Lilith Luvs TV

‘There is a great disturbance in the Force.’

‘Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.’
― John F. Kennedy

Wow! That pretty much sums up the season three opener of Continuum. Am I right? This is the game changer that has reset the entire series. Or should I say, has finally made us privy to the big picture. I’m so excited for all of the possibilities this new chapter affords us.

I am kind of curious why this season’s theme aka the title episode structure is ‘minute’ and not a reference to the number three like season one and two had.

The Recap & Review
Title: Minute to Minute | Written by: Simon Barry | Directed by: Pat Williams

Synopsis: Keira Cameron's world in 2014 has disintegrated; Alec Sadler betrayed her best chance of getting back to 2077 and used the time travel device instead in hope of saving his girlfriend. It not only sent Alec into the near past, but condemned Kiera (and Liber8 itself) as prisoners of the Freelancers, a cult who 'collect' time travelers in order to 'protect' history's timeline. Carlos Fonnegra, Kiera's Vancouver PD partner, and Betty Robertson, computer whiz (and Liber8's VPD mole) are now allied with Julian Randol - the future Theseus - to fight Inspector Dillon, now gone rogue with Escher to create what will be the template for police state conditions in 2077 North America - CPS.
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My thought on this week’s writer…
I’m a fan of shows with short seasons, kind of but that is blog post for another day. Usually a show with a short season means that the creative team can be smaller, more connected and doesn’t have to come up with filler episodes so the story just flows better. It also usually means that the showrunner, especially if he is the head writer, can be heavily involved a lot more easily; as is the case with Continuum. You can always count on Simon Barry to bookend the season by writing the premiere and the finale. There is just something very poetic about that to me. But now I’m scared for the season finale because if this is what he wrote the premiere, I can only imagine what he wrote for the finale. This episode was fast paced, well plotted and even remembered to make room for some kick butt action sequences. Simon Barry definitely shook up the status quo and has now turned the show on its side and now we are really going to get a heavy dose of sci-fi as we explore the ramifications of changing the past and maybe quite possibly what happens when a person meets the other you in the same timeline. All I know is that Continuum gets better with every episode and every season the ante gets up. I think we are in for hell of rollercoaster ride this season.

My thoughts on this week’s director…
Pat Williams is prolific director on Continuum. This episode marked his 10th time in the director’s chair during the series run. I really love his directorial eye and I think it’s him to thank for capturing the darker shift of tone that is sure to follow us for the rest of the season. He just had a way making everything seem so bleak, dark and dingy. He also really pulled out the best in all the actors. I also enjoyed how he captured some subtle nuisances and let the important scenes breathe for a beat.
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Here’s what I gathered from this week’s episode...

By the end of the season Kiera will have to decide which Alec to kill, which will likely lead into season and dealing with the ramifications of having to kill Alec and if she did indeed kill the right one and if not, how to correct it.

Alec is on a mission, with the help of his son no less, to save Emily. He plans on just taking her to Thailand and has avoid his past self while eliminating all the things that conspired to seal Emily’s death the first time around. But every small change he made has led to the death of Present!Day Kiera. Does this stop him in his tracks or does he keep pursuing this selfish agenda?

Garza is on loose once more after her swan dive to freedom and I think she is the actual wild card that will make all the difference in tipping the scale one way or another. I look forward to seeing her interactions with Kiera as well as what’s left of Liber8.

We learned about the Freelancers, finally and here’s the gist of it:
• Shortly after Kiera left 2077, criminals got a hold of the technology and decided to go into the past to change history for profit and other nefarious reasons. A man made a sacrifice to leave everything behind and travel 1,000 years into the past to establish the order we call Freelancers. Freelancers are not from the future. They weren’t sure what to do with Kiera and Liber8 because they are seen as anomalies but anomalies that can tip the balance either way.

• Those tattoos are actually hi-tech codes embedded in the skin.

• The Freelancers want continuity (This is kind of funny, when you put into the context of the sci-fi & fantasy genre because after a couple of seasons even the best shows in the genre tend to lose just that. May Continuum never suffer that fate.).

Awards
Character of the Night
• Kiera (like duh!)

Best Character Interactions
• Kiera and Garza

Line of the Night
• Garza: You don’t mess with me, I don’t mess with you

Scene of the Night
• Kiera and Garza kick some major butt

Lamest Lie Award goes to Alec.

Highlights
Favorite Moments
• Garza swan dives to her freedom.
• Kiera frees Garza
• Kiera gets a new, more advanced suit. Hopefully, we get another showdown between her and some rocking another suit before the season ends.

Favorite Scenes
• Kiera travel back in time and turns the tables on the Freelancers
• Future!Kiera and Future!Alec run into each other at the lab and see Present Day!Kiera’s dead body.

Biggest Surprises of the Episode
• Garza becoming a potential ally for Kiera.
• Kiera is now a freelancer for intent and purposes.
• The freelancers have been around for a very long time.

Miscellaneous
Fun Fact: Did you know that the director Pat Williams has worked on some other pretty awesome shows that I highly recommend you check out such as ‘The Secret World of Alex Mack’, ‘Aaron Stone’ and ‘Smallville’?

WTF Moment
• Present Day!Kiera is dead.

Burning Questions
1. Will Present Day!Alec and Future!Alec every meet? If so, what will happen?
2. Which Alec is the Alec that will still keep Kiera’s timeline intact, Present!Day Alec or Future!Alec?
3. Did Future!Kiera kill Present Day!Kiera to avoid the issues of creating even more paradoxes/branch timelines and or to manipulate Future!Alec into doing what she wants?

Side Notes
• The death toll was crazy and surprising in this episode, I mean we had Future!Garaza, Present Day!Esscher and Present Day!Kiera.

• The best thing about Continuum to date is how they’ve set up the rules of their universe and it appears that destiny isn’t a fixed factor, everyone has time to change and become something/someone different for better or for worse and that’s just a brilliant take on the time travel trope.

Grade: A+
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Well, now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

PS: Don't forget to promote this and all positive Continuum 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.

‘Doesn’t this all seem vaguely familiar?’
‘In your heart, in your bones, no matter how silly you know it is, you feel that everything has been leading to this, all the secret arrows were pointing here, the universe and time itself crafted this long ago, and you are just now realizing it, you are now just arriving at the place you were always meant to be.’
― David Levithan, Every Day

The Recap & Review
Title: Catch Me If You Can | Written by: Melissa Glenn | Directed by: Stuart Gillard
Synopsis: CAT AND VINCENT ARE REMINDED OF HOW IN LOVE THEY ONCE WERE — In order to prevent Sam (guest star Tom Everett Scott) from destroying a large group of people, Cat (Kristin Kreuk) and Vincent (Jay Ryan) are forced to revisit a romantic destination from their past, which enables them to come to a new realization about what they mean to one another.
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My thought on this week’s writer…
I was utterly shocked that they allowed a brand spanking new writer be the one to write this episode. Although, I was largely relieved to learn that Brad Kern wasn’t doing the honors to be honest. But at the same time a little sad that Sherry and Jenny weren’t doing the honors either. But I will say that it seems as though Ms. Glenn has at least seen some of the first season as saw light touches of the formula they often used in season one. First instance, start with VinCat, end with VinCat. Second instance, pull in the best friends to offer advice. Third instance put Cat and Vincent in a dangerous situation while looking pretty. The list goes on but I digress… I found the dialog to be average (and a little bit too repetitive) but the overall pacing and plot was right on track, especially since she was the one who had to clean up the mess has been going on all season long. All in all she did a pretty solid job and it’s always nice to have another woman around on the writing staff.

My thoughts on this week’s director…
Stuart Gillard is one of my top five favorite directors for Beauty and the Beast (and that shouldn’t be a surprise or well-kept secret). He always manages to bring out that extra something special in all the actors that sparkle on the screen. His use of light and space gives an epic feel to even the smallest and most unimportant of scenes. He’s another director that isn’t afraid to let a scene breathe and meander in the spaces between. My favorite scene for directorial aesthetic distinction would have to be the masquerade ball.
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Cat – Cat realizes that her heart wants what it wants and that it’s definitely not Gabe. I do like that Cat finally brought up something that has bugged me about their relationship to no end: Vincent’s need to always try and save Cat even when she doesn’t need it. Cat was strong, decisive (eventually) and expressed herself. Cat was open with Tess and allowed Tess to offer her some advice. I like this Cat, she’s finally starting to feel like the old Cat again and that’s a Cat I can get behind.

Gabe – Well, Gabe is now truly a waste of space. We spent all that time on his redemption only to have it wiped away (at least seemingly, because if he wasn’t the one to drop a dime on Vincent, then who did?). Even now, with VinCat back together, he’s still going to be hanging around sucking up screen time. Just kill him or let him ride off into the sunset.

JT – JT was perfectly in character and on fire. He got all the best lines and gets a chance to save the day, not one but twice. Once with the antidote and then again by unencrypting the NSA thumb drive. It also appears he got the girl to boot.

JTnT – Finally, some resolution. Tess said what most of us have been thinking about the JTnT ship but I’m glad she finds JT just as charming as I do and is willing to take a shot. I don’t think it will work out for those two in the end (their loyalties lie in two different places and it think it was foreshadowed pretty heavily in this episode) but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Sam Landon – I just wanted Sam to die. I’m sorry, I’m not sorry. I never could connect with the story of Sam. His body toll is just way too high. They made him into a super villain at the expense of making Team Beastie just look completely stupid. I did like that they gave him a moment to shine when instead of killing the man he was after, he just knocked him out and stole his pin.

Tess – Tess finally wasn’t wallpaper! She was integral to the story. She got a chance to offer Cat some advice, be a part of the case as well as kiss a boy and let him know he she felt.

Vincent – It is now Vincent who is deeply invested in their relationship and is having to deal with a wishy washy love interest who has options. It is now Vincent being the one jumping through hoops. I have to say I rather like this turn of events. Vincent was smart, funny and charming in this episode. I was getting glimpses of the old Vincent and I loved it.

VinCat – Well, their happily ever after might have been ripped away at the last second (again) but at least they are officially back together and as Vincent said, they are better together than they are apart and in my mind there’s nothing they can’t overcome when they’re together.

Grade: B+

Awards
Character of the Night
• For the 5th week in a row, the reigning champion, Vincent! He was funny, vulnerable, proactive, honest and open while still maintaining some of those season 1 flaws (overprotectiveness, namely)

Best Character Interactions
• JT & Vincent
• Cat & Tess

Line of the Night
• Cat: No, I had this perfectly under control; my control. You obviously haven’t changed at all. I’m not some damsel in distress; I don’t need a knight in shining armor.

Scene of the Night
• Cat and Vincent on the rooftop together, again, finally

Highlights
Favorite Moments
• Vincent eating crushed up granola bars and milk with a measuring spoon
• Cat’s smile when she realizes Vincent is on the roof
• Cat dreaming about VinCat’s greatest hits (also a nice call back to the beginning of the season when Vincent was getting flashes about them)

Favorite Lines
• Gabe: I’m not giving up without a fight.
• Vincent: I can’t believe we’re trying to find this guy again.
• JT: I just got two more things on my ‘honey do’ list
• Vincent: Obviously, I don’t make decisions for Catherine.


Favorite Scenes
• Cat and Vincent in the afterglow of reconciliation
• JT and Vincent talk about break up sex
• Cat and Tess talk about break up sex
• Vincent talks to Sam and offers him help and then saves him when he jumps

Repeated Elements
• Masquerade ball
• Best friends offering their advice
• Fighting for what you want
• Sweeping declarations
• Being pushed together only to be torn apart

Theme
• It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.

Biggest Surprises of the Episode
• Vincent’s arrest
• Tess tells JT how she feels

WTF Moment
• Gabe tells Cat he loves her (I don’t think he means it, I think it was a manipulative ploy)

Burning Questions
1. What happened to the gem and will it ever come back into play?
2. What happened to the beast skeleton and will it ever come back into play?
3. Will the existence of beast go public (there are SO many people who know now)?
4. I thought ALL the beast related deaths were chalked up Agent Reynolds?
5. How will Vincent get out of being charged with murder (he is guilty of the crime)?

Shameless Self–Promotion
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Fun Fact: If you like the show Reign and are a Royal like I am, I'm happy to announce that I am now one of the reviewers here on Spoiler TV for Reign. Be sure to check out my review for the show this week!

Farewell for now…

Well, Beasties, this is it! I just want you to know that I’ll miss you and hope to see each and every one of you back here, sometime around the middle of May. It has meant so much to me that you guys have come to my humble review week after week. You guys leave awesome comments and help me see BATB in a new light and bring up things I either forgot or didn’t catch. I just want to thank you for making a warm and welcoming (for the most part) BATB community here on Spoiler TV.

Be sure to check my blog from time to time as I will be throwing trend events, writing ‘Retro Recaps’ about season 1 and conducting polls to pass the time. I want to encourage you to participate in all the trend events and campaigns aimed at saving BATB that you can. If you follow me on Tumblr you can look forward to tons of screencaps and gifs that I plan on making to help pass the time during these two months.

If you need something to pass the time be sure to subscribe to the podcast and send in email as we will still be discussing all thing Beauty and the Beast during the hiatus.

I sincerely feel that we really have a shot at getting renewed (Star Crossed numbers aren’t so hot, The 100 is not a suited match for Arrow and The Tomorrow People will not cut it on Mondays) but we must stay focused and not get complacent. We have to roar louder than ever before if want to save our show.
Lastly and most importantly, be kind to one another, stay steadfast in your determination and don’t forget to roar loud, hard and often!
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Well, now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

PS: 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.

‘What a day for a white wedding.’

‘It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.’
- Thomas Sowell

Allow me to offer my condolences to all you Mash shippers and congratulations to all you Frary shippers.

Well, history won out in the end this week on Reign with Mary wedding Francis after all. Also, Clarissa is still alive, Kenna knows Francis and Lola’s secret, Catherine has been pardoned and Bash is now presumably on the run.

Can I just say that I’m absolutely in love with the opening of this week’s episode? We opened this week’s episode with Catherine’s head on a literal chopping block but thank goodness it was only the dress rehearsal. Catherine definitely has plans to go out with a bang as well as to bankrupt France I suspect. Her requests certainly were extravagant. But Henry let’s her know that none of it makes a difference, that she is still going to die and implies that she is most definitely not going to heaven. But just as things were about to get dull and depressing there is trumpeting to announce the arrival of a royal visitor. That royal visitor is Mary’s mother, another Mary, Mary of Guise – Queen Regent of Scotland. And I’m just tickled pink that Mary of Guise wasted no time in letting everyone know how disappointed she was in them. What an entrance for a deliciously driven character that turned the French kingdom upside down and left before they even knew what hit them.

Let’s just jump right into this week’s jam packed episode of Reign...
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Title: The Consummation | Writer: Laurie McCarthy | Director: Fred Gerber=====================================================================
Long Story Short
Mary's mother, Marie de Guise (Amy Brenneman), arrives and advises Mary against marrying Bash. Nostradamus tells Catherine that he stopped having visions of Francis' death after Clarissa died, and had a new vision of Mary and Francis' happy future together. When Francis returns to the castle, Catherine advises him to pursue Mary and promises never to harm her again. Francis and Bash fight over Mary, and Francis tells her of the change in Nostradamus' visions. News arrives that the Queen of England is dead, and Henry pressures Mary to choose one of his sons. Mary chooses Francis and they are wed; Henry pardons Catherine for the occasion. Nostradamus discovers that Clarissa is still alive. Mary is angered to learn that her mother faked the news from England to push her into making a choice, and orders her to leave. Nostradamus has a fuller vision of Mary and Francis' future: they will be happy but Francis will die a year into their marriage. Henry makes Bash watch Mary and Francis' consummation before he is escorted from the castle. Believing his guards were ordered to kill him, Bash kills them first and escapes.

Character Contemplations
Bash – First of all, I wonder how many episodes Bash’s exile will last. I give it one and a half episodes, if that. I don’t know how to feel about Bash. If Mary wasn’t a queen then I would be perfectly happy to let her ride off into the sunset with him. But Mary is a queen. Rulers don’t have the luxury of love sometimes, especially the female ones. Bash could never fathom the responsibility that Mary has carried on her shoulders since she was six days olds. Sure it’s nice to have someone who only cares about you and your welfare. But let’s get real; what does Bash even have in common with Mary? Besides carnal attractions and Bash’s willingness to do anything for Mary what is their union really standing on? He isn’t suited for diplomacy. Intrigue perhaps but definitely not the tediousness of ruling a nation, let alone three of them. On the pros side of the list Sebastian does understand the common folk and when push comes to shove does what needs to be done up to and including getting his hands dirty (quite literally). The best thing about Bash is that if Mary wasn’t a queen he would still want her. I don’t know if the same could be said for Francis.

Catherine – God, saved the queen, no wait, Mary of Guise single handedly did that in less than 3 days. I’m conflicted about what to do with Catherine. I love the character and she was a formidable foe and a character I just love to hate but the actress, Megan Follows is one that I live to see every week on my TV screen (or computer screen as it were). I have no clue where the writers will take this character now. I’d love to see her take on a mentor role with Mary and teach her if Mary allows it, she is after all in the market for a new mother figure and Catherine came out smelling like roses compared to Mary of Guise. I suppose I want to see her with her children as I just love the ‘mama bear’ approach and think that’s the most redeeming thing about the character. I loved the vulnerability that was on display in this week’s episode for the character but she never loses her fire and I love when her temper flares so naturally I got a kick out the scene between Catherine and Nostradamus. There was so much emotional range in that scene when they go from talking about Clarissa to the ‘botched’ prophecy, just ugh from all the perfection.

Francis – I can never get a full read on Francis. My opinions of him vary wildly from one week to the next. I understand his motivations but at the same time, I never fully trust him with Mary’s heart. I really liked what the interactions between he Lola provided last week but now I’m just counting the minutes until that goes all to the hell. I agree that he should have (in theory) sent Bash away but at the same time he told Mary that he would keep him safe (and made no indications that meant sending him away).

Greer – At least one of Mary’s ladies is dutiful. Was it just me or was Greer the only one heard at work, concerned and happy for Mary? I loved her playful ribbing of Mary about the veil and its function.

Henry – Kenna hit it right on the nose. For a king he certainly has been putting up with a lot of shenanigans from all the women in his life. If I were him, I still would have executed Catherine. It makes him look weak in my eyes. But so did the witch hunt to find something to pin on Catherine before it bore its scandalous fruits. I would love to see a more proactive Henry that was focused on being diplomatic and pragmatic in the future. I actually like his relationship with Diane and I kind of miss what she brings to the character. I hope they bring her back if only to make him more human and interesting and less flat and one dimensional. I do think it was cruel to force Sebastian to watch the consummation but definitely nowhere near out of character.

Keena – Where did that back bone and cunning come from all of the sudden? No matter, I like this turn of events. I never expected it to be Kenna who would so quickly catch on to Francis and Lola’s secret. I guess the writers finally realized that whiny!Kenna was very unlikable and not very helpful to the overall plot. If I was Mary, I would watch my back, it seems as though Kenna is on the way to becoming a scheming social ladder climbing backstabber willing to whatever it takes to get whatever she wants.

Lola – I swear if they push Bash and Lola together to cover for a baby, I will lose it. Although I will admit if gets Bash back in the castle, I will probably sweep it under the rug, to be honest. Lola is my favorite lady-in-waiting and I’d always had high hopes for this character. She is the smart one. She is also the strong one. Did I mention she is pretty much the glue that holds the circle of friends together? Was that a pang of jealousy I saw on Lola’s face during the consummation or was it guilt, I’m not quite sure just yet but it better be guilt. It will be interesting to see how her relationship with Francis and Mary fares after the secret is laid bare.

Mary – Poor Mary stuck between a rock and a hard place. I prefer her demeanor when she is with Bash. She is more free and wild and willing to make the hard choices when they are together. But the heart wants what the heart wants and her being with Francis is seemingly good for her and her nation as well at the moment. I’m glad Mary got a little bit of happiness because I smell a whole lot of drama right around the corner. I wonder if she will pine for Bash. I doubt it since she didn’t really do much of it for Francis but it would be interesting if she did and how that comes between her Francis. Adelaide Kane brought her A game this week and all her interactions with the other actors were top notch. She made me feel Mary’s struggle of the heart, mind and welfare of her nation as well as the vulnerability of such a position and disappointment in her mother. There was such light in the end scenes before Mary of Guise let’s Mary in on the secret in her eyes that expressed the happiness that she thought she could have everything she ever wanted. Of course, she was a breathtakingly beautiful bride as well.

Mary of Guise – I feel like they took the best note that history has assessed of this woman: ‘Mary was never merely a pawn of the French king’ and ran with it. Everything from her entrance, to her interactions with Mary and Catherine, to her only piece wedding day advice (produce and heir and fast) was perfect. I’m a bit disappointed that the relationship between her and her daughter is now so soured because I sure would love to the character (and the actress back).

Nostradamus – I’ve been waiting for this character to get fleshed out and it appears it is finally happening. Nostradamus is interesting historical figure and it was one of the things that drew to me to Reign. They made him seem mystical and intriguing but so far he’s far more brooding medicine man than poetic prophet. I love his relationship with Clarissa and the meager clues to his humble beginnings that we’ve gotten in super small doses. I also love that in this episode they finally played up the fact that actor that plays him is giant of a man (I don’t know how I haven’t noticed it before because the man is 6’5’’).

Awards
Character of the Night – Mary of Guise

Best Character Interactions – Mary and Catherine

Line of the Night – Mary of Guise: Your magic has changed, how silly and marvelous. (To Francis) You don’t believe in prophecies do you?

Scene of the Night – The wedding reception

Favorite lady-in-waiting – Kenna

Crazy Like a Fox – The character of Mary of Guise was wildly fun, over the top, commanding and conniving. I love how Amy Brenneman played her. It was so nice having Ms. Brenneman back on my screen (yes, I am a diehard Judging Amy fan).

Highlights
Memorable Moments
1. Mary looks at her mother before signing the marriage contract.
2. Kenna calls Lola out on her BS story.
3. Catherine cuts her wrist.

Laudable Lines
1. Nostradamus: I’m going to tell you something, something that might enrage you.

2. Lola: I hope I never see you again. Because you’re safe, settled, married with children of your own.

3. Bash: Say that you love me. Say it to me once, because I know that you do.
Mary: I love you, I do.
Bash: Say it. Say the rest, I need to hear it.
Mary: I love Francis more.

4. Mary: I will take my life in my own hands and I will not be bullied by you.

Superb Scenes
1. Mary tells Sebastian of her decision to marry Francis.
2. Francis tells Sebastian to run far away and never return.
3. Catherine urges Francis to fight for Mary, his throne, his brothers and her safety

Biggest Surprise of the Episode
• Kenna has finally figured out how to make the most out of being at court and I’m kind of proud of her.

Style Spotlight: The wedding dress, obviously. It was gorgeous, elegant yet understated. The jewelry was a nice touch and great compliment to the overall look.

Tasty Tidbit: Was it just me, or did anyone else see this as a possible start to a more interesting Nostradamus? Turns out he’s not a sexless eunuch of lackey after all. Also, it was great to know how he got his visions (a near death experience) as well as that he welcomes them and will go to great lengths to jump start them. I hope this episode is turning point for the character and he begins to play the game and manipulate the French court into his liking.

Fun Fact: Kate Walsh (a co-star of Amy Brenneman on Private Practice) was initially cast as Mary of Guise but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts.

Lowlights• The consummation scene where Sebastian is trotted in and made to watch.

Burning Question: Who put the hit out on Sebastian?
A. The King
B. Catherine
C. Mary of Guise
D. Francis

Grade: A

Side Notes:
1) Sorry for the cheesy title reference, I couldn’t help myself.
2) Did anyone really think she was actually going to marry Bash? If so, please tell me why in the comments. I’m very curious to hear your thought process.

Friendly Reminder
Don’t forget to live tweet with the show (@CWReign) and me (@lilithhellfire) every Thursday night at 9 pm EST.
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Well, now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

PS: Don't forget to promote this and all interesting Reign 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.

"Eat, drink and be merry."
The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.
— Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Friendly Reminders

•Don’t forget to live tweet with the show (@cwbatb) every Monday night at 9 PM EST/8PM Central on The CW.

•Trend events begin at 6 PM EST and end around 1 AM EST.

•The official hashtag according to Nielsen and Trendrr is STILL #BATB.

•Also remember to only use two hashtags in your tweets, otherwise it is filtered out as spam.

The Recap & Review
Title: Catch Me If You Can | Written by: Eric Tuchman | Directed by: Norma Bailey
Synopsis: CAT AND VINCENT FIND THEMSELVES IN A COMPROMISING SITUATION — Feeling pulled between her current boyfriend and her ex, Cat has to decide between Gabe and Vincent. While Cat and Vincent work together to save Sam’s latest victim, Cat’s decision gets complicated when she and Vincent find themselves in a compromising situation.
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My thought on this week’s writer…

Well, we haven’t seen Mr. Tuchman since episode 2x05: Reunion, you know that episode that began our crazy descent into VinCat falling apart and Gabe’s foothold of being front and center and near Catherine in every episode for all her emotional turmoil and what not. How fitting that his latest episode be the one to launch a cannon ball into the raft of a ship that was Gatherine. But at least he managed to get Tess into more of the action and balanced the gal pals and the bromance unlike the last few episodes so a few brownie points on that front. I also did not envy his draw for having to write this episode which was the crucial step of beginning to put VinCat back together.

Vincent’s stock has soared and I’m more in love him right now than at any time this season (with the exception of Hothead). Meanwhile, Cat’s stock has plummeted and basically hit rock bottom and nothing short of her becoming police commissioner, kicking Gabe to the curb and telling Vincent that they shouldn’t rush back into a relationship but they should start building toward a healthy “FRIENDSHIP” before getting back together would I have made me happy so, I gave him a serious pass. I will say the dialog wasn’t as repetitive and sophomoric as it has been for a few episodes so even more brownie points on that front.
Let’s just move on, shall we...

My thoughts on this week’s director…

I absolutely loved the visual aesthetics this week. It was a perfect blend of light and darkness and Ms. Bailey really captured all the subtle nuances of all the facial expressions that went down this week. It’s nice to have a very accomplished female director on set every now and again and if we get a season 3 I hope to see her back. I could gush for days about all the cool little things she did that I noticed but I won’t. I just want to say she blended in but she also stood out and it made screencapping and gif making a joy and a lot less arduous this week.

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Cat – Brace yourselves, people, this is yet another rant about what the hell happen to the character of Cat. I always knew Cat was going to get the short end of the stick when it came to getting back with Vincent. But man this is a low blow. Now Cat is a cheater too?! As a writer my preferred method of character development especially in preparation of putting a character in a new romantic entanglement is too build them up while also leaving a few believable flaws intact. The Cat that I have known this whole time would never cheat on the person she was in a relationship with.
Also even though Kick Butt!Cat did show up, she wasn’t as awesome as she has previously been. She missed her shot at Sam, she had a huge tussle with Sam that she almost didn’t win (when previously, she has gotten the upper hand on beasts) and she lost her voice in how to proceed on case (usually the means justify the ends, especially when an innocent life is at stake) because it made Gabe uncomfortable. But most disturbing of all she let Gabe give her an ultimatum not, once but TWICE and was seemingly ready to comply both times. Are you serious? Where is my strong, kick butt, independent Cat at? The love triangle between her, Gabe and Vincent has left Vincent smelling like a rose and mud on her face and Gabe gets to be self-righteous if Cat tells him what happened and even gets a little sympathy in theory if Cat hides it from him. Oh, and I almost forgot the icing on the cake, she was more worried about her car than she was Sam’s victim. Also she came across as meek and mild while Gabe scolded her about her ties to Vincent. It has just gotten gross and pathetic at how Beauty and Beast has begun to fail the Bechdel miserably and unapologetically. Even the men can barely go a scene without talking a woman.

Gabe – Yep, he’s still sucking up screen time and kissing Cat with those pathetic, passionless pecks on the lips. What was Gabe thinking about offering Cat a key to his place so soon? You’ve got pace yourself buddy. Gabe might not be the big bad villain wise but Gabe is not the man for Cat. Possessiveness indicates jealousy and jealousy is an awful trait. Yes, Gabe’s worries are valid but that’s what you get when you go after a woman who has so much emotional baggage and a close tie to her ex. Gabe will never measure up Vincent in Catherine’s eyes. He knows and she knows it. Deep down Cat doesn’t want a normal life which is all Gabe can offer her. A good life sure but a life where she is settling nonetheless. I don’t feel bad for Gabe because surely he didn’t honestly see himself winning Cat, did he? I honestly feel like Gabe had another agenda when wooing Cat. I just can’t put my finger on what it is. I’m dying for them to make Gabe interesting again because right now, he seems neutered and flat. Make Gabe the bad guy again, it was fun. I love having Sendhil Ramamurthy around just not when he’s taking time away from the other characters in a meaningless subplot that no one cares about and no one is rooting to succeed. Gabe has his so-called redemption, if the writers aren’t going to make him evil and not let him have the girl and he’s no longer running the precinct what is left for him? Looks like it’s time for Gabe to ride off into the sunset alone, I guess.

JT – Austin Basis maybe King Beastie but JT Forbes is King of the Pep Talks. They finally gave me what I’d been asking for – a real pep talk that I actually believed that didn’t feel forced or had hints of over compensation in it. I was tired of JT being the mouth piece for the audience, enough was enough. I’d been missing that pragmatic JT. That JT that looked out for Vincent’s best interest and encouraged Vincent to not be so entangled with his emotions and with Cat. I got that JT back and the only that could make me happier was if JT got to be his own person outside of Vincent and actually started having good things happen to him on a permanent basis.

JTnT – No comment because we still don’t know what exactly happened in that hotel room in upstate New York a few weeks ago. Instead of even more of Sam’s surly behind how about a text message or a phone call between then in the background? Too much to ask for apparently and that’s a shame. But anyway…

Sam Landon – What an arrogant, cocky, heartless, smug and smarmy bugger he is. Can we just kill him already, pretty please? I don’t care about Sam. I don’t believe he is that smart. I don’t believe anything about this character. Everything that has been written for the character has come across as flat and one dimensional. No one likes a know it all. Everyone has an Achilles’s heel. If you’re not going to make the villain sympathetic (which technically due to Sam’s sob story we should be) then at least make them menacing (which I also don’t get from Sam). Every time Sam comes around and manages to escape the gang’s clutches, it’s just a poor reflection on them. The excuses for having Sam still around and a so-called viable threat are flimsy at best and an intelligence insulting plot device at worse. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both Gabe and Vincent told Sam to shut up, it’s almost as if the writers know this character doesn’t deserve the screen time. So the question becomes why not write him better? Tom Scott Everett is a big get and they should have written or adjusted the material to respect that. I just don’t feel like the best is being pulled out of the man and with material like this I totally understand and find it unfortunate. Sorry, if that was too similar to the things I said about Sam in the last review, it still stands and now make that doubly so.

Tess – Well, at least Tess was in more than just the first 10 minutes this week. She’s still pretty, tough, sassy wallpaper. Poor Nina. I feel so bad for her. Where is her character development? Why did she get stuck with the arc of being Gabe’s cheerleader? Why the low key estrangement between her and Cat? Tess couldn’t even get a much deserved birthday party for crying out loud. I just don’t get why they put the character of Tess on the back burner for so long and then they throw this big inorganic leap of so-called character progression at us, only to leave it dangling in the wind. Just ugh! Tess should be more than a cheerleader for Cat and Gabe’s relationship. She should actually be doing for Cat what JT was doing for Vincent, telling her to follow her heart and do what makes her happy.

Vincent – Finally, JT gives a pep talk that I can get behind that isn’t just fluff. I’ve been saying this for quite some time; Vincent will never be the Vincent of old until he realizes that he needs to fight for his own soul and pursue things that will make him his own person and satisfy his idea of what happy looks like. Vincent is a hero and that trait literally runs through his blood. Not only is he a war veteran, he was a doctor AND a firefighter. At the beginning of the season he wanted nothing more than to rid the world of bad beasts. We never really got the chance to see what he would do with a created beast that wasn’t out harming anyone. He took Tori in and started to teach her about being a beast and tried to get her involved in learning about her beastly heritage. He even wanted to save Zavier from Sam. I feel like Zavier was a missed opportunity to rectify the shortcomings of the Tori situation. Give Vincent someone to mentor and train and care about outside of Cat and JT as well as someone he can relate to on level that no one else on the show can.

VinCat – You guys know I’m not a shipper but totally understand that Cat and Vincent’s relationship is the crux of the show. I think I’m always fair when I assess their standing from basically an outsider’s point of view (let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree). I enjoy their relationship and what it brings to the narrative of the show as well as their individual character development. I also love the onscreen chemistry between Jay and Kristin and am absolutely without a doubt sure that if it wasn’t these two together BATB would probably not have the fan base that it does. With all that said, I wanted them to put Vincent back together and for him to want things out life for himself. I wanted him to be his own person and have something outside of Cat and even JT before he got back with Cat. I wanted him to reconnect with his nephew, actually grieved the loss of Tori (she should have meant SOMETHING to him on some level if he choose her over Cat) and most of all begin making steps toward becoming a healer once more, since that is where his bliss lies. But no both Cat and Vincent’s character development gets shortchanged once more because they’re destined to be together and can’t be apart to grow and be better for themselves and each other. If their core relationship issues don’t get fixed we are destined to have another contrived split if we are lucky enough to get a season 3. This coming together while inevitable is also a cheap shortcut and very inorganic in my eyes. What I wanted when VinCat got back together was too very strong people in their own right who wanted to come together to and start a new relationship on the up and up. That’s just my two cent, though.

Grade: B-

Awards

Character of the Night

• Vincent, without a doubt. Three weeks in a row, I think that’s a record or some sort.

Best Character Interactions

• Vincent and JT

Line of the Night

• JT: Hey, don’t look at me. I’m just making this crap up.

Scene of the Night

• Vincent doesn’t give up on Zavier and manages to revive him.

Highlights
Favorite Moments
• Cat’s facial expressions every time Gabe talks down to Vincent while she is in the room.
• The big fluffy robe made an appearance.
• The return of the leather jackets (especially Cat’s black and burnt orange one and JT’s jacket)
• Gabe in yet another tight V-neck sweater (Sendhil’s pectoral definition does things to me)
• Tess subtle facial expressions when she talks to Cat (she just wants to yell at Cat to stop being a hot mess and you can’t tell me otherwise)

Favorite Lines
• Vincent (referring to Sam): Can you believe this guy?
• JT: and you let him live?
• JT: So you’re not perfect, what’s more human than that?
• JT: You know maybe should stop thinking about what Cat wants and start doing what you want. (That’s a real bro moment) and see where that leads. What do you want?
• Tess: You’re not going to tell me that’s what separates man from beast next are ya?

Favorite Scenes
• The VinCat kiss
• The VinCat hug
• Vincent saves Zavier
• JT’s pep talk to Vincent about deciding and pursuing his desires.
• Cat and Tess talk about Gabe giving Cat a key to his place.


Repeated Elements
• Ultimatums
• JT pep talks
• Beasts don’t get better they only get worse
• the theme of ‘Man or Beast?’

Theme
• the heart wants what the heart wants, consequences be damned.

Biggest Surprise of the Episode
• VinCat is seemingly back together by the end of this episode.
• Xavier isn’t stuck being a beast.

Grievances List
•.Still no word on what went down with JTnT at the hotel.
• I don’t like the way this love triangle ultimately makes Cat look, which is fickle, needy and not very independent.
• Another car accident, really?
• There was no security at the CIA bunker?
• There was not a huge swarm of government officials after the CIA bunker blew up?
• Sam would have been swooped up immediately and taken off US soil for rendition.
• Again, there were a whole lot more but I'm choosing to my battles from here on out. If you want to hear the whole conversation be sure to check out the podcast this week.

Burning Questions
1. Is that capsule full of beast blood? Is Sam going to make himself a beast?
2. Sam is way too cocky. But why?
3. Why won’t Sam let Team Beastie help them?
4. What happened to Cat and Tess’s boss?

WTF Moments
• Gabe gives Cat a key to his apartment.
• Gabe waltzes into Vincent’s place unannounced to tell him Cat is his.
• Tess still appears to be on Team Gabe.
• They didn’t just let Vincent kill Sam.

Side Note: If you don’t get this review’s title reference this week, boy will you ever next week.

Polls

Last Week’s Poll Results –BATB Great Debate #14 – Do think VinCat will actually be on the right track by episode 2x16? Well, 73% of pegged it right by saying that they would be.

This Week’s Poll – BATB Great Debate #15 - How will you feel if VinCat is not back together at the end of 2x16?

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
Facebook Fan Page
Email

Fun Fact: If you like the show Reign and are a Royal like am I, I'm happy to announce that I am now one of the reviewers over on Spoiler TV for Reign. Be sure to check out my review for the show this week!
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Well, now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

PS: 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.

‘Royal Blood’

‘The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it.
- George Bernard Shaw

Greetings Royals! Yep, I'm officially and hopelessly in love with Reign. When it was announced that Reign officially had a season 2, I scurried to get all caught up with Reign, so I could start doing reviews for the rest of the season.

There are a few things you should know:
1) I’m not a shipper (but I love shippers because they bring so much passion and zeal to the comments).
2) I just got all caught up with season 1 once I heard there would be a season 2.
3) I haven’t been on any boards or forums for the show, YET, so if I get some of the fandom stuff wrong, I apologize in advance.

OK, well let’s just get right into the recap and review portion of this article, shall we?
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Title: Royal Blood |Story by: Wendy Riss Gatsiounis /Teleplay by: Alan McCullough |Director: Holly Dale=====================================================================
My thoughts on the writer…
The story was by Wendy Riss Gatsiounis who last wrote episode 1x06: Chosen. As far as I can she really likes to put Mary and Bash at odds and have them come together over the weekly lesson that was had. Meanwhile the teleplay (aka the heavy lifting) was done by Alan McCullough. The last episode he wrote was 1x09: For King and Country. All in all, I thought this was a good solid script and story overall.

My thoughts on the director…
This is the second episode that Holly Dale has directed, the first being 1x03: Kissed. There was nothing fancy, just a steady, keen eye that didn’t stand out. This is something that I like very much. Not much else to say on this front so…

Long Story Short
Mary and Bash disagree on what is to be done with Catherine's younger sons, Charles and Henry. Going against Mary's wishes, Bash arranges for the boys to be taken out of France under the guise of a kidnapping, but Clarissa intercedes and kidnaps the boys for real. Nostradamus helps Catherine escape the tower but she refuses to leave when she learns her sons are missing. Catherine joins Mary and Bash to find Clarissa, who wants to kill the boys as revenge for their mother's abandoning her. Mary hits Clarissa with a rock, apparently killing her. Mary and Bash reconcile, Bash agreeing to care for the boys. Mary asks Bash to marry her immediately, without waiting for the annulment of Catherine and Henry's marriage, and he accepts. Lola goes to Paris to help her brother, and happens to meets Francis, who helps her settle her brother's debt. Lola and Francis bond over their similar situation and make love. Francis learns that Catherine is to be executed and decides to return to court.

Character Analysis
Bash – Brash as always, Bash did what he thought was best and again for the umpteenth time it blew up in his face. I’m starting to have a bit of a problem with the fact that Mary always seems to be right (with the exception of Tomas and kissing Bash that one time, of course). I have an inkling that Bash choose to send the boys away to spite Mary after that thorough tongue lashing she gave him. There is no doubt in my mind that Bash loves ALL of his brothers but he was raised by Diane who is quite the wily one. I think he loves Mary is willing to do whatever needs to be done to keep her affections. I sense a great shift in Bash’s character coming. One I don’t think many of us will like but should give Torrance Coombs a ton of great material to play with.

Catherine – I’m glad that they are really driving home the point that Catherine loves her children above all else. It humanizes her a great deal. Megan Follows really knows how to sell Catherine’s ruthlessness while still maintain the character’s vulnerability. I for one hope they don’t follow through with executing Catherine, she’s just too good at being an anti-heroine to do away with.

Francis – Poor, lost little lad. He feels alone and adrift. I guess he is now realizing that the grass is not greener on the other side after all. He has money and freedom but at the same time, no security, no roots and no one he can be 100% himself with. It is definitely high pass time he come home to court, he has after all been missing in action for about 3 episodes. But what will his return to court mean? Will he challenge Bash for Mary’s heart? Will Lola reveal her tryst with Francis to Mary before they reconcile, after they reconcile or not at all? Will Francis succeed in saving his mother’s life? I’m looking forward to a more pensive and truly calculating Francis who wants his crown back. I’d love to see a forceful and determined Francis who wants what is rightfully his back. Can’t wait to see what Toby Regbo does with the character of Francis next.

Lola – I was utterly shocked and rocked to the core with Lola this week. First of all, we found out that her virtue wasn’t intact. Secondly, she actually had sex with Francis. If I’m going to be honest, I thought they were going to make her and Bash a thing, a little disappointed they backed away from it. But they made her tryst with Francis seem very plausible and that they had a lot in common and could relate to each other’s woes, so score one for the writers on that. Well, that and the wine and a late night talkathon, something was bound to happen. I really enjoy how Anna Poppelwell plays Lola. Her facial expressions just really drive it home for me (that cannot be said about the entire cast, unfortunately).

Mary – I’m going to enjoy this sweet, caring, passionate, borderline naïve Mary, whilst I can. I love that Mary cares so much about the people around her. But if they are going to go down a historical road with Mary at all, that will all have to change. Maybe not now but surely towards the end of season 3 (if we get that far). The fact that she’s willing to raise the Charles and Henry like her own speaks volumes. She of all people understands that if someone wants to hurt you bad enough there is no stopping them, so why not be surrounded by the people that you love and love you instead of being sent away. I also like that she recognized her harsh words to Bash needed to be addressed. I’m absolutely in love with the fact that Mary wants to take charge of her own destiny. My biggest surprise is that the relationship between she and Bash is growing. I was fully expecting for Mary to be moping around and pining for Francis. This makes it more interesting now that Francis is poised to make a return. Adelaide Cane has a handle on the regal and caring parts of the character of Mary. I rather enjoy her take on Mary Stuart and can’t wait to see how she puts her spin on the later parts of Mary’s life (if we get that lucky).

Highlights
Character of the Night – Mary
Best Character Interactions – Francis and Lola
Line of the Night - Mary: Safe choices don't always make us safe, I see that now.
Scene of the Night – Bash, Catherine and Mary come to the rescue of Charles and Henry as Clarissa tries to drown them in the river.

Memorable Moments
1. Mary looking at the blood on the rock (is this foreshadowing that they plan to take a more historical approach to the show later on and have her become ‘Bloody Mary’?)
2. Catherine says her “final” goodbyes to the young princes Charles and Henry.
3. Catherine finally believes that Mary wished her no ill will.

Laudable Lines
1. Francis: I’m told I look like the Dauphin of France, only taller (great callback to an episode from earlier in the season).
2. Lord Hugo: Factions need a flag to rally behind and every young prince with a claim to the throne is another flag. But if those flags were taken away…
3. Catherine: I am your mother. And do you know how I know? Because I can see you now, holding that knife. Willing to pay any price for your convictions. It’s the same time I’ve done more than once to fight for my children. For what I knew was mine. But look at your mother now, condemned to die. If you want the pain to stop, learn from your mother’s mistakes. Choose a better way, let yourself be loved.

Superb Scenes
1. Mary attempts to take the boys out for a day of fun
2. Mary attempts a proposal to Bash
3. Francis and Lola chat about their privileged lives and what a “pathetic” pair they make.

Biggest Surprises
•Catherine fakes her suicide
•Clarissa is dead and Mary was the one to do her in.
•Francis and Lola had sex.

Style Spotlight: I really liked Lola’s orange floral dress.

Tasty Tidbit: Bash and Mary go for daily rides together. I think that’s really cute.

Lowlights

•Clarissa deserved a better grave (if she is in fact really dead).
•Lola’s family should really severe ties with that brother of hers; he seems like nothing but trouble. May we never see him again.
•Keena and Greer had a miniscule amount of screen time this week, might as well not have even shown them at all.

Burning Questions
1. Is Clarissa really dead?
2. How will Francis and Lola’s tryst affect their relationship with Mary?
3. Whose side were you on this week? Mary for wanting to keep the boys close, or were you on Bash's side in wanting to send the boys away?
4. Did anyone else want to attend that Frost Fest? It looked like tons of fun.

Grade: A-

Side Notes: I’m very eager to connect with my fellow Royals so follow me on Twitter (I’m totally on Team Follow Back, LOL!) and we can have a live tweeter party every week.

Friendly Reminder

Don’t for to live tweet with the show (@cw_reign) and me (@lilithhellfire) every Thursday night at 9 pm EST.
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Well, now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

PS: Don't forget to promote this and all interesting Reign 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.