SkimIt
Is it better to live in fantasy where hideous realities are ironically concealed by normalcy or face the truth and find ways to get better? This is Vincent's (Jay Ryan’s) dilemma as he struggles to turn his back on his current state of being and live the life that he used to have in the company of the woman whom he said he loves, his former fianc'ee Alex -who does not know Vincent's dark secrets. On the other end of the fine line that holds Vincent's composure intact is the ever-protective Catherine (Kristin Kreuk).
Beauty and the Beast starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan airs on the CW on Thursdays at 9:00 pm ET.
Fantasy or Reality?
It's easy to understand why Vincent is drawn to Alex. His former fianc'ee is an angel dropped down from heaven. Alex's beauty is not just skin deep; she has an amazingly generous heart as she helps those in need through her noble profession as a nurse like the modern Robin Hood in scrubs. Vincent is taking baby steps in the direction of the life that he wants to live, doing the things that he loves, through Alex. But his near-perfect relationship with Alex has yet to be tested by the nagging truth behind his current state of living. The only way Vincent can know if his choice to be with Alex rather than Catherine is the right choice is for him to tell Alex the truth.
What's so unsettling about this plot, however, is the feeling that something unfavorable will happen to Alex in this series sometime in the future, allowing Vincent and Catherine to get back together. It's sad but predictable. It will be interesting to see how the show’s creators decide to develop that storyline.
J.T. and Evan's Project
The hesitant J.T. seemed to have seen the light momentarily as he worked with Evan on their research regarding cross-species-transmutation (I'm lost in the jargon) project. Apparently, Evan wanted to help the creature killing the crooks in the city by understanding and eventually curing it. However, it only took Evan a few dissections in his lab to change his initial intentions.
As it turned out he wanted to catch the mysterious creature and hand it over to his big boss Joe. Fortunately, Evan's attractive kissing partner -who surprisingly belongs to the government agency hunting Vincent- helped J.T. and Vincent escape investigation by tampering with Evan's lab work. Note to Evan: Never let your restricted lab become your playground during work hours. As for Evan’s date, if her agency is planning to take Vincent without letting him get snatched by the cops first, they sure are taking their sweet time.
Catherine's Therapy
I wasn't really sure where Catherine's therapy with her "shrink" was leading at first because the therapist seemed to be out of line by talking about her ways of dealing with her relationships until he broke Catherine's willpower in the end. When Catherine admitted finally to her therapist that she loves Vincent, I saw the segment's relevance in the story. Unfortunately for Catherine, her decision to admit to Vincent what she truly feels about him and how she is willing to fight for their relationship may have come a little bit too late. Vincent has already made his choice and it's not Catherine.
Alone Again, Naturally
As beautiful and strong-willed as Catherine is, I felt sad for her when she finally found the guts to bare her true feelings for Vincent who did not reciprocate the love. In the real world, it may always seem that near-perfect people do not have the same difficulties in finding lasting relationships as the self-proclaimed “plain Janes” among us but amazingly, that is not true. Love is not measured by one's outer appearance or capabilities. It's much more complex than that. Hopefully, Vincent and Catherine come to terms with what they need, cannot have, should not have and truly deserve.
