5 Reasons 'Beauty and the Beast' Deserves a Third Season

Beauty and the Beast is home to a fandom in turmoil. With its ratings slipping, and a controversial move to the summer for the remainder of its second season, the show is clearly in danger of cancellation. But does this have to be the end? Admittedly, the show hasn't always been a ratings powerhouse, yet I would argue the show still has considerable value to the network. Here are 5 reasons I think Beauty and the Beast deserves a third season, even if just a limited run on Friday nights in the fall, a la Nikita. Let's get to it!

5 Reasons Beauty and the Beast Deserves a Third Season

(In no particular order)

Credit: The CW

Adaptability: Why Change Is a Good Thing

I feel like one of the things that gets lost in most estimations of Beauty and the Beast is that it actually possesses a remarkable penchant for adaptability. In its short life so far, the show has already worn a variety of different skins, some with greater success than others. When it first began in the fall of 2012, Beauty and the Beast was basically a police procedural in the mold of the original CBS series from which it was loosely adapted. Each week, we'd see Catherine (Kristin Kreuk) and Tess (Nina Lisandrello) solving crimes that would occasionally involve the assistance of Vincent (Jay Ryan). In a sense, the developing relationship between Vincent and Catherine, as well as the ongoing Muirfield intrigue, felt like something that was going on in the background. This is why, at the time, I didn't think the show really worked, since the crimes themselves were never the show's strongest suit, and they often pushed the more interesting developments and character interactions off to the side.

But after the show received a full season order, and the creative forces behind the series had the comfort of an extended run, the show began to shift. Not unlike Vincent going through one of his changes, the show itself evolved and became something else entirely. Gone were the tangential cases of the week, gone were the rote procedural aspects. And in its place came a greater emphasis on sci-fi/supernatural storytelling, with the battle against Muirfield providing the driving narrative of the season, in addition to the deeper connection that developed between Vincent and Catherine. In effect, the show had gone from being a crime drama to being a supernatural genre series with light fantasy elements.

And it was outstanding.

Credit: The CW

Seriously, Beauty and the Beast is just plain fun in a way that not many shows are in primetime. It transitions pretty seamlessly between action-adventure, high romance, supernatural, and crime drama. And that can be an asset to a network that doesn't always have the benefit of programming pairs that match. Sure, you can move The Carrie Diaries to Fridays, but was it ever going to pair that well with Nikita? Is The Vampire Diaries really going to sync up with Reign? In a TV climate where themed blocs are more important than one might think, it helps to have a show on the schedule that can be anything the network needs it to be. Need a fantasy romance to go with Star-Crossed? Need an action-adventure serial to go with Arrow or The Tomorrow People? Need a dark, supernatural drama to go with The Vampire Diaries or Supernatural? Beauty and the Beast can be any one of those things, and often within the same season. Moreover, it can be a damn good show in any one of those skins, which is a value that can't be overstated.

Credit: The CW

The Cast: When a Group Clicks Like Legos

The big bonus of having a good cast is that even when the scripts don't always work on the page, the actors can make it click onscreen. However, the big drawback to having a truly talented ensemble is that a good cast doesn't always draw attention to itself. This is pretty much the problem Beauty and the Beast has faced, in my opinion. When you have people as comfortable in their roles as Nina Lisandrello and Austin Basis, it's easy to overlook how good they are. It wasn't until I saw Lisandrello on an old episode of Law & Order that I came to first recognize the skill behind what she does on Beauty and the Beast, since Tess could have easily been a complete throwaway character, a wise-crackin' sidekick with nothing going on beneath the surface. Yet there's so much more to her than that. Ditto JT, who could have fulfilled a similar comic relief role, and little else. But there's a pathos beneath that character, not just from JT's guilt over being indirectly responsible for Vincent's predicament, but also from the recognition that Vincent is pretty much all he has. It's almost a disservice to call it a "bromance" since the ties run much deeper than getting drunk together and talking about their love lives in-between solving crimes. There's a history there, and the credit to the performances are in the fact that we don't really need to know how every single day, month, or year has transpired between Vincent and JT, because we can read it all in their interactions with one another. In the ease of their bond, and also the ways in which they look out for each other. It's the same way with Cat and Tess. It isn't all wise cracks and complaining about guys.

Similarly, Vincent and Cat probably wouldn't be as compelling a romance if it weren't Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk in the lead roles. They manage to make their characters independently interesting, as opposed to just situationally so. And that's a key point of difference, because these performances have actually evolved a fair deal over time. For instance, what interested me about Kreuk at the start of the series was in how she portrayed Cat as someone who tried hard to hide the giant chip on her shoulder. A lot of crummy stuff has happened to her, and she frequently came across as though she was trying to be the big girl who could rise above it all. However, it wasn't until later in season one, after things started to get serious with Vincent, that the character opened up to where she seemed to allow herself to admit that she wasn't okay. Sure, life never got any easier for Cat, but she at least seemed to be at a point where she didn't feel the need to put on a "brave face" anymore. And Kreuk did tremendous work with that journey, particularly since it made Cat exponentially more likable and relatable (not that she wasn't before, but it was a huge leap forward for her character's upside).

What got me about Ryan, meanwhile, was in how Vincent went through various phases of aggressiveness unrelated to his actual transformations. He starts out the series as fairly reckless, throwing himself into harm's way, and only pulling back because discovery means death for JT too. However, once Catherine comes into the picture, we see Vincent change his approach from strictly seeking vigilante justice, to making the safety of his loved ones a priority. It brought out a selflessness to his character that, while on the page, wouldn't have been nearly as effective onscreen without an actor to communicate that restrained intensity. It also speaks volumes of Ryan's ability that he could turn that entire character on a dime in season two, making Vincent into a singularly selfish character (well, during the "gem necklace" arc anyway) that in no way resembled his season one counterpart, so that when the old Vincent finally did return, it felt as though the character had experienced a real change. This was a more mature Vincent than even in season one, as he not only acknowledges his errors and the ways in which he's put loved ones in danger, but also resolves not to make those mistakes again. And because Ryan is so sincere in his performance, we believe Vincent. It's that knack for leavening intensity with sincerity that makes Ryan effective. And it's the ability to pair the cast off in just about any combination that makes the show work as well as it does, since this is a cast that has done the legwork of building their respective characters from the ground up. It's all far more impressive than is ever mentioned.

Credit: The CW

Foreign Exchange: The Value of International Dollars and Why Ratings Aren't Everything

While the show has taken a beating in the ratings stateside, it's worth noting that Beauty and the Beast has an international following. And not just on Twitter, but in quantifiable viewership. The series is actually quite successful in Spain, averaging over a million viewers each week. It's those international rights fees that help foot the bill for production costs back home, as shows that are more popular globally can still win renewals if overseas markets gravitate to the show. Hell, it's part of the reason why CBS brought back Unforgettable, which scores higher ratings in France than it does here!

Of course, this isn't to say that the underwhelming ratings the show receives in the States should be overlooked. But with the model for television changing with each passing year, those numbers seem to be less and less relevant to whether a show can actually be profitable. For instance, new TV shows are now available after airing on platforms such as iTunes and Amazon, providing an additional revenue stream for networks. In addition, DVR and online viewership have only recently started to be counted, as fewer people actually watch TV live anymore. This is an important distinction since a show's success is about a lot more than its ratings on a given night. It's about ascertaining how many people actually do watch a show within the seven day period since it airs, since that's how a show can be sold to advertisers, with the guarantee that a product marketed to a certain demographic will reach that demographic if the product is advertised during that program. Admittedly, it's probably harder to know whom you're reaching when viewership patterns move to online outlets, but I feel we're slowly leaving the age of the "Nielsen family." Seriously, how many households even have a Nielsen box these days? I'm genuinely asking. I mean, do you? (And if you aren't sure, then the answer is no)

By leaning so hard on ratings to be the indicator of success, networks are ignoring an entire segment of the fanbase that doesn't have a Nielsen box, and whose views aren't counted. Only through social media and other online avenues (such as iTunes purchases, YouTube channel subscriptions, etc.) can networks really get a sense for just how many people watch a show, and whether that's a number worth keeping as a bargaining chip with advertisers. I don't know how many people watch Beauty and the Beast worldwide, but if it's anything near what the fan community suggests, I'd argue it deserves one more go-around.

And while we're on that topic...

Credit: Sven Frenzel/The CW

The Passion of the Beasties: When Fans Are More Than Just Fans

I've been reviewing TV for a good while now, and I'm not sure I've ever seen (or been a part of) a fan community as intensely loyal, and fervently passionate as the "Beasties" who've taken Beauty and the Beast as their own. On any given Monday (or any Thursday, back in season one), Beauty and the Beast would be among the most socially-active shows on Twitter, with episode titles and other buzz phrases (#SaveEvanMarks) trending. And while some might argue that Twitter doesn't actually translate into currency, I think there's a lot to be said for a show that's as popular on social media as #BATB. There's a clear indication of loyalty, which is why I'm bringing up "The Friday Proposal" once again.

Beasties have shown a willingness to follow the show wherever it goes. Sure, the number has shrunk since last season, but there's still a core collective of fiercely loyal viewers who will stick with the show. And that could be a real asset to Friday nights, an evening that is notorious for being the graveyard for network TV. It's a show that hardly any network can find success with, and many networks struggle to find a programming block that can maintain even the most minimally loyal audience. Yet I think Beauty and the Beast can be that tentpole Friday drama for The CW, providing the network with a show that could bump its Friday numbers up a peg by offering a consistent audience it can always depend upon. I'm not saying Beauty and the Beast is going to make Friday a hugely successful night or anything, but given how badly The Carrie Diaries hemorrhaged on Fridays, I'm not sure any show could do worse. And they really need a show that can keep Friday from being a complete loss. So why not Beauty and the Beast?

This is without even mentioning that the show picked up three People's Choice Awards, or the fact that, completely independent of any involvement with the network or creative forces behind the show, Beasties raised over $15,000 for Diabetes research (in recognition of Austin Basis, who is afflicted himself). The project exceeded its goal by $5,000, and illustrated the tremendous dedication fans have to this program, and how deeply committed they are. Basically, I've never seen anything like this before, not even during my teen years as a rabid Roswell fan. Back then, diehards sent a bunch of Tabasco sauce bottles to The WB offices as part of the renewal campaign (since the aliens on the series put that s*** on everything) and the dedication allowed the show to make it to three seasons, in which the show told its full, complete story. So, once again, why not Beauty and the Beast? If nothing else, the $15,000 for JDRF, the leader in Diabetes research, would make for incredible PR for the network. (And hey, maybe Beasties will thank the network for a third/final season renewal by not deciding to boycott The CW in protest! Not that anyone will actually do that, but ya gotta keep these things in mind, CW!)

Credit: The CW

The Quality Factor: Basically, It's Just Plain Good

I made mention in my first point that Beauty and the Beast has been a show that has gone through a lot of changes. Similarly, it's gone through a lot of ups and downs. Tori was a divisive character, and her storyline left a lot of fans cold on the show. Ditto the amnesia storyline, which snatched away the Vincent we liked in the first season, and replaced him with a guy most fans hardly recognized. And yet, even in its darkest moments, we had episodes like "Ancestors" which brought out the show's fun side, and "Man or Beast?" which brought the show to some truly engrossing dramatic heights. The show hasn't always been perfect, but I'd argue it's almost always been compelling, thanks to a terrific cast, some solid writing, and a tone that manages to both acknowledge the dramatic weight of the stories, while also not taking itself so seriously that it alienates people. One of the most unfortunate consequences of those first thirteen episodes in season one is that many critics dismissed the show out of hand when it wasn't at its strongest, and plenty of viewers were right there with them. But so much would change in the coming weeks, even before that 13-episode run was finished, and so many people have completely missed out on what a fun, vibrant, enthralling, compelling series this has become. It's not just dramatically potent and gripping from week-to-week, it's also absolutely binge-worthy, which should make it welcoming for newcomers who want to hop on the bandwagon before it's too late.

Credit: The CW

Conclusion

Beauty and the Beast is a show that is far greater than the sum of its parts, even while those individual components are excellent in and of themselves. For the show to end here, when it's at its creative and dramatic peak (and anyone who needs an illustration why, feel free to read my reviews, which get more into detail on the thematic and dramatic nuance of each episode than I can in the limited time I have now), would be such an unfortunate loss. To lose the show now would leave so much potential on the table, and I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't genuinely believe that keeping Beauty and the Beast around for a third and final season would be in The CW's best interest. Shows don't get a following like this without being something special.