There has been a brief hiatus over the holidays, but Beauty and the Beast Season 2 Episode 9 carried on merely hours after Cat shot Vincent and arrested her father.

While there were still a few nitpicky items that came to my attention, the way in which the writers decided to bring about the change in direction that will shake the series to the core came off with relatively few flaws - and without the desire to point fingers and assign blame.

It was with a shrug of the shoulders and a sigh of relief that Cat, Vincent and J.T., with Gabe, Tori and Tess to support them, came to the decisions necessary to move past some major hurdles in their lives that would allow them to move on and grow. 

Picking each character and their supporting player doesn't necessarily mean anything for the long haul, but it does for the story arc we've just entered. And you know what? I'm happy with the way it played out. These six characters and their friendships with each other, crisscrossing and intermingling with just enough to keep them in each others lives, but not so much that they will push them further away, is exactly what they need at this moment in time.

Cat was a part of an initial investigation that happens any time one of their agents is in a situation, and she arrested on that also happened to be her father. That went fine until a bullet was later discovered at the scene. Somehow, Gabe and Reynolds managed to close that door to the FBI's satisfaction, but I can't help but wonder if that case might be reopened given what happened at the end of the hour.

Cat was much more like her old self. She was driven, and plucky and still wanted to run things her own way -- but not because she was trying to push herself on anyone. She was genuinely concerned about Vincent and his severe bullet wound. While Tori wasn't at first happy to see Cat, she appreciated the help in trying to get some sense into Vincent about the severity of his situation.

Some business associates of Tori's father (Teen Wolf's Darach was one) just happened to want to meet with her over his antiquities shop that day and wouldn't take no for an answer. They knew about him, and after pulling a gun on Tori, knew about her as well. Cat's sense of responsibility for Vincent that she couldn't shake (it had been hours of shaking; why was she surprised?) naturally rolled over to protecting Tori when Vincent was unavailable.

Watch Beauty and the Beast Season 2 Episode 9 Online

What the group was after was protected by retinal scan, and Tori's DNA was enough to open the door. The only person who saw what was behind the door was Cat. What the hell was that? Was that an ancestor of Tori's? Were both she and her father genetic beasts? It didn't look like a dog; but half human, half beast. It has been chained in a room and apparently died that way. 

When Cat fled, a back door was left open and dogs were yanking at their chains trying to get into the space. Was this the new mythology about which the show teased was coming? Is Tori at the bottom of the mythology? Why didn't Cat think to mention what she saw to someone?

As she was in the room, Vincent dropped in and saved Tori then dropped to the floor. Tori merely said he saved her. Cat seemed mystified by what she saw in the room and dazed by Vincent saving Tori. She told them to tell the truth about what happened and left them to it. I can understand her confusion about events as they unfolded, but what she saw seemed so incredible. There has to be more to that story.

Despite all of his desperate measures to avoid going to the hospital, Vincent finally agreed.

What desperate measures? Flat out refusal, for one. Going to J.T. for aid and demanding he go to steal blood and medicine to play doctor, for two. In the middle of doing that, J.T. was arrested and we learned his big secret, one he only shared with Tess after she told him it was time to take his life back. 

Part of the reason they are so good together is their willingness not only to poke and jab at each other, but the resulting truths that come from that type of behavior. They are on the same wavelength all of the time. Cat and Vincent may be their best friends, but they each have a different measure of seriousness that forces each to hold back a bit of themselves, because they communicate best with a bit of sarcasm and irony that is lost on Cat and Vincent. 

After the poke about J.T. giving up ten years of his life to protect Vincent hit him hard, J.T. admitted to Tess he was responsible for Vincent's condition. He had heard about the Muirfield experiments and because of his own contacts got Vincent's name onto a list. Vincent wasn't part of a blind study -- he was a guarantee. J.T. thought the extra strength would keep his friend safe, but he admitted he didn't know exactly what he was getting him into.

That was Tess' cue to jump right back at J.T. and remind him that if he's willing to take all of the responsibility for the horrors that happened to Vincent, then he has to take some of the credit for all of the good he did while saving others, too. Tess could have been disgusted to learn what he did, but she didn't miss a beat and she had his back.

Cat was having realizations of her own when Gabe dropped by her apartment to tell her the good news about the FBI case being closed. She felt she could let go because what was holding her so close to Vincent was mutual responsibility to keep each other alive after how many times they had saved each other. After seeing him save Tori instead of her, she felt the weight slip away. Of course, it's only been about 24 hours since she was in love with him, so I have serious doubts. 

Finally, at the hospital Vincent has been fingerprinted. They know who he is. Tori is behind him 100%, but hopes he decides to take control and stop running. She is eloquent and passionate about what she says to him, but in no way does she try to claim him as her own, merely support whatever decision chooses to make. She didn't make it about herself or "us," merely about him. It was a perfect way to tame the fearful about starting up a relationship too soon, as it didn't seem that way. It seemed like the beginning of a friendship.

I know you’re afraid. So am I. But you've got nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to apologize for. You've got a great story to tell. Vincent Keller. War hero. Nobody has to know our secret. And they won’t. We can do this Vincent. Together.

Tori

• Permalink: I know you’re afraid. So am I. But you've got nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to apologize...

Vincent strode forward and outside of the hospital, where a press junket was waiting. He stepped up to the podium. "My name is Vincent Keller."

Hit the comments to talk about everything that happened in this episode, and let me know what you think the skeleton by taking the poll.

What was Tori's dad hiding?

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.