Beauty and the Beast 4.04 – Something’s Gotta Give

by Mieke Trudeau

“Something’s gotta give. But not us. That’s all that matters.”

So far, Beauty and the Beast has been pretty good at pointing us to the endgame of the series, but none quite as much as Something’s Gotta Give. This episode reminded me that often, if done well, a series’ finale simply closes the window to the world created. In our minds, the characters’ lives go on, the universe in which they dwell continues to exist; we just happen to not be a witness to it any more. The story and people we have become invested in live on in our hearts and minds, and of course in the many fanworks of fiction, vids and art. Something’s Gotta Give explored what that future may hold for our friends and it may not all be a simple happily ever after.

I’m actually surprised that the show hasn’t really touched much on the subject of Vincent and Cat’s offspring before. Not because marriage automatically means children, but because a child born from these two has a pretty high chance of being special, and not just in a cute dimply baby VinCat way. Cat’s worry about the possibility of being pregnant underlies the whole episode. From Heather’s irritation with a fussy baby in the coffee shop, to Vincent’s insistence that they are in no way ready for a kid, to the couple who has drifted apart since having children; the possibility and complications of a baby beast looms large throughout. But it’s about more than the prospect of a Baby Chandler-Keller; it is really about the uncertain future they all have to face. And that goes for not only Vincent and Cat, but also JT, Tess and Heather.

Heather has found Cat and JT a new office, albeit one with not enough computer tech capacity, or enough plants apparently. Everyone is being pulled in all directions, with Vincent and Cat barely seeing each other, Heather trying to make dating Kyle work while keeping him in the dark and JT trying to figure out how to fix his life, while setting up a new computer lab and finding a way back to Tess.

When DHS Deputy Hill misses a meeting, Cat alerts Vincent and they rush to find that Hill and his family have been taken hostage by yet another beast hunter. Not too smart a one, I have to add, since the baddie threatens to kill the agent and THEN his family in order to make him spill the beans about Vincent. Can’t really talk when he’s dead, but OK. The team agrees that something has to be done once and for all and when the DHS is alerted to a Russian mob accountant who is willing to blow the whistle about some big money coming in, the team thinks they have a another good lead on whoever is behind the beast hunt.

Cat and Vincent go undercover to a fancy school’s open house as an expecting couple in order to meet up with the accountant, Albert Doland (Neil Napier). Unfortunately the whole thing turns out to be a set up and when Albert gets kidnapped, supposedly by the mob boss, it is really an elaborate trap to lure Vincent out into the open. Turns out Albert is not an accountant for the mob at all, he’s an assassin, hired not to capture the elusive beast, but to end him, a shocking revelation that changes the game completely. Cat is able to rescue a badly wounded Vincent just in time, but his identity is now known to whoever is after him and the prize on his head has suddenly taken on an entirely different meaning.

Meanwhile, JT has been doubling his efforts to keep the blogosphere at bay, which is getting harder and harder to do, with the sudden increase in unexplained attacks flooding the news. JT goes undercover in his own inimitable way, by approaching some of the bloggers “Men in Black” style, with a hint of Blues Brothers thrown in for good measure. JT is still reeling from the turmoil in his own life and when the bloggers turn the table and kidnap him thinking he may the very beast they have been looking for, he breaks down and confesses he’s no beast; he is nobody. Now, it’s to Austin Basis’ credit that JT is so believable in this moment. We feel his self doubt and his despair is palpable, but WE all know JT is a hero and it’s heartbreaking to see him so despondent.  Here’s hoping he figures things out for himself soon and starts taking those karate lessons already. It is sad to see Tess and JT broken up once again, but I get it; JT has to figure out how to balance everything in his life, just like Vincent, Cat and Heather do. As Vincent says, and I quoted above: “Something’s gotta give. But not us. That’s all that matters.”

Cat finally does pee on that stick and it turns out to have been a false alarm. I think Vincent and Cat are both a little disappointed, but it is of course for the best. Vincent’s expression just before the screen fades to black says it all though; their future is uncertain and full of both worry and unfulfilled promise. Will it be a happy one? As the window closes for the week, we are left wondering as well. Where will it all end?

As always, let me know what your thoughts are on what is going on with our friends and where it will all lead when the show fades to black for the last time. Please post a comment below, if you are so inclined, or hit me up on twitter.