Beauty and the Beast - Season 1 Episode 10 - Recap and Review - Winter Premiere - Seeing Red
Recap and review of Beauty and the Beast - Season 1 Episode 10 - Winter Premiere - Seeing Red
Clarity of purpose can go a long way in refining a show's storytelling, as it creates a sense of confidence in the narrative that shines through. It feels as though Beauty and the Beast is finally discovering that purpose, which is perhaps why "Seeing Red" comes across as such a confidently, well-told story. It's focused in a way that few episodes of this series ever have been, given the amount of problems still plaguing the show. But this episode has been the best illustration of what the show is capable of doing when the narrative excesses of procedural storytelling are put aside in favor of a more human, if not relatable, story. For me, this was the best episode of the series by a mile, and it gives me at least some level of confidence that the show has finally found out what it wants to be, and will be making strides towards being a series that worries less about the complexities of plot, and more on the subtlety and nuances of character, which is often the foundation of any good drama, whether it's on HBO or on The CW.
Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
We open on the aftermath of Cat's near-fatal encounter with a disgruntled villain of the week in the winter finale. Evan (Max Brown) and Heather (Nicole Anderson) discover Cat (Kristin Kreuk) unconscious on the road after Vincent (in Beast mode) ripped off the door to her car and carried her to safety. Vincent doesn't stick around to see Evan work his magic, saving Cat's life with his medical training by preventing her from bleeding out on the road. Yet this is all prologue to the main thrust of the episode, as Vincent (Jay Ryan) disguises himself as a doctor and visits Cat while she's recovering in the hospital - where he's recognized by one of the nurses...his ex-fiance, Alex Salter (Bridget Regan).
Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
The introduction of Alex presents an obstacle to a romance that had seemed like a foregone conclusion in the winter finale, and even more set-in-stone at the start of the episode, as Cat tells Vincent that she accepts Vincent for who he is - all of him. Yet Alex's presence upends the burgeoning romance, even though Vincent does his best to ignore her upon seeing her in a crowd at the hospital (despite Alex's loud, emotional pleas to be recognized). Vincent has done his best, over the years and, particularly, in recent weeks, to forget who he'd been before Muirfield. He could try to ignore Alex, but he comes to realize, to a very real extent, that pretending she doesn't exist would do a disservice both to her, and to the person he's become - in a sense, he can't grow until he negotiates whatever feelings still remain for Alex. To this end, he meets with her discreetly. Alex experiences conflicting feelings of surprise, sadness, and disbelief, as Vincent tells her the story of his black ops work, stopping just short of revealing to her the nature of his transformation. He tells her that she can't afford to be seen with him, as the people who are after him will come after her. Yet, when Alex tearfully asks if she'll ever see him again, we cut away, to leave the question hanging in the air.
Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
While it's not a question that permeates the rest of the episode, it does address whether Alex is or isn't still at the forefront of Vincent's mind. This theme works because Bridget Regan, despite not really being given much to work with, remains an alluring presence that goes beyond her simply being beautiful. There's a woundedness to her, a need to be protected, that seems to speak to Vincent. Hell, it speaks to Cat too, as she learns that Alex is being stalked and, fearing that Muirfield is after her, gets out of her hospital bed to track Alex down before it's too late. And luckily, she isn't too late, as she is able to interrupt an attack by Alex's stalker, who is holding a knife to her neck and chastising her for being with "that soldier boy". Alex and Cat develop an acquaintance as Cat investigates the stalker, discovering pictures of Alex and Vincent together - it's fairly moving, as we can pretty much see the thoughts play themselves out in Kristin Kreuk's eyes, how she's seeing Vincent as a different person, a normal person, even a happy person, for the first time.
Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
Vincent arrives to aid in the investigation, further expanding on his emotional conflict of interest when Alex volunteers to use herself as bait to draw out the perpetrator. This leads to the climax in which the plan goes haywire, Alex is abducted, and Vincent has to come to her rescue. Turns out the perpetrator is an ex of Alex's who is having a hard time letting her go, particularly now that Vincent is apparently back in the picture. Vincent easily dispatches of the man after hulking out into his Beast form (and we get an even better look at his form, up close, with its leathery skin and puffy lips - I swear, his Beast face never looks the same way twice). Oh, and Vincent apparently has night vision now? Either way, he saves the day and embraces Alex, just in time for Cat to see that Vincent probably still has some lingering feelings he needs to work out. Later that night, she tells him they can't move forward together, though Vincent things this is a total cop out, although for once, I'm not sure he's entirely right for grilling her. There's obviously still something there. And I can certainly appreciate the narrative taking a few twists and turns to delay the inevitable Vincent/Cat hookup. The longer they put off the payoff, the more gratifying it will eventually be.
Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
As for other developments, Tess (Nina Lisandrello) reveals to Cat that there might be something developing between her and Joe Bishop (Brian J. White), their captain...who is married. Meanwhile, Evan is getting closer to discovering the truth about Vincent, tracking down J.T. (Austin Basis) at the college and asking him for his help in getting to the bottom of his cross-species DNA discovery. I like the implications of this conflict of interest between J.T.'s ambitions and his loyalty to Vincent, though I'd be positively floored if his loyalty to Vincent didn't win out in the end. But that doesn't mean there isn't good drama to be mined from the pursuit.
Ultimately, "Seeing Red" is as enjoyable an hour as this show has ever produced, and while on the surface that might not be saying much, the series deserves to be commended for finding its legs, somewhat. This was a focused episode that told a solid story with some interesting implications for down the line. For Beauty and the Beast, that's all I'm really asking for right now.
