Beauty and the Beast
Season 1 episode 1: "Once Upon a Time in the City of New York"
I watched the first episode of 1980's Beauty and the Beast TV series and I thought it was very interesting. It follows socialite and attorney Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton) who after leaving a party, was abducted by a group of men. They thought she was a woman named Carol and was leaving her a message by beating her and severely slashing her face. Afterwards, the men tossed her out of a van and left her in a park.
Thankfully, she was found and taken to an underground dwelling where her wounds were treated as she recuperated over several days. Due to her face being wrapped, she couldn't see Vincent (Ron Perlman), her rescuer and neither could the viewer. While she rested and healed, Vincent took care of her by providing her with food but also reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens to her.
After days of recovering, Catherine removed her bandages and she was not only shocked by her appearance (she had several large stitches across her face) but also by Vincent's as well. He had the features of a lion along with long hair and claws. Despite being surprised by his appearance, she wasn't afraid of him but her time underground was at an end because it was time for her to go back to her life.
Starting over again, included having surgery to repair her face and she also changed her job. She went from corporate attorney to working for the District Attorney and she also started learning self-defense so she would never feel powerless again.
Despite Catherine being above ground, her connection with Vincent continued to grow. At her new job, she started looking for Carol the woman who the men were really looking for. When she found her and learned of what the men and their boss were really up to, Catherine put together a solid case against them. Too bad things didn't go as planned because the men and their boss tracked down Carol at the safe house that Catherine placed her in.
Even though Catherine put up a good fight, she would have shared Carol's fate had Vincent not arrived at the perfect moment and saved her life. The killers however didn't fare well at all after Vincent's attack.
I think this first episode is a good start to setting everything up in this drama and I can even see what inspiration The CW version of Beauty and the Beast used in creating its show. Catherine is an interesting character and after her attack she completely changed her life around by giving it more meaning. Instead of sticking with a cushy corporate job she decided to do something that would help people and not to mention help stop crime. I like how Vincent was introduced with there being a bit of mystery surrounding his appearance and the viewer didn't see him until Catherine does. He's a kind-hearted guy who knows that because of his appearance he will never be accepted by the world above ground. However, his concern (or perhaps growing affection) for Catherine will keep him as close to the surface as possible and I'm sure she will continue to visit Vincent and his underground world as well.
Speaking of Vincent's world, his home is eclectic and has a medieval feel (along with his attire), most likely furnished with things that people have discarded. Something that I noticed is his home is filled with books and he has great interest in reading. I find it interesting that Beauty and the Beast is often associated in some way with books or reading. For instance, Disney's animated and live action versions has Belle as the ultimate bookworm with the Beast having a spectacular library. I would love to read the original story to see if the connection with books or reading is featured in it.
I really liked the first episode and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series. I don't think I will review every episode of Beauty and the Beast but perhaps a few from each of the three seasons.
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