The Beast is back again, and all of the fun and romance in this episode reminded me just how happy I am that the show has returned for a fourth and final season -- even if that "final" bit still has me a little sad (sob! Ahem, ahem). Truly, Beauty and the Beast has that magical chemistry among its core characters that pops with a bubbly, comfortable, and often humorous enjoyment, making this season premiere a delight. It's also to be noted that while not bereft of the sort of silliness or "hmmm, really?" moments that we're used to by now (frankly, as long as they are kept to a minimum, I might miss them a little if they were gone, so quintessentially BatB as they have become!), there were less of those and more confident plotting than we saw in Season 3.
Since VinCat are as strong and feisty as ever and as full of belief that their love will conquer all, I'll be using some lyrics from Ellie Goulding's song "Army" that express this theme.
The honeymoon: Did that opening scene make anyone else think that the Powers that Be (i.e. writers and producers of the show) heard all of us complaining about the lack of steamy scenes between Vincent and Catherine least season? The sweet bedroom scene made it clear that VinCat's attraction is going very strong, and it was also adorable to see them deal with their typical issues: Cat, understandably (and characteristically) worried that some new threat may emerge at any moment, and Vincent reassuring her that they have no way of knowing that, and hence, worrying will not solve anything. These roles of theirs are pretty firmly ingrained into the relationship, but unlike the panic these issues threw them into last year, VinCat are now confident and happy, easily coasting through the necessary discussions brought into being by their personalities and Vincent's beastly nature.
"I know that I've been messed up
You never let me give up
All the nights and the fights
And the blood and the breakups
You're always there to call up
I'm a pain, I'm a child, I'm afraid
But yet you understand
Yeah like no one can...
When I'm with you, when I'm with you
I'm standing with an army..."*
Of course, it didn't take long for the honeymoon to hit a few obstacles. First, during Vincent and Catherine's idyllic bicycle-built-for-two ride, he sensed a car wreck nearby with people in danger, propelling him into action. Unfortunately, Catherine was unprepared for his beast-out, but thankfully landed safely -- why weren't those two wearing helmets, tsk tsk? Of course, this particular scene was possibly one of the cheesiest things I've seen on t.v. since last season of BatB (though a few scenes from Supernatural gave it a run for its money!), but I say it with love!
J.T.'s concerns and a hunter's quest: Weirded out when a student in his class announced his plans to write a paper about creating beasts, a concept he put together from Prof. Forbes' own previous work as well as that damn blogosphere being full of beastly rumors, J.T. of course immediately ran to interrupt Tess at work. Oh, J.T....he just can't seem to help himself! Typically irritated by the interruption, Tess reminded J.T. that they are about to move in together and move on from constantly worrying about beast stuff -- echoing Vincent's statements to Cat that they needn't be paranoid when they don't currently have a problem. But constant vigilance is J.T.'s M.O., so he recruited the ever-eager Heather, who if she was a little less bubbly and ditzy, might have a promising future as a private detective, to help him look into a blogger named Duncan who had written about beasts and the conspiracy surrounding them.
Breaking into Duncan's apartment yielded few answers and about 99 problems, including a violent run-in with a remorseless assassin out hunting for Vincent; an injury for Heather, thrown from the fire escape in the scuffle; a call from J.T. that sent Cat and Vincent back home, ending their honeymoon; and Tess' continued annoyance with J.T.'s reckless behavior. But at least there was a silver lining for Heather: a cute EMT who she immediately sparked with.
A damsel most definitely not in distress. I loved how badass Catherine was when the hunter took her prisoner and planned to torture her for information about Vincent. In a few deft moves, she had almost managed to escape the vicious villain, but after he disabled her momentarily, Catherine needed an assist. Luckily, Vincent showed up in the nick of time, and the two of them worked together to perfection, taking the hunter down before he could hurt anyone else. With his collection of rare animals and complete lack of concern for those he captured and killed for profit, the hunter was one of the more repulsive evil-doers we've seen on the show.
Moving forward, it's obvious that if someone put a price on Vincent's head, he doesn't have long before someone else comes after him to collect the reward. Catherine finds it hard to relax with that knowledge, yet Vincent again reminded her that after all they have been through, their exceptional resilience is sure to once again help them survive and continue their happy life together.
"Dark times, you could always find the bright side
I'm amazed by the things that you would sacrifice
Just to be there for me
How you cringe when you sing out of tune
But yet it's everything
So don't change a thing
We both know what they say about us
But they don't stand a chance because
When I'm with you, when I'm with you
I'm standing with an army..."*
Elsewhere in the episode...The scene where Vincent and Catherine accidentally walked in on Heather and her new love interest Kyle in bed was too funny and had me laughing out loud, especially due to Vincent's nonchalant reaction and Cat's typically strong one.
Overall observation: Right off the bat, the writing in this episode feels more solid and purposeful than the somewhat shapeless plotlines of early Season 3. Instead of dropping vague hints and repeating the same lines over and over, here's hoping that Season 4 will continue on the stronger notes this episode promised, with follow-through on who has initiated the hunt for Vincent and why.
What did you think of the season premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to catch an all-new Beauty and the Beast, Thursday at 9/8c on the CW!
*lyrics taken from the song "Army" by Ellie Goulding
