Beauty and the Beast - 1.20: Anniversary - Recap: Trust Vincent's Instinct, Always By Lilith Hellfire

So, let me start by saying congratulations Beasties, we did it, we got a season 2! But the fight isn't over,

we have to keep campaigning to get ratings up for season 2 because we want The CW to regret their
decision. So, just keep roaring all summer long on all the social media you can to entice new viewers.

This week's episode which was simply entitled, Anniversary, was written by the duo of Don Whitehead
& Holly Henderson. This their second outing, their first being 1x14: Tough Love. In the director's chair
this week? We see Mairzee Almas returning once again as well. The last episode Mairzee Almas
directed was 1x09: Bridesmaid Up. I'll just say that I do love the writing room for Beauty and the Beast
because none of the episodes feel disjointed, they run smoothly together and are of consistent quality
and deliver so many different things from action, to comedy to drama and of course romance every
single week. As for the directorial aesthetic, it was smooth, clean and seamless, just the way I like it.

OK, so our story this week opens with Vincent watching Cat sleep, which of course is followed by the
prerequisite good morning kiss. The day of course is the ten year anniversary of Vanessa Chandler and
Cat is feeling differently about this day than previous years before. Some if it is good because she has
Vincent in her life and some of it is bad because she is grappling with who she thought her mother was
and who she really was. Cat goes on to talk about her family tradition of a celestial birthday. She is also
reminded that it is the anniversary that she and Vincent first saw each other and he saved her. She'd
much rather spend it with him than remembering a semi-false memory of her mother. But Vincent
persuades her to go to the family celebration.

Cut to Tess and Joe covering their tracks back at the precinct. Joe brings up the topic of them going
public and how he has already scoped an open position at the 15th precinct, for Tess. Which of course
and rightly so, ticks her (and myself) off. Merrili is eying them intensely, he suspects something.
On to the next scene, where we find Cat and Vincent at Mama Chandler's grave, where they of spy
Gabe with Calla Lilies, just like Cat has in her arms. Well, at least Mama Chandler had good taste in
flowers, those happen to be my favorites as well, but I wonder if that has a hidden meaning or
something because it quite the deceptive plant. Though called a lily it is actually not a lily at all, Calla
means beautiful in Greek and though pretty to look at the roots are poisonous. Just something to think
about... Anyway, Cat bonds with Gabe over her mother's memory while Vincent looks on goes all code
yellow on the situation. Is jealousy, beastly instinct or combination of both? After Cat is done chatting
with Gabe and inviting to intimate family affairs that Vincent can not attend, she notices he has
'mysteriously' disappeared.

A little later on, Cat meets up with Tess in the park because they are there to provide a security detail
for the mayor. But the gal pal time is interrupted by a call from Cat's sister. Cat tells her she's bring a
guy and inquires about her mother's headstone. Cat tells Tess that Vincent bailed on her and Tess being
Tess, tells it like it is to a slightly dense Cat. But not before she gets a personal barb in about men being
possessive and dishes about Joe wanting her to transfer to the 15th precinct so they don't have to sneak
around.

Next, we come to J.T. and Vincent having a similar conversation to the one Cat and Tess just has about
what went down at Mama Chandler's grave. J.T., kind of scolds Vincent for seeming jealous while
Vincent is working off some aggression by doing some pull ups (would have killed them to have Jay

Ryan take his shirt off while he was doing that? Or does Stephen Amell over on 'Arrow' have that sole
monopoly on The CW now?). Vincent goes on to say that his instincts are usually not wrong (which
was the topic on most of the boards this week prior to the episode airing). This is where J.T. would
usually agree as would I but I sort of wanted Cat to be right just this one time. But come on, Gabe set
off everyone's 'potential long term villain' meter since the episode he showed his devilishly handsome
face on screen. Am I right? So unfortunately, I'm going to have to side with Vincent on this one. After
the chat Vincent decides he should go see Cat at the park.

After that we catch up with Cat and Tess on official police duty at the park on their security detail for
the mayor. The mayor is rededicating a park in her daughter's honor. Geez, today just is going to keep
prying Cat's wounds wide open and rubbing salt in them, isn't it. Tess checks in with Cat via walkie
talkie and they chat about Cat's overly emotional state. Gabe gets a little terse with the mayor's aide and
Vincent is there to see it go down. Meanwhile, I'm just sort of giggling that Gabe has just done he best
Bruce Banner impression with the whole, 'you don't want to see what happens when I get angry' line.
Oh, Don and Holly and just couldn't resist could you? Plus, yeah, nice foreshadowing for next week.
Gabe gets the brush off from the mayor's aide. Tess spots Vincent which is followed by Cat and Vincent
get into a small lovers' spat during which the mayor gets shot. Cue Vincent's chase scene. He lands on
the shooter's car and smashes the windshield. The driver shakes Vincent off but not before he manages
to wrangle the cellphone out of his jacket pocket. After a quick recovery, he dials the last number called
and of course Gabe answers. Which causes Vincent's second code yellow of the night.

We come back from the commercial break and we're back at the precinct dissecting how the mayor got
shot. Merrili asks who Cat was talking and Tess deflects, which prompts him to direct his smarminess
at her but thank goodness Joe shut that down with his own deflection. Cat asks Joe how the mayor is
and then Tess pieces together that Merrili knows what's up with her and Joe.

We see yet another Cat and Vincent meet up where Cat wants to apologize and says she will be
uninviting Gabe but Vincent has information about the shooting and it involves Gabe. Vincent explains
why he left the cemetery and tries to assure Cat that it wasn't his jealousy, that it was his beastly
instincts. That prompts some apologies on both their parts. Cat asks for the phone so she can track the
serial number and this leads to another confession for Vincent as he crumbles the broken phone into her
hand.

After that, Cat and Tess are at their desks and Tess is doubting Vincent's 'Spidey Sense'. They watch an
ambiguous video of the mayor and Gabe. Somehow the conversation steers it's way back to secret
relationships and Tess's transfer to the 15th and then back to Gabe as a suspect. Cat wants to check his
financial records. Tess wonders about how to get that done. But not me, that means we're getting some
J.T. time and in the form of a Team Beastie conference call no less. We discover that Gabe spends boku
bucks at a salon and Tess says it's totally possible and I concur because that man's face is definitely the
result of some high end skin care. J.T. concludes that spending that amount of money as guy on
personal care makes you a douche bag. Vincent spots a large transfer of money that happened that very
morning.

Well, that just leads to another scene where Cat confronts Gabe about one thing and the conversation
gets turned on it's head and leads down a drastically different rabbit hole. In this case, we get the
subject of whether Mama Chandler is really dead. Something, I think a lot of us Beasties have been
pondering for quite some time now.

This in turns causes Cat to swing by J.T. and Vincent's new lair with but not before we get some brotime with the boys. The scene opens with J.T. delivering the celestial candle Vincent found on the
internet and Vincent fretting over Gabe being able to wine and dine her like Donald Trump. J.T.
reassures him that gift is perfect, Cat will love it and Gabe will be a moot point once he's behind bars.
I'm sorry but J.T. is the very best of bros if you don't think so, you're wrong. Cue Cat's entrance and
J.T.'s departure. Not being one to hold things in for very long, Cat just throws up her theory about her
mother being alive all over Vincent. As much as I want Mama Chandler to be alive, I again, am going
to side with Vincent on this because all of the points that's he's making, I'm thinking as well. It's just all
a little to convenient of a perfect emotional storm. But then Vincent makes a confession that he's known
her mother's body hasn't been in that casket for months. Vincent, say what? Well, now this argument
can't possibly end well, now can it?

Not sure how I feel about the transition from angry Vincent to the celestial birthday celebration but
seeing the Chandler family together and happy no matter how briefly was nice. But Cat is just intent on
ruining it. She is closed off, defensive and on the edge. Cat makes mention of the cracked headstone
and how apparently her mother's body was dug up. Which comes as a shock to her sister. Cat,
sweetheart, don't do that to your sister. You should have had all of that conversation in private for so
many different reasons. Her sister manages to put the focus back on Mama Chandler for a moment and
they all agree she looked beautiful. That didn't last and Cat hauls her father off into private and throws
up her Mama Chandler is alive theory all over her father. She brow beats him into finding that form.
Apparently, a solid lead come from the information because Cat and Gabe are out, alone together
chasing down the clue. It leads to what Gabe deduces could be a Muirfield safe house. Cat thinks it
looks like the set of a slasher film. And to my surprise Cat tries to do something sensible and attempts
to make a phone call to let someone know where they are. But of course she is stymied and there are no
cellphone towers for miles. Yep, just might be the set of a slasher flick.

Tess comes roaring into Joe's office to discuss a lead and remind him why he shouldn't be trying to get
her to transfer. Joe reminds Tess that it is her choice. She covers Vincent's tracks by saying the phone
was run over by car. They discover the shooter's intended target wasn't the mayor after all but, none
other than Gabe Lowen. A worried Tess calls looking for Tess and then explains the Gabe situation.
But not before in true Tess fashion getting a few jabs in about his ego and sensing his disappointment.
Well, I guess Cat just likes to get into spats because she and Gabe are arguing about Cat's certainty over
the house having no clues. She reminds him that she's the detective and assures him she's knows how to
clear a house. Thank goodness that was broken up by gunfire. Cat chases after the shooter and who else
but Vincent comes to the rescue. After making sure the guy is dead Cat and Vincent have a moment.
Vincent tells Cat that shooter isn't Muirfield and that he was after Gabe. They have a brief apology
session but he gets shooed away so Gabe won't see him. But not before they discover a grave that
belongs to Mama Chandler. Well, that answers that question, doesn't it? Or does it? Still not sure...

Tess shows up to the safe house crime scene, makes a little joke about Vincent saving the day and her
getting the credit. They discuss how Cat is going to explain it but since it's self defense they won't
check (well, that's nice neat little bow, though a bit unrealistic, especially for the NYPD). Cat thanks
Tess for basically being her and saving her bacon once again. Merrili and his smarminess make another
thank goodness final appearance as he casually walks by gives Tess a hard time about her sexy fun
times with the boss. She replies, 'It was coffee! Is that what the kids are calling it these days? After that
Cat and Gabe chat over 'the real' grave of Mama Chandler. It was a nice emotional moment.

The win prompts Joe to want to celebrate but Tess has other plans. She tells him she's not going to the 15th and they shouldn't take their relationship public and they need to be more discrete. Joe informs her
that Merrili has been exiled to the 15th and he got her a coffee maker.

Finally, Cat and Vincent get to celebrate their anniversary, together alone on the rooftop. They kiss
briefly and then make a full, real and true apology to one another. Which of course is followed
promptly by a nice little make out session.

But we weren't going to end the episode like that, oh no. The final scene of this week's episode ends on
Gabe making a call to his shady lady friend while investigating the safe house crime scene by himself.
He says he 'found him' and we the audience get confirmation that he too, is a hybrid, just like Vincent,
when his eyes glow that familiar shade of yellow.

So we've got two more episodes before season 1 concludes but at least now we can all relax with the
knowledge that we have a season 2. Sound off and let me know what you think of my recap in the
comments.