Alas, we have come to the end of this tale - a “tale as old as time.” And as someone who has thoroughly enjoyed watching and following each and every episode for these past four years (has it been that long?), I can honestly say that I will miss it BUT I can also say that I am content and happy with where this story ends. The story that needed to be told was told: the beauty and the beast fell in love with each other. And although this finale is filled with an array of emotions - nostalgia is one that stands out for me. Nostalgia when it comes to the show and the journey that it’s had. Nostalgia for Vincent and Catherine from season one. And when you look at it, we’ve come a far way. Literally - starting in the dark and gritty world that is New York City and ending in the cute and romantic world that is Paris. Two completely different worlds but that also seem appropriate when it comes to mapping out our character’s respective journeys. In many ways, the series finale gave us the “happily ever after” that Vincent and Catherine so desperately fought to have, complete with Disney references, a horse-drawn carriage and a cute little town. And in keeping with the French aspect of the tale, it’s a nice “wink and a nod” to the story’s classic French origins and subtly makes homages to prior adaptations of this well-loved story. Beginning and ending the season with Paris provides a nice frame for the story and also - who doesn’t love hearing Kristin speak French? Thematically speaking, last week, we got to look at the core of our characters, bringing in a sense of “closure” whereas this week, there was primarily a focus on closure with plot. And it makes sense. The writers had to focus on plot in order to tie up all the loose ends and give us a satisfactory ending. That’s why last week was all about character - character development and character moments. Not that we didn’t have any character moments here. We certainly did with the farewell scenes but there wasn’t as much weight and introspection as there was last week. But I like that. It gives us a chance to study and appreciate each and every character, without having to rush in the end. And that’s the thing. It feels well-paced so that we ease into the end peacefully and happily. Well, maybe not so much, as the last thing we see is Vincent and Catherine - or should I say - Adam and Isabelle - run off to catch a bad guy. Once a hero, always a hero.
The episode moves rather quickly and that’s partly because Vincent and Catherine are doing like a hundred things at the same time. It’s pretty evident that they’re planning on doing something big - but we don’t know exactly what. It is only until the end, when we find out what was actually going on. This is a smart storytelling device because it puts us in the shoes of Tess, JT, and Heather - whom are kept “in the dark” about the plan. As the audience, we get to experience the emotions, the shock, and the twists and turns that Vincent and Catherine put us through. In so doing, we better understand the “other side” of the story. So much of everything is told through Vincent and Catherine’s perspective so I think it was a nice switch to place us on the other side of things. It made those moments much more emotional and captivating. Vincent and Catherine never reveal their plan to us - it is merely implied through the progression of events. Vincent was selling his car to buy JT a new laptop. Catherine met with a lawyer to make sure Heather would inherit her apartment, her car, and her will. Up until this point, we knew as much as everyone else that Vincent and Catherine were going to leave. That was the extent of the plan - to leave after stopping Braxton. And despite all the emotional goodbyes, the moment where it really hit that Vincent and Catherine were actually going to leave was on that precious rooftop scene. Now, we’ve seen variations of the rooftop scene multiple times throughout the show’s run. We’ve seen the conversations Vincent and Catherine had on that rooftop. We’ve experienced the moments that made our heart stop. So much of their relationship has been formed on this rooftop and to see Catherine gaze out onto her city for the last time - made me feel sad for her. But she is willing to leave everything behind - her home, her family, her friends, her memories, her career - to runaway with Vincent to a place where they can both be safe. It’s a huge sacrifice and one that Vincent knows all too well. Which is why the ending is even more perfect and touching. And the song playing in the rooftop scene “Afraid of Nothing” by Sharon Van Etten - tugs at those strings.
Each character deals with their goodbyes in their own way. And I love that. Heather has a mini tantrum as she runs off to the park but eventually is soothed by her sister’s calm words and positive outlook on the situation. Tess refuses to even mention the possibility of not seeing Cat again and simply tells her to go. And that’s the tough-shelled Tess we know so well - who fought her friends’ fight until the very end. And who could forget Austin's unforgettable performance as JT - whom we often forget has been with Vincent since childhood. JT is a smart guy and is quick to notice Vincent's motives for the laptop. JT doesn't know how else to react but in anger. But soon the anger diminishes when both men acknowledge that their relationship was more than a friendship - it was a bond of brothers. And this is especially touching for Vincent whom lost his brothers in the towers.
JT and Tess feel a responsibility; an obligation to ensure their friends’ security. Heather also shares that responsibility - as she manages to escape the hospital to get what her sister needs. But this time, they're not doing these things out of guilt - they're doing it because it's the right thing to do as Tess mentions at some point during the episode. To see Tess completely commit herself to helping her friends is refreshing after seeing her loyalty shift quite a bit. Thus, Tess comes full circle - returning to her original purpose and returning to JT. On that note, I'm glad that their reconciliation was subtle and did not take away from the main focus which is Vincent and Catherine. With Tess and JT committed to rescuing their friends, we see them comfort each other’s frustrations and complement each other's abilities. Their teamwork enables them to come out of the shadows for once and be the heroes of this story as well. Sidenote: How did Vincent and Catherine know that Tess and JT would finish Braxton off?
This leads me to my other point. Everyone was a hero in this episode. Even Heather. Vincent and Catherine have been heroes since the very beginning and we can rest assured knowing that they will continue being heroes until the end.
Despite all the intense action sequences, I felt that Braxton’s storyline kind of fell flat. We got no expansion on his character or his motives and thus - it makes his character seem shallow and forgetful. He was just being a bad guy that likes to do bad stuff to people. Why else do you want to blow up an entire bridge of people? Why do you want to kill the prince? What’s your beef with Vincent? I was hoping that we would get more of a backstory here but we didn’t. Perhaps there wasn’t enough time to delve into Braxton but he seemed like he could’ve been so much more. Case in point, he barely spoke a word in the finale! All we got to see was him making his bombs and waiting in his car. Even his death seemed anticlimactic. What was his plan? Run Tess and JT over while getting shot at? Although, Braxton represents Muirfield - the ultimate villain - sadly, he was not the strongest villain in the series.
While we’re on the topic of bad guys, I was also disappointed in Kyle. I was so looking forward to him being a bad guy but it turns out he’s just a really great guy who is deeply obsessed and head over heels for Heather. I mean, that’s great for Heather, but he just seemed a little too good to be true. And it doesn’t help that he was portrayed as a creep/stalker/traitor throughout the season. I mean, Vincent didn’t like him at all! How can Catherine just let this happen? Oh well.
The most suspenseful part of the episode was when Vincent and Catherine drove the car off the bridge. For one, I did not know what was going to happen next and two, I did not know how they were going to make it out alive. I knew they had to be alive but the whole sequence was so well done that I found myself questioning whether or not they were alive. The fact of the matter is that somehow they made it out of the explosion safely and managed to make everyone believe that they were actually dead. And here’s the thing, in order to make the “death” believable, Vincent and Catherine had to keep their plan to themselves. Meaning, they could not tell JT, Tess, and Heather about their plan to fake their deaths. Similar to how last season, Catherine had to truly believe that Vincent was dead in order to defeat Liam. Vincent and Catherine needed their friends and family to truly believe they were dead in order to sell the story. That’s what makes the funeral real because real emotions were being displayed. Nothing was fake about it other than Vincent and Catherine were not actually dead. But the emotions, the thoughts, and the words being said were real. But I do like that Vincent and Catherine left subtle clues behind for their friends and family. It proves that they always think of others before themselves - because as much as they’re running off to their happily ever after, they made sure that everyone else got their happily ever after back home. And one of the best moments in the episode is when Heather realizes that Vincent and Catherine were alive. I found myself smiling from ear to ear just from watching pure joy emanate from her.
Six months later, we find ourselves in Paris - where we were in the beginning of the season. Catherine is now a lawyer which seems fitting considering the fact that she was going to be a lawyer before she became a cop. It also makes a small homage to the 1987 version of Beauty and the Beast, where Catherine’s character is a lawyer. Even though it’s nothing compared to her old job, it’s still a way for Catherine to continue fighting for justice and still try to make things right. Except now she’s at a safe distance from all the action. We don’t know what Vincent is up to but we can imagine that it’s something to do with the medical field. And of course, being the charming, romantic guy that he is - he picks Catherine up in horse-drawn carriage. And we notice two things right away: Catherine is now Isabelle and Vincent is now Adam. And - if you know your Disney movies, in Disney’s animated version of Beauty and the Beast, the supposed name of the “beast” is none other than ADAM! I immediately noticed the reference and did a face palm. It was only until after the episode when I made the second connection - Isabelle. Isa - belle. BELLE! BELLE! And as much as it touched the Disney soft spot in my heart, I felt like it kind of took me away from this version of Beauty and the Beast - that fought so hard to distinguish themselves from other adaptations of the beloved story. Now it was like Vincent and Catherine had turned into cartoons that live in a fairytale. They literally ride away in a horse-drawn carriage like the end of a Disney movie AND they’re in France - the place where this story first originated from.
Anyway, Vincent and Catherine are celebrating their first anniversary in the same place where they had their honeymoon. I must also note that I like that we begin and end with French episode titles. It gives it a definitive opener and closer. But back to the episode, Catherine and Vincent both have surprises for each other. And at first, when Catherine started mentioning her surprise - for a moment, I thoroughly believed she was going to say that she was pregnant. But then, she wasn’t. Oh well. We can just imagine in our minds what their cute baby would look like. I’m going to even go beyond that and say that it’s probably going to be a girl and they’re going to name it Vanessa. Right?? I digress. Anyways, their delightful little ride leads them to a cute little restaurant. Is this the new Il Cantuccio?? Maybe it’s because I’m anxious for the holiday season to start, but I did get a ’Christmasy’ feel with their sleigh ride. So Vincent and Catherine walk into the restaurant and who else is there but the old gang? JT, Tess, and Heather are all in Paris! The moment where they all embrace brought a smile to my face because it was nice to see that even though they’re far away from each other, they can still have these moments. What makes it especially sweet is that Vincent did this for her. Even though Catherine probably doesn’t say anything about it, Vincent knows that leaving everything and everyone behind was probably one of the hardest things she had to do. And he knows that she misses her life back home and the people who were so close to her. And Vincent, being the darling that he is, gave Catherine the most wonderful gift he could give for their anniversary. Awww. One thing is certain - Vincent will do whatever it takes to make his wife happy. I sure hope Catherine made it up to him that night (wink, wink).
How do I feel now that it’s over? I’m certainly going to miss watching the show, writing these reviews, and interacting with the ‘beastie’ community. But I’m glad that this show happened and that it naturally came to its end. It has inspired people around the globe and brought people together. And that’s the power of good storytelling. My favorite thing about this season was it’s focus on individual characters studies and arcs that helped ground the storylines a little deeper. A similar strength that season 3 had. Except with this being the last season, I like that there were consistent “throwbacks” to previous seasons. This includes revisiting themes from previous seasons, characters from previous seasons, little winks and nods for the fans, locations from previous seasons, plotlines from previous seasons, and of course - the return of Vincent’s scar and Evan! And if I had to pick my favorite episodes of the season, it would probably include: 4x04 - Something’s Gotta Give, 4x05 - It’s a Wonderful Beast, 4x09 - The Getaway, and 4x12 - No Way Out. Each of these episodes brought out the best of each character.
I’ll get more in depth about the individual seasons and the series as a whole in a separate essay I’ll write soon, so keep an eye out for that one! Other than that, it has truly been a joy writing these reviews and getting such great responses and encouragement from you guys! And as devoted beasties, of course, we can just rewatch the show over and over again - relive those moments that made us fall in love with Vincent and Catherine. And that’s the real treat - that Vincent and Catherine will live on forever in our hearts and minds. #VinCatforever