Au Revoir
All things must come to an end. On the last episode ever of BATB Vincent and Catherine save a man we don’t care about, have a last supper on the rooftop and try to con all their friends. But they will always have Paris...
The episode starts with V and C taking care of their affairs. Catherine is sorting out her will while Vincent makes a shady deal to sell a car [his car? Cat’s car? Stolen car? Where did this car come from?] It makes sense, considering they have been planning to escape since… I don’t know two seasons ago. Yet, everyone is acting like this is news for some reason.
But then it is time to focus on the “Save the Prince” storyline, A.K.A. THE CASE OF THE WEEK. Yes, I know it is supposed to be part of the serialized story, but it feels so disconnected I have trouble getting invested. Remember the Prince? He’s the fourth member of the “Cabal” we don’t care about. Oh, and we are not calling it the “Cabal” anymore [that is so last episode]. Why do we care about the Prince? Well, because he is Braxton’s final target. So he is going to kill him and then frame V for it. Vincat being who they are, can’t leave town without saving the Prince first.
Their brilliant plan is to kidnap the Prince’s assistant and drill him for information.The assistant doesn’t need much convincing and starts sharing all the juicy details. Basically, the Prince hired Braxton to make him super-bodyguards [beasts]. He even provided volunteers, not really knowing they were going to turn them into Beasts. When all the subjects died, the Prince felt guilty about it, but… what you gonna do? Right?
Vincent and Cat convince the assistant that the Prince is in danger and that he should work with them. He quickly agrees, [because that’s what you do when two strangers kidnap you]. This leaves Vincat temporarily with “nothing to do” [because that’s what you want your characters to be saying on your last episode ever].
Vincent suggests a last dinner on the rooftop. And… it was just too short and too uneventful. I wanted it all! That was the scene. That was the scene where all the emotion and memories were supposed to come flooding. There needed to be a huge emotional buildup towards a release. But… it was just short and sweet. Vincent and Cat just drink some wine, mention how sad it is that they are not coming back and sweetly hug. No “I would do it all over again because that’s how much I love you” or “It seems like I’m giving up everything, but I’m not because you’re the one thing I can’t live without” or some line to take away with us. Nope… just some red wine and a hug. Oh well…
There are also the mandatory goodbyes between Heather/Cat, Cat/Tess and [my favourite] Vincent and JT. They were also sweet [the guy’s was the most emotional], but again they felt a bit repetitive [they’ve been saying goodbye for three episodes now]. And I think it was a mistake to have all this “emotional” scenes in the middle of the “calm” part of the episode. They were lacking a hyped situation that would make them land more effectively.
Anyway…
While everyone was saying their goodbyes, Braxton was coming up with a plan to kill the Prince. And not to spoil it, but it involves MAGNETS [bitch].
In summary, Braxton plans to attack the Prince when he is in transit with this diplomatic caravan. Vincent and Catherine intercept them by zipping into the limo [because V mysteriously turned into The Flash a while back in case you didn’t notice]. Unfortunately, they didn’t know the details of Braxton’s clever plan so they fail to stop the magnetic bomb from sticking to the car but they manage to get the Prince out of the car. Yay, he is alive! Eh… I DON’T CARE! You know who I do care about? Vincent and Catherine, who naturally decide to STAY in the car and drive it off the bridge as it explodes.
JT witnesses the explosion and instantly breaks down at the realization that his bestie beast is dead. But… come on, they were clearly just faking their death. All that preparation, plus the talk about “being ready” right before they drove off the cliff. Also, it’s the exact same way Sydney Bristow and Irina Derevko faked their own deaths. [Final Alias reference on a BATB recap!]
Later, Tess, JT, Heather and Kyle mourn the death of their friends. Actually JT and Tess kill Braxton first. It was so fast and uneventful, I almost forgot. [Sidenote: I am happy Kyle didn’t turn out to be a mole or a beast, but what was the point of his character? It would have been interesting if he had discovered Vincent’s secret throughout the season instead of just accepting it all.] At the funeral, JT gives a heartfelt eulogy, but it didn’t resonate with me that much. Perhaps because it all happened so quickly and I knew there was no chance in hell they were actually dead [not ‘dead dead’ at least.]
And soon enough, JT gets a visit from someone to offer him a job… at the funeral. How appropriate. But this, coupled with the fact that some wigs are missing makes everyone realize that Vincent and Catherine are alive! How incredibly NOT shocking!
Turns out, Vincent and Catherine fled to Paris and started living a simple life under the names of “Belle and Adam” [yes, like the Disney movie]. They look happy, act lovingly and take carriage rides. A part of me was trying to get on board the whole “happily ever after” Disney angle they were going for [even though the show never really had that tone]. However a louder part of me kept wondering: How did they get to Paris? When did they get fake IDs? How was Cat accepted in French law-school?
Some questions will never have answers. It’s Vincat’s anniversary and as a gift Vincent reunites her with her sister, Tess and JT [well I guess that was more for V than Cat]. They have a nice dinner talk about everyone living happily ever after in sin. All laughs and smiles until a woman gets conveniently mugged outside the restaurant. Vincent and Catherine rush out to help her, because that’s who they are.
END OF SHOW
*sighs* There are many things I didn’t love about this episode/season/last couple of seasons. But I don’t want to get into it. I want to end things on a high-note. I want to say goodbye to the show thinking of secret rendez-vous, rooftops, first kisses and fire-escapes. And that’s what I will take with me. I don’t need doors or walls…
Note to Beasties
It’s been a ride beasties! BATB premiered right around the time I started blogging about TV and I didn’t find as much enthusiasm anywhere as I did in this fandom. The show might be over now, but it is not gone. It will be remembered fondly. Let’s reminisce about it for years to come [if you haven’t noticed I still totally talk about Alias] and talk about new TV.
And this is farewell, so I'd love it if you could leave a comment! Also do let me know what else are you watching and what you want to see on this site.
And this is farewell, so I'd love it if you could leave a comment! Also do let me know what else are you watching and what you want to see on this site.
After a mediocre season 3, the only time I watched season 4 is when itunes emailed me a reminder there was a new episode. I actually forgot about watching it some weeks. And this comes from a girl who DROVE HER CAR 1,500+ miles to Toronto to visit the set, hoping to catch any cast there and see filming locations (best road trip ever BTW, my mom & I still gush about it to this day). Add the fact that I'm probably in the mid 70s of how many times I've watched season 1 & 2, I can say with complete authority that SEASON 4 SUCKED! It's almost like Brad didn't care anymore, and the fandom twisted his arm for it and this is what he "mud-pied" together. At this point, while I sit here & wonder if itunes will give me a refund for this amateur season, I can say I'm glad it's over, so the cast we came to adore can move on to better rewarding projects. Maybe even some roles together, on a better network of course.
ReplyDeletesigh...it had run its course .. that's for sure. could not agree more with your review and Donna's comments above. Still, I will miss them...this is the first fandom I have ever been involved with (and probably the last)..such a beautiful little show, such sizzling chemistry...I already forgot about the last couple of seasons and I will forever remember the good times :) Vincat in my heart forever :) can't believe this is your last review...I remember I discovered them in the summer of 2013 during the s1 hiatus and I loved reading them so very much and was nodding my head in agreement for everything you were saying. will really miss your reviews...hope we find another show we both love that u want to write about xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteAw thanks. Your comment made me emotional. It's dawning on me that it is over
Deleteoh and suprirse me with your next show recaps/reviews :) if u find a show you feel compelled to write about I m pretty sure it is the type of show I d enjoy watching :)
ReplyDeleteYes I completely agree with you and the other comments completely. For me the show hasn't really been the same since Season 1. Thankfully they are a wonderful cast and crew and continued watching out of respect for them plus just wanted to see where they would take the show. But after season 1 I felt that the passionate chemistry between VinCat just wasn't the same. Maybe a little in Season 2, but then nothing. It seemed almost like a different show to me, I know they were trying to "boost ratings" but it didn't work and they ruined a really great show! Oh well it was a decent ending and I am thankful for all the wonderful people I got to meet. Just feel the show deserved better and feel the Beasties could have made better seasons for 3 and 4.
ReplyDeleteAs always ;) I agree wholeheartedly with your review!! I also wanted to leave on a high note so decided on social media, to not share my true feelings on the finale etc.
ReplyDeleteI've been with #BatB since the beginning and this is was my first interaction with a fandom and that is what I'll miss most I think.
Thank you for your reviews, they express exactly how I am feeling without the #$@!*? ;)
Good luck with all your future endeavours!
Thanks Dory
DeleteThrow me in with the crew that is staying positive "out there" and has great affection for the fandom. We had many wonderful conversations earlier in the show regarding plot lines and ratings and I have always enjoyed your reviews. I would never bother to watch this episode again--it looked like a low energy, low effort episode. I would say the fans deserved better but in fact they did get better, they have each other. --DickensHall
ReplyDeleteAmen to that
DeleteWhat a mess BATB turned into. So many head-scratching moments, so little explanation.
ReplyDeleteAlejandra, as I said a while back, your recaps are way more entertaining than the episodes. Those I will miss.
Dave.
Well, I'll still be here, recapping other shows...
DeleteOn the surface after first viewing I enjoyed that everything was neatly wrapped up, that all characters got some sort of closure, and that it made made me cry (because I was going to be really mad if it hadn't!)
ReplyDeleteOn second viewing I started to get a little annoyed about what was missing.. from the finale and the whole season. Or, what was missing and what was superfluous. But, like you I have also been flooded with memories about what I loved about the series as a whole...
Anyway, I'm torn about the ep, the season and my feelings. Going to write something about my overall BATB experience, but been SO busy at work this month I haven't had a chance
- but next week I'm on vacation visiting family, so perhaps I'll find some downtime and let the thoughts flow!
Hopefully JulieDawn will guest-post on this site again and share her thoughts on the series finale/show ending while the series finale is still fresh in my thoughts! I'm curious to hear them, especially since she has seen filming/been a watcher since the beginning.
DeleteI agree with others about what was missing. Sadly these things could have been easily and quickly added or changed. I thought the leads must have had a falling out to have no intimate/emotional scene in the series finale! The writers truly couldn't have thought we wanted the series to end w/o romance or emotion. I agree on the above comments like how the rooftop scene could have had more emotion. That scene or the end in France could have had some comment we could carry with us after the show ended about it being worth it for them both/how their love was worth it. I mean they spent 4 seasons, especially the last few s4 episodes saying how they wanted their normal lives back/not live on the run. Cat even says she doesn't want to spend her life pretending to be someone else. How are we to be okay then with VC being forced to live like their dead under new identities in another country? Also, they spend the whole series showing the importance of friendship and then force them to spend the rest of their lives w/o their friends+Heather? This makes me so sad. VC and the fans deserved better. It isn't like the show was logically written already, just gave them an illogical happy ending where they could have their lives and identities and friends. They even had a 2-3 episode warning to wrap up the show! The writing was so crazy I guess I should be grateful all 5 are alive and VC are still together/in love esp. after s2. Sadly the characters and fans would have had a happier ending after s3 (married/not forced to live abroad/have secret identities) so why have a s4? I'm okay it ended now, but seriously like mad that VC are forced to live lives as other people that they never wanted to do and be apart from those closest to them. Nothing in the finale explained why they would all of a sudden be okay with that I guess besides the alternative is VC could be dead or could be w/o each other and that yes would be worst. This makes it hard for me to even enjoy re-runs anymore bc the whole show showed how much Cat and V sacrificed and now I just think of how it kind of wasn't worth it bc it cost them their identities and lives as we know it. I did like Cat becoming an atty bc it shows she healed bc healthy C wanted to be a lawyer as only traumatized C wanted to be a cop. Also, I think we can assume V was a doctor in France since the ep photo showed him near an ambulance-probably will be a deleted scene. The writers just showed them in a carriage like that was romance and spent time on showing them selling stuff when that time could have been spent showing VC connecting emotionally and explaining how they are okay w/ living w/ new identities bc the alternative was much worst. I wanted to believe they were okay with that, but after seasons and eps saying they weren't, how can I? Just bc they filmed them happy? I honestly feel like the actors+ writers didn't get what we wanted all along. And even KK was a producer and she I thought knew more what we wanted...I wish she would have done something if possible...but a lot of the actors said we would be happy with the ending...I don't get it...and JR didn't even comment on the end of the series, which makes me thing he was already checked out...and maybe the leads were bc the series finale didn't have the resonance of 2 people in love willing to do anything to be together although I get that was what the point was...just not the feeling I got...Could they not stomach doing an intimate scene to seal the series? didn't they think it was lackin? I hate that when I think of these fictional chars in the world they now live a life they never wanted...hiding who they are...away from their countries/friends/family with everyone thinking they are dead...I guess the point was that now they're free from beast things bc everyone thinks V the last beast is dead so now they truly can have a normal life and that was the only way?
ReplyDeleteMy Part 2: Also, I do think the writers were going to have C being pregnant be the cliffhanger, but they wrote away from that after the show was cancelled bc why else highlight the her drinking tea + her baking out of character.I feel like that was pointless now after seeing the finale + no VC baby, which I truly thought was going to happen + that disappointed me deeply after 2 eps of focused on pregnancy false alarms. This was very disappointing bc that could have made it a happier ending fairytale, but liveable, but the whole living away from their family + friends under new identities was kind of unforgiveable to me bc the writers could have engineered a plan to make it possible. They have done plenty of far-fetched things before + I rather it end w/ a happy ending even w/ some far-fetched DHS pardon. I mean VC did save the Head of State so I feel like DHS could have just banned them for like 10 years + then allowed them to return later. I would have taken that! Anything better than a lifetime of missing out on their friends' lives + having to lie about their history + who they are.every conversation self-monitored.JT said DHS wasn't looking for them + thought they were dead.1 throw away line about how DHS contacted JT+found evidence VC weren't dead, but don't worry they want to work on bringing you in/exonerating you would have been appreciated...to end on a positive note w/ hope of them getting their lives back/being able to return to NY for pete's sake! Some hint of we will solve this problem of them living undercover. The series finale was written like a season finale, but they knew they were cancelled so the ending just really pisses me off. I'm sad for the fictional characters lol that after everything yeah, they did get screwed + lose their identities + their families + friends forever. I guess at least they have each other + I guess the writers thought that was okay + fans would be happy bc they did also make clear that all VC really wanted when it came down to it was to be together any way possible..I just wish the writers didn't give us like worst case scenario (everything VC didn't want) when things could have had a happy s3 like ending. Just after 4 years of watching + hearing 1 thing, we got another. Why? SO easy to change it. They knew it was ending so they had time. The things I wanted from the series finale even more than romance+emotion+chemistry was for all 5 to chars to be alive and VC get their normal lives back meaning be in love living w/ their true identities and not living separate from their friends+families or else they'd miss out on so much-V and C, especially, were punished for helping people by the show's ending& that made the whole show depressing to me. I didn't want much! Just wanted to be able to imagine them in the future being okay+happy. I clearly needed the show to end; s1 made me too invested in this fictional world. The writers hate me. I just wish I could go back in time and make the writer's change the ending like w/ LOST and HIMYM. It's like they didn't know what they were doing/what fans even liked/wanted. Alas, it ended and it's done and VC are supposedly okay living like that so I'll just try to hold on to that. If they aren't bothered sacrificing their lives living w/ fake identities, then I guess I shouldn't be and trust that they are happy and really didn't need their friends/families/are okay with fake identities bc they're together which is all that they want. END RANT Apologies.
ReplyDeleteJust bing watched this on netflix. It might well be the most epic love story ever. Prior to watching BATB,I thought LoVe, of Veronica Mars, might be #1 epic couple...although I am still a big fan of Buffy and Angel (why oh why could they never get and stay together?)...but I digress....this show was perfect for so many reasons:
ReplyDelete1) Great girl kick ass fighting scenes-she is an equal partner in the relationship-great role model
2) Vincent's facial expressions are amazing at communicating mood/feelings. He doesn't even have to speak but when he does...sigh...romance!!
3) Cat added some great fun and lightness to a dark story with some cute one liners and giggles
3) Many, many Clearly gratuitous topless man hunk scenes.....so thank you thank you thank you..sigh
4) chemistry between these two is OFF THE CHARTS
5) I like the small subtle things-like the scene after Evan dies and Cat and Vincent are on the train..watch their hands ...sigh...love.... "How do you always find me?" " I never stop looking"
6) characters each developed and had a vital role in series-at least J.T. and Tess.
7) Best job of developing a love relationship--it did not just stall after they got married but got more romantic and closer and full of depth..(cause, you know, they went to therapy for their code stuff...LMAO )
8) We NEVER got enough of those CAt Vincent scenes...the series finale should have been a two hour special so we could enjoy watching them have fun in Paris living happily ever after longer...it felt way too short!!
9) The music was as much of the story as the dialog--nicely done whoever picked all those songs out
10) How much did you love some of those fun scenes -like cat and vincent finally living together and making their smoothies in the kitchen smiling and being so happy?
This show will reach a whole new audience as it is released on Netflix...I would love to see some future movies about VinCat in the future..much like veronica mars did! I already miss these characters!!
I just discovered this show recently, during recovery from a long and bothersome illness, and have been obsessively binge-watching seasons 1 and 2 over and over. 3 and 4 just don't quite have the emotional punch for me that the first two seasons did, although I loved the marriage counseling episode - it's definitely among the top 5 eps of the series. Found your blog a few days ago and have got a real kick out of your humorous and insightful commentary, and your keen appreciation of Jay Ryan's prodigious talent! Thanks so much for sharing all these recaps!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor the four years that the show was on TV, I never watched it. Mainly because I was so busy, I had gone through a really bad breakup, I moved twice, and a slew of other things that happened in my life that took a lot of my time. But I do remember seeing the commercial about it and thinking to myself it's Lana from Smallville, cool. By the end of 2016 I went through another bad breakup. I was looking at Netflix to get my mind off of my heartbreak and I found the show. I watched the first season and I totally fell in love with Vincent. It really help me get through the first six months of my breakup. But as usual, life got in the way and I didn't have time to dedicate myself to watching three more seasons and I forgot about the show. Then during the pandemic, I picked it up again and I completely have become obsessed again. I feel like I'm playing catch-up with everybody. I also didn't know I could ever feel a sense of loss over a TV show being over.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I understand that you haven't posted since 2017 but I still want to write this even though I think you won't even see it. I really enjoy your reviews of the show they were funny and very in-depth. In a lot of your reviews of the show you said things that I was like "see I'm not the only one that thinks that". That's pretty much what I wanted to say and thank you for making these reviews.