Saturday, April 2, 2016

3 Reasons You Should Watch the Final Season of Beauty & the Beast [Guest Poster: Bibi]


For those of you who have never seen the show Beauty & the Beast (abbreviated here and on social media as BATB) is a new-age version of the show that premiered in the late 80s. In this version, Vincent Keller was made a beast by a series of scientific experiments, greenlit by the government to virtually make their own version of super soldiers. Vincent — presumed dead — actually survived the experiments and uses his powers to become a vigilante in his own right. After her mother’s murder right before her eyes and a subsequent save from death by the Beast, Catherine Chandler decides to forgo law school and become a police officer.

This is a story has been told in various ways by a couple of different franchises, but there is a freshness and even grit that this version of BATB provides. Here are three reasons why you should binge seasons 1-3 on Netflix and definitely watch the final season when it returns on June 2nd.



3.  A lovely and supportive bromance.

Since day one, the character of J.T. Forbes has proven to be one of the most brilliant, loyal and funniest on television. He is an accomplished scientist, great friend, and a hero in his own right. J.T. and Vincent have been friends since childhood. So when Vincent returns from the dead, it is only natural that the first and only person he would trust is J.T. His friend is then charged with caring for Vincent and keeping him safe for a number of years, and in the first season, this is an integral part of the plot. While this is a tall order, and really a lot for Vincent to ask of one person, J.T. willingly does it all. Because for him, Vincent is family.

When Cat comes on the scene — first as a cop looking at Vincent as a murder suspect, and then eventually as a partner in solving special crimes — it is a challenge at first for J.T. to give up his role as protector and let someone else in. But once the three of them start working together, they begin to form a bond unlike any other.  Between being the brains behind most of the operations, and attempting to help the police, keep Vincent under the radar, AND get Cat one step closer to solving her mother’s murder, J.T. is an indisposable team member.

Also, let’s be honest, J.T., is Vincent’s original “person” and voice of reason. When Vincent turns into the guilt-stricken vigilante that all superheroes turn into, J.T. can help him return to being a reasonable and functioning member of the team and remind Vincent that his love for Cat is the only way to take down the “Big Bad” every season.



 2. Shipping it? Shipping it!

The “unlikely” pair and the center of the show, Vincent and Catherine (or VinCat) learn to share work and love. Years after her mother’s murder and their first encounter, we see Vincent watching Catherine after saving her life from the guys that killed her mother. When he becomes a quasi-vigilante, this is what begins to peak Cat’s attention and interest in him. At first she believes that Vincent is a criminal, but she quickly finds out that his intent is to save the innocent. They work together to figure out a string of police cases that lead to more information about Cat’s family and her mother’s murder. When Vincent and Cat meet, there are underlying hints of attraction, and well... we know they will eventually fall in love.

Cat and Vincent’s relationship initially causes tension in their other professional and personal relationships. We see them struggle with the complexities of coming to terms with his beast side, saving innocents, dating in the shadows, and what that means in the context of this world. As the seasons progress, Cat and Vincent eventually break up after Vincent is kidnapped and turned into an even stronger and more powerful beast. He loses his humanity and becomes someone Cat doesn’t even recognize. They move on, date other people, and Cat is adamant about not falling for this version of Vincent again.

Unlike what’s currently happening on another show I love, this break-up makes sense. Cat and Vincent need to be apart in order to realize their greater purpose together. Vincent needs time to gain his humanity back and realize that he can live with the beast within.



1. Strong female characters.

As a woman who loves to see strong women dominating screen, I appreciate the writers and showrunners of BATB because they do not disappoint; Cat and Tess are two of the most important heroines. The show is just as much about Cat and Vincent’s relationship as it is about Cat’s friendship and working relationship with Tess. It is refreshing to see two women on TV who are smart, strong, and go after what they want, but are also not afraid to disagree and discuss when life gets messy. They bring criminals to justice, all while balancing friends, family and love.

When Cat forms her partnership with Vincent, she begins lying to Tess and pushing her friends and family further and further away. This causes serious tension between her and Tess because they truly are best friends and Cat is keeping a “dead’ hostage a secret. Seeing their relationship fall apart was one of my favorite things the series has provided us with thus far. Tess was angry with Cat for not allowing her into her life fully, and as someone who only has brothers and really views Cat as her sister, Tess was justified in feeling that way. It really is heartbreaking when Tess finally sees Cat with Vincent, and is immediately filled with hurt when Cat seemingly chooses Vincent over her. What I appreciated about this conflict was the timing of it. The writers did this just right: they created a natural issue between the friends and allowed them time, mature conversations, and growth in order to rebuild that friendship.

Once they mend their broken friendship, and the seasons progress, we see Tess become more and more engrossed in the greater purpose and story of VinCat. She finds her greater purpose on the police force, and gets to save her friends a few times. Additionally, she escapes a bad relationship with the wrong guy, only to find an incredible one with the right guy. Cat is by her side every step of the way, and never lets her problems overshadow her loyalty to Tess.

So if you like supernatural tales, great friendships, women who are extraordinary, and the men who love them, check out Beauty & the Beast when it returns!

4 comments:

  1. I love this show more than I ever could've imagined. Too bad the CW didn't promo. it like it's other shows. Can hardly wait for S4 to air, but it will be bitter sweet.

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  2. It really breaks my heart that this is the end of Beauty and the Beast season 4. I fell in love with this show when it first came out and I have my love for you has grown over the years and you know this is the last time we'll see me Vincent and Catherine and Tess and JT Makes Me Wanna Cry until June 2nd.

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  3. I love this show in its entirety. I still cannot believe that S4 will be the last season. Cast and crew and writers have given us loyal fans a GEM which I will always treasure. There is something magical every time it shows on my screen whether it's a DVD or streaming or a tweet from one of the cast/crew. Countdown for #BATB S4 which premieres on 2nd JUNE 2016 on The CW.

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