It was a little easy to ruffle Cat's feathers on "Basic Instinct." Meerfield did such a good job that Vincent did the thing we never expected: he turned himself in. Let's take a look at what went down...

Somehow, Cat was kidnapped and Vincent wasn't lurking in the bushes to protect her. The one time she could have used him and he was nowhere to be seen, but when she lost a softball in the woods, there he was! It's becoming difficult to imagine where and when he'll pop up.

The idea that he's enjoying his newfound freedom to help others again was very sweet until the rug was pulled out from under his feet and he felt like a horrible monster again.

The argument Silverfox made to Cat about why they were searching for Vincent was ridiculous. Why would they be pumping so much money into looking for him if he wasn't a cold-blooded killer? I could think of several reasons right off the top of my head.

The first was he part of a top secret government experiment that they didn't want leaked to the outside world. Check. The second would be that he is worth more to them alive and killing for them than hiding out and not doing the job he was programmed to do. Check. The third might be their connection to Cat's mother and their desire that information never be leaked. 

If Cat was the detective she purported herself to be, she shouldn't have been so rattled by the tales Meerfield told her. A couple weeks ago, I said in my review of "Proceed with Caution" that Cat needed to have a reason to fear Vincent. That reason was supposed to come from his own actions, not second hand stories told by the big bad corporation. The idea was right, the execution was wrong. Apparently I need to open the portal to my mind a little larger for better reading.

Tess finally had a fun scene this week as she teased Evan about her surprise at not finding he and Cat romping together on his autopsy table. It's good to know someone other than me thinks Cat and Evan would make a cute couple, and that Tess is looking out for her partner and has her best interests at heart.

I'm kind of annoyed that instead of improving the rather shoddy CGI beast effects that we witnessed in the pilot, they've taken to shooting all of the beastly scenes either in the dark or with extremely shaky and unfocused camera action. It would be nice to get a good look at Vincent as the beast.

What, exactly, are we dealing with here? How scary is he? He has a nice roar, he's strong and can jump a fair distance, but his face is barely visible. I wonder why his scar doesn't crack open and bleed when he transforms. He must have some great elastin in that monster skin of his.

Cat learned to trust her instincts instead of trusting what others tell her first, and by saving Vincent from the clutches of Meerfield, she'll give him the opportunity to be the good samaritan for someone else should the need arise.

Cat's ideas of black and white are going to be stretched and she'll learn what gray areas are and why they matter. Learning to expand her breadth of understanding as she and Vincent grow together could be solid framework on which to build the series.

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.