Thursday, January 16, 2014

Beauty and the Beast, Season 2, Episode 9: Don't Die on Me



Cat is at the police station being interviewed by an FBI Internal Affairs agent about the arrest of Agent Reynolds, her father. It’s basically a recap of the events of the last episode, except instead of Vincent trying to kill Reynolds for the evil he’s done, Cat calls it a car accident. The investigating agent seems very happy about the whole proceedings and lets Cat out to go meet with Gabe where she has a mini-freak out about Vincent – she can’t believe he didn’t choose them. One good thing I can agree with is her decision to move on and take her life back rather than have it revolve around her boyfriend.

But why oh why does she have this slight nagging feeling of responsibility? WHYYY? Gabe points out she did actually shoot the man she supposedly loved, who even now could be bleeding to death, it’s kinda, sorta possible that she may feel bad about that… maybe?

Vincent is busy bleeding and Tori thinks he should go to a hospital – of course he can’t because that would expose him as alive. Tori doesn’t see the issue with this – they could make a cover story for where he’s been in the last 10 years (especially now Muirfield is dead), why not return from the grave – otherwise what rest of his life is he actually going to have constantly skulking? Especially since that can affect her life as well as a fellow Beast. Also, controlling who knows he exists helps him control who knows he’s a beast and, relatedly, his own control.

Actually pretty sound logic on both parts. Someone sensible must have sneaked into the writer’s room – if they don’t hide well the other writers may eat them

And Cat arrives – well, I dare say the sensibleness is now at an end. And she’s empty handed –honestly if you shoot someone you should at least bring a fruit basket (I think a card is rather inadequate). Tori is not exactly thrilled that Cat has turned up but stomps off when Vincent asks for some privacy – though he does it to basically say “I’m fine – door’s that way” to Cat

To which Cat is all shocked that he’s acting like it’s her fault; he counters with her finger being on the trigger and all – but she totally gave you an ultimatum about which murders are ok and which aren’t! She was fighting for them by protecting the man who could expose them and hoping for the best; really Vincent, it’s like you don’t care about them AT ALLLLLL!

They’re officially broke up – am I wasting my time hoping this lasts? Cat returns to work telling Tess she wants to focus on her life, her work and there will now be no mention of Beasts around her. Tess is fine with this –after all, since Vincent arrived Cat has been a one track record and that’s got to be hard on a best friend.

Or she’d like to but she just feels off… like… guilt. Tess, like Gabe, wonders if, just possibly, this could be because SHE SHOT HIM. No, that’s not it – apparently. More musing on Cat’s uneasiness is shelved because the FBI want to talk to Cat again – in the interrogation room.


Meanwhile Vincent staggers to see JT who has been left waaaay out of the loop, because he needs a lot more first aid than he has supplies for. While JT goes for supplies, Tori worries about the future and gets a call from her dad’s lawyers – they need her to sign papers. And if she doesn’t sign papers they’re going to expose her daddy’s beastiness to the whole world. Wow they better have some serious proof – because exposing anything about a client is going to rain shit on them – let alone unsubstantiated claims of being a genetically modified monster.

And why is Cat being interrogated? Because the agent isn’t satisfied – they found a blood stained bullet at the scene; which is suspicious, yes yes it is. Also Cat is awful at cover ups. And she’s suspended while ballistics proves that her gun fired the bullet. Cat leaves growling about how she still has to cover up for Vincent (and, y’know, shooting someone) while Gabe sees two options – either deny everything and even if they prove the bullet was from her gun they can’t match the blood to anyone so no problem. Remember folks, Gabe is actually a lawyer. This rather avoids the fact that even if no criminal trial will proceed on that evidence, she will be fired. So option 2 – EVIDENCE TAMPERING! Part of Gabe’s redemption quest (and by “redemption” he means “get into Cat’s pants”)

And to make matters worse, JT has just been arrested for trying to steal medical supplies. Tess goes to bail him out and gives JT a lecture about getting his life back – he’s spent 10 years supporting Vincent and there has to be a place to draw the line (amen – from the woman who breaks laws to help Cat).

Tori attends the meeting she was forced into but asks questions – to which her father’s reps mock and taunt her and one draws a gun. She smacks it out of his hand, and him across the room before leaving in a blur of beastispeed. I have no idea whether the woman trying to make her sign is shocked or happy or both – a facial expression would help.

Cat goes to Vincent and she wants him to go to hospital to “help himself” (which is a very dismissive way of waving off 10 years of isolation) and he has to help himself now no-one else will - she’s sure no-one else is hunting him (based on what? And if no-one else is hunting him and she refrains from shooting him, how much more help does he need?). Which is when Tori arrives to warn them that someone else knows about Beasts. He staggers up to go check and help Tori – and Cat shoots him with a tranquiliser when he refuses to lay down as she orders

Cat, this is a bad habit. Shooting Vincent when you disagree with him is not a problem solver. But Cat wants to go with Tori so she can see what the problem is then move on. While they’re gone JT and Tess arrive to note that Cat has shot Vincent, again. And while ranting and panicking JT reveals his guilt – he made Vincent a Beast, he put his name on Muirfield’s list (he had the power since he was working in clinical trials in the army and thought it would help Vincent). Tess not being an entire fool (hi Cat), realises this is why JT feels guilty and counters if JT’s going to accept the blame for all the bad that has happened to Vincent, then he also has to accept some praise for all the good Vincent was able to do.

Tori and Cat go investigate the stuff her father’s lawyers wanted and Cat keeps asking how much they know (implying she’s over-reacting) and Tori points out how much of an acid edge Cat puts on the word “beast”. There follows more badly timed snark back and forth though Tori does ask why Cat’s helping the man she shot.

More sniping is interrupted when Cat thinks she’s found the special thing the agents/lawyers/whatever were looking for – and a whole pack of them arrive, deciding they need one of them alive. Apparently the shiny thing Cat found is a retina scanner and the goons have been hired by someone to find out what Tori’s dad was hiding. They’re also sticklers for proper grammar. They hold Cat at gunpoint to force Tori to use the retinal scanner

Yes, because Tori and her dad are both Beasts, they’ve both got identical retinas.

Using her identical retinas she opens a secret door and they get Cat inside because you send your kidnapped victims into the room of secrets first in case Tori’s dad had booby traps installed, I guess. Cat does her thing and hits the man holding her as she goes through – and ends up being locked inside. Chief goon screams at Tori and she gets Beasty. And falls over and cowers after fighting a few of them because… well because Vincent has to come to the rescue, of course (apparently Tess and JT are medical miracles able to heal him so quickly). He happily tears through them, impaling chief goon on something spikey (it remains to be seen if this random death upsets Cat’s conscience)

Cat, meanwhile, explores the hidden room and finds a partial skeleton

Having been the big damn hero, Vincent then dramatically collapses; Cat is rescued and Vincent finally concedes and tells them to call for an ambulance – at least now they have a reason for Vincent being shot, they can blame it on the goons.

Gabe removes the evidence (how anyone won’t guess it’s him is beyond me) and the FBI agent looks frustrated by lack of evidence. And back at the warehouse lots of dogs gather excitably outside while the camera looks at the odd skeleton – the hidden door open – with ominous music playing.

Vincent wakes up and Tori is waiting for him encouraging him to stay open and live as Vincent Keller. This, apparently, involves a press conference. Am I the only one who pictured the response to the dramatic “my name is Vincent Keller” to be “excuse you, we care why?”

And Gabe visits Cat where she discusses the many times Vincent has saved her life and how she now feels that she doesn’t owe him any more – not in a “screw you we’re done” kind of way, but just no longer feeling obligated. Gabe and Raynolds apparently worked together on destroying the case so I assume there’s more to it than just stealing the bullet.





You know, in this great battle of whose fault it is – I’m kind of on Vincent’s side. She was fine with him killing Beasts. Even fine with him killing 100% humans in the name of revenge – but Reynolds is every bit as due revenge as  Her right vs wrong is far too situational for her now to act like this is a line in the sand – unless she’s going to outright admit it’s because Reynolds is her father.

Frankly, Vincent has had more reason to kill Reynolds than any of the killings she’s been happy to sign off on so far. He’s an enormous threat who has done truly unspeakable things to Vincent – and her method of justice requires Reynolds’s co-operation, threatens exposure and does not cover a tenth of what he’s done.

And what about the touchy idea that if she’s fine with him killing Beasts but people not so much, then what does it say about her view of how much whose lives are worth? Especially given her choice to shoot Vincent?

I could have worked much more with this plotline if it was Cat’s unquenchable ethics refusing to bend even for the one she loved – but her ethics have never been that strong. Her glass house is far too fragile to throw those rocks.

I believe Tori is being cast as “that slutwhorejezebel who is evilly after the protagonist’s man, that heifer”.

I really cannot express how much I’ve come to not care about Cat and Vincent’s relationship. And less for them couple juggling.


My guess on the skeleton – ancient race of werebeasty-people that are the super-true-real source of Muirfield’s experiments, honest.