The Deadbolt TV Review - Patrick Swayze and A&E Bring it with 'The Beast'

Patrick Swayze and A&E Bring it with 'The Beast'
by Reg Seeton

After months of promotional teases for A&E's The Beast, Patrick Swayze brings his A-game to what the beloved Dirty Dancing actor recently described to Barbara Walters as a role of a lifetime. Does The Beast live up to the hype? In many ways, yes, but it's still a series with a lot of potential to become a hit that needs time to grow into its own skin given its mysterious nature. But one thing is unquestionably evident after previewing the first two episodes of The Beast, Patrick Swayze's performance is brilliantly riveting and fiercely passionate. Swayze pours everything he has into The Beast and it shows in what truly is a role of a lifetime and one that brings out the very best an actor has to offer.

As Swayze steps into the shoes of aging undercover Chicago FBI agent Charles Barker, whose ambiguous loyalties land on both sides of the law in order to get the job done, a gritty sense of intensity takes hold that sets an immediate tone for the pilot. Swayze delivers a line of dialogue that completely sums up both the tone of the show and his character when Barker mentions to his rookie partner that the line drawn between both sides of the law only exists so undercover agents know when to cross it. It's a line that becomes even more significant at the end of the second episode.

But who is Charles Barker and what's he up to with his young partner Ellis Dove, played by fresh face Travis Fimmel? The good thing about The Beast is that you're not quite sure. It's like jumping into a theatrical cop thriller in the middle of the movie as you frantically try to keep pace and put the pieces of the puzzle together. And, as the series progresses, that very puzzle becomes the foundation of The Beast. In the opening teaser of the pilot, which centers around a black market arms deal, viewers will be thrown for a loop when they quickly learn that the bad guy Barker guns down during the deal-gone-awry is his partner Dove, who's wearing a vest after their obviously staged undercover ruse to bring down the weapons dealers. It's the type of twist that keeps you on your toes throughout the pilot.

From there much of the premiere of The Beast is split between Barker schooling his rookie partner in darker undercover tactics that bend the law to get the job done, Dove's attempts to understand his ambiguous older partner's loyalties, and their collective efforts to bust a ring of arms dealers. Dove also surfaces for a subplot turn when he takes a romantic liking to a beautiful young law student (Lindsay Pulsipher) that lives in his building while we see that Barker's family is in jeopardy due to their sibling connection. Adding to the off-balance nature of The Beast are actors Kevin J. O'Connor (There Will Be Blood), in the role of Barker's mysterious FBI control agent, and Larry Gilliard Jr. (The Wire) in a regular part that's better left unspoiled.

So how does the premiere fair as you delve deeper into the undercover world of The Beast? In terms of dramatic cop thrillers, The Beast lands more on the side of "entertainment" than an accurate reflection of the reality we've seen from traditional undercover FBI agent based shows and cop dramas of the past. If you're looking for the dramatic tone of NYPD Blue in Chicago, forget it. The Beast is much closer to the gritty nature of The Shield combined with the free-your-mind entertainment value of a show like Prison Break. There's a lot that goes down in The Beast that'll make you wonder how anyone could possibly get away with certain things in broad daylight, or even at night when Barker fires an RPG through an office tower window during an arms deal. James Bond-like? Yes. Realistic? No. Cool action that goes "boom" on TV from an even cooler actor? Absolutely!

The main issue with The Beast that could prove to be a challenge is that writers Vincent Angell and William Rotko chose to root the series in an extreme, sometimes over-the-top world unlike some of the more realistic shows in recent years. When you're dealing with RPGs and arms smugglers, a seemingly rogue agent, plus high level drug dealers and the mob, as in episode two, it's a different reality to sell than what we've seen in some of the recent cable hits. The Beast is riddled with clichés, at times unbelievable on a popcorn level, but the Charles Barker and Ellis Dove characters are rich, complex, mysterious, and engaging to watch. Swayze is riveting, confident and deeply sincere in the role of the suspiciously mysterious Charles Barker and a joy to watch in every scene. The Beast is worth watching for Swayze's performance alone. Fimmell, in contrast, holds his own well against the veteran actor despite sometimes appearing a bit too Hollywood from an image standpoint. Given the gritty nature of the series, though, don't be surprised if you find a few brief flashes of Brad Pitt's character from Se7en in Ellis Dove since Fimmel actually looks the part.

The one unexpected surprise with The Beast is how lively and exciting the show looks on all levels. Chicago has never looked better in any other TV series that I can remember. In a scene when Barker and Ellis stop their car in downtown Chicago at night as a subway train passes, the cityscape looks strikingly Gotham City and Metropolis-like, or a shot from The Road to Perdition under the lights of the city. Also, the aerial shots and colors chosen for the feel of the series - blacks, whites, dark metallic tones, and richly vivid but precise tints - bring The Beast to life like no other. Since last year's A&E series The Cleaner was awkwardly dark and kept you at a distance, The Beast may very well be the best looking show on TV from a visual standpoint.

If you go into The Beast expecting The Sopranos or Mad Men of gritty undercover FBI shows, you'll be disappointed. If you go in with the mindset of The Shield meets Prison Break, you'll be fine. In fact, you may find a few slight similarities between Swayze's Charles Barker and William Fichtner's Agent Mahone from season two of Prison Break, who was that show's best, most interestingly complex character. Much of The Beast exists on a black and white level of extremes, with Swayze's Charles Barker becoming the indistinct middle ground that you can't nail down. How do you explain a guy who's willing to shoot himself to execute an undercover plan? Obviously the answers are hidden deeper within the series, and even deeper inside Swayze's Charles Barker. How the layers will be peeled away from Patrick Swayze's character is something I'm looking forward to seeing. Patrick Swayze plays Charles Barker perfectly for TV viewers, with every ounce of passion and talent that he has. It's a performance that deserves your attention.

-- Reg Seeton