Photo: CBS
Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale
Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Beauty who asked her father for a rose (unlike her more frivolous sisters that asked for material possessions). During his failed travels (returning without gifts or money), the father stumbled upon a castle during a storm and there plucked a rose from the most magnificent garden. A beast roared in anger, and demanded the life of the merchant’s daughter. Of her own choosing, Beauty stayed with the Beast to save her father.
Every night (depending on the version), Beast asked Beauty to marry him. Every night she said no. But over time, Beauty came to recognize the goodness in the Beast, to care for him as a friend. Feeling homesick, however, the Beast allowed Beauty to return home, with the promise she would soon return.
Nevertheless, Beauty became consumed by her families’ selfish wants rather than her own promise, and thus, Beauty broke her promise to the Beast. But Beauty being a good person, quickly remembered the Beast and her promise. When she returned to the palace, she discovered the Beast dying from heartbreak in the rose garden.
Fearing she was too late, Beauty realized how much she truly cared for the Beast. Beauty then told the Beast she loved him, and a tear fell onto him. Suddenly, he transformed into a handsome, if slightly aged, Prince. As it turned out, the Beast had been cursed by an ugly fairy he had been cruel to. Only true love, despite his ugliness, could break the curse. Beauty’s love did just that. The two were married of course and lived happily ever after.
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This is a story most of us know still: of a beauty choosing to love a beast. The elements of this fairy tale remain familiar to modern day culture because various retellings of the fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast,” have been told and retold over the years, particularly in the new film medium. From Jean Cocteu’s famous film, “La Belle et La Bete” (1946), Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast (1991), to the upcoming live action version starring Emma Watson, the tale continues to capture the hearts of audiences.
All of these versions closely follow Beaumont’s shortened retelling of the literary fairy tale first written by Madame de Villeneuve in the 1700s. Although Villeneuve and Beaumont forever changed the face of the animal bridegroom tale, traces can be seen as far back as “Cupid and Psyche.” The story changed over time, and today is no different.
In The Meanings of Beauty and the Beast, Jerry Griswold writes that “echoes of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ can be seen in all its story cousins that tell tales about quasi-humans whether they be werewolves” or even “vampires” (19). The Beauty character can still almost always see goodness in the beast and chooses to love him despite his monstrosity in whatever form. This kind of story can be seen in several modern day love stories found on television. From the vampires (the ones most closely resembling the fairy tale), to the metaphorical beasts seeking redemption (a form of transformation), here are some TV couples to love because they are so clearly influenced by the folklore and fairy tales that came before.
16 TV Beauty and the Beast Couples
(In No Particular Order)
SPOILERS
#1: Moonlight’s Mick and Beth
In Moonlight, Mick (a vampire) falls for a human reporter named Beth. Fighting being a literal monster and seeking redemption for past sins, Mick and Beth are the epitome of a “Beauty and the Beast” couple on the small screen. In one of the most telling scenes in the series, Beth walks in on a fully vamped out Mick as he refuses to look at her face. Like many beasts, he hates who he is, but can Beth’s humanity help save him?
Photo: CBS
Certainly, the show played with the idea of a cure, and at one point Mick temporarily becomes human again. Canceled too soon, we will never know truly how the show would have played out. Still, for those of you searching for a romantic “Beauty and the Beast” type love story that is truly epic, you can’t get better than Moonlight. It should be noted that one half of the showrunners was Ron Koslow, the creator of the ‘80s TV Series, Beauty and the Beast.
#2: Buffy and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
When I was a teenager, you just couldn’t get any better than the romance between Buffy and Angel. How could a vampire slayer and a vampire ever have a happy ending? Turns out they don’t (at least not yet), however, the story they did tell was definitely influenced by “Beauty and the Beast.” Buffy, despite everyone else’s misgivings, loves Angel even though he is a beast with a soul. His quest for redemption (as he used to be a soulless killer) furthers this arc with the promise that perhaps one day he will be rewarded with peace, and an inner transformation of the soul. Perhaps one day that will include a happy ending with Buffy.
#3: Buffy and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy had more than one beast to love. The second came in the form of Spike. I’ll be honest and admit I wasn’t on board with this relationship in season 6 because it felt more like Buffy acting out her depression rather than through real love. Then season 7 happened, and the Spike/Buffy dynamic became something new, something entirely influenced by Beauty and the Beast archetypes.
Because Spike’s love for Buffy was so strong, he literally transformed into a vampire with a soul rather than only a soulless monster. Spike then sought redemption, all with the help of a woman who could see goodness in him and could learn to care for a beast. He even achieves redemption in the end when he sacrifices his life to save everyone.
#4: Chloe and Davis from Smallville
In one of the clearest influences on television to date, season 8 in the TV series Smallville told a story of a paramedic who suffered from black outs. Turns out, Davis (the paramedic) was turning into a monster called Doomsday, an alien beast destined to kill Clark Kent.
When he meets Chloe Sullivan, an empathetic woman, he finds hope and feels drawn to her. Even the beast side of Davis feels connected to Chloe, carrying her in his arms in a scene that clearly pays homage to Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bete. Soon, Davis discovers he has been engineered to be a monster, a killer, and fights against this curse. Only Chloe can help bring out his human side.
Photo: CW
Sadly, this story does not have a happy ending (not all of these tales do), and the writers force a horrible ending on the beast, where Davis chooses to be a beast on the inside as well. Still, most of this story (until the poorly written, jump the shark end) was very compelling to watch.
#5: Betty and Daniel from Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty plays out the familiar tale without a hint of the supernatural. Instead of a vampire or monster of some kind, we just have a spoiled rich, womanizer guy who must learn goodness from the “ugly” but actually beautiful Betty.
Re-watching the show in the not too distant past, I realized how much I missed on a week to week basis. There could have been no other ending but Daniel and Betty (something Gio figured out before I did). Over the years, Betty’s purity sees past Daniel’s selfishness. She brings out the best in him, and over time, Daniel truly transforms (Betty does too I might add) into someone better, someone worthy of Betty’s love. I promise if you pay attention that the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ tropes will really begin to come into focus…
#6: Klaus and Camille from The Originals
A recent TV addition to the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ archetype, Klaus and Camille from The Originals is almost textbook Beauty and the Beast. Klaus, a spoiled vampire King of New Orleans is a monster on the inside and the outside, cursed by his parents into becoming a vampire/werewolf hybrid beast (a word commonly sprinkled throughout the series).
There isn’t much good in this Beast, but Cami sees it in him. She, like Klaus’ brother Elijah believes he can find redemption. There’s almost this Jane Eyre quality to the relationship (a book also with touches of the fairy tale in it), where the Beast feels drawn to the compassionate soul who listens to him. Only time will tell if the show follows through with a transformation. Though Klaus is already less beastly around the pure and good Camille (a French name mind you), he still remains a beast.
#7: The Doctor and Rose from Doctor Who
Alien/Human romances are an interesting way to play the animal bridegroom tale type, but the relationship between the Doctor and Rose does much more than that. When the Doctor and Rose first meet, the Doctor had just killed all of his own people to end the Time War. He’s broken and suffering from the beast within.
Then along comes Rose (a telling name I say) who doesn’t care that he’s an alien. Rose even helps the Doctor in his darker moments. But the influence doesn’t stop there. After being separated by a parallel universe, Rose makes her way back to the Doctor only for the Doctor to almost be killed by a Dalek (this makes more sense if you watch the show).
In order to prevent his next regeneration (taking on a new face to live on), he puts his regenerative energy into his cut off hand (I did mention he’s an alien…). By doing so, a part Time Lord/part human grows from the hand, the Doctor splitting into two. The new ‘human’ Doctor went through a transformation similar to that of the Beast.
In order to be with Rose, the Doctor became part human, a man that could grow old with Rose. While Rose is clearly disappointed by the loss of her full Time Lord “Beast” (much like Beauty is often disappointed with the loss of her magnificent beast in the more ordinary Prince), the two can finally be together in a sort of tragic kind of way.
#8: Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries
While Stefan and Elena also closely resemble the archetype, I went with Damon and Elena since Damon was always presented as the more beastly vampire brother. A monster through and through, Damon had one redeeming quality: his love for Katherine which then transferred over to the more pure and good Elena.
Elena, like several Beauty characters, feels drawn to the Beast because she sees goodness in him when no one else does. Elena does just that with Damon, though it takes her a long time to figure out her complicated feelings.
As a side note, I should point out that the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ archetype isn’t just about Beauty saving Beast (though sometimes she causes his death), but also about the Beast saving her from her own loneliness. Sometimes only a broken character can see potential in those fractured individuals. Sometimes, only they can save each other.
#9: Forever Knight’s Nick and Natalie
While some love to claim that Angel came first, one need only look as far back as Forever Knight to see that Nick was every bit of a tortured vampire looking for redemption (though of course this idea goes back further even than this TV series). In the series, Natalie tries to help save Nick in a very similar way to the TV Series Moonlight (which paid homage to the show). While the effects are dated, the story is truly fascinating and worth checking out.
#10: Vincent and Catherine from Beauty and the Beast (1987)
This list wouldn’t be complete without the lovely romantic show starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Pearlman. If you’re looking for a handsome “beast” then look elsewhere. What’s fantastic about this series is that you really come to love Vincent like Catherine does, even though he actually looks like a beast. This is a show that really emphasizes the theme of inward beauty as more important than outward appearances. Plus, Vincent really is one of the most romantic and poetic souls out there…
#11: Vincent and Catherine from Beauty and the Beast (2012-)
In modern day, our beasts our often made to be more handsome and only beasts part of the time. But that’s okay too. Indeed, in Villeneuve’s original literary version, Beauty actually falls for a handsome Prince visiting her in her dreams. She doesn’t realize that this man is actually the Beast.
With this idea in tow, modern TV series can play with part time beasts suffering from the beast within and seeking redemption. The remake of the ‘80s series does just that. While not as well done as the original (and certainly the series loses its way a few times), there’s a lot to love in the romance between this Vincent and Catherine, including Catherine’s choice to love a Beast. The first nine episodes are most closely aligned with the “Beauty and the Beast” archetype.
#12: Mitchell and Annie from Being Human (2008)
When I first started watching the UK Being Human, I wasn’t sure the writers would actually go there with the vampire Mitchell and ghost Annie. Certainly the ingredients of a Byronic Monster were there, Mitchell being about as Byronic as the iconic Heathcliff. Mitchell was a monster through and through, like a sweet lion who could turn on you in an instant.
Seeking redemption for past sins, Mitchell seemed to be losing that battle. Annie, a pure and optimistic soul, however, believed that Mitchell could be good, that he could be redeemed. But Mitchell hides a dark truth from her, a truth that could shatter their growing feelings for one another (in a Jane Eyre secret in the attic kind of way). Her goodness rubs off on Mitchell in the end, Mitchell choosing to die in order to be redeemed. It’s a tragic, yet hopeful ending for a beast looking to be saved.
#13: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle from Once Upon A Time
In one of the clearest modern day Beauty and the Beast TV couples, Once Upon a Time draws from the Disney cartoon for inspiration, combining the folk tale “Rumpelstiltskin” with “Beauty and the Beast.”
A villain through and through, one of Rumpel’s redeeming qualities is his love for Belle, a kind and compassionate woman (who of course loves to read) who for some reason or another sees goodness in him. Unlike the fairy tale or Disney retelling, Rumpel always chooses power over transformation and redemption. He’s even betrayed Belle and lied to her countless times. Can he be saved in the end? Will he find his happy ending without being a villain? We will have to wait and see how their story plays out.
#14: Lincoln and Octavia from The 100
The first few episodes of The 100 really struggled to find its voice (about a group of 100 young criminals sent back to earth to see if it is livable), but then there was a shining beacon of hope in the story between Lincoln, a beastly Grounder, and Octavia, a sheltered young woman who hasn’t seen much of anything in this world.
Where everyone wants to crucify Lincoln out of fear, Octavia wants to save him as he saved her. Soon, a romance blossoms between these two souls and they must overcome the differences between them. To this day, their story remains my favorite aspect of the series.
#15: Phoebe and Cole from Charmed
In season 3 of Charmed (a story about 3 witch sisters), the dynamic character Cole is introduced as a love interest for Phoebe. He’s handsome, charming, and an evil demon trying to kill the charmed sisters. Then he inevitably falls for Phoebe and his humanity (being part human) starts to seep through. But can Phoebe learn to love an evil beast?
Over time, she accepts him because he tries to change and redeem himself. When he later returns to his dark path, Cole loses his chance to be with Phoebe, but still there is hope for this Beast. In death, he chooses to secretly watch over Phoebe, helping her find happiness.
#16 Max and Liz from Roswell
More star-crossed influenced than ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ the love story between Max (an alien “King”) and Liz (a human) is still very much a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ kind of tale. Liz, like other Beauty characters, loves Max and doesn’t care that he’s an alien, or a kind of beast with otherworldly powers.
Even more than this obvious echo back to the tale, the series in season 3 literally plays out Beaumont’s condensed literary version. When Max is possessed by an evil man, he becomes even more of a beast in his actions. Still, Max fights back because he wants to save Liz, the girl he loves more than anything.
In a fight to the death, evil Max and Liz fall out a window and plunge to their deaths below. For just a moment, Max emerges just in time to create an energy field and save Liz. That doesn’t stop him from hitting the ground. He’s dying.
Liz kisses Max out of love, and then a single tear (akin to the literary fairy tale) falls on Max. Suddenly a physical transformation takes place and the man leaves Max’s body. Max awakes and tells Liz she saved him. Even in season 1, Max claims his love for her makes him feel human.
Agree with my list? Disagree? What couples do you think are influenced by Beauty and the Beast?
Love that you included Max and Liz from Roswell here! Brings back happy memories from my tween years 😉
I had to include them! I miss those Roswell days. Roswell definitely gives me happy memories as well.
Hi there. I just can’t help but notice the you might have made a mistake about Rumplestiltskin.
A villain through and through? Whatever do you mean by that? That he was born evil? I’m not sure if you still remember but A/E clearly said that evil was made not born.
And always choosing power over redemption? Why, after all the horrible things the world had thrown at him, it’s kind of understandable that he would try and take some control in his life. Especially after being captured by Zelena. Who knew what awful things she’d forced him to do during the year they had all forgotten about?
And about betraying and lying to Belle countless of times? If you’d actually taken the time to understand his past as well as understand that it’s the Dark One and not Rumplestiltskin doing those evil deeds, you’d be a bit more knowledgeable about this and not play Rumplestiltskin as downright evil.
Like what Emma said in the finale, the Dark One snuffs out the lightness. Imagine that thing inside you for almost 300 years. It’s a wonder that Rumplestiltskin managed to hold on to that little piece of humanity compared to his predecessor, Zoso.
I don’t want to come off as rude and lord knows I don’t want to start a fight. I just want to put it out there that Rumplestiltskin is always confused as someone whose 100% evil. That there aren’t any greys to his character. At least take the time and try to understand that yes, he might have done some bad deeds, but what pushed him to do that?
No I don’t think I made a mistake. I do see goodness in him like Belle does, but he’s definitely a villain based on his choices. He kills like it’s nothing. I certainly don’t mean that he was born evil. He chose to be evil. I hope he does make the ultimate choice to redeem himself. There are several on this list that are villains no doubt, with tinges of goodness.
I like that we understand his motivations, but he still lied to the woman he loved and deceived her. Nothing he experienced excuses his actions. He still chose to do evil. He’s had several chances to choose the right thing and he chose power first. Hopefully, that won’t be the case when it comes to his ultimate ending.
On a side note, he calls himself a villain and the whole season was about Rumpelstiltskin trying to give villains happy endings…
‘He chose to be evil’.
He stole the Dark One’s dagger to protect his son because he knows that when Bae goes to join the Ogres War, there’s no going back. Especially for a young adolescent like Baelfire. But of course, Zoso had to taunt Rumplestiltskin.
Told him that the people who would take his son, his only family, the only person who stood by him while countless people shunned him away, called him a coward were on their way to his house to take his son. If Baelfire was even his son at all? After all, he wasn’t a coward like him. So he asks him again, what would he have Rumplestiltskin do?
With these taunts out in the open, Rumplestiltskin was of course, filled to the brim with countless insecurities. It didn’t help that almost everyone he held dear left him. His father, Milah, heck probably his mother (but we may never know). Killian had to taunt him as well for being a coward and not fighting him with a sword (who asks that to a cripple?) to claim his wife.
‘He kills like it’s nothing.’
Being the Dark One can do that to you. I’m sure we all have that little voice that whispers to us to do bad things. Imagine that voice amplified.
And if you’re referring to the time when he killed the people who tried to take Bae away, remember that he was still new to being the Dark One. He’s still not used to having a very dark and sinister being in his mind telling him to kill. Add that with the strong urge to protect his only son. I know what he did was wrong. But he didn’t kill like it was nothing. He killed because he was fighting for something.
By lying and deceiving Belle, are you talking about the gauntlet? I would like to clear that up. The gauntlet brings you their weakness. Usually, it’s the thing they love the most. Note the word usually. At this point, Rumplestiltskin is still the Dark One. Therefore, the dagger can still control him. Meaning that when someone (for example Zelena) takes hold of the dagger, you are basically controlling his entire being. That’s his greatest weakness.
It’s not the thing he loves the most. It’s more in the lines of the thing he fears the most. Being controlled. Being subjected to actions he rather not do. After Zelena, I’m sure Rumplestiltskin wouldn’t want to be controlled again.
‘Nothing he experienced excuses his actions.’ Are you saying that trying to get his freedom after experiencing abuse from Zelena means nothing?
He “chose” power because after everything that happened to him, he believes that having this large amount of control can finally bring him his much wanted freedom. He tries to become more powerful than others because he’s afraid that if he’s not the most powerful, there is still that sliver of chance that he might get controlled again.
And you’re right, he does call himself a villain. Rumplestiltskin is a very sensitive man (or at least that’s the vibes I’ve been getting) and he always thinks lowly of himself. Even before he became the Dark One. I guess what I’m trying to say is that he calls himself a villain because he is always portrayed by other people as the bastard who ruins lives.
Also, thanks for the lengthy and informative reply. Usually when I try to stand up for Rumplestiltskin, I’ve been shot down with rather rude replies.
Agree! He treated his wife terribly, just as he did with his son.
What do you mean he treated his son badly? Oh, do tell.
How Can Rumbelle be number 13 they should be in the top 10 at least
This list is “in no particular order.”
The 1980s Beauty and the Beast was one of my best TV shows ever. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the remake.
Well, the two shows aren’t even really similar at all to be honest. I find Moonlight more closely aligns with the 1980s Beauty and the Beast.
Chlavis, Delena,and Nick and Natalie forever:D
You might want to update this article. THE ORIGINALS has now ended and I have to say it was one of the absolute best endings for any series that I have ever watched. Spoiler: This show concluded with redemption for Klause in the most beautiful and touching way possible. It will make you cry.
It was a great ending! I just wish we could have seen more of Hayley and Cami in the end. 🙂