Beauty and the Beast...bang or bust?

I blogged a few months ago on how excited I was to see the new lineup of shows that were set to hit the air in the fall, especially Beauty and the Beast. Not only as a child was I obsessed with watching the Disney movie, but instantly I was interested as it has that paranormal romance element that I am hooked on.

Two weeks in and I'm still undecided if I like it enough to watch them or PVR them every week or just watch them if I happen to catch it and nothing else is on television. There are elements that I really enjoy and then other elements that leaving me smacking my hand against my forehead.

Things I liked:
I loved the girl-power between the heroine and her homicide detective partner. They are strong, tough females that rely and trust each other. From Ella's blog post last week, this is a nice heroine-strong show with Cat, the heroine that is not only uber strong, but she's a girl. At the end of the first episode, she even puts on a dress.

The backstory on the "beast", Vincent Keller was really well done. He was a medical resident when his brothers died in 9/11 and enraged he joined the army only to enlist in a top secret project that turned him into the "beast".  This seems realistic and the whole government cover up feels like it "could happen". :) (I have a wild imagination, so bare with me!)

The backstory on "beauty", Cat Chandler is also interesting. I also liked how instead of playing the victim, Cat tries to do something about it and continues to hunt for answers on her mother's murder. She now works as a homicide detective.

Some of the writing is witty, with cute one-liners, especially from Vincent's BFF, J.T. Forbes.

Things I didn't like:
In the first episode, Cat stops doing her job to protect Vincent, which I doubt a cop would actually do. That seemed out of character for her and a cop, so I didn't like that. There were also some little ends that weren't tied up, which makes me a little grumpy.

And although I totally get not taking no for an answer, Cat just keeps bugging Vincent and it's clear that he doesn't want to be bothered.

So all in all, I think that I did enjoy watching Beauty and the Beast, and I will tune in next week. Did you catch any of it? Did you want to watch it? If you did, what did you think?

Thanks for reading!

R.J.

In case, you've missed it, here is the blurb on the show from the CW:
CW's Guide for Beauty and the Beast

Catherine “Cat” Chandler (Kristin Kreuk, "Smallville,” “Chuck”) is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective, who is haunted by her own tragic past. When she was a teenager, Cat witnessed the murder of her mother at the hands of two gunmen. Cat would have been killed too, but someone – or something – saved her. No one has ever believed her, but she knows it wasn’t an animal that attacked the assassins…though it was strange and terrifying, it was human.

Years have passed, and although she thinks about her mother every day, Cat is now strong and confident, a capable police detective working with her equally talented partner, Tess Vargas (Nina Lisandrello, “Nurse Jackie”). The two women make a good team, and have become close friends while working on countless homicide cases under the supervision of their tough-but-fair boss, Joe Bishop (Brian White, “The Shield,” “The Cabin in the Woods”). Cat has also become close to another co-worker, the medical examiner Evan Marks (Max Brown, “The Tudors,” “MI-5”), and they’ve developed a fun, flirtatious relationship that could easily turn into something deeper – if Cat would let that happen. However, much to the concern of her younger sister, Heather (Nicole Gale Anderson, "Make It or Break It"), Cat’s romantic inclinations tend toward bad boys.

While investigating a new case Cat and Tess discover fingerprints that lead to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan, “Terra Nova”), who was reportedly killed by enemy fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. Digging deeper, Cat learns that Vincent is actually still alive. For mysterious reasons that have forced him to live outside of traditional society, Vincent has been in hiding for the past 10 years. With the help of his childhood friend J.T. Forbes (Austin Basis, “Life Unexpected”), Vincent has been able to guard his terrible secret – when he is enraged, he becomes a terrifying beast, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses. Cat is stunned when Vincent admits he was the “animal” who saved her the night of her mother’s murder. Vincent doesn’t admit the whole truth – he is emotionally tied to Cat and has been watching over her for years.

Cat agrees to protect Vincent’s identity in return for any insight he may have into her mother’s murder. Thus begins a complex relationship between Cat and Vincent, who understand that their connection is extremely dangerous for both of them. Cat’s secret obsession with Vincent puts a strain on her relationship with everyone around her, and Tess is especially troubled by the feeling that Cat is keeping something from her.

Perhaps the most surprising element of their relationship is that Vincent soon becomes a secret but important part of Cat’s detective work. During the years he spent hiding in the shadows, watching over Cat and other innocents, Vincent learned a lot about the darkest parts of the city and the people who live there. His sharpened instincts, incredible strength and human compassion become invaluable to Cat as she works to bring criminals to justice.

As she slowly comes to terms with Vincent’s monstrous alter-ego, Cat senses she can trust him in ways she hasn’t been able to trust any man before and, despite the obstacles between them, she realizes that she’s safer with him than anywhere else.