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Beauty and the Beast - 2.08 - Man or Beast? - Review: I dropped a tear in the ocean...

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‘I dropped a tear in the ocean. The day you find it is the day I will stop missing you.’

I dedicate the final recap and review of 2013 for Beauty and the Beast to all my lovely Beasties who have turned out every week to read my words. Thank you for reading, commenting and supporting me. Thanks for pushing and helping me to become a better writer. The title of this recap and review sums up not only how I feel about the show but you all as well.

Beasties, I’m going to miss you and the show so much. I want you to have a safe and happy holiday season. Don’t forget to keep on voting for Kristin and the show for the PCA’s. Please remember to be kind, polite and civil, to the crew, cast, guest stars and especially each other when interacting on any social media platform. True Beasties never give up, stick together and believe in each other and our show. Don’t be that fandom. The BatB Fandom is generally regarded as warm, welcoming, understanding and passionate lot. Let’s try and keep it that way. Together we Beasties can overcome almost anything. OK? OKAY!

I’ll be posting something new and fun at least twice per week, for every week we’re on hiatus over on my blog. Expect meta-analysis articles, ratings news, renewal prospects, fan campaigns, polls, challenges, updates on the Beastie December Challenge and a whole lot more, so check it out and check often.

The hosts of the DVMPE’s Beauty and the Beast Podcast cordially invites you live tweet with us over the hiatus, every Monday from 8 pm – 10 pm EST. I will be posting a schedule of the episodes and hash tags we’ll be using on Twitter, the Facebook page and my blog. Hope to see a lot of familiar screen names.


Now on to your regularly scheduled recap and review…


This week’s episode was written by John A. Norris. The last episode he wrote was 2x03: Liar, Liar. I think this is my favorite between the two. We have also had a returning director, Stuart Gillard. The last episode he directed was 2x01: Who Am I. The combination provided a stellar mid-season finale.

Since so many people seemed to love last week’s format, I think this is the one I will adopt for good.

Synopsis: A DIFFICULT DECISION ALTERS CAT AND VINCENT'S RELATIONSHIP FOR GOOD --- Vincent and Cat find themselves at odds on how to deal with Agent Reynolds, which forces Vincent to wonder if he is more beast than man. Cat makes a drastic move that will forever change her relationship with Vincent.

Cat

We got strong Cat, soft Cat and vulnerable Cat. More importantly we got cunning Cat who tricked and manipulated Agent Reynolds like a boss. Cat went through such a diverse of emotions in this episode. She's on the verge on a breakdown which I think will be cathartic. She needs to slow her roll way down and really digest and process everything that has happened to her. She doesn't need a man in her life right now, so I really hope they don't shove her into a romantic relationship with Gabe. The only relationship I want to see her in is one with Tess filled with drinking, shopping and open honest discussion. I love that Cat drew a line in the sand about her conviction on what is right and what is wrong. I love it even more that she put her money where her mouth was and defended her beliefs. When it rains, it pours and Cat is drenched. I'm curious to find out who her umbrella and port in the storm will be when we return.


Vincent

I finally saw what I needed from Vincent. I was tired of tunnel vision. I was tired of him just accepting his circumstances and not trying to change them. Vincent finally got angry about what was taken from him. I saw a glimmer of hope that he has more than just a physical attraction to Cat, a felt a little sliver of some emotional connection. What I didn't see however was a man who wanted to safeguard his humanity. If the question is if Vincent is more man or beast, I'd have to say he's more beast at this point. Even without Tori around getting in his head and/or beastly emotions. Vincent was just as shocked as Cat that she shot him. I hope he can understand that she did it for his own good as well as her own good. Cat simply would not have been the same person had she let Vincent go through with it. I guess we now know why, TPTB decided to take away Vincent's self-healing abilities. Looks like things are coming together and the bigger picture is becoming clearer.

Tess

Tess is getting back to being that friend we all came to know and love back in season 1. She was there for Cat. She only got one littledig in on Vincent. She managed to brighten up a very dark episode. Now, if only she'd stop playing games with JT's heart I'd have absolutely no beefs with her. I'm happy to see them correcting the character of Tess and getting back to the character's roots of being funny, relatable and Cat's best friend on whom she can rely.


JT

JT didn't get nearly enough screen time but at least he was in the episode and got to spend a little time with his lady crush, Tess. Austin manages to make the most of what he's given and managed to make me smile and go, 'Awww', in the short time he did have. Can't wait until he and Vincent get to spend more time to bond.

Gabe

Well, kids, we got out official confirmation, that Gabe is indeed a good guy with pure and true intentions. I found myself once again falling back in love with the character. This episode reminded me of why I gushed so hard about him at the beginning of the season. The hug he got from Cat was earned and I have no problem with it. But I will have a problem with them getting romantically and/or sexually involved. Gatherine, is a brotp not an otp that I can get behind. Gabe handled the Agent Reynolds situation like a boss. His poker face is an epic myth in the making. Can you believe that Agent Reynolds knew the whole time that he was a beast/former beast? Do you think Agent Reynolds knew there was a cure for beasts? The interactions that I would to see more of is Tori and Gabe. I think that might be the better protege/mentor relationship I'd prefer and also gets her out of the awkward position of being perceived as getting in the way of VinCat.

Agent Reynolds

He got his in the end. I was happy he didn't manage to weasel his way out the predicatment. But then again, I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to Ted Whittall. But he does have another show that provides higher billing so I understand. But more importantly, this leaves Cat as an official orphan once more. I truly do believe that Bob started off with the best of intentions but somewhere along way got corrupted and twisted. I know he loves Cat but the damage is done and Cat is going to have to write him off completely.

Tori

That little she-beast is out of control and in desperate need of spanking. I just hope Vincent is not the one to give it to her, at least not in the literal sense at any rate. Her beast senses have awakened. She has her first kill under her belt. She has an odd sway over Vincent on top of being a beast power amplifier. I don't like it. Tori went from being sympathetic in her introduction, to plot device in the next episode, to sultry vixen who wants to woo Vincent to the Beast side permanently. I love the idea of a female beast but I don't like bratty, ungrateful, sheltered little twits who know nothing of the world. PS: could she have picked anything more gouche from Cat's closet (fishnet shirt and a black leather jacket, what was she trying out for an updated version of Grease?)

VinCat

Underneath it all, there's still hope for VinCat. Cat wants it. Vincent wants it. But the writers feel like they need a break to learn to appreciate each other. I agree they fell for each other much too fast last season and was hoping them falling in love all over again would be a slow, beautiful courtship that captured and reflected the beginnings of their epic love story but made it feel more mature and earned. I also think that they both need time apart to digest all the events that have happened and piled up in such a short amount of time. I trust the writers and more importantly, I trust Sherri and Jenny's vision, they are after all the biggest VinCat shippers around. Have hope, faith, trust and most importantly patience and things will turn around.

Grade: A-

Reason: I felt the hope and frustration from the characters finally. So many of my concerns were addressed and I think on the way to being fixed. What I wanted to see from Vincent, frustration, anger and despair that he should have been feeling this whole time about what was done to him has finally come to fruition. Cat drew a line in the sand and was firm in her convictions, with no waffling finally.

Tess was a supportive friend, an ear for listening and a shoulder to cry on. Gabe is confirmed to be tried and true in his motives. The Tori/Vincent conundrum is shaping up to be the mentor/protege relationship that I hoped for. Bonus: We got to see and have it semi explained to us just how those nifty beast powers work. Agent Reynolds got what he deserved enabling Cat to actually keep a promise for the first time ever, it feels like. I didn't grade this episode as a mid-season finale because I'm firmly convinced that 'Don't Die on Me' was suppose to be it and nothing can really top 'Bridesmaid Up' as far as I'm concerned so it wouldn't be a fair comparison. I like shows that are well-balanced between mythology and character exploration.

But if I had to choose, I'd go with character development and that's just what we got for better or for worse. The material gave every single character a moment to shine. I'm back on Vincent's side. I'm back to rooting for VinCat. Cat is my favorite character once more. It was a great episode to keep my mind churning for the next six weeks to be sure.

Awards

Character of the Night

Finally! I felt utterly compelled to make Cat the character of the night. Kristin gave us one hell of a performance. The writer gave her some really meaty material to sink her teeth into.

Best Character Interactions

It was a three way tie for me this week.

I loved the return of the friendship between Cat Tess, finally.

Cat and Bob in all their scenes were just really amazing together.

Cat and Vincent broke my heart in every scene they were in together. The wanting, the longing, the trying to overcome despite all odds. I love they gave us an emotional roller coaster when it came to those two. They gave us hope and glimpses while still staying true to the story they think is best to tell.

Favorite Moments

1. JT smiles when he finds out Tess will be accompanying him on the body snatch mission.
2. Cat smirks on her way out of Bob's office after successfully setting the trap in motion.
3. Vincent rolls his eyes when Gabe begins to explain his plan.
4. Cat and Vincent hug.
5. Cat and Gabe hug.

Favorite Lines

1. Tess: Let's deal with one beast at time. First we'll deal with your father and then we'll deal with little miss glowy eyes.
2. JT: Perfect.
3. Cat: So no kicking him in the face?

Favorite Scenes

1. Vincent and Tori team up to save themselves from the explosion
2. Cat confides in Tess about her feelings toward Vincent.
3. JTnT go to pick up Zack's corspe
4. Cat and Gabe go to Agent Reynolds office to rattle him
5. Cat and Agent Reynolds say their "goodbyes" and Cat assures him she will find the person responsible for Vincent's death.
6. Cat pleads with Vincent not to kill Agent Reynolds and ends up shooting him.
7. Cat drawing her line in the sand with Vincent and pleads with him to keep his humanity intact.

WTF Moments

1. Vincent causing the car wreck.
2. Vincent not taking one single second to check on Cat.
3. Vincent not being able to be soothed by Cat causing Cat to shoot him.
4. Tori killing the guy with glasses
5. Tori sassing Team Beastie

Burning Questions

1. How long until VinCat is back on track?
2. Is Vincent going to get back all of his memories?
3. If Vincent does get back all of his memories, does that mean he'll be the old Vincent most Beasties love?

Theory

The theory I'm holding out hope for is that the Vincent we've seen walking around is a clone and the real Vincent is somewhere in a Muirfield freezer waiting to be rescued.

Repeated Element

Last week, was the phrase alternate universe. This week it was: beast can only get worse, not better and revenge vs. justice.

The Theme

This week's episode theme was a little different. It didn't relate to more than one character. This episode was for all intent and purposes a Vincent centric episode and so the title reflected that fact. I didn't mind it but I prefer when the theme of the week connects to more than one or two characters. I just like that feeling of things being interlocked and interwoven.

Good News

Sherri and Jenny confirmed via Twitter that there will be no more kisses shared between Vincent and Tori. Although, sex can occur without kisses, especially if one is channeling their beastie side.

It has also been confirmed that the character of Tori will not be sticking around for the rest of the season. It has been speculated that she has 3 more episode at most.

Polls

Last Week’s Results – Do you like the idea of female beast? – Despite all the grumblings about Tori, a lot of you Beasties are intrigued by the idea of a female beast. Glad to hear it, me too, but that leaves so many unanswered questions.

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #8 – How would you rate the first half of season 2 of Beauty and the Beast? Feel free to leave your comments about this poll on the Facebook page.

Make sure you vote and comment on this week’s best scene poll as well.

Shameless Self–Promotion

The DVMPE's Beauty and the Beast Podcast is proud to announce that we scored a Beastie fan favorite to be a featured interview, that person is costume designer Catherine Ashton. The interview will be transcribed and posted here on Spoiler TV but be sure to listen to the podcast as well.

If you want to participate in Operation: Show Your Love - a campaign that encourages Beasties worldwide to send in verbal and written submissions into the DVMPE's Beauty and the Beast podcast that states why Beasties love our show that will be given to the cast and crew as a holiday gift,be sure to check my blog this Wednesday for all the details.

Also don't forget to participate in the Roof Notes Campaign, it'll be going on starting December 2, 2013. Click here for more information.

Podcast - If you have time rate, review and subscribe.

Facebook Fan Page - If you could be a dear and like the page it would be greatly appreciated. I’m actually trying to get some of the cast and crew on the show, so all the follows, likes, ratings and reviews would be very helpful right now.

Twitter

My Blog

Want to see what’s happening in the Beastie Fandom for the rest of the week click here.

Don’t forget to watch the show over the hiatus on Hulu, The CW Site and/or the streaming app. On a loop in the background if you feel so inclined. Also don’t forget to click those ads. We need to stay active, vigilant and be as profitable as possible.

Beauty and the Beast returns Monday, January 13th, 2014 at 9PM EST/8PM Central.

Don't forget to promote this and all positive Beauty and the Beast articles in all the social media you can. For instance be sure to click the like button, retweet this and +1 this article if you like it and appreciate this reviewer's hard work.

Feel free to sound off in the comments below.

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Code Word Pumpkin: Beastie Inspired Treats - Thanksgiving Edition

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Beastie Inspired Treats: Thanksgiving Edition

I have always dreaded the Thanksgiving Day season because of one simple little reason.

No, it’s not the disparaging comments of grandmother who wonders why I am still single, work such long hours in an unfeminine profession, have yet to produce one single great-grandchild and wear slacks in lieu of pretty floral dresses she makes me.

It’s the pumpkin flavor attack. You just can’t get away from it, it’s in pies, cookies, donuts, coffee, even cakes. I love cake and now it too is being violated with pumpkin flavor all in the name of the Thanksgiving season.

But I did get inspired by this week’s terrible choice of code word from Beauty and the Beast’s episode 2x07: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner so I decided to dig up 3 cool pumpkin flavored recipes.

Enjoy!

Recipe #1 – Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Makes 3 dozen| Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Ready in: 80 Minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by the tablespoon; flatten slightly.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.


Recipe #2 – Pumpkin Flavored Ice Cream

Makes 10 Servings| Prep Time: 15 minutes | Process Time: 20 minutes |Freeze: 2-4 Hours

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

2. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: about 1 quart.

Nutritional Information
1 serving size:1/2 cup|261 calories|18g fat|11g saturated fat|65mg cholesterol|87mg sodium| 26g carbohydrate|2g fiber|2g protein.

Recipe #3 – Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins temperature should also be 325 degrees F., but bake for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 205|Fat: 11 grams|Saturated Fat: 1 gram|Protein: 3 grams|Carbohydrates: 26 grams|Sugar: 12 grams|Fiber: 1 gram|Cholesterol: 35 milligrams|Sodium: 154| milligrams

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Beauty and the Beast – 2.07 – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? – Review: All aboard the train to Nopesville

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'All aboard the train to Nopesville’

Are you supercharging your social media impact?

1. Only use two hash tags per tweet otherwise it might get filtered out in the count as spam
2. BatB doesn’t need a hash tag to trend so you can still put it in a tweet and it will count
3. If every US Beastie could tweet 10-15 tweets with the hash tag BatB every day we could get on the Twitter Trend Nielsen TV Ratings TOP 10 easily and consistently.
4. Be sure to leave at least one positive comment on the official Beauty and the Beast Facebook page per day.
5. Like other people’s comments as well as reply to other people’s comments. Keep the ‘People Talking About This’ ratio high.
6.Be sure to check in on Get Glue every day. Leave links to articles, post BatB fan art, like fellow Beasties’ posts, whatever, just interact on the BatB Get Glue page every single day.

PS: Super proud to see my Twitter timeline filled with almost nothing but BatB PCA voting tweets. Keep up the good work and remember the F5 button is your friend.

Now on to your regularly scheduled recap…

Up for discussion this week is episode 2x07: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? This week’s episode was written by a new comer Wendy Straker Hauser. This week also welcomed yet another newbie director into the Beastie family, Jeff Renfroe. I liked the addition of Wendy Straker Hauser in the writers’ room and can’t wait to see what she does next. Her dialog was an upgrade from the last few episodes. She fleshed out the character of Tess and made her warm and vulnerable and hopefully on the path back to being likeable. She also understood what makes the character of JT so beloved among us Beasties: sass, heart and being the voice of reason.

As mentioned in the comments of last week’s review, I’m going to be tinkering with the recap and review hybrid format. Please be sure to tell me what you like and what you don’t.

Cat
The beginning of the episode pleasantly surprised in regards to Cat. She didn’t gloss over what happened last week. It was really affecting her ability to touch and even look at Vincent. She doesn’t bottle up her concerns she puts them out in the open. Now that’s a Cat I can get behind. Too bad it doesn’t last. In this episode, Cat waffles between a take charge attitude (even if her plan was terrible at least she came up with a plan) naive and wishy-washy. She once again let Agent Reynolds pray on her deepest fears and lets him tap into the furthest depths of her mind where all her doubts about Vincent reside. She even goes as far as quote Agent Reynolds verbatim when confronting Vincent with his treachery. One minute she is calling Agent Reynolds ‘dad’ the next minute she’s offended he’s called her ‘honey’. Cat is quick to defend Vincent without really evaluating if she even believes it herself. She forces herself on him at one point in what I think was an effort to take her mind off her doubts and try to remind her about the good things Vincent (even a Vincent who barely remembers her) has to offer.

Vincent
The character of Vincent is irrevocably and irreparably tarnished beyond recognition in my eyes. I forgave him for the Alex thing. I over looked the shoving of Cat. I also try to think positively about all the hell that Cat has gone through due to her involvement with Vincent and chalk it up to developing a backstory for their “epic love”. But it is now starting to have all the telltale signs of a toxic/borderline abusive relationship. I love the darker undertones and anti-hero trappings because that gives Jay Ryan something to sink his teeth into and for that I’m glad. However in terms of character development it depresses the hell out of me. Vincent was once a strong, silent, brooding, reluctant hero once upon a time. I could understand his motivations. I was willing to cut the man some slack. But now, it has become too much. There have been seven episodes thus far and only one episode (that episode being Hothead) where I really felt for Vincent, wanted, no need, for Cat to cut him slack. But at the end of this episode, I find myself agreeing with Bob Reynolds at this point, sometimes there is such a thing as enough is enough when it comes to love. I don’t know how or when they are going to bring back Vincent from this edge of darkness but it better happen soon or I’m afraid a lot more Beasties will jump ship and never return.

VinCat
Well, we took no steps forward and about 10 steps back this week. I’m not feeling the chemistry between VinCat right now (and the writers assure us it’s written into the script that way). There are so many other ways to put VinCat on a temporary time out without rehashing the Alex storyline. Vincent could have just insisted on leaving Cat without setting up the painful trap of her to witnessing him kissing another woman (again). He also didn’t have to reiterate that Tori was ‘like him’, implying she was a more compatible mate (I know I wasn’t the only Beastie who took it that way, right?). On the other side of that coin was Cat blurting out for all of Team Beastie to hear, that she does indeed think he is an out of control beast is nearing levels of the other beasts on Vincent’s list. She is pulling away from Vincent at the beginning of the episode (and I agree with that choice otherwise Cat would have really started looking like a desperate chick that would over look anything to be with her man). But really, they should have been talking about the incident instead of making out altogether.

Tess
Finally, we get some insight into the psyche of Tess and I could not be happier. She came across as vulnerable and more importantly relatable. I’m glad we’re exploring this thing with JT. If Vincent won’t bond with him and Cat has no need for him now that she’s found Vincent, then why not let him have a friend in Tess. I love that the writer really played up her tomboy side and made her a “cub scout”. Even if it is unrealistic, Boy Scouts as an organization is no joke. They are a very stodgy and uptight bunch. I like that Tess got to show of her smarts on not one but two occasions that really helped in putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Ms. Wendy even made sure to make Tess light hearted and fun. She even came across as self-coconscious about her appearance and demeanor. Man, Grandma Vargas really has done a number on poor Tess.

JT
Can I get a heck yeah? JT is back and even though the show is still going down a road that I don’t want to walk down, at least I know there will be a bright spot. JT comes across in the writing as a plot device but thanks to the talent of Austin Basis, he breathes life into a character that could easily be forgotten and not deemed as important as we Beasties think/know he is. His absent is felt and dearly missed anytime he is MIA. It’s because he brings the funny, the sass and most importantly, the common sense. He’s the one that explains things. He’s the one that gets stuff done. He has a unique relationship with everyone on Team Beastie that serves a purpose. He’s Vincent’s best friend who gave up everything to find a cure for him and help him stay hidden. He was there for Cat when Vincent went missing, making sure she at least ate something and got some sleep. He’s Gabe’s foil and the audience’s reminder that we really shouldn’t be too trusting of Gabe. And now, he’s providing a sounding board for Tess and could quite possible be her love interest. JT is a jack of all trades and the king of the Beasties hearts. Let’s just hope the writers have figured this out and don’t pull that crap ever again.

Gabe
I liked Gabe in this episode. He wasn’t pushing up on Cat. He was showing genuine concern for someone who was not Cat. He was seriously trying to crack the case of Vincent’s mysterious handler. He took one for the team when they were confronted about them investigating Vincent’s missions. He came a running when Cat beckoned for the files. He sticks up for Vincent and even coerces Tori into falling into line, even though she wanted to go. All in all he didn’t come across as too skeevy and lovelorn. Let’s hope the character of Gabe stays this way and doesn’t try to get involved with Cat in a romantic fashion.

Agent Reynolds
I loved Agent Reynolds in this episode. He was so conniving and unscrupulous. He had a backup plan for every situation. The thing I loved the most was his faux indignation and then pretending to put it all together on the spot. Not only did that give him leverage against Vincent but also gave him a chance to really do a number on Cat. Bob was a slick talker and all I have to say is, ‘Well played sir.’

Grade: B-
Reason: On first watch this episode ranked at about a B+, but upon further inspection as well as retrospection, I settled on a B-. Initially, I was on a ‘oh thank the heavens JT is getting screen time’ high. After that particular buzz wore off, some harsh realities of this season’s storytelling began to wash over me. The JTnT kiss was a little too forced and wreaked of fan service. Not that I minded but at the same time I don’t want the writers stooping to that, if you can understand where I’m coming from on that point.

I don’t like rehashing storylines that I did like, let alone the ones I hates. Tori equal Alex 2.0, end of story, knock it off. She’s even a read head just like Alex was. The show is called Beauty and the Beast. This is supposed to be a show about an epic love. I understand it’s a drama first and foremost but it’s starting to feel like a daytime soap (and not in a good way). A person’s hopes can only be dashed so many times before there’s nothing left to pick up.

The story was fast paced and well plotted for the story they wanted to tell (though a few things felt rushed as usual). They’ve given us a great villain in the form of Agent Reynolds as well the phenomenal casting choice that is Ted Whittall. But I didn’t come to the party for the appetizers; I came for the main course.

Awards

Character of the Night

Agent Reynolds – Sure he’s the cause of all this strife in season 2 but at least he’s an effective villain who accomplishes what he sets out to do and looks good while doing it. He’s a classic villain who has, style, class and grace as well as being manipulative, cunning and calculated.

Favorite Moments

1. We got a mini flash of Jay Ryan’s abs just before the make out session was cut short.
2. Vincent’s eye roll when Cat tells Agent Reynolds that he wasn’t interrupting anything.
3. They use “Referendia” to figure out the coordinates. At least it’s not Bing, like the rest of the shows on The CW.
4. Vincent chokes on his ‘not pumpkin’ cookie.
5. A drunken Tess decides to make weird voices while inquiring whether or not JT would like some more pizza.

Favorite Lines

1. Vincent: A perfectly fine and in control assassin.
2. Tess: It looks like the holiday section threw up on you.
3. Tori: I’m not going to tweet about it.
4. Gabe: DETECTIVES! I was just explaining to Tori how we all need to be careful about what we say in front of people.
5. JT: So you’re just going to expose Vincent to your FBI father whom you’ve only known for two seconds?

Favorite Scenes

1. Gabe talking to Tori about what happened with her father.
2. When the gang is all there on Vincent’s houseboat working together to save Vincent.
3. Vincent calling Agent Reynolds and giving him a piece of his mind.
4. Tess and JT decide to spend Thanksgiving together.
5. Cat and Vincent try to come up with a code word

Best Character Interactions

It was a tie between Gabe and Tori and JT and Tess.

I would prefer it if JT and Tess aka JTnT would go more in the direction of Brotp than lovers but if this union is destined to soften up Tess, flesh her out and get her out of the role of Gabe’s wing man, I’m down. I think this union would also be beneficial for JT in regards to the fact that it doesn't seems like Vincent is really either a) remembering him or b) reaching out and trying to bond with him so why not give him another character to play off of and create new and interesting bonds in the process. You all should know I would go along with just about anything if that meant JT were to get more screen time.

I liked the character interaction of Gabe and Tori. I can’t really explain it. His interest and concern seemed so genuine. It served as personal reminder that at times I actually like the character of Gabe and not just the actor, Sendhil. The times I like Gabe best is when he is being smart, helpful and not pining after Cat. Yes, he had an ulterior motive in the fact that he wanted to keep Tori quite but honestly it would have been easier to just let her fall asleep (and perhaps not wake up) with her concussion. I feel like Gabe might see a lot of his younger self in Tori, lest we not forget that he too was once a victim of being trapped in a gilded cage.

WTF Moments

1. When JT kisses Tess. I cheered so loud my boyfriend came in to see what was going on (he thought I was watching The Mentalist and that Jane had killed Red John or something). If VinCat is on the fritz, I’m going to need another couple to root for. You know it ain’t gonna be Cat and Gabe or Tori and Vincent so why not my second favorite BatB Brotp – JTnT.

2. When Tori kissed Vincent, my blood boiled and I rolled my eyes so hard and so long, I got a little dizzy. True story. I like the actress that plays Tori. I think the introduction of a female beast is cool. What I don’t appreciate is a forcibly contrived and tired plot that only serves the purpose of creating drama for the sake of drama. The VinCat romance is already on thin ice and the tarnishing of the epic love has Beasties leaving in droves out of frustration. There was infinitely better ways for VinCat to break up.

3. When the building blows up with Vincent in it. Are we truly expected to believe that the lead male character isn’t going to survive the explosion? Are we Beasties truly supposed to be concerned about Tori after just one episode (especially since her kissing Vincent was perceived to be the straw that broke Cat’s back)? Oh writers, whatever am I going to do with you?

Burning Questions

1. Is the use of “condor” a continuity issue? One minute, it’s the handler’s code name, the next minute, its Vincent’s code name and then suddenly it appears to be Vincent’s verbal trigger.
2. So is it canon yet that when a beast’s eyes flashes that greyish-white it means they’re horny? If not that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.
3. Why are Tori’s beast’s eyes red? Is it because her hair is red? Is it to represent that her beast power is to induce rage within other beasts?

Polls

Last Week’s Results - Who should Cat end up with? – Well, the Beasties are still rooting for VinCat despite it all, me, I’m still hoping for Evan Marks to return all supercharged and beastly to give Vincent a real run for his money. Not really but any option is better than Gabe at this point (sorry to the one person that voted for him last week).

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #7 – Do you like the idea of a female beast?
My co-hosts Lu and Kristen inspired this question, they were really happy about it. I want to know if you are. Please be sure to leave comments about why or why not. I love when I get to read how Beasties are feeling about hot button issues.
Make sure you vote and comment on this week’s best scene poll as well.

Shameless Self–Promotion

Podcast - If you have time rate, review and subscribe.

Facebook Fan Page - If you could be a dear and like the page it would be greatly appreciated.

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Lilith’s Beastie Challenge of the Month – December

I want to make a podcast to send to the cast and crew (as well as Mr. Mark Pedowitz himself) over the break from the fans telling them why we love the show and how much we appreciate them. If you guys think that would be an awesome idea and want to participate, let me know and I will throw up a form and some guidelines for entries over on my blog as well make a post here on Spoiler TV.

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.



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Beauty and the Beast – 2.06 – Father Knows Best – Review: All the best cowboys have daddy issues

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‘All the best cowboys have daddy issues’

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We need to hope for the best but prepare for the worse. I want to encourage each and every one of you Beasties out there to participate in Rooftop Notes campaign. You can find all the information here.


Now on to your regularly scheduled recap…

Up for discussion this week is episode 2x06: Father Knows Best. This week’s episode was written by a character development extraordinaire and myth arc virtuoso respectively, Roger Grant and Brad Kern. This week also welcomed another newbie director into the Beastie family, Paul Kaufman. I found this to be a fantastic rebound combination after last week’s lackluster affair.

Well, I looks like The Power That Be, heard my fangirl complaint because we got some Jay Ryan abs action, and it was an unobstructed view from above. Now, that’s how you open an episode; Vincent, alone in his bed, with his shirt off. He’s remembering VinCat’s greatest hits all by himself (now if only he could remember all that JT has done and sacrificed for him, I’d be even more ecstatic). He’s cruelly awakened by a foghorn but hey, that’s to be expected when you live on a houseboat.

A happy Vincent rushes over to Cat’s place to see if what he dreamt were truly memories indeed. He catches Cat in heated physical altercation with her sparring dummy; seems that keeping the knowledge of whom Agent Reynolds is to herself is causing some internal stress. Vincent asks Cat about the things he remembered and they share a happy moment. Vincent gives Cat a lusty look to which she replies, she sweaty. Vincent offers her some advice about how to improve her kickboxing skills. Cat tries it and it works a little too well when Cat kicks him in the face.

Vincent excitedly tells Cat that he only has two missions left. When he’s done he wants to celebrate alone in the woods with her. Cat gets a dejected look and suddenly remembers that she is a cop. She doesn’t like Vincent being judge, jury and executioner. She goes on to him she can’t get excited about him killing two people. Beasts, Vincent corrects but Cat reiterates that they are still human beings despite what was done to them. Vincent seems less excited but tells Cat that she should go have a talk with Agent Reynolds before he sulks away.

Back at the 125th precinct Gabe is holed up in his office staring at wall of weird and digging through Muirfield research that JT left for him while he went on a retreat. Tess comes barraging per usual. They chat about Gabe wanting to find Vincent’s handler and how Vincent’s time might be running out. Gabe has found a name to track. Tess questions Gabe about why he hasn’t told Cat about his feelings. Gabe says he’s trying to save Vincent, he owes Cat (and VINCENT) that much.
Agent Reynolds aka Condor rings up Vincent to fill him in on the beast of the week. The guy’s name is Kurt Windsor and he’s sort of a big deal. They need this kill to be clean and precise, no mistakes. Not much is known about this beast. The beast is also paranoid and has a high quality alarm system. The window of opportunity is slim. Sounds like a bad mission begging to go sideways if you ask me.

Just as Agent Reynolds is wrapping up with Vincent, Cat shows up at his office. He hurriedly rushes Vincent off the phone and tries to play coy with Cat. But Cat just drops the bomb: she knows he’s her dad. She wants to have a cup of coffee with him and chat. A stunned Agent Reynolds nods and is left speechless (for once). Cat exits stage right.

Next, Vincent waits for the dead of night per his instructions from Agent Reynolds, to slip into the Windsor residence. Tori having stepped out into the balcony to enjoy so fresh, crisp autumn New York night air, leaves a door unlocked and Vincent ever so briskly whisks right passed her. Just as I was thinking this job was going a little too easy, Kurt senses Vincent and comes at him full throttle. Tori rushes back inside to witness the ruckus in all its scary glory. Out of nowhere Kurt goes into an ultra-rage mode and accuses Tori of letting Vincent in and nearly jokes her to death. A stunned and concerned Vincent breaks Kurt’s grip around Tori’s neck and speeds away with her into the night.

The following morning Cat and Agent Reynolds actually have that cup of coffee and a chat. His paternal instincts are in overdrive as well as sneaky side. He gives Cat just enough information while trying to pry more out of her. Luckily, Cat is reluctant and is holding her cards close to the vest as well. He comments on how she has her mother’s eyes (and the Potterhead in me squees, just a bit, not to mention, I’ve always thought that myself). He explains the situation about Thomas adopting her and respecting Vanessa’s wishes. He goes on to explain that he had every intention of being in her life after she turned 18 but after her mother died, he didn’t want to come across as opportunistic and callous. So, he just let her be but watched over her as well. A news story breaks up the father-daughter bonding time. There’s been a high profile kidnapping and there’s a $5 million dollar reward. They both spring into action to leave but Agent Reynolds does manage to get into Cat’s head and cast some doubts about Vincent before all is said and done.

Cat rallies the troops and they connect the dots about the kidnapping and it being part of Vincent’s mission to kill Kurt Windsor. Tess tries to prepare Cat for the possibility that Vincent might be the last name on the list but Gabe brushes that under the rug and Cat is too focused to even be bothered really. Cat heads over to Vincent’s houseboat and finds an earring that belongs to Tori (or at least it better belong to Tori). She’s not able to snoop too much before Kurt and his small army arrives and tears the place to shreds. She manages to get out sight unseen but has to do so by taking a dip in the rancid river that is the Hudson.

She heads back to the 125th and fills Tess in on the details. Tess assess that the smartest move would be for Vincent to use Tori as leverage. Cat defends Vincent and says he probably saved her. That he’s been all about saving the innocent even if he had to kill the beasts in the process. She also goes on to address the issue of Tess’s Vincent hate and reaffirms that he is what is good for her. Once Gabe is all caught up on the latest events, he pitches his flat lining idea (much to my dismay, as well as Tess’s and later on Vincent’s). Cat of course jumps on the bandwagon. She really wants to help Vincent complete a mission that doesn’t involve him killing someone.

Tori has been taken to a place deep in the woods. She is tied up to a tree while Vincent preps the area with sharp, pointy spears. He tries to get Tori to calm down and explains the situation to her. He didn’t kidnap her, he saved her. She mentions that she saw him beast out, so that lead her to believe otherwise. Vincent provides some insightfulness and says that she was always a captive under her father’s watch. Vincent explains he didn’t ask to be a beast but her father did. Vincent goes onto explain why her father has been marked for death. Tori gets it deep down but he still her father. To prove his point, Vincent removes a tracking device from her arm, much to Tori’s astonishment. Vincent didn’t remove because he wanted to lure Kurt to the spot they were at.

Cat gets the bright idea to try to talk to Kurt and offer her help. Agent Reynolds is there as well. They go up to have a chat with Kurt and while they’re waiting Agent Reynolds tries to pry about Cat’s boyfriend. She once again defends Vincent and states that he’s good to her. Kurt of course turns down their offer of help and shoes them out of his residence. But not before Cat recognizes Vincent’s stuff and puts two and two together about where he took Tori. He took her to the place they were going to go to celebrate his “retirement”. She rushes off and leaves Agent Reynolds behind.

Vincent and Tori discuss the woes of being a beast and what keeps him sane. The thing that keeps him sane being Cat. They really have a great chat, so much so that an awkward hug happens. As Vincent hugs Tori his eyes glow a different shade and then he senses someone in the woods near them. Of course it’s Cat and of course she’s gotten tangled up in his trap. Vincent rushes to her rescues just in the nick of time before a spear impales her eye. She sees Tori and I honestly don’t know what that expression on her face was supposed to be. She warns Vincent that Kurt is not coming alone and that he needs to get of the woods. Kurt shows up hot on their trail. But everyone is gone. His guards note that there are three sets of tracks. Kurt accurately guesses that someone came to warn him. His bodyguards ponder what the kidnapper could possibly want. Kurt replies that the kidnapper wants him but he’ll rip the guy to shreds at the first chance he gets.

Cat and Vincent take Tori back to an empty lair. Tori suggests that she call her dad. Vincent is down for that so that the call can be tracked and he can have the element of surprise once more to be able to trap him. Cat lightly scolds him that in the woods he was going to spear him not trap him. Vincent asks what else could be done. Cat pitches the flat lining idea. Vincent is sick of that idea and notes that it has only worked once. She thinks that Kurt might go for it if it means that he gets to have his daughter back. Even Tori is not sure if that is incentive enough. Cat and Tori go on to have a heart to heart about what it means to have a beast in your life while Vincent is on the defensive and is looking every door and window to fortify their position.

Cat heads over to Kurt’s place and makes him a deal. She tells him she knows what he is. She tells him that there’s a possibility of death but hey so what, why not, if it means getting your daughter back. Kurt waits until the last possible second to take the deal. But he does indeed take the deal.

Gabe is now at the liar as has it all prepped for flat lining surgery. He explains the procedure and how it worked on him. They lock him in some nearly inescapable handcuffs and begin what needs to be done. Kurt wonders what will become of him after is fully human. Probably prison but Cat thinks that is still better than the alternative and at least his daughter can visit him there. Kurt is skeptical but is willing to try. But first he wants to see Tori in case it doesn’t work. Vincent leads Tori out and she goes to hold her father’s hand. In a code yellow spike from hell, Kurt beasts out and breaks free. This leads to a pretty intense beast off that results in Vincent ripping Kurt’s beating heart out. Everyone in the room is shocked, as am I. I wasn’t aware we were watching ‘Once Upon a Time’ or maybe more aptly since it’s The CW, ‘The Vampire Diaries’.

A little while later, Gabe fills Tess in and she has the most understated reaction ever. She simply states that it seems like Vincent has taken a step backwards. She ponders how Cat is going to take it. Gabe chimes in with his two cent and a surprisingly non-judgmental way as well. I’ll chalk it up to shock.

Agent Reynolds officially becomes a part of the show and earns his stalking badge as he catches Cat off guard at her favorite coffee shop and orders her exact, overly complicated cup of coffee. She accuses him of staking her out. He sees he isn’t that he just took a chance and was pleasantly surprised to see her there. Un-huh. OK! He tries to get her to open up to him but Cat manages to stay somewhat guarded. Agent Reynolds once again manages to get deep into Cat’s psyche by asking her questions that would lead her to think maybe just maybe Vincent is a lost cause and isn’t getting better.

With all of the thoughts that Agent Reynolds has left churning in her head, Cat heads over to talk it out with Vincent as delicately as possible. She tries not showing how scared she is off and he tries to not think about whether or not his humanity is indeed lost for good. They tentatively hug but both are silently brooding and trying to hide their concern so that they can comfort each other.

The last scene was not a VinCat scene, it was of Tori. She comes home to her fabulous empty home and is of course sad. She glances into the mirror and notices something different about her face. Upon further inspection, her eyes shift and glow, looks like she’s a beast and didn’t even know it. Or did she? Fade to black…

Grade: B+

Reason: I’m just going to say it. No JT, AGAIN! He’s on a retreat? Really? But we’re just going to use the lair in his absence? RUDE! No, JT? Then we don’t use the lair. What’s wrong with Gabe’s pad? Or an abandoned warehouse (there should be plenty in New York City)? Moving on… I really liked this episode. I loved the chemistry between Ted Whittall and Kristin Kruek as well as the cat and mouse game between their characters Agent Reynolds and Cat. It’s nice to know that Thomas Chandler knew the whole time. I would have hated to add cuckolding to list of sins that have been pinned on Vanessa Chandler.

I loved the addition of Tori (I think we can safely assume that she’s not the love interest, so breathe easy for now my lovelies). I think that the character of Tori, at least in this episode, helped both Vincent and Cat express things they wouldn’t have necessarily been able to otherwise. Very little Tess was featured in this episode as well.

The character of Gabe is really racking up a lot of screen time and it’s starting to take away from the established characters. I love Sendhil. I love the character of Gabe. But they need to stop shoving him in over face at every turn. They also need to either give VinCat a full time out or put them back together once and for all. These yo-yo games of the heart are really irking a lot of the Beasties, myself included.

The beast of the week was not a man I was the least bit interested in, nor did I want him to be saved. They were too many vagaries and nothing made sense. I know that it’s supposed to be a mysterious arc that will get unraveled and all but the set up was a little shaky.

But all in all, this was a fast paced, well plotted and engaging episode. I loved the visual effects for the beast modes. Also, the jaw dropping moment of Vincent ripping out that guy’s heart was bananas and unexpected as heck. I love when Beauty and the Beast surprises me.

Awards

Character of the Night

Tori – I was all set to not like this character for whatever reason. But I was pleasantly surprised with this character introduction.

Favorite Moments

1. Cat kicks Vincent while training
2. Vincent saves Cat from being speared
3. Sally (the blue mustang) makes her triumphant return
4. Vincent in his bed with no shirt (don’t judge me, I’m human)
5. Vincent remembering VinCat’s greatest hits

Favorite Lines

1. Cat: How much money is too much money?
2. Kurt: You’re either really brave or really stupid.
Cat: Well, I’m not stupid.
3. Cat (picking up an earring): This better be Tori’s.
4. Cat: I know my beasts.

Favorite Scenes

1. VinCat kickboxing training session
2. Vincent and Tori have a heart to heart in the woods
3. Cat and Tori have a heart to heart in the lair
4. Cat and Agent Reynolds have coffee (both times)
5. Cat makes the beast of the week an offer to save him in exchange for his daughter
6. Tori sees her beastly reflection in the mirror

Best Character Interactions

It was a tie between Tori and Vincent and Tori and Cat. I’ve very smitten with this character. I’m flush with excitement at all the potential this character has. She could be Vincent’s confidante. She could Cat’s little sister. She could a complete surprise altogether and be playing Team Beastie. But right now, she brings a balance to the show, that Tess and JT, an avatar for the audience. Tori gets to be told all the things out protagonist can’t say to any other character, allowing us much needed insight.

Burning Question

1. Would you guys prefer a straight up review, or do you like my hybrid recap and review method?

Polls

Last Week’s Results – Is Gabe going to be the good guy this season? - Well, it was a three way tie between the choices of Yes, No and Not Sure. Thank you all who participated and especially those who left comments.

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #6 – Who should Cat end up with?
Also, I’d like to encourage you to leave comments. I’m dying to know why you love your particular pairing and I’m sure other Beasties would love to know as well.

Make sure you voted and commented on this week’s best scene poll as well.

Shameless Self –Promotion

Podcast
If you have time rate, review and subscribe.

Facebook Fan Page - If you could be a dear and like the page it would be greatly appreciated.

Twitter - @lilithhellfire

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Lilith’s Beastie Challenge of the Month – December

So, our winter hiatus is coming up fast and it’s going to be a long one, 6 weeks to be exact. Everyone over on the DVMPE’s Beauty and the Beast podcast will be live tweeting select episodes over said break, as well as doing a special edition episode about the season so far.

I also wanted to make a podcast to send to the cast and crew (as well as Mr. Mark Pedowitz himself) over the break from the fans telling them why we love the show and how much we appreciate them. If you guys think that would be an awesome idea and want to participate, let me know and I will throw up a form and some guidelines for entries over on my blog as well make a post here on Spoiler TV.

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.

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Beauty and the Beast – 2.05 – Reunion – Review: Plot holes, continuity errors, bad judgment and easy fixes, oh my!

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‘Plot holes, continuity errors, bad judgment and easy fixes, oh my!’

OK, first things first, time to get the Beastie morale up a little bit…

So, awesome job, we are 3 for 3, when it comes to double trending on Twitter worldwide, here in the states. Even without any cast members officially live tweeting with us, we did it. We held our #3 rank on Get Glue from last week as well.

We need to hope for the best but prepare for the worse. I want to encourage each and every one of you Beasties out there to participate in Rooftop Notes campaign. You can find all the information here.

Now on to your regularly scheduled recap…

Up for discussion this week is episode 2x05: Reunion. This week’s episode was written by a painfully obvious new writer, Eric Tuchman. We also had a new director, Fred Gerber. Let’s just say, I’m not in hurry to see either one of them return.

I’m just going to address this big pink elephant in the room. They messed up the formula. Beasties want to begin and end an episode with VinCat, not Cat and Gabe. Stop trying to make Gatherine/Gat/Cabe/Chanwen (they don’t even a good shipping name, how do the writers expect us to get behind it, for Pete’s sake?) happen. I want to like Gabe but he is fast becoming persona non grata, much like Tess for a large portion of the Beasties I know. I don’t know what’s going on with her. While she brought the sass and the funny, there was a certain oomph missing that I can’t put my finger on. Gabe has flat out admitted not only his sexual attraction for Cat but his romantic intentions are broadcasting loud and clear as well. With a death hanging over the fandom’s head and so many parallels to Evan Marks, we might want to break out the white calla lilies for Gabe’s grave. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the writers would try to shove this pairing in our face, if the reason isn't they're going to kill off Gabe.

I’ve gotten ahead of myself, excuse me. This week we open the episode with the beast of the week on the hunt. When he kicks the door into Vincent’s unlocked houseboat, it becomes apparent that he is on the hunt for Vincent. Right off the back, viewers become pretty certain this won’t end well for the beast of the week. One does not simply tread on Vincent’s territory without consequences.

To lighten up the mood, we have a giddy Cat on the phone with Gabe. Cat has enlisted Gabe’s help in the hunt for her birth father. I personally, would have asked JT, hacker extraordinaire but hey, what do I know? Gabe assures her that he doing his very best despite hitting a few brick walls. He notices the pop music in the background. Cat tells him that she’s channeling her high school days in order to prepare for a pre-reunion get together with her closest gal pals from that time. She laments about the fashions and Gabe is quick to assure she would look good in just about anything. Aware of mental slip he rushes off of the phone, much to my relief.

Next up to bat is Vincent. He comes wandering into Cat’s bedroom via the fire escape because he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to use the front door. He wants to “trigger” some memories. Cat’s surprised to see him. But she is not having any of what Vincent is serving. She has decided she needs some time to herself and suggests he go hang out with JT and try to trigger some memories with him. Vincent licks his wounds and out he goes as Cat’s friends arrive.

Back at the 125th Precinct, Gabe is getting chewed out by the major. Tess barrages in as usual and begrudgingly asks what’s wrong, as well as for a raise. Gabe explains just what a mess Joe left as well as the pressures of keeping all the new beast related cases under wraps. Gabe seems a little stressed and with good reason. This leads me to wondering if something is about to give to move the story in whole other direction in regards to beasts and how Team Beastie hunts them. Perhaps, we’ll those answers next week.

Meanwhile, Cat is having a good old time with her three gal pals from high school. Everyone seems to have a rather fun, interesting and fulfilled life. They of course are jealous of Cat’s itty bitty waste that hasn’t changed since 10th grade. They also reveal that Cat has always liked “bad boys” and guys who were projects; the implication for the viewer being that some things never change, which a lot of Beasties got fired up over and with good reason. Mr. Tuchman, you did not read the room well on that front, sir.

Since we didn’t get any JT last week, I suppose they ordered a JT and Vincent bonding scene. But if you blinked you might have missed it. Then we were back to Cat’s place as she bids her visitor adieu. Beth, of course has left her purse in the bedroom. Cat goes to retrieve and sees a figure “hiding” behind the curtain. She mistakenly thinks it’s Vincent. But it is not Vincent. It’s that beast from the beginning of the episode. Vincent’s trail has lead him to Cat. Vincent scent is all over her (and it reminds me of Buffy when Angel tells Buffy that he can smell Spike all over her). He demands for Cat to tell him where Vincent is. He calls Cat a bitch, which totally caught me off guard and begins to get rough with her. Cat miraculously is able to hold her own against a beast, an non-tranquilized beast mind you (I swear there better be something more to her otherwise it’s just a bit ridiculous), she even gets a good kick in which draws blood and a few shoots off at the beast. The beast gets scared off and jumps through window and down to street. Did I mention that all while this was going on Ms. Beth was right there witnessing the events? No? Well, she was. Did I mention Beth was a reporter? No? Well, she is. That can’t be good.

A pair of uniformed officer show up to take Cat and Beth’s statement. Beth is telling them what she know she saw. They don’t believe her. While Cat feels bad about the lies she’s telling, what else can she do but cover it up. Beth wants to know why Cat is seemingly covering this up. Cat convinces her that she is thinking of Beth and her credibility as a reporter. Beth is like a dog with a bone, she’s not going to drop it.

Of course word gets around the 125th precinct that Cat has been attacked and Gabe and Tess show up. Gabe looks like he could use one of JT’s antacids and Tess is going off on another one of her anti-beasts tirades. Cat realizes that she has a piece of the puzzle, some of her assailant’s blood on her shoe. Gabe wants to keep this from Vincent, so he doesn’t go off all half-cocked against an unknown beast. Tess could care less she lumps all the beast together. Gabe rushes off to have JT analyze the blood and Tess keeps tabs on the investigation.

Gabe shows up to JT’s place so he can analyze the blood and tells him about what happened to Cat, not knowing Vincent is there. Gabe tries to get Vincent to stand down but to no avail. Vincent rushes to Cat’s aid. This also results in him being able to track the attacker down to an old abandoned church. The beast of the week is an old army buddy of Vincent’s and Vincent actually remembers him during the confrontation. Vincent stands down and invites him back to the lair.

Cat heads over to JT’s place and not too shortly after her arrival, in comes Vincent with Zack in tow. JT recognizes Zack. But is still leery. Cat is downright perturbed and isn’t buying any of Zack’s phony ma’ams and charm. But Vincent swears that it was all just a misunderstanding and he has explained to Zack how important she is to him.

Fuming, Cat heads over to the precinct to catch up with Tess and whine about how Vincent is siding with Zack and how she should probably not go to her reunion. Tess squashes that and tells Cat to go and have some fun, finally. I agree and even more vigorously when we cut to the next scene and JT, Vincent and Zack are out shooting pool and reminiscing about the good old days. Zack brings up a girl and of course Vincent doesn’t remember. But a waitress that resembles the girl in question triggers a few sexy memories. Zack reveals that Gabriela was his girl and Vincent stole her from him and now he’s going to make Vincent pay by hurting Cat. But not before he beasts out and causes a scene in public.

While that was going on, Agent Reynolds has come snooping around asking questions about Cat’s attack. He offers his help on the investigation but Gabe gives him another assignment, to help track down Cat’s birth father. I chuckle just a bit. Gabe also decides it’s OK to read Agent Reynolds in on the case much to a reluctant Tess’s dismay but she rolls with it. She has discovered that the DNA matches with a cold case murder of a waitress named Gabriela. Agent Reynolds says he will look for Zack. This means he’s going to call Vincent and put him on the case. Which is just what he does, all the while calling Vincent soft and emotional and suggesting that Cat has made him this way.

Vincent wants to try and reason with Zack. He heads back to the church to talk to Zack. Zack doesn’t want to talk; he wants revenge and manages to allude Vincent’s grasp while taunting him about how he is going to take Cat away from him. Well, it was nice knowing you Zack. It’s a shame a pretty face such as Blair Redford’s couldn’t stick around and be a good guy but oh well, you hurt Cat, you called Cat a bitch and now you’re trying to kill her, sorry mister you have to take a dirt nap. Them there is the rules.

Cat has actually made it to her reunion with her friends and with their urging she goes radio silent. She checks in and of course the mean girl is the one to do it, complete with bitch face, snark and a whole lot of attitude. At least Cat gets to tear it up on the dance floor before her night out is interrupted. We learn that in high school Cat saved a nerdling a la Veronica Mars style which resulted in her having a geeky stalker who rocked the mascot uniform, she was voted ‘Most Likely To Succeed’ and she also started a campaign to help the school get a new pool. That leads to an interesting conversation about with Beth about how her father has been making rather large charitable donations toward the pool in her name. That includes this pass August, which is odd because her father died in July.

No time to dwell on that because Gabe and Tess are here to whisk her away to safety. Vincent shows up at damn near the same time with the same idea. Gabe tries to keep Cat to himself but it’s obvious that Cat would be safer with Vincent. Zack steals that creepy guy’s mascot uniform and proceeds to go on the hunt for Cat. Cat and Vincent manage to have a heart to heart about how Cat feels odd complaining about her small problems when they are compared to his. I would have preferred another dance scene but hey, you can’t win them all. Vincent smells him and a big old beast off ensues. The fight drives everyone out of the gymnasium and running for their lives. Zack nearly gets to Cat but Vincent snaps his neck just in the nick of time.

As Zack’s body is wheeled off in the distant the philosophical waxing between Gabe and Tess about how a patriotic solider ends up a deranged beast and dead at a high school reunion in Westchester is interrupted by Beth. She tries her hardest to get a scoop but is instantly shut down. Tess tells Gabe that his affections for Cat are obvious to her. Gabe wonders if Cat knows too. Tess says she doesn't think so.

Vincent apologizes to Cat. He talks to her about how crappy he feels because of all the things she has given up to protect him and to be with him. He promises her it won’t be like this for long. He also says he appreciates everything she has done for him and that he would be lost and more than likely would have ended up like Zack without her. He steals a soft, sweet kiss. Cat shoes him out and tells him to be sure to use the back door because the place is crawling with cops.

On his way out, he sees Gabe going to check on Cat. He stops and stares him down long and hard before leaving. Gabe tries to make with the funny and Cat tries to not let the night’s events get her down in the dumps. She starts sharing pictures from high school with Gabe and notices Agent Reynolds in the background of her graduation picture. She is also holding a donation card in her hand and looks back and forth between the two. This leads her to think that Agent Reynolds just might be her birth father.

Grade: B-

Reason: I really hope this is the lowest grade I give an episode all season. While I enjoyed this episode, there were far too many telltale signs of a new writer. Everyone felt a little out of character. The Gabe and Cat issue reared its ugly little head much to the dismay of a lot of Beasties (myself included). It wasn’t heavy on the action or the character development, which for me personally doesn’t make a good formula. After a beautiful episode like Hothead, to come back on this note was super disappointing. We were ready for passion, exploration and team work. Not Cat brushing Vincent off, like Jay-Z having dirt on his shoulder. Tons of continuity errors, plot holes and easy fixes.

Not to mention very little JT time. He’s starting to become a plot device. JT is the heart and soul and I’m beginning to believe the glue that holds this whole show together. When he isn’t around it’s like a flashing neon sign. When he’s underused it’s very noticeable as well. Maybe just maybe all new writers should be paired with a season 1 vet so that they can catch these issues before they make to our screen.

The guest stars saved the episode. I loved Annie Illonzeh as Beth and having the handsome Blair Redford on my screen (even if he was a douchebag) once more was nice to see. The stakes are raised and I have no doubt the combination of Brad Kern and Roger Grant will get this season’s first A+. I’m expecting awesome character development and amazing moves on the myth arc front.


Awards

Character of the Night

Tess – She brought the funny, sass and heart as well as playful ribbing. I think my romantic Varwen ship has been sunk but I’m still all for a brotp between Tess and Gabe, if only to keep Gabe away from Cat.

Favorite Moments

1. Vincent giving Gabe a long hard stare down
2. VinCat kiss
3. Cat dancing at her reunion
4. Vincent using his beast senses to track Zack down
5. The mean girl asking them why none of the had a +1 for the reunion.

Favorite Lines

1. Tess: and Cat has such a pretty neck, doesn’t she?
2. Tess: Go ahead go get your Ashanti on.
3. JT: You’ve got to talk faster.
4. Gabe: We're all friends here.
JT: No actually we're not.

Favorite Scenes

1. JT and Vincent bonding over sports and junk food
2. Tess telling Cat to go to her reunion
3. Gabe and Tess throwing Beth off the Beast trail
4. Vincent apologizes to Cat and promises her it won’t be like this for long.
5. Vincent and Zack have a beast off.

Best Character Interactions

Gabe and Tess (well, I wasn’t going to say Cat and Tess and VinCat just didn’t do it for me this week, sorry)

Burning Questions

1. Did Cat ever get her shoe back?
2. Is that the last we’ve seen of Beth?

Polls

Last Week’s Results – Katy Perry’s Roar won but in the comments I saw a lot of people were suggesting Florence and the Machine’s Never Let You Go. Over the hiatus, I just might do another song off with these two options.

This Week’s Poll - BatB Great Debate #5 – Is Gabe going to be the good guy this season?

Make sure you voted and commented on this week’s best scene poll as well


Shameless Self –Promotion


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