Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson, FX’s ‘The Beauty‘ presents FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett with a strange mystery. Conventionally attractive people all over the world are blowing up from the inside out for no reason, and everything seems to connect to a single, sexually transmissible disease. This disease, known as the Beauty, is in reality a medical treatment synthesized under the orders of Byron Forst, the richest man on Earth, whose goal is to take over the entire world by turning everyone into a more aestheticized version of themselves.
Before a hunger for beautification takes over the world, Cooper and Jordan conclude that they must stop Byron, even if it means assassinating him. However, with modern technology, it is impossible for them to even get close, except for a single way. If Cooper transforms with the Beauty, there can be an untraceable killing machine in place. But the exact hows and whys of this procedure end up revealing a completely different story. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cooper’s Attempt to Get the Beauty Via Sex Goes Terribly Wrong
In a twist that no one saw coming, episode 9 ends with Cooper turning into a child after a botched sexual transmission of the Beauty. While the plan is for him to transform into the perfect, untraceable assassin who can take out Byron, things go sideways when the manner of transformation is brought up. So far, the safest known method of getting the Beauty is by an injection, but the fact that it’s sexually transmissible makes for a more flexible, but also more dangerous alternative. As seen in the case of Claire, the version of the Beauty that one can get from having sex isn’t always safe, and can easily turn people into violent killing machines. However, no one in the room with Cooper warns him about this possibility, which in turn prompts him to make a bizarre decision: to get the Beauty by having sex with Jordan.
While Jordan and Cooper have been sexual partners for quite some time, her transformation puts a hold on that for several episodes. Things get even more complicated when both confess their love to each other, but are too scared to have any physical intimacy. However, with Cooper now on track to use the Beauty, those inhibitions no longer exist, which allows them to make love once again. Ironically, this is likely the step where things go wrong for Cooper, as an uncontrollable chemical reaction ends up triggering a particularly long and painful transformation for him. Instead of the usual few minutes, Cooper’s body contorts for hours on end, and the cocooning process lasts the entire night. What comes out is a Cooper with his usual mind, but the body of an adolescent.
Actor Hudson Barry is the New Face Behind Cooper Madsen
Cooper’s transformation is not the first time ‘The Beauty’ has thrown a major curveball at us. In episode 2 of the show, Jordan undergoes the same transformation herself, with actor Rebecca Hall giving way to Jessica Alexander as the main lead. In the case of Cooper, the torch is passed from Evan Peters to teen actor Hudson Barry. Given the critical juncture the story finds itself at, Cooper’s age regression might just be a twisted blessing in disguise, as Byron has no way of predicting such a transformation. However, there are now other complications, both moral and psychological, at play. The people infected with the Beauty essentially cease to age, which means that there is a real possibility that this is how he will look for good now. His new appearance also puts his relationship with Jordan into question, potentially ending things before they have even fully begun.
Given that there are no known ways of reversing a transformation with the Beauty, it appears that Hudson Barry will have ample time to make Cooper his own character, using Peters’ portrayal as a reference point. Alongside ‘The Beauty,’ Barry features in hit titles such as ‘Servant‘ and ‘Evil Lives Here’ as Sergio Marino and Peter, respectively. Some of his other works include ‘Christmas at the Greenbrier’ and ‘Holiday Twist,’ where he steps into the roles of Carter and Stuart, respectively. Cooper is, in many ways, his most complex role yet, and with so many variables being introduced with every episode, there are innumerable directions Barry can take the character.
Read More: Who Plays the New Jordan in The Beauty? Is Rebecca Hall Leaving the Show?
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