The Beast

This is one of the best series I have ever seen (I'm 66). With Patrick's passing it may be that they do not continue the series. In my opinion this would be a major mistake. He worked so hard to make this series what it is. They need to take a long hard look at how to work his passing into the story line and using the actors already in the series continue the storyline. Travis Fimmel (Ellis Dove) plays his part so well and could continue the fight for justice for Charles Barker (Patrick Swayze). Lindsay Pulsipher (Rose Lawrence) so fantastic in her role, who is studying law could become a lawyer along the way and support Ellis in the fight as well as others that were Barkers friends. This series has so many exciting ways it could go and continue being as good and exciting as the first season. I hope you get busy and get some scripts written and get going on the second season. Every person I see on TV comments on how hard Patrick Swayze worked on this series even with his health problems. I believe it would not only honour his hard work to continue the series but also honour him as well. Please keep it going!!! Why not put his younger brother "Don Swayze" into the role. He would fit perfectly and he could be worked in as a younger brother already in the FBI and partnering with Ellis to continue the fight! This series is just too good to drop!

I saw the airing on 15 January 10:00 - 10:52 PM EST (this unusual time slot is what was scheduled). It was tight, well edited, grim, brilliant. I went to watch it with a friend and his cut was completely different. We both recorded another upcoming showing (17 January 6:00 - 7:00 PM EST and PST).

The showing on the 17th was far inferior; out of order, dumbed-down, slowed down, important points left out, and truly disappointing after the brilliant cut I had seen.

And if you are going to craft a show like this, don't decapitate it by blanking out every other word! Which versions did people see? Did anyone else catch two different versions of this? Which did you like better?

Patrick Swayze first impressed me with "Dirty Dancing" and I had hoped to see him helm a spate of musicals. After nearly losing hope, I had the pleasure of watching Swayze again in "Ghost" and was impressed by his soothing mix of masculine sweetness. Given the enormous success of these two films, plus his impressive stint in "North and South," I surely expected a spate of impressive Swayze movies. Alas, then came the insipid "Next of Kin" (ruined by a "Hollywood" ending), the turgid "Point Break" and the sleazy "Road House". I was apparently one of few who enjoyed "FatherHood," but I was really beginning to give up hope that Hollywood would EVER take full advantage of Swayze's dramatic abilities. Ironically, but fitfully, along comes "The Beast" to give Swayze a chance to REALLY demonstrate his "acting chops," just as his boyishly handsome looks wasted away to cancer, with "The Beast," which is also the darkest, grittiest "cop show" I have seen since "The Shield".

While I admire this 13 episode homage to the Swayze persona, I really wish the producers would repackage this excellent series with a new leading man. Certainly, any number of fine actors could play rogue FBI agent Charlie Baker; Liam Neeson, Denzil Washington, Russell Crowe, Michael Chiklis, Hugh Laurie, Jamie Bamber, Timothy Oliphant, David Morse and Will Patton come immediately to mind.

NOTE TO PRODUCERS: If you DO decide to revive "The Beast," either for theaters or RV, PLEASE retain the style and music of the original series, as both are superb.

I give "The Beast" a solid "8".

Now in this new A&E TV show... Patrick Swayze plays veteran FBI agent Charles Barker, and for sometime he has been working with a young protégé named Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel). As more cases have to be solved, and more crime has to be addressed, Ellis comes to find out that he was actually recruited as a double agent to investigate Charles Barker's unorthodox work style, and activities.

And so far that is the plot.

Now after watching the first episode I will admit that this show is very good. Now I know some people will say that this show just looks typical, and it looks like your standard one hour drama, but to be honest with folks.. I believe it's better than most standard drama's that are currently running. I mean this show is very gritty, and ballsy. And I must say that this show really echoes the film Training Day (2001) with Denzel Washington, and Ethan Hawke. So if you saw that film then you can really get an idea on how this show flows.

Now getting to the characters....Patrick Swayze does a great job as Charles Barker. Now I know for Swayze to play this role, it's going to be kind of hard to reach the heights of his past roles in such films like Dirty Dancing, Road House, and Point Break. But Patrick Swayze pulls it off as Charles Barker, and he's really convincing as this unorthodox FBI agent.

Travis Fimmel does a good job. Now I've never heard of Travis Fimmel until I saw him in the first episode of The Beast, and like I said he did a good job. It's not the best acting performance, but it's not the worst I've seen. I just thought he did good.

And overall this show is good so far. I think it has potential. I believe it's different from your standard drama's that are currently running now like CSI:Miami, Without A Trace, and The Closer. The Beast is a drama that really pulls in your focus, and it's a good drama with the mix of some action, good mystery, and entertaining crime/corruption elements.

It seems that only interpersonal emotional dramas gather the votes. The Beast is emotional, but it is not Little House on the Prairie. Swayze as maverick FBI agent is ably abetted by his new partner, well-portrayed by Travis Fimmel, in catching the bad guys and finding out 'who-dunnit' in an event 15 years prior. The characters are hard men who suppress their emotions to get the job done, yet this is who they are. Why this show has low ratings? I can only guess that there is not enough emotional interaction among the characters, and female interest is definitely low. Yet this is what makes the show gripping. Who will snap? Who will betray and who will be betrayed? Are the 'good' guys really the good guys? Even the bad guys are not what they seem at times. This is action drama that revolves around Swayze, who, health issues in real life or not, delivers a driven performance as if each case might be his last. If you don't like The Beast and don't want more of it, what are you doing watching cop shows? Go back to your reruns of Friends and Seinfeld, instead.