Thoughts on two episodes of Beauty and the Beast

 

Courtesy YouTube/CBS

*Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton) dreams of sharing an idyllic outdoors with Vincent (Ron Perlman)*
"Oh, Vincent."
"Your hair. ... The sunlight in your hair is so beautiful. ... Catherine. ... The colors. It's like another world."
"I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time."
"Where shall we go?"
"Everywhere. I want to show you everything."
"And we can go together?"
"Yes, together."

"Catherine, how can this be?"

"Because it's what I wished for. More than anything."

The word "swoony" kept recurring as I took notes on "A Happy Life" and "Remember Love." Granted, the episodes I chose mostly focused on the taboo but enduring romance between Catherine and Vincent, but my God, I was starting to get overwhelmed by the romance novel vibes. I can't criticize Hamilton and Perlman, nor director Victor Lobl and composer Don Davis. They all fulfilled their duties admirably, selling the over the top scenario. I'm less charitable toward series creator Ron Koslow, who wrote "Life." Catherine, feeling an intense burst of grief on the 20th anniversary of her mom's death, shares most but not all of her and Vincent's story to both a psychiatrist (Sam Freed) and her childhood friend Nancy (Betsy Brantley), a suburban wife and mother. Dr. Grafton remains a pro, which is better than I could do when facing such an information-withholding patient.

I'm not going to lie. I've gotten emotionally involved in the fate of TV couples. Catherine and Vincent's story is moving, so long as you can get past the coy and wishy-washy qualities. After a while, I groaned whenever we were reminded of how Catherine could not be expected to make a life for herself in The World Below, nor Vincent knowing he would not be accepted in New York City. "Love," by Virginia Aldridge, upped the dramatic stakes by reminded Vincent and viewers of how essential he is in The World Below. Denied a visit with Catherine to her favorite childhood lake, Vincent despairs and is led by her spirit on an It's a Wonderful Life-style journey to see people whose lives are worse because he died as an infant. Father (Roy Dotrice) is a shantytown dweller beaten up by a vigilante. Catherine was still attacked and hasn't recovered from it. She's married to an unworthy man and ... scared by Vincent on her terrace, ends up shooting him to death!

One of the things I have most about adaptations of young adult dystopian fiction is when we're hit over the head with how special the little brats are. I was reminded of that when Beast talked about how important and special Catherine is, how essential her life above ground is. Granted, I only watched two episodes of Beast, so maybe she did prove her worth in the legal field. Beast was actually one of the first shows I considered for Thoughts On, back in 2013. This experience gave me an idea of what to expect -- any show that has Tony Jay (as Paracelsus, Father's former best friend and ultimate enemy) cannot be completely written off. I just wish things weren't so damn mushy.

"I dreamed of this."

"The two of us, in the sunshine. ... Vincent, you are so beautiful."

"Catherine, I'm a part of you. What you see in me is the beauty in your heart."

"It's all so perfect. ... This moment. ... I've never been so happy."

"If only it could last forever."

"It can. It will. I love you so much."

*Catherine moves forward to kiss Vincent, but he changes to Buddy, who had asked her out earlier*

Thoughts:

-- "I thought I'd lost you." "Oh, Vincent. Don't you know? You could never lose me. We could never lose each other. As long as we remember." "Remember." "Remember love." Catherine's spirit already said those words, so it does take away a little of the finale's impact.

-- Also, from a 2021 perspective, the blatant "you better keep watching after the commercials" hooks in "Love," like Paracelsus revealing his blade, are chuckle-worthy.

-- Awards Watch: The series, Perlman and Koslow's pilot script were Emmy nominees in 1988. A year later, the nominees were the series, Perlman and Hamilton. Perlman received the Golden Globe in 1989, while Hamilton won the Saturn Award for her work in 1988-89.

-- I see that Beauty's first season Halloween episode had Vincent able to freely roam above ground without attracting attention. It's interesting that they never did an episode where Vincent resembles an everyday man and/or one where Catherine resembles Vincent. Maybe the fanbase (and/or Linda) wouldn't have approved. Anyway, the clip I gifed was from a CBS promo.

-- Fanservice Junction: Hamilton's most notable outfits in these two episodes are white-for-virgin gowns, but she begins "Life" in a blue floral camisole.

-- The World Below is mighty opulent, what with the automatic doors, spiral staircases, antique furniture, stained glass windows and antique books. Oh yes, and THE WATERFALL. I'm glad Vincent and Catherine had a waterfall to hang out by.

-- I've never watched The CW's remake. I do remember the hooting and howling of the change from Perlman in full makeup the whole time to Jay Ryan, whose Vincent would transform when enraged. This:

via Amazon

Versus this ...

via Pinterest/Entertainment Weekly

-- Not to be crass, but I wonder if Beauty and the Beast was a favorite among agoraphobics. They maybe could relate to Vincent's inability to be a part of conventional society?

-- "I used to come here when I was a child, to wonder about such places (as in poetry). How it would feel to lie in a meadow, under the warm sun, to see the night sky full of stars."

-- Next: L.A. Law. On deck: St. Elsewhere.