JT and Tess interactions. Cat is coming off as a bit too intense and at times a little bit irrational as well. Cat’s eyes even go all ‘crazy’ at more than one point in the episode. When she barges into Gabe’s office, the writers might as well have written the line, ‘If I can’t have him, no one will.’ Hopefully, next week, Cat can take it down a notch and we can get to the myth arc which hopefully will lead to Vincent getting his memories back and we have Team Beastie whole again and gang up on Cat’s biological father, Agent Reynolds.

Awards

Character of the Night

I went with Gabe. He’s really trying to earn everyone’s trust. Tess seemed more relaxed with him this time around. JT was willing to listen to him and even let him do the planning. Gabe made an excellent point about his role on the team, he’s the middle man, he not too detached but at the same time he’s not too emotionally invested. That lets him see all the options on the table and come to a reasonable compromise.

While he didn’t get any funny lines, he got the important ones. He was the one who smoothed things over at the press conference. He was the one that saved Cat. He was the one with connection to trendy underground club. He was the one who figured out the Muirfield money trail. Also, his gentlemanly discretion was duly noted when he didn’t mention the messy sheets on Vincent’s bed. And just for the record, I think Gabe is very cool. JT maybe the heart and Tess may be the muscle, clearly at this point Gabe is the brain of this operation. Fingers crossed that his intentions be good and true.

Favorite Moments

1. All the glimpses of Sally (Cat’s blue mustang). I really like that car.
2. The ‘rooftop’ note
3. Cat falling over trying to get to Vincent’s laptop.
4. Vincent in the white lab coat at Riker’s impersonating a doctor.
5. JT and his antacids.

Favorite Lines

1. Cat: What if I have to pee?
2. Gabe: Are you ladies coming into work today? Or...
3. JT: I’ll share my antacids.
4. Tess: What do you want to do to him?
5. Vincent: Did I not shower before?

Favorite Scenes

1. Cat blindfolded and tied up on Vincent’s houseboat.
2. Vincent showing up to see why Cat’s tracking him.
3. Vincent preparing a sandwich and asking about his first kiss and date with Cat
4. JT and Tess have a heart to heart over beer.
5. Vincent showing up on the rooftop to return Cat’s phone.

Best Character Interactions

JT and Tess (it’s about dang time!)

Burning Questions

1. When is Heather ever going to have that chat with Cat?
2. How many more beasts are out there?
3. Is it the entire FBI that’s in on the super soldier plot or just Reynolds and his team?
4. What the heck do they put in a ‘Nutty Professor’ milkshake?

Was it clever or I am giving too much credit?

A few of my friends who have never really watched Beauty and the Beast accuse of it being a tad bit shallow and fluffy. I beg to differ. When I started reviewing the show at the tail end of last season I saw quite a few clever nods. But you have to pay attention to detail.
On my third re-watch, the name Braunstein rang a bell. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m a total dork. I’m very much into games of strategy like chess, board games like Risk and table top role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons.

There’s a game entitled Braunstein that was created by David Wesely that is considered to be the ancestor to all modern day table top role playing games. I don’t think of Vincent as a super soldier. I think of him as an elite spy. Spies have to play many roles and go under the deepest of covers. Now it’s rather obscure but sometimes the best clues are. Or it could just mean brown stone which is what the surname Braunstein can be translated to in German. I like my first theory better.

Did any of you catch any references?

Polls

Last Week’s Results – VinCat it is with over 93% of the vote, sorry Catcenters.

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #2 – Who is your favorite main character?
Feel free to leave the reason why you love that character in comments section of the poll.

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Watch and live tweet (@cwbatb and @BatBWriters) with the show and me every Monday at 9 PM/8 PM Central on The CW.

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Beauty and the Beast - 2x01 - Who Am I? - Review: 'Remember the Name'

Are you excited Beasties? Beauty and the Beast came roaring back on to our TV screens last night with its season 2 premiere that was filled with enough twists, turns and questions to fill a barn. The episode was entitle ‘Who Am I?”. It was written by the new co-showrunner Brad Kern and was directed by another new comer Stuart Gillard.

We open the season three months later at Cat’s apartment during a dark and stormy night. She looks very haggard and worn out. She’s resting her eyes on top of Vincent’s missing person file. We treated to a flashback that starts with Vincent literally being ripped away from her and ends with how Cat saved Gabe’s life after Vincent was abducted. She’s awakened by a timer on her phone, which apparently means it’s time to check in with JT. JT seems genuinely concerned with Cat’s obsession to find Vincent. It also appears that have grown closer while Vincent was away. Cat has a lot on her plate, not just Vincent’s abduction. Her father is gone and the precinct is a hot mess, something that was caused by Joe’s obsession with who killed his brother.

Speaking of the precinct we get our first glimpse and indeed everything seems to be sheer chaos. Tess seems very displeased with the fact that Cat has been AWOL the past few months and gets a few digs in about bearing the brunt of their workload and inquires about how much longer Cat is going to torture herself by trying to find Vincent. Tess tries to have a heart to heart with Cat but it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.

And surprise, surprise, look who comes to interrupt the conversation, that’s right, Gabe. He’s alive and well and still filling out suits quite nicely. He needs to talk to Cat in private and she is highly displeased with that news and the insults commence. Gabe is finally able to eke out that JT has found Vincent. He was the one to relay the news because for some odd reason JT couldn’t get ahold of Cat. Not to mention that we get a bombshell dropped on us in her huffiness, Gabe’s beast side is dead.


This revelation inspires an impromptu gathering between JT, Cat and Gabe. JT is less than thrilled to see Gabe and he has an addendum to what he said, which was it MIGHT BE Vincent. Gabe riles up JT some more by suggesting his software is not as up to date as it could/should be. JT counters with maybe it’s just not him. Either way, Cat jumps on the information and rushes off. In her rush however, she misdials Tess’s number and ends up calling her sister Heather. Heather’s side of the conversation informs us that Cat has been blowing her off for the past three months. There’s also a very important party being thrown in their father’s honor at his law firm. Cat promises to be there (but she doesn’t say for how long).

Cut to a black Maserati hauling butt across the docks with two guys on motorcycles in front of it. An Asian man named Li Zhao steps out of the car and apparently he has Vincent all tied up and right where he wants him. Or does he? Cat is hot on the trail but before she can get to Vincent, she’s going to have to kick a little butt and dispatches the two lookouts with ease.


Li Zhao is still taunting Vincent in a truly cheesy villain monologue where exposition and cockiness knows no bounds. Li Zhao thinks he has the upper hand but Vincent surprises him and gets out of his restraints. Cue the new beast out mode. Vincent dispatches the two body guards with ease. Just as he’s about to corner Li Zhao, Cat finds him which enables Li Zhao to get away. Vincent comes charging toward her but gets a tranquilizer to the back of the thigh from JT, who has Gabe in tow. The tranquilizer has no effect on Vincent. It ends up taking three darts to subdue him. Cat runs to comfort Vincent and discovers that his scar is gone. Then the smiles disappear when Vincent utters those tragic words, ‘Who are you?


After a quick commercial break, JT, Cat, Vincent and Gabe are back in the lair. Gabe tries to convince Cat to let him help and fails miserably and exits stage left. When they are alone JT and Cat bicker a bit before a hazy Vincent wakes up. Cat tells Vincent he’s home and Vincent becomes a bit indignant. He still doesn’t remember Cat (or JT). Thinking he surrounded by crazy people he tries to leave but those tranquilizers are keeping from being on top of his game. A disheartened JT, as a last resort, fetches a picture of Vincent and JT from 11 years ago. It stops Vincent dead in his tracks. In the middle of this Cat gets a text from Heather. She’s late. A reluctant Cat leaves.

Meanwhile, a freaked out Li Zhao is calling the FBI explaining what happened to him. It’s revealed that Agent Reynolds aka Cat’s biological father is the one taking the call. We get a little more exposition on Muirfield and a few threats from Li Zhao for good measure. Reynolds’s partner ponders if Li Zhao knows he was set up. It doesn’t appear to be the case. But they need Vincent to finish off Li Zhao. He hasn’t checked in. But Agent Reynolds thinks he might know where he is.

The late but beautiful Cat manages to indeed get to the party much to Heather’s relief. Cat wonders what Heather has been trying to tell her but Heather dodges the question. Heather gets called away and Cat wanders out onto the balcony and happens into, you guessed it, Agent Reynolds. He feels her out a bit and they part ways, but not before an awkward conversation and the birth of this season’s villain that I have feeling we’re all going to love to hate.


Vincent is wandering around the lair and asking JT questions. JT tries to remain calm and answer. The answers that JT gives him seem to have given Vincent a cause to inquire about his sexual orientation. But JT assure him that they’re just friends, good friends, best friends. With that squared away he inquires about Cat and JT responds that their love is borderline epic. JT notices Vincent becoming antsy and reaches for the tranquilizer. JT gets a mysterious call from someone looking for Condor. Suddenly, Vincent tries to rush out of the door. JT reaches for the tranquilizer but ends up getting it used on himself instead.

At the worse possible moment, Cat gets a phone call from JT and he has to break the news to her. Cat bails on familial commitments and rushes to help JT/not lose the trail on Vincent. With a room full of eyes watching she leaves Heather hanging and visibly distressed.
Cat’s astonished that Vincent used the tranquilizer dart on him. JT is convinced that the Vincent they know and love is gone. Cat refuses to believe that. She quickly formulates a plan and rushes off to execute it.

Tess barges in on Gabe because old habits die hard. Gabe mistakenly tries to pull Tess in on the stuff that’s going on with Vincent. She doesn’t want anything to do with beastly things. Tess is also alarmed that Cat has asked for Gabe’s help. Gabe tries to unsuccessfully convince Tess that she a part of Team Beast whether she realizes it or not. Right on cue we get a hit on Li Zhao and Gabe gives another taste of exposition.

Next we see Vincent at the docks headed into a houseboat. He pulls out a Sat Comm and gets in touch with his handler who’s code name is Condor (oh it’s all coming together now, isn’t it?). The voice is disguised to Vincent put they pull back and cut to the other side of the conversation and it’s Reynolds. Wow, is it just me or this guy getting a lot of screen time? Vincent inquires about Cat. He gets assured that she is nothing to worry about and to find Zhao ASAP and eliminate him.

Like a good soldier, Vincent tries to pick up Li Zhao’s trail and he starts at the warehouse on the docks. These new beastie powers are pretty awesome, huh? But Vincent is alone, Cat’s there too. She calls to let JT know she’s spotted Vincent. After a pretty little stalking session through New York City, Cat is stumped on how Vincent is tracking Zhao. But luckily, we have Professor Forbes to explain to us all about apex predators and how they track things. Vincent has caught the sound of Cat’s heartbeat but does not let it deter him from his mission.

Finally, Vincent has found Zhao’s hideout and that means Cat has too. There a shootout as well as an explosion in a lab (you gotta love consistency, right?). Cat calls out to Vincent but he wants Zhao. Cat is struggling to breathe as the room fills up with smoke and call out to him. When Vincent realizes that Cat’s in danger he chooses to save her and let Zhao go. He jumps out of a window with her in his arms as the building explodes and like a walk down memory lane for Cat. This gives Cat hope that the real Vincent is in there somewhere.

The FBI holds a press conference to dispel terrorism rumors. It is also confirmed that Li Zhao got away again. Muirfield is destroyed but that’s only a consolation prize. The bureau needs Zhao dead and soon.

Back at Cat’s apartment, she patches up Vincent because he can’t heal himself anymore. Vincent apologizes for not remembering her. She tries to find the silver lining; Vincent does not share her optimism, at least not yet. Cat goes into 21 question mode and at spooks Vincent. Cat begs him to stay and he obliges her. She tries to lure him into a make out session but it doesn’t quite happen. But he does comfort her and allows herself to have that break down she’s been on the verge of for quite some time.

If only we could have ended the episode there. But alas, we did not. Cat is awakened by a phone call from Tess demanding to know where Vincent is. Cat rushes to the crime scene and Li Zhao is dead. We end our episode with Vincent leaving the scene of the crime while coming down from his beast mode high.

Grade: A-

Awards

Man of the Hour
JT Forbes, for bringing the funny, snark and providing the save with that photo, which kept Vincent from leaving right away.

Lines of the Night

1)Do we even like you? - JT (to Gabe)

2)What do I have to do to prove to you I’m not still a beast? – Gabe
I don’t know donate your body to science. – JT

Favorite Moment
Vincent saying ‘Catherine’as if it it rings a bell

Favorite Scenes
Vincent saving Catherine from the explosion at the Muirfield lab
Vincent comforting Cat during her much needed breakdown



OK, be sure to sound off in the comments to let me know what you thought about my recap/review as well as the episode in general. I just love to know what my fellow Beasties think.

Be sure to watch and live tweet with the show (@cwbatb and @BatBWriters) next Monday at 9 PM/8 PM central!