What's it about?
Catherine "Cat" Chandler 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. While investigating a new case Cat and Tess discover fingerprints that lead to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller, 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, 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.
(from CW.com)
You should watch if...
• ...you can buy Kristin Kreuk as a "smart, no-nonsense homicide detective."
• ...you can buy a handsome doctor with a scar on his cheek as the "Beast."
• ...you really, really need a good laugh on Thursday nights.
So, how was it?
Do you really need me to spell out how horrible this show was for you? Fine, if you insist. But let me be brief. Here's a list:
• Kristin Kreuk (SMALLVILLE) plays Cat, a wispy young woman who decided to become an NYPD detective instead of a lawyer after watching her mother gunned down in front of her. She struts around like a seasoned cop (she's so cool!), she follows up on leads without her partner (she's so smart!), and she beats up on men literally twice her size (she's so strong!). Oh, and she also falls for the mysterious dude with a scar on his face and pretty intense anger management issues (she's such a good role model!).
• Jay Ryan (TERRA NOVA) is Vincent aka the "Beast" of this story. Somewhere along the line, the writers seem to have forgotten what source material their show took its name from. Or maybe it's my memory that's faulty - isn't the Beast supposed to be a conceited man cursed to look like a hideous monster? Well, in this iteration he's a handsome young doctor who volunteered for the Army after his brother was killed in 9/11 and underwent an experimental procedure that now causes him to become an uncontrollable rage monster when his adrenaline spikes. The exact science behind his affliction seems a bit sketchy to me, but short of turning green, isn't this more an adaptation of The Incredible Hulk than Beauty And The Beast?
• They've turned a scary, romantic, complex fairy tale into a police procedural. Okay, I understand wanting to update a fairy tale to modern times (just look at the success of ONCE UPON A TIME), but a police procedural? I mean, really?? As though there aren't enough of those already... And making Cat (Belle) and Vincent (Beast) basically cop buddies who run around NYC solving crimes together? Come onnnnn.
And the verdict is:
Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
As if the three bullet points above aren't enough to make you roll your eyes in disbelief, there's also the clunky, groan-inducing writing, the totally uninteresting murder mystery, and the horrible visual effects (CW obviously blew their whole effects budget this year on ARROW). Steer clear of this dud at all costs. You were warned.
What did you think, Fellow Addicts? Were you as appalled as I was by the desecration of a beloved fairy tale? Or did you, god forbid, actually find something to enjoy about it? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!
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