One of the most interesting aspects of season three is clearly going to be watching Cat and Vincent reconcile what it means to be a couple. It’s not a new concept for the show, entirely, but at the same time the writers have never had the opportunity to explore it without the constraints of Vincent’s under-the-radar lifestyle, which for the most part has been expunged along with his unflattering record. At the end of the season three opener, Vincent proposes to Cat. This proposal has been building over time, but as the promos have teased, it’s going to have some side effects.
At the core of Beauty and the Beast is Vincent and Cat’s relationship, and its ups and downs give the show a depth that balances out some of the more unrealistic events in the storyline. Despite the beast elements, there is a sense of relatability within their romantic struggles that fans find attractive.
On the other hand, the new romance between JT (Austin Basis) and Tess (Nina Lisandrello) appears to be much less organic. The pairing is altogether too convenient, and Cat’s best friend being inadvertently swept off her feet by Vincent’s best friend reads as forced. As nice as it is to see these two finally settled, it doesn’t bode well for longevity. There can only be so much happily ever after on one drama before the writers decide to shake things up.
The return of Nicole Gale Anderson’s character, Heather, is a good sign for the season to come. Her relationship with her sister, Cat, offers fans a break from the monotony of the catching-bad-guys motif that streamlines its way through the show. Both sisters now being engaged also adds a lighthearted element to the proceedings. Heather is often times one of the most refreshing parts of BATB. Her limited knowledge previously made her a bit of a buzz kill at times, but overwhelmingly her avid perkiness acted as its own character on the show. Heather also represents the light at the end of the tunnel for Cat, in a way. After all of the tragedy that has enveloped her character in the last two seasons, somehow her relationship with her sister is stronger and more open than ever.
Overall, Beauty and the Beast is reinventing itself in season three as it moves away from some of the central themes that originally transfixed fans. The performances weren’t standout by any means, but they were more or less what viewers have come to expect. As long as the writers can find a hook for the new antagonist without making the mystery villain too kitschy, the season should keep fans relatively entertained.
