Four years of stolen moments. Four years of rooftops. Four years of fire escapes. Four years of a remarkable show and fandom. While Beauty and the Beast may not have been one of the more bigger popular shows on television, it did manage to capture the most loyal and powerful fan base in the history of television (and go on to win three People's Choice Awards - going for the 4th!). Thanks to social media, fans found a place where they could express and share their passion for the show - and while this also invites negativity and nastiness - it didn't. Instead, we found a community of people who not only supported the show but also helped spread a wave of positivity and encouragement in a world where cyber bullying and Twitter rants are very common. But why this show? What about this show made so many people invest their time and energy to a tv show? After all, it is completely based on fictional scenarios and characters that live in a world unfamiliar to us - and yet, it isn't. The answer lies in its message: that love conquers all - and that doesn't seem so far from reality. In a world that is seemingly getting more and more violent, negative, and distant, it's refreshing to see a show that reminds us of the power of love and the light that is brought out of the darkness. "Saving each other" wasn't just referring to Vincent and Catherine, it was referring to the idea that love has the power to heal any broken soul. And while there may not be any beasts in our world, metaphorically speaking, we all do have our "inner beasts" that sometimes just escape from our control. Just as we all have an "inner beauty" waiting to be discovered. We all have something of ourselves that we're ashamed of; that we try to hide - whether it be something physical or behavioral - but the person who loves us doesn't try to hide those things about you. Instead, they encourage you to grow comfortable with it and love yourself for who you are. Thus, Vincent and Catherine's romance gives us hope that there is someone out there who will understand and learn to love the darker parts of you.
Beauty and the Beast was first written in 1740 by a French novelist named Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villanueve. It was then rewritten in 1756 by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont - which is the version we're most familiar with. Legend has it that the story was based on a real person - the story of Petrus Gonsalvus. He was born with a rare medical condition known as hypertrichosis where abnormal amounts of hair grow all over your body to the point where you don't even look human. Long story short, this "beast" ended up marrying and falling in love with a beautiful woman named Catherine. Familiar anyone? According to records, this love story took place in the late 16th century and was what ultimately inspired the story of "Beauty and the Beast." From then on, people were fascinated with this story. How could a hideous beast win the affection of a beautiful woman?? As time proves, people never got tired of hearing it. We've seen multiple adaptations of it to this day - including literature, plays, television, songs, and film. In 1987, CBS premiered a new version of the famous tale - placing the "beast" in modern day New York City. An interesting choice to take the classic fairy tale and contemporize it. And of course in 1991, Disney released the famous animated classic full of dancing teapots and unforgettable music. And it doesn't stop there as Disney plans to release a new live-action version of the tale next year! Looking forward to that one!
With all of this history behind it, the CW had to find a way to reimagine Beauty and the Beast in a new and refreshing way for an audience in the 21st century. Thus, the creators decided to keep the contemporary approach that the 1987 series initiated but also made sure to make the show their own. What we ended up with was a very gritty, modern, and stylized version of the story. It brought it into a world that we could understand and relate to - a post 9/11 world. We've all been there. We remember it. We live in that world today as the events that unfolded that day never leave our thoughts. To include the significance of those events in Vincent's backstory grounded the show in reality and made us quickly understand Vincent’s character. Although the show was a multitude of things - mystery/procedural/drama/fantasy/mythology - it still kept its focus on the core of the story - the romance. Thus, it was important to cast two leads that would be able to beautifully tell that story together. Enter Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk. I have never seen such chemistry as I have seen with these two. In fact, it was solely their chemistry in one particular scene that caught my attention and sucked me into the show (season 1, episode 6, where Vincent beautifully tells Catherine that he isn’t worthy of her love). From that moment on I was hooked and I knew that I would never find a show that made me feel the way Beauty and the Beast did.
Season 1 was the most romantic season - at least to me. It didn’t matter if they were together or not - it was the process of them falling in love that made me look forward to each episode - to see these two people bring down their walls. Aside from Jay and Kristin’s sizzling chemistry on screen, there was also this additional element of “secret encounters” a.k.a stolen moments. There’s nothing more exciting than having a secret love or a secret crush because it’s yours to have - it’s intimate. And we get to see that with Vincent and Catherine whom had to see each other in secret - away from everyone else, away from the world. And although Catherine had a pretty good life set for her, we understood why Catherine wanted to rush through her day so that she could spend an evening with Vincent. I mean, who wouldn’t? And it’s in this season, where we establish the significance of the rooftop, the fire escape, and the little handwritten notes. And although the show was still finding itself and its characters, it’s still the one season I point to and say “that’s Beauty and the Beast.” There’s also the additional added drama of “Will they?” or “Won’t they?” Of course, we know how the story ends but the circumstances that Vincent was in, made it almost impossible for him to be with Catherine. And to see them slowly being drawn closer and closer each week was what made the romance that much more palpable. And who could forget the first kiss scene? I vividly remember watching that moment and feeling my heart beat along with them. I was squealing with glee as if they were real people. I ran off to class with butterflies in my stomach and I thought, “Man! This is why people watch tv shows! I get it! This is good storytelling! They made me feel!” And it’s moments like these that made the show unique for me. No other show has ever made me feel that way and that’s why season one holds a special place in my heart.
We picked up the story again with season 2 which was the darkest and grittiest season of the series. And I'm pretty sure for some of you it stands as your least favorite season. Taking the show into a new direction was certainly a bold creative choice but it was enough to drive a lot of people away from the show - except for us loyal beasties, who stayed until the end. And it's not just because the Vincent we knew and loved became someone unrecognizable, or because Vincent and Catherine weren't together - in fact, they broke up, or the fact that Catherine shot Vincent, or that Vincent struck Catherine, or that Catherine slept with Gabe, or that Vincent slept with Tori . . . needless to say, the "darkness" from season two stems from the exploration of Vincent's beast and what it meant for Catherine to have a relationship with a beast. Up until this point, the Vincent we knew was hardly a beast - he was a sweet and caring man. If Vincent became the killing machine that he was intended to be, would Catherine be able to save him? More importantly, who would Vincent be without Catherine? And who would Catherine be without Vincent? With self exploration being the central theme for each character, it was necessary to have them apart - so that we may look at them individually. Without Catherine, Vincent became the aggressive and vengeful soldier - completely losing his humanity and his purpose in life. Without Vincent, Catherine became weak, vulnerable, and obsessive. And we see this in the season opener - she's become so attached to this man, that when he is taken away - her entire life falls apart. That's not good. And who takes advantage of this situation? Gabe. Who, by the way, should've died last season. Now, Catherine did a lot of things I did not agree with. But, the worst decision ever was to be with Gabe. And while we may dislike certain character's decisions, what's important is that we look at the value and significance of those decisions. It's where we get the most growth from a character. But back to the love square, although I didn't like it, I can understand Vincent and Tori's fling a little more than "Globerine." Why, you may ask?? Well, it's simple biology. The only reason Vincent ever touched Tori was because his primal instincts took over his rational human instincts. And it was clearly noted that whenever Tori and Vincent were in close proximity, they affected each other on a primal level. So much so, that their "beasts" took over any coherent thought. Vincent never liked Tori. And from that perspective, I can understand why Vincent would've had a relationship with Tori - it was something beyond his control. Catherine is an ordinary human. All she had to say was "No." Anyway, the important thing to take away from this season, is how Vincent and Catherine found their way back to each other - more importantly, how Vincent found himself and the path that led to Catherine. A welcome challenge for Jay that he nailed - he made us dislike a character we loved and then make us like him again. Darn, Jay Ryan and his charm! We also got one of the best villains of the series - in my opinion - Daddy Reynolds. His complex relationship with his daughter and his mysterious past make for great dramatic suspense and I wished things would’ve ended better with him. Aside from the exploratory character arcs, we also were introduced to the mythology behind the story - which ties Catherine more closely to the beast world - and the concept of destiny - which makes the love story even that more epic.
From here on out, we started getting shorter seasons which allowed for a more concise and focused plot. Season 3 opens with Vincent and Catherine getting engaged, thus already establishing a lighter tone in comparison to the previous season. Things seem much more optimistic, comedic bits are seen more often between characters, and things just seem to be brighter. Maybe it's because of what Heather (now a series regular) brings to the show, or because we knew that Vincent and Catherine weren't going to break up, or simply because Vincent and Catherine were leading a somewhat "normal" life. They both had full time jobs, a place to live, and no longer had to live in hiding. Vincent could fit in just like everyone else. What seemed impossible in season one was now possible - even marriage. And although we want Vincent and Catherine to be happy, it did take away from the excitement of the drama from season one. All those jitters were gone. And we just had to accept that their relationship had moved on to a stage that was much more mature and serious. Gone was the exciting young love from season one. And this was a major complaint that many fans had about the direction of the show. It seemed that there was an overall shift to having more focus on character development and storytelling rather than the romantic bits fans loved. Perhaps it's because there was not enough time in the season or perhaps a different writing team, or perhaps because "telling a good story" had more of an artistic value than romantic, luvy duvy scenes. I did miss the spark but I do value the focus on character development because it allowed the actors to shine with highlight performances. However, there were two things that frustrated me throughout the season: for one, Catherine's inconsistency and two, the Julianna/Liam arc. For every argument that Vincent had with Catherine, I found myself never agreeing with Catherine's point of view. She came off as annoying, controlling, and selfish. And this was not the Catherine we knew from previous seasons. It took her a long time to finally come around. On the other hand, Liam was one of the best villains of the series and was cheated of a great arc and of actual story time due to Julianna's character - whom I felt was unnecessary. On the bright side, we did get a happy ending and our characters grew a lot through the duration of the season.
Season 4 was the most retrospective and cohesive season. It fell short of creating a compelling villain but its strengths lie with the characters, the themes, and the performances that elevate this season and enrichen the beloved show. With Vincent and Catherine being married, their relationship stays steady throughout. As it was with season three, we continue to get the same "cute" and "playful" Vincent and Catherine instead of the "passionate" and "sexy" Vincent and Catherine. I like seeing both aspects of the relationship but I believe that there needs to be a balance to keep the romance alive in the show. This season included a bit more intimacy but still did not venture far and got nowhere close to those intimate scenes in season one. The group chemistry was better than ever and I enjoyed seeing each character deal with their own struggles and figure out how they fit in with the group. What helped ground this final season was revisiting themes and moments from previous seasons - especially season one. It touched our soft spots for season one and reminded us of when we first fell in love with this story. And it felt nostalgic. Especially now, when our characters find themselves in very different places than they were in the beginning. Characters confronted their pasts and reexamined the importance of the people around them. And we went all the way back to the beginning - to the very roots of these characters that wove them to be who they are today. These types of character studies make the characters feel much more rounded, layered, and relatable. And these are the studies I enjoy. Who makes someone who they are? Why do they act or behave in a certain manner? Thus, a treat for the actors. And we could see how well Jay knows Vincent and how well Kristin knows Catherine - for they both delivered emotional performances in key moments where their characters were either vulnerable or broken, in the process revealing some hidden truth or discovery about themselves. Hence, I liked that the last two seasons have been character and performance driven because it's through these that we can appreciate and understand our characters. Plotwise, I wished we could've gotten a more interesting subplot other than "someone's always trying to hunt, kill, frame, or use Vincent for x,y, & z" BUT, such is the life of a beast. I also wished that Vincent and Catherine's relationship could've gotten further. Last season we ended with them getting married - a definite goal. And while this season their relationship did grow, there wasn't any actual "marker" for their growth as a couple. Which is why I shipped that baby so hard! But at least we can rest in peace knowing that Vincent and Catherine are not "resting in peace" themselves - but are very much enjoying their new life as Adam and Belle.
In sum, the show had it’s ups and downs but I enjoyed the places that the characters were taken. Every Thursday night, the show provided some sort of comfort or hope, providing an opportunity to escape our world and live in Vincent and Catherine’s world. I'm thankful for the show's run and the fact that it has inspired so many people. It made me realize the power that storytelling has and the power of love. And if a show has the ability to reach so many people across the globe and over seas, it’s probably because it has a worthy message. And while we won't be seeing Beauty and the Beast on our tv anymore, the beauty of it is that we will never get tired of rewatching the series over and over again. The moments, the sounds, the places, and the feelings associated with this show will stay with us forever. In the end, it may all be just a fantasy but the emotions and the feelings are real. The hundreds of people who made this show possible - the creators, the writers, the producers, the cast, the crew, the network, Mark Pedowitz - to them, it was their craft. And did it to the best of their abilities. It shows and we appreciate that. Because these people have left something very special behind for us - it may just be show to add to the history of Beauty and the Beast adaptations, but to us, it’s a unique show that takes that classic tale and places it within a contemporary setting. But more importantly, it’s a show that has heart - in all forms. And with that, we close this chapter and look forward to experiencing our own love stories. They may not be as epic but at least you can be grateful that there are no beasts in our world :) Thanks for reading!