Beauty and the Beast (1987) S1 E22

## Plot

The episode starts with Catherine having a dream about herself as a child, throwing an imaginary tea party with her stuffed animals, when her mother comes home from work and gives her a hug. She wakes up, starts crying, and calls in sick to work, claiming that it's the flu. Later on, her father is with her and tells her that on this day every year, it brings something different. It's the 20th anniversary of the death of his wife and her mother. The loss hit Catherine like it's never hit her before. All the things they never got to share. Her father tells her that all her mother wanted was for her to have a happy life, since she didn't have a lot of happiness in her childhood. Her father wants to take her to lunch, but she promised that she'd see Nancy Tucker, an old friend of hers. Catherine hasn't seen her in awhile. She has two kids now. During lunch, Nancy invites her to come up to West Port and spend time with them. She can bring someone if she wants, and Nancy asks if there's a man in her life and if she's in love. She says it's complicated, and Nancy tells her that the guys she ended up with never understood her. She says this one does, but Nancy doesn't understand what's stopping them from being together. He's not married, gay, unemployed, in prison, etc. All that matters is that he makes Catherine happy. Also, Nancy calls her Cat, but that just reminds me of the CW reboot. Catherine remembers her mother tucking her in at night. That night on her balcony, she tells Vincent that she didn't know that her mother had been sick for a long time. She was only ten when she died, which means that she's thirty years old now. The sadness was overwhelming, but what she felt this morning, and what she feels now, is deeper and more terrifying than anything she felt then. It's a terrible feeling of loss, not just of her mother, but of a part of her life. The safety and simplicity of it. When she looked at Nancy today, she knew that she had those things. She was happy for her, but it also made her feel sad. Vincent suggests that the feelings and memories are calling out to remind her of something she needs and longs for. Her life is full of complications and risks. She doesn't know how to have a simple life. Vincent tells her that the memory of her mother reminds her of her aloneness, of the family she lost when she died, of all the friends she left behind. The secret she carries now about him and the rest of the World Below sets her apart from her past, her friends, and from the family she's yet to have. Their bond and dream exists at the cost of all her other dreams. She says it's worth it. The next day, Joe assigns her a court case that's been derailed because they threw out the partner's confession, which means they have to go over everything again and build a new case without it, and they have to hurry. Later on, she sees a psychiatrist, Dr. James Grafton, and talks to him about her life. She feels like her life is impossible, like she'll never be able to find happiness, and everything is hopeless. What used to make her feel happy feels painful and tragic now. Dr. Grafton asks her if these feelings have anything to do with her being attacked a year ago. It was in the papers, but a lot of circumstances and details around it were left unresolved. She's not here because of that, but Dr. Grafton isn't convinced that her mother's death is the issue either. She tells him about Vincent, but she leaves out the details about why he can't be a part of her normal life. He asks her if she wants to end it. She says no, and he asks her what she thinks she's getting out of this relationship. Vincent gives her everything; all the things she never had before. A part of her wants to live with him in his world, and another part of her is just a woman living in New York trying to be happy. Father and Vincent are playing chess, but Vincent is distracted by Catherine's feelings. He tells Father not to worry about him, but Jacob tells him that he sometimes feels like he's standing at the back of a raging river, watching Vincent try to swim across. He'd be a fool not to worry. He marvels at his son's courage though. Catherine faces the same dangers and shows the same courage, but in many ways, the toll on her is even greater, because she has no one to confide in. Father holds Vincent's hand, kisses it, and says he'll stand watch and pray for both of them then. Aw! Nancy calls Catherine and invites her up to West Port again, specifically for an old friend's birthday. She mentions having a lot of work, but Nancy playfully refuses to take no for an answer. Speaking of which, Catherine is slipping at work. She's still seeing Dr. Grafton and telling him about Vincent. He doesn't understand how a relationship with him can fulfill her. It's the rest of her life that doesn't fit. He wonders if she's using this impossible problem to avoid making a commitment to the real thing, but Catherine says it is real. He can't help her unless he has more information, which she obviously can't give him. She came to him because she needed to talk about it and let someone else know, but she can't do that. I really wish they had used this opportunity to let Joe in on the secret. He's a main character, he's smart, he's close to Catherine, and it'd be a way for part of her "real life" to interact with the Vincent and World Below part of the show. Plus, it would shake up the status quo. Speaking of which, she asks him for some time off, he obviously refuses, she decides to quit, and he asks her what's wrong. She can't go into it. She's fine (physically), but she needs a break. It's what's best for her and the work, since she's not giving the case her full attention. He agrees and tells her to take all the time she needs. Ellis and an intern can handle the case. He says she works herself too hard, and he takes advantage of that. She says they all work too hard, and he agrees, but he's also the one who pushed it. He knew she was trying to prove herself. Catherine tells him that he gave her the chance to. That night, she meets her father and a woman at a classical piano recital. She tells them that she's going to take some time off work. She's going to visit Nancy Tucker at West Port over the weekend, and then she might just rent a car and drive through New England. She becomes sad and starts crying when she hears the music though. When her father notices, she says she forgot how sad it was, and leaves "to get a tissue." In reality, she goes to the park and meets Vincent at the tunnel entrance. She tells him what happened. It was the same one that they heard in the park. Catherine kept remembering how much Vincent loved it. She wanted him to hear it with her so badly. It became unbearable; almost physically painful. They have to do something, before there's nothing left for either of them. This was always the risk they faced, and maybe now, they have to give up their dream, and return to the lives they had before they met each other. She wants to try living below, but Vincent tells her that she has a life above. Leaving that now would be to turn her back on who she is, and who she were to become. She can never do that. She once again asks him what she's going to do. He can tell that she's in so much pain. She doesn't think she has the strength to continue, so she mustn't continue. She wonders what would happen if she just went away for a little while, but Vincent tells her that it must end. She doesn't want that, but Vincent can't stand being the reason for her pain just because she dares to love him. Him being the cause of her pain is more than he can bear to live with. It mocks their dream, so it must end. She has a life waiting to be lived. Let the memories of what they are, what they shared, remind her that love, in its purest, deepest form, exists. She can use them to give her the courage to love someone else. She tells Vincent that she can't, but he says that she has to, and leaves, shutting her out emotionally, and physically, by blocking the tunnel entrance. At her apartment that night, she decides to go to West Port by train and leaves immediately. She has fun with Nancy, her husband Paul, her kids, their other old friends, and one of their single brothers, Buddy, who is interested in her. Vincent remembers giving Catherine the crystal necklace in episode 15, as well as other moments of the two of them together. And then we get a short internal monologue: "What we shared will never die. I'll always be with you. Goodbye Catherine. Be happy." That night, Catherine has a dream (or it could be the empathic bond working the other way around, who knows) about herself and Vincent outside during the day. It's like another world. He can see the colors, and the sunlight in her hair. It feels like she's seeing it for the first time. They'll go everywhere. She wants to show him everything. And they'll do it together. He wonders how this can be, and she says it's because this is what she wished for, more than anything. They have a picnic. Vincent has dreamed about this. Catherine tells him that he's beautiful. He tells her that he's a part of her. What she sees in him is the beauty in her heart. This moment is perfect. She's never been so happy. She says it can and will last forever. However, before they can kiss, Buddy takes Vincent's place, and Catherine sees him walking away. So, it looks like it was a dream after all. She wakes up and yells Vincent's name, and in her rush and panic, breaks a lamp after turning it on. Nancy comes in and asks her if she's alright, and she says no and starts crying. She apologizes for it, but Nancy says she doesn't have to. She's told her about Vincent and the impossible problem she's dealing with. She wants a home and a life like this, with a family, and it's sad knowing that might never happen. Nancy tells her that they all make tough choices. There are times where she regrets not going to Paris to study; never doing something with her photography, which was said to be better than good. She'll never know where that path could've taken her. She loves her life and being a mom, but it's not the only path. It was a rough adjustment. She and her husband Paul have had some tough times, and she's had doubts. The anniversary of her mom's death made Catherine take a look at herself and wonder what she'd think of her and if she'd be proud. Does her life honor her memory? She doesn't know, but Nancy knows, because she knows what she herself thinks. Catherine is the one who's come the greatest distance and gone the farthest. When she was in law school, they used to joke about her majoring in fashion law. Insert the *Legally Blonde* joke of your choice here. She's overcome a terrible accident, changed her life, and now she's giving to others, and she has this extraordinary relationship. She should be so proud of herself. They're all so proud. And to hell with what anybody else thinks about what she should or shouldn't do. When all is said and done, she's got to follow her heart. It's the only thing you can ever really count on. Catherine tells Nancy that's what Vincent always says. Nancy asks if they'll ever meet him, and Catherine says she's beginning to think that anything is possible. She decides to go back to New York right away, even though it's four in the morning. The next train isn't until 5:20 AM, so she asks Nancy if she can borrow her car. Paul can pick it up on Monday. She's serious about this. Following her heart can't wait. Vincent is in a section of the caves that has waterfalls (somehow), and he's holding Catherine's white rose again. He suddenly feels Catherine heading back through the bond, and meets her at the park, just outside the tunnel entrance, and they hug each other. What they have is worth everything. Their silhouettes or souls kiss, or something, and the episode ends. It was almost a full hour long. What, was that the extended version? That score at the end was amazing though.