Photo Credit: The CW - From left to right: Nina Lisandrello as Tess Vargas, Kristin Kreuk as Catherine Chandler, Jay Ryan as Vincent Keller, and Amanda Setton as Bootsy.
OVERALL GRADE = C (78%)
After a very exciting season opener last week, this episode . . . fell a little flat for me. I didn’t find myself to be as engaged with the storyline as I should be which led me to be unsatisfied. Here’s why. First of all, the episode’s plotlines and story structure seemed like a rehash of Season 1’s typical storytelling techniques and that was what made this week feel like a “filler episode.” “Filler episodes” consist of alternative plotlines that do not move the main plot forward. And the fact that a “filler episode” is placed so early in the season - worries me. Second, because the main plot did not progress anywhere, the episode turned out to be anticlimactic. We did not get any closer to uncovering who the “beast hunter” is and that is problematic for me. And lastly, the characters were arguing over matters and issues that seemed repetitive to say the least. Not to mention the recycled dialogue.
One of the key storytelling techniques used in Season 1 to develop character and the budding romance between Vincent and Catherine was the “case of the week” strategy. Every week, Catherine would work on a case with Vincent, which would coincidentally mirror the current situation they would find themselves in. And at the end of the day, they would learn a thing or two about themselves and each other – hence, they were drawn closer and closer together until they fell in love with each other. It worked because we were able to see their partnership build up into something more than just working on cases.
This week, we were given a “case of the week” with Bootsy. Her scenario served as a perfect example of someone dealing with exposure – not just to Vincent and Catherine but to Heather as well. It is through the actions of Bootsy’s younger sister that Heather fully understands the responsibility of guarding secrets and ultimately, the sacrifices she has to make in order to protect her loved ones. In this case, Heather realizes that she cannot pursue a relationship with Kyle in order to protect Vincent and Catherine. And thus, Heather’s character is growing with each episode. While Vincent and Catherine managed to avoid exposing themselves, they did get a chance to wonder - “That could be us one day.”
Watching Tess and Catherine work together in this episode made me feel a little nostalgic. They were certainly throwing some Season 1 vibes our way, but of course, this time - it’s different. While Catherine reminisces of the good ol’ days when they used to go undercover and catch the bad guys, Tess can’t wait for all this to be over so that she can go back to being captain. Besides appealing to fans of the female duo, it is here where we can see their differences in character. And it’s clear that their ideal futures are distinct. But again, seeing them enter a club and flash their badges felt very reminiscent of Season 1.
While some viewers may have liked the “throwback” to Season 1, I felt that it weakened the episode. The fact that the writers included aspects of Season 1 made the show feel as if it were in it’s freshman season - as if the show were trying to find itself. Was it a procedural? Was it a romance? Action? Thriller? When the truth of the matter is - we are beyond that point. The show knows its identity. Being that this is the final season, I felt that throwing in these elements was unnecessary and effectively, did not serve the plot.
Thus, we were left empty handed at the end of the episode. No leads, no clues, no cliffhangers. One of my hopes is that the writers do no commit the same mistake they did last season, in prolonging the revelation of the bad guy. We had to go through so many people to finally understand who we were really after: Liam. And that was by episode 9! For that reason, I don’t want to them to play on the “mysterious villain” card that much longer. Reveal the villain so that we can spend more time on character development!
Speaking of characters – anyone get dizzy from watching our characters go in circles over the same topics over and over again? We see this in the very first scene. What are Vincent and Catherine arguing about? Protecting Vincent. To what ends? To avoid exposure. Why does that matter? Because we’ll end up losing everything we’ve worked for. So what does Catherine do? She “benches” Vincent and takes the lead on this one. How does Vincent react? He’s irritated and frustrated and ends up getting involved anyways. What do they learn in the end? Hey, maybe we should work together next time. Maybe I shouldn’t try to overprotect you. Catherine, didn’t you learn anything from Alistair and Rebecca? We’ve seen this situation before way back in Season 2 and it continued in Season 3, we don’t need to see it again.
Which brings me to my other point about dialogue. It seems like certain phrases and words are being overused in order to emphasize the themes. There’s a slight chance you may have heard of these terms before: “save each other,” “lose your humanity,” “we can’t risk getting exposed,” “moving on with our lives,” “destiny,” “for better or worse,” “part of something bigger,” etc. You’ve heard it all before. My point is that the audience is smart enough to put the pieces together. You don’t need to constantly nail the themes in our head with the dialogue. We get it. Don’t tell me. Show me.
And just like how Tess and JT are mirroring VinCat from Season 3 in terms of character development and relationships, they too are falling into the conundrum of endless repetitiveness. What’s your destiny JT? Why do you feel the need to be a part of something bigger? Why do you want to move on with your life Tess?
The one thing I did enjoy, as always, is the natural, domestic chemistry that Kreuk and Ryan display as a married couple. They appear so comfortable and easy with one another, it’s hard not to ignore it. And even though they’re at odds at some points throughout the episode – they do not argue. Instead it turns into an adorable comedic banter between them and we can’t help but giggle at those moments. Kreuk and Ryan can pull off anything together and I can’t wait to see more comedy between the two.
Next week, seems intense. What in the world is Catherine doing in a cage fight? I’m hoping we can get some answers and some new elements that can spice up the show and drag us out of the “What else is new?” loophole. Enjoyed writing this up! ‘Till next time!
After a very exciting season opener last week, this episode . . . fell a little flat for me. I didn’t find myself to be as engaged with the storyline as I should be which led me to be unsatisfied. Here’s why. First of all, the episode’s plotlines and story structure seemed like a rehash of Season 1’s typical storytelling techniques and that was what made this week feel like a “filler episode.” “Filler episodes” consist of alternative plotlines that do not move the main plot forward. And the fact that a “filler episode” is placed so early in the season - worries me. Second, because the main plot did not progress anywhere, the episode turned out to be anticlimactic. We did not get any closer to uncovering who the “beast hunter” is and that is problematic for me. And lastly, the characters were arguing over matters and issues that seemed repetitive to say the least. Not to mention the recycled dialogue.
One of the key storytelling techniques used in Season 1 to develop character and the budding romance between Vincent and Catherine was the “case of the week” strategy. Every week, Catherine would work on a case with Vincent, which would coincidentally mirror the current situation they would find themselves in. And at the end of the day, they would learn a thing or two about themselves and each other – hence, they were drawn closer and closer together until they fell in love with each other. It worked because we were able to see their partnership build up into something more than just working on cases.
This week, we were given a “case of the week” with Bootsy. Her scenario served as a perfect example of someone dealing with exposure – not just to Vincent and Catherine but to Heather as well. It is through the actions of Bootsy’s younger sister that Heather fully understands the responsibility of guarding secrets and ultimately, the sacrifices she has to make in order to protect her loved ones. In this case, Heather realizes that she cannot pursue a relationship with Kyle in order to protect Vincent and Catherine. And thus, Heather’s character is growing with each episode. While Vincent and Catherine managed to avoid exposing themselves, they did get a chance to wonder - “That could be us one day.”
Watching Tess and Catherine work together in this episode made me feel a little nostalgic. They were certainly throwing some Season 1 vibes our way, but of course, this time - it’s different. While Catherine reminisces of the good ol’ days when they used to go undercover and catch the bad guys, Tess can’t wait for all this to be over so that she can go back to being captain. Besides appealing to fans of the female duo, it is here where we can see their differences in character. And it’s clear that their ideal futures are distinct. But again, seeing them enter a club and flash their badges felt very reminiscent of Season 1.
While some viewers may have liked the “throwback” to Season 1, I felt that it weakened the episode. The fact that the writers included aspects of Season 1 made the show feel as if it were in it’s freshman season - as if the show were trying to find itself. Was it a procedural? Was it a romance? Action? Thriller? When the truth of the matter is - we are beyond that point. The show knows its identity. Being that this is the final season, I felt that throwing in these elements was unnecessary and effectively, did not serve the plot.
Thus, we were left empty handed at the end of the episode. No leads, no clues, no cliffhangers. One of my hopes is that the writers do no commit the same mistake they did last season, in prolonging the revelation of the bad guy. We had to go through so many people to finally understand who we were really after: Liam. And that was by episode 9! For that reason, I don’t want to them to play on the “mysterious villain” card that much longer. Reveal the villain so that we can spend more time on character development!
Speaking of characters – anyone get dizzy from watching our characters go in circles over the same topics over and over again? We see this in the very first scene. What are Vincent and Catherine arguing about? Protecting Vincent. To what ends? To avoid exposure. Why does that matter? Because we’ll end up losing everything we’ve worked for. So what does Catherine do? She “benches” Vincent and takes the lead on this one. How does Vincent react? He’s irritated and frustrated and ends up getting involved anyways. What do they learn in the end? Hey, maybe we should work together next time. Maybe I shouldn’t try to overprotect you. Catherine, didn’t you learn anything from Alistair and Rebecca? We’ve seen this situation before way back in Season 2 and it continued in Season 3, we don’t need to see it again.
Which brings me to my other point about dialogue. It seems like certain phrases and words are being overused in order to emphasize the themes. There’s a slight chance you may have heard of these terms before: “save each other,” “lose your humanity,” “we can’t risk getting exposed,” “moving on with our lives,” “destiny,” “for better or worse,” “part of something bigger,” etc. You’ve heard it all before. My point is that the audience is smart enough to put the pieces together. You don’t need to constantly nail the themes in our head with the dialogue. We get it. Don’t tell me. Show me.
And just like how Tess and JT are mirroring VinCat from Season 3 in terms of character development and relationships, they too are falling into the conundrum of endless repetitiveness. What’s your destiny JT? Why do you feel the need to be a part of something bigger? Why do you want to move on with your life Tess?
The one thing I did enjoy, as always, is the natural, domestic chemistry that Kreuk and Ryan display as a married couple. They appear so comfortable and easy with one another, it’s hard not to ignore it. And even though they’re at odds at some points throughout the episode – they do not argue. Instead it turns into an adorable comedic banter between them and we can’t help but giggle at those moments. Kreuk and Ryan can pull off anything together and I can’t wait to see more comedy between the two.
Next week, seems intense. What in the world is Catherine doing in a cage fight? I’m hoping we can get some answers and some new elements that can spice up the show and drag us out of the “What else is new?” loophole. Enjoyed writing this up! ‘Till next time!