TVSquad

I love Patrick Swayze as much as the next guy... assuming that the next guy is generally aware of Patrick Swayze, has seen him in a few movies and usually enjoyed his performances and finds his battle with cancer as inspirational as anyone else's battle with cancer. I'll even go so far as to say I'm really enjoying Patrick Swayze's performance in A&E's new series The Beast. But ... man, aside from that this show is getting all kinds of dull! In the beginning we got this promise of Swayze's character getting this new partner, but what he didn't know was this his new partner was recruited to be a double agent put in to spy on him.

We're four episodes into a thirteen episode run and that hasn't happened yet. Instead, we get these tag scenes at the end of each episode that cra-a-a-awls that storyline along. Other than that it's another generic FBI procedural. Only one that's terribly acted, and almost as badly written. Except for Swayze. 99% of the time he's on the screen he's rocking it and owning it. The other 1% ... well he's giving an odd smile that makes it look like his face is breaking.

(S01E01) "The beast eats away at you, and if you're not careful, the beast will eat it all and you have nothing. And you are nothing." -- Charles Barker

The beast that Patrick Swayze's Barker is referring to is the undercover work that he and his new partner Ellis Dove do for the FBI. But there may be more to the show title than just this simple explanation. Barker may be as much the beast as the job. In the spirit of Vic Mackey and The Shield, A&E's new original series is taking us back to a very dark place in law enforcement. But this time, we're not inside the head of the main player in the series. And therefore, we don't know his true motivations or even what he's up to all the time.

That leads us to the reveal at the end of the episode, which may not be a spoiler in that it's been dropped all over the Internet before the episode even aired. Still, I liked the way the episode progressed and how we got to that point. Barker is hard-core and his treatment of Dove throughout the episode is that of a "tough love" mentor. In the end, it seems to be working. Then Dove has the rug pulled out.

Let me start this story by saying that I'm really hoping and praying that Patrick Swayze staves off the cancer that's trying to kill him and lives for many more years. The powers that be at A&E Network are hoping and praying, too. A&E has given the greenlight to The Beast, a cop drama that will star Patrick Swayze. Co-starring with Patrick in the 13 one-hour episodes is actor (and former Calvin Klein underwear model) Travis Fimmel. According the the doctors caring for Patrick, he is well enough to do the shows and, presumably, continue with the series if it's a success.

The premise for The Beast isn't a typical law and order type. It's like Training Day meets Internal Affairs, only without Denzel Washington and Richard Gere, respectively. Patrick plays an FBI agent who does things his own unique way. He's very good at his job, but rubs people the wrong way. He's asked to train a younger agent, Fimmel, at the same time that Swayze's being dogged by a secret internal affairs team.

Patrick has said this role was a long time coming for him. "I have searched for quite a long time to find a character that is this muti-layered, unpredictable and downright entertaining as well as a project this current and cutting-edged."