‘Castle’ : The Setup
By Lisa Caputo
2016-04-25
Castle and Beckett investigate the attempted murders of a man who just will not seem to die while also getting a massive break in their mission to take down Loksat
While much of this eighth season of Castle has pushed the envelope and explored new realms of its core storytelling, the past few episodes have done well to bring the show back to its roots, focusing on the NYPD team working perfectly in sync again, Castle and Beckett moving forward after some monumental challenges in their relationship, and a return to the wide range tonal range the show has long been known for. Monday’s episode continued that trend while exploring one of the most bizarre cases in the history of the series but the Castle team also found a way to bring the Loksat mystery back into focus as the story began its climb towards the final arc of the season, one likely to lead to a dramatic and suspenseful finale. In keeping with the typical formula of the series, there certainly seemed to be push within the hour to set the stage for one last major story arc this season as Castle and Beckett were given the break they needed to take down Loksat and end their quiet battle against perhaps their most dangerous enemies ever.
Helmed by a stellar duo of longtime Castle writer, Rob Hanning, and the legendary director, Bill Roe, Monday’s aptly-titled “Dead Again” found Castle and Beckett investigating the many deaths and rebirths of their latest victim, Alan Masters. While Alan’s ability to escape death puzzled had Lanie in a frenzy and kept the rest of the team puzzled throughout the hour, Castle believed they were in the presence of a real-life superhero. At times it was perhaps a bit too bizarre, even for this team known for getting “the weird ones”, it did well to present some interesting themes throughout the episode, even prompting Castle to take Alan under his wing in an attempt to help the bumbling wallflower use his second (and third) chance to actually begin living his life the way he wanted to.
Guest star Jonathan Silverman provided a wonderful performance as he portrayed Alan, a shy safety inspector who seemed to dream of more in his life but felt bound to his own reality even after escaping death. He and Nathan Fillion shared a number of hilarious scenes as Castle attempted to help Alan pursue a woman he had been pining over, too afraid to make a move as he believed she would reject him. Perhaps it was Castle’s own recent dreams of making the most of his life with Beckett that prompted him to want to help Alan live out his own fantasies, or perhaps it was his idealistic views of fate and love that pushed him in that direction. Either way, his heart seemed to be in the right place and despite actually putting Alan in even more danger by trying to help him seize the day, he ultimately brought Alan together with another potential love interest in Lanie.
Speaking of Lanie, it was a joy to see her finally involved in more than just the standard first few minutes of the murder investigation, this time allowing the character to become involved throughout the hour and in some very surprising ways. I have been critical at points this season of the lack of screen time given to Tamala Jones and this episode proved exactly why I have felt it would add a great deal to the story to have Lanie involved more. The chemistry amongst the team is undeniable and adding Lanie back into the mix heightens that chemistry even more. It was great to see her show support for Castle when he blamed himself for Alan’s second “death” and equally as heartwarming to see Beckett lend her support to Lanie later on as the usually confident M.E. began to doubt her abilities after incorrectly pronouncing Alan dead twice at that point in the episode. And Tamala did a stellar job showing the frustration and defensiveness Lanie was feeling when she was ultimately stumped, and certainly embarrassed, after her victim came back to life time and again. It added a lot to the episode and also gave Alan someone to relate to on a mental level, perhaps the beginning of a surprising yet fitting new relationship for both of them.
Throughout the hour, there were many great references to Castle and Beckett’s history together, from lines like “I’ve been thinking” or their classic moment of theory-building. In fact, that short exchange between them lead to one of the highlights of the episode as Lanie and Alan mirrored the Castles with their own hilarious theory-building moment, prompting Castle and Beckett to question whether or not that is what they sound like when they have their moments. Under her breath and clearly taken aback by what she saw between Lanie and Alan, Beckett quietly whispered to Castle, “Is that what we sound like?” with Castle hilariously replying, “I certainly hope not. I mean, it was cute but just overly cute.” And the two shared some other great moments throughout the episode as Castle attempted to convince Beckett to essentially leave their current life behind them and run away to start a new adventure together. While Beckett was resistant at first, not wanting to walk away from her newfound job as the Captain of the 12th precinct and knowing they still had to put Loksat away, the idea certainly seemed to appeal to her more after it was revealed that Caleb had caught on to their mission and Loksat may not have been far behind him. As the two entertained the idea of running off to Paris to escape their lives and the danger they may be facing soon, Castle sweetly reminded Beckett of his commitment to her, telling her “As long as I’m with you, I’ll go anywhere.”
Speaking of Loksat, Kristoffer Polaha returned for another intense appearance as Caleb, making it known to Beckett that he had caught on to her investigation after one of Vikram’s searches set off an electronic alarm Caleb had put in place to alert him to anyone who may be snooping around for information. In one of the hour’s most powerful scenes, one that quickly and seamlessly spun the otherwise comedic episode into a much more serious and suspenseful one, Caleb confronted Beckett who ultimately pushed back just as strongly, the two going toe-to-toe with threats of what could happen should they cross one another. Stana Katic and Kristoffer Polaha have shared a number of strong scenes together but this one was perhaps the most interesting as it finally shed the cloaks they had both been wearing to keep the other from finding out their secrets while they fearlessly challenged each other. At times, Caleb seemed to be trying to protect Beckett, hoping to frighten her enough to keep her at bay and keep her from putting her life at risk to take Loksat down, while at other times he seemed desperate to save himself from her attempts to go after his boss, clearly knowing what that would mean for him as well. And at the same time, Beckett quickly flipped from trying to deny her involvement to being the Beckett we have come to know and adore over the years, the stoic hero ready to risk her life for the greater good, even making Caleb an offer to work together in order to do the right thing and take Loksat down for good. The result was a powerful scene between the two, with Polaha and Katic delivering a memorable and ultimately stirring performance between two people who really are not that much different from one another despite being at opposite sides of this battle.
While Beckett was extremely cautious at first with the information Vikram had discovered, clearly having learned her lesson from the past to not rush into a fight without being completely prepared, she was forced to throw that new strategy away and adopt her survival of the fittest attitude once Caleb had made it clear that her secret mission was no longer a secret. Even still, she used her intelligence, her heart, and her ability to read people to help assess the situation and offer Caleb a way out of the mess he had found himself in, a way to redeem himself and return to being the do-gooder he had been before getting involved with Bracken and Loksat, hoping he would agree to share his knowledge with Beckett and Castle to help them take Loksat down, once and for all. But Caleb left her with a powerful warning, one that seemed to resonate with her yet not spark the necessary fear within her to keep her at bay. He painted a chilling picture for her of what this moment between them could ultimately lead to, a moment she may look back on when her life flashes before her eyes in the seven seconds between the death of one’s body and then mind. It was a stirring warning, one that sent shivers up this reviewer’s spine, perhaps one that Beckett should have heeded.
In the end, Caleb surprised Castle and Beckett when they returned home to the loft after solving their case. On a side note, one would think these two would have better security after everything they have been through. But I digress… in the closing minutes of the hour, ones that once again turned the story back to the dramatic side as it focused one more time on Castle and Beckett’s pursuit of Loksat, Caleb provided the couple with a massive break in their investigation. Wanting Loksat to be taken down so he could be free and know he had done the right thing, yet being too terrified himself to take on this monster, Caleb handed Beckett a cell phone that was his only means of communication with his boss. On the third Monday of every month, Loksat would call with an electronic message, providing him with his latest instructions. Trusting Beckett and Castle to do what he could not bring himself to do, Caleb gave them the ammunition needed to go after Loksat, making Beckett promise him that she would see this through.
With that, Castle and Beckett took it all in as they came to the realization that Caleb had given them the key they needed to unlock this mystery and take the fight directly to Loksat without blowing their cover. And as the episode concluded, Beckett made a promise to her husband that they would finish this battle soon, telling him “When the time comes, we’re going to make it count.” Thus, the setup for the final arc of the season has been completed. On the third Monday of the month, the date of the May 16th finale, that phone will ring and give Castle and Beckett the opportunity to make it count. Of course, it seems the writers have presented the audience with two potential outcomes through their clever hints of foreshadowing, and only time will tell which will come to pass; will Castle and Beckett take Loksat down and opt to walk away from their crime-solving ways to ride off into the sunset and make the most of their life together in peace and happiness, or will they suffer through those final seven seconds with their lives, and their regrets, flashing through their minds?
No comments:
Post a Comment