In contemporary New York City, assistant district attorney Catherine (Linda Hamilton) has just shared her first kiss with her soul mate, a noble half man-half beast named Vincent (Ron Perlman) who lives in a society deep underground. Their love is now acknowledged between them but the work they do together to help those in both their societies is still also important in their lives.

CRITIQUE

Love stories on television typically have much more time than those on film to trace every ebb and flow of a romance, especially if a series continues for many seasons. This time provides particularly fertile ground for an unconventional pairing, such as the one in the series Beauty and the Beast. After a first season of detailing the development of the love between Catherine and Vincent, the creative minds behind the series push the couple into the obstacles that an actual relationship between them would entail. Beauty and the Beast has a second season full of thoughtful plotting, often breathless romance, and effective drama.

The first season ended with a kiss, so the premiere of season two sees the pair together. The unorthodox union, though, requires that no one else in Catherine’s world know. As in season one, there are various people, from the world above and the world below, who will need assistance from these two extraordinary people. The structure of the series is essentially built around this, with certain episodes taking on a longer story arc. For example, the final few episodes carry on from one earlier in the season, featuring an effective villain from Vincent’s world called Paracelsus. This character is in fact a crucial part of the development of Vincent’s character in this season, as he provokes Vincent to kill him. Subsequently, Vincent struggles physically and psychically with the beast half of his nature. The season has quite an interesting cliffhanger.

Otherwise, the qualities of the series continue high in quality from the previous season. The acting is still outstanding, while Hamilton and Perlman are able to deepen their characters’ bond. Perlman particularly gets to truly impress late in the season. The production values are still only a bit dated, mostly in the costuming of Catherine’s character. Again, great culture, in the form of poetry, classical music, and even painting, is espoused as a height to aspire to, refreshingly. There is also a consistency to the direction that allows the season to feel cohesive within itself and with the first season. To top it all off, everything supports the central romance. Beauty and the Beast seems to evolve in plot and theme in its second season, still never losing sight of the effective love story.

THE VIDEO

Beauty and the Beast is presented in fullscreen that preserves the picture of the original television exhibition.

THE AUDIO

Beauty and the Beast is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo, and it is actually good for a series this old on DVD. There are no other language tracks or subtitles, however.

THE EXTRAS

Episode Introductions: Lead actors Hamilton and Perlman speak together before certain episodes about the show to follow. The two really get into the themes of the series, what each episode really has to say about the characters and the love story itself. I particularly like how Perlman says that creator Koslow wrote like chamber music then came in with the first episode script of the second season called “Chamber Music.” Hamilton also compliments Perlman’s ability in the season’s finale “The Rest is Silence.” These are great-- watch them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The second season of Beauty and the Beast is successful, with story and acting emphasizing the romance and its maturation. The viewing of this 6-disc set will definitely prompt many to want to see the third season. There is also an excellent extra included with this set, and new fans may even discover this series thanks to DVD. Fans will absolutely buy, but many should at least rent this set (after seeing Season One!)