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Whatever happened to….

So which Aussie actor is this and which American series is he starring in?

Recognise this face?

It’s Travis Fimmel, one time Calvin Klein model famous as a farmboy who became an international model.

Now he’s appearing in The Beast, the new action series starring Patrick Swayze.

Both play FBI agents in Chicago, produced for the A&E network in the US. Swayze of course has not been well recently. He will shortly appear in an interview in the US with Barbara Walters, who tries to get to the bottom of rumours and reality.

Reviews of The Beast are beginning to emerge.

Cinemablend says: The Beast centers on FBI veteran Charles Barker (Patrick Swayze) and his rookie partner, Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel). Barker is training Dove on how to handle undercover work. This includes infiltrating arms deals and other shady business in the Chicago area. The pilot opens with a standoff in which we see Barker demonstrate just how far he’s willing to go in order to get the job done. The episode slows a bit after that in order to give Barker and Dove a proper introduction.

The series has a distinct Training Day feel to it, with Dove trying to prove himself and Barker serving as the hardened, experienced agent. We learn in the first two episodes that Barker’s a man who usually knows what the right call is, even if it doesn’t fall entirely on the right side of the law. Swayze carries the role perfectly, portraying Barker as a man with a tough exterior without being too cliché. Fimmel, who reminds me of a cross between Leonardo DiCaprio and Joaquin Phoenix also does an excellent job of portraying Dove as a capable but inexperienced agent, who is eager to prove himself to Barker and to learn to adjust to the lifestyle that comes with being an undercover agent for the FBI.

MovieOnline says: The Beast is similar in many aspects to The Shield in its elements but is much higher brow. The acting is better the writing is more crisp and the storyline is not transparent. You dont really know what is going on, who is crooked, who is not but you definitely find yourself wanting to know more. The Beast has the potential to really become a hit show for A&E if it can continue to build the drama that the first two episodes do and also expose just enough to the watcher to keep you hooked as to who is the good guy and who really is the bad guy. Overall I was very impressed with episodes 1 and 2 and really think that if you enjoy The Shield you should check it out.

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