Beauty and the Beast – 2.01 – Who Am I? – Review: Remember the Name

‘Remember the Name’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: A-

Awards

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

Lines of the Night

1)Do we even like you? - JT (to Gabe)
2)What do I have to do to prove to you I’m not still a beast? – Gabe
I don’t know donate your body to science. – JT

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

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

Well, time for some shameless plugs and self-promotion…
Looking for a Beastie Buddy to live tweet with? You can live tweet with me @lilithhellfire
If you’re in the market for a cute podcast about Beauty and the Beast be sure to check out this podcast.
If you like that podcast then please be a peach and like it’s Facebook fan page.

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

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