‘Castle’ : All In The Family
By Lisa Caputo
2016-02-15
Castle and Beckett work together to solve the murder of a Russian diplomat’s son while Castle finally meets his stepmother, Rita
While Castle has long been described as a crime procedural, a dramedy that focuses on the partnership of a mystery novelist and his muse of a homicide detective, one of the most important cornerstones of this series has always been its focus on family. From Castle’s relationships with his mother and daughter, to the family dynamic of the NYPD team, to the family Castle and Beckett began together when they exchanged vows last season, the exploration of a variety of family dynamics and relationships within the series is what has always grounded the stories in a sense of reality and relatability, no matter how far beyond reality their cases and experiences may have taken them. Monday’s episode seemed to focus back on that once again, with a layered story that addressed Castle’s current separation with Beckett and the affects it has had on his own family, a case that dealt with a dysfunctional diplomatic family with many secrets of their own, and the long-awaited introduction between Castle and his stepmother, Rita. It also did well, just as Sunday’s episode had, to bring the NYPD family back together in fine form.
Penned by the talented Jim Adler and directed by the legendary Jeannot Szwarc, Monday’s “Dead Red” found Castle and Beckett pulled into the world of international politics when they were tasked with finding the murderer of a Russian diplomat’s son. Despite returning to their scheme to keep their reconciliation a secret and lay low, Castle and Beckett were forced to work together to solve the mystery after the Russian security officer assigned to shadow the case turned out to be a massive fan of Castle’s “Nikki Heat” novels, insisting he have the opportunity to watch the dynamic duo at work in person. Of course, this was a brilliant plot twist that facilitated Castle and Beckett’s partnership in the face of their current façade, another opportunity to have the pair work together without being forced to go to extremes to protest to this in order to hide their relationship from their friends and family, as well as the prying eyes of Loksat.
The case of the week was an interesting one, filled with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It did well to provide a commentary on the troubling inner workings of international politics, something that often prevents justice from being handed down because of diplomatic immunity, all without seeming too preachy on the subject. It was also an opportunity to introduce the idea that Castle and Beckett’s story was one that had an international appeal, perhaps a clever nod to the fact that the series itself is a massive hit around the world, as well as a chance to hear lead Stana Katic speak Russian again on the show, albeit very briefly. But the biggest opportunities presented by this case of the week were the facilitation of Castle and Beckett working together at the request of their Russian colleague and the means that it provided Beckett to reach out to Rita once again, prompting the truth to come out about who she was and how Beckett knew her.
With that, we were treated to another brilliant appearance by guest star Ann Cusack, reprising her memorable role of Rita, Castle’s stepmother and Beckett’s protector and partner of sorts in the initial Loksat investigation. Now on board to help them with their international mystery, Rita proved to be essential to the investigation while also provided some vital moments to the personal side of the story. First, her interactions with Beckett brought out a sense of justification for Castle and Beckett’s fake separation, proving that the two had been able to hide the truth well enough to fool even someone like Rita, meaning they have likely also been successful at throwing Loksat off of their scent. Second, her work on the case forced Beckett to come clean about who Rita was and how she was connected to not only herself but also to Castle, finally giving the audience a long-awaited introduction between the stepmother and stepson. While Cusack’s role in the episode was small in terms of screen-time, it was certain pivotal not only to the case of the week but also to those wonderful elements it added to the personal storylines, and her performance sold it all so beautifully.
Speaking of the Castle family, there was a brief scene early on between Castle, Martha, and Alexis that was another highlight of the episode, providing some much-needed clarification that neither Castle’s mother nor daughter had any idea where his relationship with Beckett currently stood. While it seemed as though both were a tad skeptical of his sudden change in demeanor when it came to his separation with his wife, they seemed to accept his explanation that he was content to give Beckett the space she needed for now and wait for her to come home to him. Of course, this also provided the line of the night, a wonderful moment of innuendo and subtext as Castle hilariously told them, “Beckett asked for some time so I’m just giving it to her. Everyday. Sometimes twice…”
While the Castle family itself was the focus of much of the personal story within the episode, perhaps the most important element throughout the hour was that their NYPD family was, once again, back together and in fine form. The early part of this current season found Castle and Beckett at odds more often than not, and while they still found themselves working together on their cases, there was a distinct push and pull that disrupted the typical dynamic amongst them and their team. It was a disruption that had fans of the show split, some welcoming the change as it provided fresh new stories and a great deal of drama to watch along the way, and some pining for a return to the classic Castle dynamics they had always known and loved. But despite Castle and Beckett now committed to keeping their relationship a secret to protect them from Loksat and any suspicions that they are working together to take the villains down, there has been a distinct message sent over the past few episodes that their public façade would not dampen the return to the usual chemistry and family dynamic of them and their team. As long as the writers continue to find interesting ways for the two to work together, without having to go to extremes to pretend they are at odds, we should continue to see this fabulous foursome back in action as they have been over the past few episodes.
Perhaps even more interesting, however, has been this emergence of a theme over the course of this season. Maybe it is mere coincidence, maybe it is a concentrated effort to evoke that old Castle magic, or maybe it is simply intriguing and thought-provoking writing at work. But there seems to be a theme emerging this season that Castle and Beckett are almost reliving their entire journey, all over again, over the course of the season. The early episodes keenly mirrored elements of the earlier seasons, with Castle and Beckett very much aware of the pull between them yet also very much fighting those feelings and pushing each other away. While it was different this time around, Beckett pushing Castle away to protect him and Castle pushing Beckett away to honour her request for space and time to sort things out, there was still a very classic feel to it all, mirroring their initial phases of denial as they fought hard to keep each other at arm’s length in the early days for fear of being hurt or rejected by the other. Little by little over the first eight episodes of the season, the two began to give in, let their guard down, and let each other in a slight bit more with each passing day, until they eventually found their way together again. And, just as it was in “Always”, it took Beckett nearly losing Castle to come to terms with the error of her ways and admit how much she needed him, more so than she could have ever understood before, the turning point that allowed the two to reconcile and commit themselves fully to their relationship once again. Now, in this second portion of the season, we seem to be reliving those early days of their romantic relationship, the two fighting hard to keep their love a secret from their family and friends.
Time will tell if this truly is the stage the Castle team has been setting this season, to relive the journey of Castle and Beckett all over again in a way, though this time from a whole new angle and with the stakes even higher, their marriage and their lives being on the line at all times. Even if it is nothing more than a coincidence, it has been an interesting journey this season. And in a way, we’re just getting started.
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