Photo Credit: The CW - from L to R, Austin Basis (L) as JT Forbes; Nina Lisandrello (L) as Tess Vargas; Jay Ryan (C) as Vincent Keller; Kristin Kreuk (R) as Catherine Chandler; and Nicole Gale Anderson (R) as Heather Chandler.
OVERALL GRADE = A (96%)
And they all lived happily ever after . . . . A happy ending for the characters and a happy ending for me too!! What a way to end three months of Beauty and the Beast’s season 3!! One of the things that I was most excited about this season after watching the premiere was how concise, unified, and focused the story seemed for this season. Perhaps this is due to the shorter season but there definitely has been more of an emphasis on story more than anything else this season and it has definitely paid off in the season finale to deliver - I dare day - the BEST season finale for Beauty and the Beast. Regardless of what other people might say, I believe that this season stands above the rest in terms of the quality of the material and the manner in which it was delivered. If we look at the show holistically, we had several nice arcs that took us by the hand and guided us through the season, great character development accompanied by some unforgettable performances by our cast, and a story that came around full circle to give us an ending that we had hoped for. And when that happens, I am a content and satisfied viewer. The questions we posed in the beginning were answered in the season finale – which could’ve also worked perfectly as a series finale – and it makes me wonder what new adventures season 4 may bring us. Until then, I can bask in the beauty of season 3 goodness!
A good chunk of the episode - and the most thrilling (don’t worry, the wedding is still #1) – dealt with Vincent and Catherine’s plan to stop Liam. And because a lot of it involved undercover scenarios and characters playing with each other’s feelings, it got tricky for me to distinguish between what was “planned” and what wasn’t. I had to watch the episode twice to fully understand the character’s motivations and actions. For such reason, this review will include a bit of a recap to clear up some things. So first of all, we learn that Liam is bringing up all these vigilante cases from the past to the DHS in order to pin Vincent and the gang but more importantly - to expose Vincent. That is a fact that scares Vincent more than anything only because he knows that Catherine would be the one that would suffer the most. It was only a matter of time before the cases that they had covered up would soon be dug up again (literally). Again, Vincent and Catherine have different strategies to stop Liam. Catherine wants to appeal to Liam’s humanity while Vincent just wants to get it over with. Additionally, Catherine insists that Vincent wait for JT to finish the superhuman serum so that if anything should happen, Vincent would have some sort of security. However, time is not of the essence as it always is with these two as JT gets arrested for conspiracy and helping a fugitive. Vincent, wanting to take full responsibility of his actions, does not want his friends to pay for his mistakes. Now this is very characteristic of Vincent. Whenever it comes to Catherine or his friends, Vincent is selfless and always puts others before himself. That’s what makes him such a good guy. Upon learning that JT has been arrested, Vincent decides to confront Liam on his own before things get worse – despite Catherine’s pleading and clear objection. After everything they’ve been through, you’d think Vincent would learn a little something, wouldn’t you?? Yet, I think the “goodness” in Vincent clouds everything else in his mind, including reason, in order to protect those he loves. He’s a hero – but sometimes makes the wrong move. This is what makes Vincent easily fall into Liam’s trap. I must add that during that cemetery scene, I liked the sound of the piano organ in the music. It added a “Halloween-like” spooky touch to it. Back to the plot, Vincent finds himself with no way out as he realizes that he has been framed by Liam. Vincent is given an ultimatum by the DHS: either come clean about the cases or all your friends will be brought into this as well. They’re really in a pickle now! But the fact that Vincent decided to consult Catherine before making his decision shows how far their relationship has gone and how they really are “one.” I had predicted that Vincent and Catherine had to give something up; risk something; in order to defeat Liam. Therefore, the choice to tell the DHS that Vincent is a beast – I completely understand. Vincent’s logic made sense and although ideally, we wished it wouldn’t have gotten to that point – it was the only option for the DHS to understand Vincent and perhaps get their help in capturing Liam.
Now, onto the plan. Up until this point, the plan was to make Liam believe that Vincent was actually captured, leaving behind a miserable Catherine. This would prompt Liam to go after Catherine and here is where she would execute her part of the plan – appealing to his humanity. Then, and only then, would be the perfect time to catch Liam off-guard – when he is vulnerable and least expecting an attack. However, things don’t go as planned. Liam appears at the hospital and kills the asshole DHS agent (thank god, not Agent Russo). But Liam’s a smart guy – he made it seem as if it were Vincent that had killed the guy. I mean if putting on a lab coat is enough to fool anyone, sure. But at least Agent Russo knew that it was Liam, not Vincent. What helps is that Agent Russo knows of Liam and knows that he is a terrorist. And after seeing Liam in the flesh, Agent Russo is on board with Vincent and Catherine’s plan. The bad news is that the asshole DHS agent had alerted SWAT to come over as backup. This causes a change of plans. Vincent is forced to try to escape by jumping off a building and faking death – by stopping his heart. That moment when Vincent bids Catherine goodbye reminded me of all the times they’ve been in situations like this: Vincent on the run, in hiding, being hunted, etc. It was exciting and it got my heart pumping. Effective storytelling! I have to give another shout out to the music department for creating the right emotion in their music. I felt the dramatic tension as Vincent was running for his life. As things do not go as planned, Vincent gets fatally shot and plummets to the ground. Of course, now Catherine is truly concerned for Vincent’s life. As the medics rush to Vincent’s aid, we see Liam standing by. I think he was trying to discern whether or not Vincent was dead. We hear his heartbeat slow down and stop. So although Vincent was supposed to fake his death by stopping his heart, I think Vincent actually died, in effect, causing his heart to stop. This causes Catherine to fall apart, knowing that Vincent might not survive. Again, I must commend Kristin’s acting - communicating a sense of desperation and urgency of the situation, heartache of the possibility of the loss of Vincent, and frustration with herself and the DHS agent. All the while having to leave Vincent behind to keep the plan in motion. She literally was torn. Their only hope was that JT would save Vincent with the superhuman serum. The hard part was that Catherine had to purposely be kept in the dark about Vincent, in order to truly communicate her sorrow, her loss to Liam. I think Catherine honestly doubted whether Vincent would survive or not and so the idea that Vincent could be dead was what made the situation real for Catherine - hence to Liam. But Catherine had to trust in their love; that Vincent would be there; that JT would pull him through. And JT does, albeit with some force, but he managed an amazing feat – bringing his friend back to life. And I love that no matter what situation they finds themselves in, the first thing that pops into Vincent’s head is “Where’s Catherine?” I don’t know if it was his super healing power or not, but Vincent seemed pretty alert and back on his feet – ready to complete the mission.
Meanwhile, Liam finds Catherine in the midst of her moping and she has this look on her face as if saying, “Ah, just as I expected.” What I loved about this scene was the sisterly duo between Catherine and Heather. Heather has truly grown this season, enough to be an official member of team VinCat. And I love how she proves herself useful by pepper spraying Liam on the face, making him easier for Vincent to track. Atta girl! Did Vincent almost kiss her?? Anyways, Liam kidnaps Catherine taking her back to his crib. A very fancy crib at that. And here, I have to shout out to the art department for getting all those awesome props and furniture! It had this antique, timeless feel with a modern touch to it, mostly keeping with the style of the 1800s grandeur. I love this mythology! Anyways, this is where the climax happens. Besides the plan being executed, it is here where we truly understand why Liam is doing what he’s doing. We get to sit down and have a one on one with him through Catherine. Catherine should be a therapist or something. At this point, I learn that Liam doesn’t confuse Catherine for Rebecca anymore?? When did that happen? That means that his only motive for doing this is only because Vincent and Catherine’s relationship reminds him of something he lost and he can’t handle other people being happy. Boo hoo. We also learn that Liam killed Rebecca by exposing her involvement with Alistair. Pretty brutal? And through their conversation, Catherine learns that Liam really has no humanity left. Still, she has hope for him and she tries to convince Liam that he can still turn things around. I think Catherine was truly trying to get to him but at the same time, I think she was also trying to stall him. In so doing, distracting him from his surveillance system (how did he get that??) Catherine brings up a valid point about Liam: he chose to lose his humanity. Liam believes that the only reason that Vincent came back from his primal side was solely because of Catherine. And while Catherine did have a huge part in that, Vincent also had the initiative to be a better man. Vincent wanted to change. Liam did not. And that’s what separates them. I thought it was funny how Catherine accidentally slips up on the plan when she says, ” . . and now . . . “ And Liam says, “Now what?” Oh, right! He’s dead! Sorry! Getting lost in Catherine’s big eyes, I almost felt like she was starting to get to Liam or like Liam began to see something familiar in Catherine – perhaps Rebecca. Perhaps no one had talked to him like that or truly cared for his humanity. But right at that moment is when Liam is most vulnerable and just in the nick of time – Vincent appears and rips his heart out, pretty good. For a moment, I was afraid that Vincent had lost his humanity. I was like,”Nooo!” That plus Catherine’s reaction. I think Catherine was just in shock at Vincent’s brutal attack, mixed with the relief that Vincent was alive, paired with actually feeling sorrow for Liam. Although he was a bad guy, it was actually sad seeing him die. Especially with the look he gave Catherine. But I think it needed to be done. There was nothing else that could be done. There was no salvation for him. He only lived to hurt people. And I think Catherine realizes this as she does not scold Vincent. Instead, the two share a loving hug – similar to the hug after they killed Gabe last season. Awwww. In the end, Vincent and Catherine defeated Liam in a unique way – with each of their strengths. It wasn’t a beast battle like previous seasons – it was a battle for humanity.
Make way for the bride! Yes, although I had predicted otherwise, the wedding did happen. Granted, it was a bit sudden but it worked for me. And here’s why: a) it took place on the rooftop b) they got married with the people they truly considered “family” and c) the chemistry of the group, especially between Jay and Kristin made it very special. I always thought that the rooftop was the perfect choice for the wedding. It represents Vincent and Catherine’s relationship in so many ways. Aside from the great moments on that rooftop, the rooftop provided them a place to have their intimate, stolen moments away from the world. It’s THEIR place where they could be themselves and truly love each other. It’s where their epic romance evolved. The place is filled with warmth, love, and intimacy compared to the big, empty church. The Christmas lights, candles, and flowers added a nice, romantic touch – transforming the rooftop into one of lovely union, not of escape. One of the things I didn’t like about the first wedding was that Vincent and Catherine invited a bunch of people from work – people they probably didn’t even know. What was important was being with the people they cared about and the people who have been with them throughout the whole journey. And that’s what JT, Tess, and Heather are – family. Although pretty small, the group is tight-knit and it fills the void of bodies. Also, how nice is it that your friend gets to marry you? But the key to the wedding was the exchange of vows between Catherine and Vincent. And by that I mean the delivery of Kristin and Jay – depicting a moment that these two characters have wanted for so long and one that they deserved. Kristin’s emotion made the romance feel real and caused butterflies in my stomach! Her eyes just captivate me. She really looks pretty when she gets emotional. And I think what’s important is that Jay and Kristin capture how important this wedding is to them. This isn’t just an ordinary wedding – it’s a special wedding of an epic love. Everything from the small gesture of wiping Catherine’s tears away, the joy in Vincent’s face, and the sudden giggles that Catherine emits – makes the wedding that much more real for me. Although short, I was content with it and am left happy for our characters.
In terms of what is in store of them, who knows? Although our characters got their happy ending, we mustn’t forget that certain things have changed. One, is that Vincent is now a superhuman beast. Two and what may be something we need to worry about more – is that the DHS now know about Vincent. Although the DHS was able to clear the group from any charges, it doesn’t mean that they’re completely off the hook. This makes me feel like these things will resurface again somehow. Additionally, Agent Russo stated that whatever happens from here on out, Vincent and Catherine can’t really be confident that the DHS may back them up. Like Agent Russo said, “The genie’s out of the bottle.” And that means dealing with the implications of that. But for now, we can relish in the idea that everyone is pretty much safe. It has been great getting to review each episode of season 3 and I honestly have no idea what season 4 may bring. Baby, anyone?? Summer 2016 may seem like a long time but until then, we can busy ourselves trying to get a season 5!!! Woot! See you next year!!!
And they all lived happily ever after . . . . A happy ending for the characters and a happy ending for me too!! What a way to end three months of Beauty and the Beast’s season 3!! One of the things that I was most excited about this season after watching the premiere was how concise, unified, and focused the story seemed for this season. Perhaps this is due to the shorter season but there definitely has been more of an emphasis on story more than anything else this season and it has definitely paid off in the season finale to deliver - I dare day - the BEST season finale for Beauty and the Beast. Regardless of what other people might say, I believe that this season stands above the rest in terms of the quality of the material and the manner in which it was delivered. If we look at the show holistically, we had several nice arcs that took us by the hand and guided us through the season, great character development accompanied by some unforgettable performances by our cast, and a story that came around full circle to give us an ending that we had hoped for. And when that happens, I am a content and satisfied viewer. The questions we posed in the beginning were answered in the season finale – which could’ve also worked perfectly as a series finale – and it makes me wonder what new adventures season 4 may bring us. Until then, I can bask in the beauty of season 3 goodness!
A good chunk of the episode - and the most thrilling (don’t worry, the wedding is still #1) – dealt with Vincent and Catherine’s plan to stop Liam. And because a lot of it involved undercover scenarios and characters playing with each other’s feelings, it got tricky for me to distinguish between what was “planned” and what wasn’t. I had to watch the episode twice to fully understand the character’s motivations and actions. For such reason, this review will include a bit of a recap to clear up some things. So first of all, we learn that Liam is bringing up all these vigilante cases from the past to the DHS in order to pin Vincent and the gang but more importantly - to expose Vincent. That is a fact that scares Vincent more than anything only because he knows that Catherine would be the one that would suffer the most. It was only a matter of time before the cases that they had covered up would soon be dug up again (literally). Again, Vincent and Catherine have different strategies to stop Liam. Catherine wants to appeal to Liam’s humanity while Vincent just wants to get it over with. Additionally, Catherine insists that Vincent wait for JT to finish the superhuman serum so that if anything should happen, Vincent would have some sort of security. However, time is not of the essence as it always is with these two as JT gets arrested for conspiracy and helping a fugitive. Vincent, wanting to take full responsibility of his actions, does not want his friends to pay for his mistakes. Now this is very characteristic of Vincent. Whenever it comes to Catherine or his friends, Vincent is selfless and always puts others before himself. That’s what makes him such a good guy. Upon learning that JT has been arrested, Vincent decides to confront Liam on his own before things get worse – despite Catherine’s pleading and clear objection. After everything they’ve been through, you’d think Vincent would learn a little something, wouldn’t you?? Yet, I think the “goodness” in Vincent clouds everything else in his mind, including reason, in order to protect those he loves. He’s a hero – but sometimes makes the wrong move. This is what makes Vincent easily fall into Liam’s trap. I must add that during that cemetery scene, I liked the sound of the piano organ in the music. It added a “Halloween-like” spooky touch to it. Back to the plot, Vincent finds himself with no way out as he realizes that he has been framed by Liam. Vincent is given an ultimatum by the DHS: either come clean about the cases or all your friends will be brought into this as well. They’re really in a pickle now! But the fact that Vincent decided to consult Catherine before making his decision shows how far their relationship has gone and how they really are “one.” I had predicted that Vincent and Catherine had to give something up; risk something; in order to defeat Liam. Therefore, the choice to tell the DHS that Vincent is a beast – I completely understand. Vincent’s logic made sense and although ideally, we wished it wouldn’t have gotten to that point – it was the only option for the DHS to understand Vincent and perhaps get their help in capturing Liam.
Now, onto the plan. Up until this point, the plan was to make Liam believe that Vincent was actually captured, leaving behind a miserable Catherine. This would prompt Liam to go after Catherine and here is where she would execute her part of the plan – appealing to his humanity. Then, and only then, would be the perfect time to catch Liam off-guard – when he is vulnerable and least expecting an attack. However, things don’t go as planned. Liam appears at the hospital and kills the asshole DHS agent (thank god, not Agent Russo). But Liam’s a smart guy – he made it seem as if it were Vincent that had killed the guy. I mean if putting on a lab coat is enough to fool anyone, sure. But at least Agent Russo knew that it was Liam, not Vincent. What helps is that Agent Russo knows of Liam and knows that he is a terrorist. And after seeing Liam in the flesh, Agent Russo is on board with Vincent and Catherine’s plan. The bad news is that the asshole DHS agent had alerted SWAT to come over as backup. This causes a change of plans. Vincent is forced to try to escape by jumping off a building and faking death – by stopping his heart. That moment when Vincent bids Catherine goodbye reminded me of all the times they’ve been in situations like this: Vincent on the run, in hiding, being hunted, etc. It was exciting and it got my heart pumping. Effective storytelling! I have to give another shout out to the music department for creating the right emotion in their music. I felt the dramatic tension as Vincent was running for his life. As things do not go as planned, Vincent gets fatally shot and plummets to the ground. Of course, now Catherine is truly concerned for Vincent’s life. As the medics rush to Vincent’s aid, we see Liam standing by. I think he was trying to discern whether or not Vincent was dead. We hear his heartbeat slow down and stop. So although Vincent was supposed to fake his death by stopping his heart, I think Vincent actually died, in effect, causing his heart to stop. This causes Catherine to fall apart, knowing that Vincent might not survive. Again, I must commend Kristin’s acting - communicating a sense of desperation and urgency of the situation, heartache of the possibility of the loss of Vincent, and frustration with herself and the DHS agent. All the while having to leave Vincent behind to keep the plan in motion. She literally was torn. Their only hope was that JT would save Vincent with the superhuman serum. The hard part was that Catherine had to purposely be kept in the dark about Vincent, in order to truly communicate her sorrow, her loss to Liam. I think Catherine honestly doubted whether Vincent would survive or not and so the idea that Vincent could be dead was what made the situation real for Catherine - hence to Liam. But Catherine had to trust in their love; that Vincent would be there; that JT would pull him through. And JT does, albeit with some force, but he managed an amazing feat – bringing his friend back to life. And I love that no matter what situation they finds themselves in, the first thing that pops into Vincent’s head is “Where’s Catherine?” I don’t know if it was his super healing power or not, but Vincent seemed pretty alert and back on his feet – ready to complete the mission.
Meanwhile, Liam finds Catherine in the midst of her moping and she has this look on her face as if saying, “Ah, just as I expected.” What I loved about this scene was the sisterly duo between Catherine and Heather. Heather has truly grown this season, enough to be an official member of team VinCat. And I love how she proves herself useful by pepper spraying Liam on the face, making him easier for Vincent to track. Atta girl! Did Vincent almost kiss her?? Anyways, Liam kidnaps Catherine taking her back to his crib. A very fancy crib at that. And here, I have to shout out to the art department for getting all those awesome props and furniture! It had this antique, timeless feel with a modern touch to it, mostly keeping with the style of the 1800s grandeur. I love this mythology! Anyways, this is where the climax happens. Besides the plan being executed, it is here where we truly understand why Liam is doing what he’s doing. We get to sit down and have a one on one with him through Catherine. Catherine should be a therapist or something. At this point, I learn that Liam doesn’t confuse Catherine for Rebecca anymore?? When did that happen? That means that his only motive for doing this is only because Vincent and Catherine’s relationship reminds him of something he lost and he can’t handle other people being happy. Boo hoo. We also learn that Liam killed Rebecca by exposing her involvement with Alistair. Pretty brutal? And through their conversation, Catherine learns that Liam really has no humanity left. Still, she has hope for him and she tries to convince Liam that he can still turn things around. I think Catherine was truly trying to get to him but at the same time, I think she was also trying to stall him. In so doing, distracting him from his surveillance system (how did he get that??) Catherine brings up a valid point about Liam: he chose to lose his humanity. Liam believes that the only reason that Vincent came back from his primal side was solely because of Catherine. And while Catherine did have a huge part in that, Vincent also had the initiative to be a better man. Vincent wanted to change. Liam did not. And that’s what separates them. I thought it was funny how Catherine accidentally slips up on the plan when she says, ” . . and now . . . “ And Liam says, “Now what?” Oh, right! He’s dead! Sorry! Getting lost in Catherine’s big eyes, I almost felt like she was starting to get to Liam or like Liam began to see something familiar in Catherine – perhaps Rebecca. Perhaps no one had talked to him like that or truly cared for his humanity. But right at that moment is when Liam is most vulnerable and just in the nick of time – Vincent appears and rips his heart out, pretty good. For a moment, I was afraid that Vincent had lost his humanity. I was like,”Nooo!” That plus Catherine’s reaction. I think Catherine was just in shock at Vincent’s brutal attack, mixed with the relief that Vincent was alive, paired with actually feeling sorrow for Liam. Although he was a bad guy, it was actually sad seeing him die. Especially with the look he gave Catherine. But I think it needed to be done. There was nothing else that could be done. There was no salvation for him. He only lived to hurt people. And I think Catherine realizes this as she does not scold Vincent. Instead, the two share a loving hug – similar to the hug after they killed Gabe last season. Awwww. In the end, Vincent and Catherine defeated Liam in a unique way – with each of their strengths. It wasn’t a beast battle like previous seasons – it was a battle for humanity.
Make way for the bride! Yes, although I had predicted otherwise, the wedding did happen. Granted, it was a bit sudden but it worked for me. And here’s why: a) it took place on the rooftop b) they got married with the people they truly considered “family” and c) the chemistry of the group, especially between Jay and Kristin made it very special. I always thought that the rooftop was the perfect choice for the wedding. It represents Vincent and Catherine’s relationship in so many ways. Aside from the great moments on that rooftop, the rooftop provided them a place to have their intimate, stolen moments away from the world. It’s THEIR place where they could be themselves and truly love each other. It’s where their epic romance evolved. The place is filled with warmth, love, and intimacy compared to the big, empty church. The Christmas lights, candles, and flowers added a nice, romantic touch – transforming the rooftop into one of lovely union, not of escape. One of the things I didn’t like about the first wedding was that Vincent and Catherine invited a bunch of people from work – people they probably didn’t even know. What was important was being with the people they cared about and the people who have been with them throughout the whole journey. And that’s what JT, Tess, and Heather are – family. Although pretty small, the group is tight-knit and it fills the void of bodies. Also, how nice is it that your friend gets to marry you? But the key to the wedding was the exchange of vows between Catherine and Vincent. And by that I mean the delivery of Kristin and Jay – depicting a moment that these two characters have wanted for so long and one that they deserved. Kristin’s emotion made the romance feel real and caused butterflies in my stomach! Her eyes just captivate me. She really looks pretty when she gets emotional. And I think what’s important is that Jay and Kristin capture how important this wedding is to them. This isn’t just an ordinary wedding – it’s a special wedding of an epic love. Everything from the small gesture of wiping Catherine’s tears away, the joy in Vincent’s face, and the sudden giggles that Catherine emits – makes the wedding that much more real for me. Although short, I was content with it and am left happy for our characters.
In terms of what is in store of them, who knows? Although our characters got their happy ending, we mustn’t forget that certain things have changed. One, is that Vincent is now a superhuman beast. Two and what may be something we need to worry about more – is that the DHS now know about Vincent. Although the DHS was able to clear the group from any charges, it doesn’t mean that they’re completely off the hook. This makes me feel like these things will resurface again somehow. Additionally, Agent Russo stated that whatever happens from here on out, Vincent and Catherine can’t really be confident that the DHS may back them up. Like Agent Russo said, “The genie’s out of the bottle.” And that means dealing with the implications of that. But for now, we can relish in the idea that everyone is pretty much safe. It has been great getting to review each episode of season 3 and I honestly have no idea what season 4 may bring. Baby, anyone?? Summer 2016 may seem like a long time but until then, we can busy ourselves trying to get a season 5!!! Woot! See you next year!!!