I'm in a few different mindsets regarding this episode. First of all, I enjoyed it a lot. Compared to the last few I actually thought that the pacing was tighter, making the hour quite exciting; the writing was a little better and less repetitive; and the direction was nicely done and atmospheric in the key action and showdown sequences. The main issue is that this was kind of an "in-between" episode, bridging the show from the aftermath of the failed wedding to a full-on Fab Four v.s. Liam situation. So we got a lot of exposition in this one, mixed with some shocking twists that worked well, plus as a larger-than-usual subplot about J.T. and Tess which is likely to hold different levels of success among fans, depending on whether they are really rooting for that relationship. One thing's for certain: we needed this episode's exposition, badly. We needed answers about Liam, where he came from, what happened between him and Juliana, what his powers truly entail.
Well, we got those answers, but can anyone tell me what Liam actually wants? Why can't he afford to have anyone else effected by the serum out there? To the point where he's going on murderous rampages with no thought to the uninvolved bystanders he's taking out along with the unfortunate test subjects? I would truly love to know what the hell Liam's endgame is. Let's talk a little more about the specifics of "Patient X."
VinCat back on the same page: It was great to see Vincent and Cat working together more harmoniously and sharing the same belief in the need for them to stop Liam. Even when Vincent was scared at the end of the episode that he would revert to his formerly primal form and lose himself, Cat had the utmost faith in him and told him so. This was a warm and lovely, tender moment. While we viewers are certainly not getting the strong focus on the romance between Catherine and Vincent that we signed up for and enjoyed in Seasons 1-2 (sure, plenty of other characters tried to tamper with the epic love, but all for naught), at least we are seeing some development of the relationship and some sweet bonding scenes. They are going to need that reliance on their powerful bond to see them through the battle ahead.
More about Liam: I actually think Liam is a great villain and it bewilders me that the writers waited this long to bring him to the forefront and let him shine. Now, finally, we have genuine fear about what is going to happen to the fab four. We have a serious problem in this smug, remorseless, relentless killer who just keeps coming faster and more brutally than ever at our heroes and plenty of other...well...innocents (dammit, now they've got me saying it!). This week, we learned that Liam is a superhuman and a beast. How is this possible? Was he already a beast when Juliana experimented on him, or did she inject him with the (proto?) beast serum as part of her own experiments, along with the superhuman juice? If it's the latter, she was a nut, because why would you ever do that to someone and think they weren't going to become an unstoppable killer, or you know, just explode?
We met Juliana's brother and learned of his own ill-fated fight to stop Liam. It was Russell who gave us what scant backstory on Liam was on hand in this episode, sans Liam's actual motivations and endgame, which pretty much has to be coming soon. Even though it still wasn't enough, I did appreciate the plotting being more fast-paced and story-driven with Liam's terrible actions and their tragic consequences providing a good foundation, a solid place for us to put our worries and anticipations.
J.T. and Tess: reunited and it feels so gooood: That's if one can put aside some of Tess' less charming behavior from earlier in Season 3, which does include her breaking up with J.T. without giving him the slightest chance to rectify his behavior. Tess has always been hot-headed and rash in her decisions, but this time she slowed down long enough to see the effort J.T. was putting into being there for her the way she needed him to. Fearing for his life as he was forced to flee from one supposedly safe location to the next certainly contributed to Tess' admission that she still loved J.T., and that led to their their cute getting-back-together scenes. I enjoyed this part of the episode and the sweet goofiness of their relationship, and I also felt that it lent real emotional weight to our feelings at the end when we learned that J.T. has a nosebleed and is still being effected by the serum. Not only is he in potentially mortal danger from the serum, but Liam has him marked for dead. Seeing J.T. so happy, only to realize what he's facing now, packed a punch of sadness.
I do have to wonder how the writers rationalize putting this much screentime into J.T.'nT. mushiness when they see so little point to including any intimate or intense VinCat scenes, once the show's hallmark. Perhaps the answer lies in the writers' inability to adjust the direction of Season 3 after receiving fan feedback. We might see some balancing out and improvement - maybe even a return to the tones of Seasons 1-2 - in Season 4. I hope!
What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to catch an all-new Beauty and the Beast, Thursday at 8/7c on the CW.
About the Author - Virginia Mae Fontana
Virginia is happy to be reviewing The Vampire Diaries and Beauty and the Beast for Spoiler TV. She enjoys obsessing over films and pop music - in addition to tv shows, of course! You can find her blog, SugarRushed, at http://virginiamaeblog.blogspot.com/ and her Twitter handle is @VMaeFontana
