“Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.”
― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Preface
Up for dissection this week is episode 1x07: Out of Control. It’s not really an episode I hear or see a lot of Beasties clamoring over but I think it is a very important episode in regards to the evolution of the VinCat relationship.
This is episode is one of those episodes that have grown on me over the course of the show. I felt like the VinCat thing was moving way too fast and had no idea how they were going to slow things down. When the fugues first started happening, I thought it would be too obvious that Cat was the cause. But this episode had me questioning my logic.
I also thought it would have been more interesting had Vincent actually been the one to kill the frat guy and to see how Cat would have handled that so soon in the relationship. But what actually transpired was also a good way to create conflict in the relationship with not only Cat and Vincent but JT and Vincent as well as Cat and JT.
Episode Summary: J.T. thinks Vincent may somehow be involved in Cat's homicide investigation after she mentions a local college fraternity brother was brutally killed. J.T. examines Vincent to determine the cause of his increasingly frequent blackouts, but when Vincent starts to beast out, J.T. is forced to tranquilize him.
Meanwhile, Evan and his new intern find a strange cut on the victim's ankle, which matches that of a female cadaver left on campus a year earlier. As Evan works to uncover more clues from the crime scene, he is kidnapped.
Cat begs Vincent to help find Evan and save his life, yet she doesn't realize that she's putting Vincent's life in serious danger. Vincent blacks out again and Beast Vincent rips the murderer apart and becomes the top of the NYPD's most wanted list. Evan heard the whole thing and starts investigating mysterious killings.
Vincent locks himself in a cage. He and J.T. have determined the common thread in his blackouts. He is either going to visit Cat or, most recently, was with her.
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My thoughts on the writers…
I really like the writing team of Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders. I think they do a really good job of keeping the positive aspects of the show front in center and doing their best to put the flaws of Beauty and the Beast in a dark corner. This episode focused on the core four. Even though Tess was not an integral part to the main event Vincent plotline she was still in the foreground a lot (something that season 2 hasn’t been too great about). The pacing was just right, not too fast but it also didn't plod at all. The dialog was very good as well. I have so many favorite lines in this episode which is odd because Beauty and the Beast is usually all about the moments, silent storytelling and clever Easter eggs for me.
My thoughts on the director…
Rick Bota is one of my favorite directors for Beauty and the Beast. Almost all of his episodes are very beautifully shot. He knows how to let a scene breathe and he knows how to make an insignificant scene sing. He uses a lot of natural light and balances tight close ups with wide shots. But what I like best about his directorial eye is the unconventional ways he captures scenes with more than two people, he tends to come in on an unexpected angle and sometimes even shifts the focus from what we would normally expect.
My thoughts on the case of the week…
I think I would have liked this case a little better had they not spent so much time trying to convince me that Vincent MIGHT have killed the frat guy because it was painfully obvious that it wasn’t going down that road ( even though I honestly would have preferred that road). The perp of the week was a young budding serial killer with a "tragic" (I'll use that word very loosely) past. He was weird and creepy right from the start and when the ominous music started playing in the lab with him and Evan, well quite frankly it tipped their hand (not to mention the kid was new and little too helpful).
My thoughts on the theme…
Here's what I got for the theme in this episode: The world is grey but some things will always be black and white no matter what.
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• A frat boy is killed.
• Vincent comes home bloody and he was near the vicinity of where the frat boy was killed.
• The introduction of the tranquilizer gun
• Vincent fugues out and attacks JT and it forces JT to tranquilize Vincent
• Evan gets a new intern.
• Evan gets kidnapped.
• Cat asks for Vincent’s help.
• The vigilante gets moved to the top of the most wanted list
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Memorable Moments
• Cat smiling as she enters a murder scene
• Cat smiling as she is packing to go on a camping trip with Vincent
• Tess ogling and objectifying the firefighters openly
Laudable Lines
• Cat: I’m not going anywhere. Trust me.
• Tess: Try not to look giddy when approaching a murder scene.
• Peter: I can hear your sarcasm.
• Tess: Couple sneaks out to do the nasty in the bushes and finds cut up fraternity brother.
Scenes I'm Smitten With
• JT tries to keep Cat from seeing Vincent passed out from the tranquilizer dart incident
• Cat being socially awkward at the NYC Fireman’s calendar launch
• JT and Vincent try to figure out what’s causing the fugue states.
• Cat confides in Tess (kind of) about ‘the guy’
• Cat goes to check up on Evan and tries to convince him that there is no beast.
• Did they really have to show the tranquilizer dart in slow motion?
• Cat could have stopped Peter once Vincent pointed her in the right direction
• Cat and Tess didn't clear Peter’s apartment the proper way
• Cat and Tess weren't holding their guns the proper way cops are taught
Character of the Night
• Vincent
Best Character Interactions
• Cat & Tess
• Cat & JT
• Cat & Vincent
Most Memorable Moment
• Mike ‘The Firefighter’ writes his number down on Cat’s calendar .
Line of the Night
• JT: You may have saved Evan, but you didn't think about the price Vincent would pay
Scene of the Night
• Cat goes to check on Vincent and sees that he has locked himself up and Vincent tells her that he and JT think she’s the trigger to his fugues.
That Awkward Moment
• That awkward moment when you wake up from a bender but instead of a pool of puke, it’s a pool of blood and not being sure whether the fact that it isn't your own is a good thing or not.
• That awkward moment when your friend hulks out and you have to shoot him.
The ‘Giving JT a Run for His Money’ Award
• Tess & Evan - These two were slaying me with their comments the whole entire episode which was a good change of pace because sometimes witty repartee needs to spread around.
The ‘Fan Fiction Inspiration’ Award
• Grand Prize: While Cat and Tess are interrogating the kid who dropped out of the frat he utters the words ‘lady cops’ and the rest is history, the fandom began writing fan fiction about the cases Cat and Tess were doing before Vincent was in the picture and the results were usually pretty funny (at least the ones I saw on Tumblr).
• Runner Up: Anytime JT and Vincent start doing science stuff together, I have to fight the urge to drop what I’m doing and start on an idea I've had for quite some time, JT and Vincent as alternate universe ‘Science Bros’.
For Real?
• Vincent says that he doesn’t think he should be out in the world roaming around but a few minutes later he’s out trying to explain to Cat why they can’t go on their hiking trip and that he might be the killer she’s looking for.
Burning Questions
• Whose blood was Vincent covered in?
• If Cat was truly the trigger for the fugues then why hadn’t they happen (before they went to scene of the subway attack) when they were alone together and how come no one brought that up.
• Who still says 'rad'?
Recurring Elements
• Newspaper clippings
• Wall of Weird
• Cat’s leather jacket and motorcycle boots combo
Things I Miss
• JT doing cool science stuff
Biggest Surprise of the Episode
• Vincent saving Evan triggers the vigilante moving to the top of the wanted list
My Music Picks
• St. Christopher by Michael Logen
• Sweet Rock N Roll by Vibrolux
Fun Fact: It takes 7 minutes and 58 seconds to get to the title card.
Grade: B-
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Elite Eight Review Line Up
Here’s a list of the episodes that I will be writing Retro Recaps for here on Spoiler TV until the hiatus is over:
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• Bridesmaid up/Seeing Red – April 29, 2014
• Trust No One – May 6, 2014
• Insatiable – May 13, 2014
• Heart of Darkness – May 20, 2014
• Anniversary – May 27, 2014
• Bonus Review (on my blog): Date Night – June 2, 2014
Plugs & Shameless Self-Promotion
If you’re bored and you’re re-watching season 2, how about you listen to my podcast for a fresh perspective, theories or just have a listen to a couple of gals who just really love talking about Beauty and the Beast.
The DVMPE’s Beauty and the Beast Podcast
The Podcast’s Facebook Page
The Podcast's Email
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If you are in the market for quick reviews or in-depth recaps about the following shows: Arrow, Bitten, Continuum, Hannibal, Justified, Reign, Teen Wolf and/or The Originals be sure to check out my blog. I'm currently participating in the A-Z challenge so there is fresh content daily.
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