‘Castle’ : Making It Right
By Lisa Caputo
2016-02-14
Castle and Beckett raced against the clock to prevent an innocent woman from being convicted of murder as they continued to hide the truth about their reconciliation from their loved ones
After seven and a half seasons of solving crimes, it would be natural for the Castle team to struggle to find ways to keep the case of the week fresh. But Sunday’s episode proved there are still plenty of new ways to explore their professional lives. While references have been made in the past to the detectives having to do their fair share of time testifying in court, this very real aspect of their job has never actually been explored on-screen. Sunday’s episode delved into that realm of law enforcement from a different perspective, with the titular character preparing to serve as a trial witness for the first time, five months after seeing a murder take place in front of him. But the episode also took an interesting turn, exploring the way that justice can seemingly be blind at times, that innocent people can wrongfully be convicted in those moments of imperfection within the justice system, and that witnesses may not always be sure of what they saw with their own two eyes. Staying true to their characters, of course, Castle and Beckett were there in this instance to fight to find the real story and ensure that justice was actually served, no matter what professional risks they encountered by doing so. The result was an exciting hour both inside the courtroom and outside of it, one that maintained the heart and soul of the series while exploring the case of the week in an interesting new way.
Penned by current co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter and directed by longtime Castle guru Bill Roe, Sunday’s “Witness for the Prosecution” found Castle preparing to take the stand as a witness for the prosecution in a seemingly slam-dunk murder trial after stumbling on the murder as it was happening months before. But when Castle was drilled on the stand by defense attorney and supposed Loksat frontman, Caleb Brown, the confident novelist suddenly began to doubt his own interpretation of the events of that night. Between his innate need to know the full story and Beckett’s innate need to seek true justice, the two paired up in a race against the clock to prevent an innocent woman from being convicted for a crime someone else committed.
The episode was a stellar one, a true example of the Castle team doing what they do best; presenting an incredibly layered and exceptionally-written story that explored the depths of who the characters are, all while combining the vast tonal range that has always made this show stand out amongst its competition, and complimented perfectly with powerful performances from the talented cast to bring the characters and their stories to life on the screen. The courtroom scenes, especially those that began the episode, were incredibly compelling. Watching Nathan Fillion go toe-to-toe with guest star Kristoffer Polaha as Caleb grilled Castle on the stand in an attempt to prove his client’s innocence was riveting and powerful as it presented an early turning point in the episode, one that would spark Castle’s mission to discover the true story.
In fact, one of the most interesting elements of the hour was the exploration of Caleb Brown, portrayed incredibly by Polaha. After all, this is a character we have known very little of outside of his seeming involvement as Bracken’s right-hand man within Loksat, an evil villain who cares nothing of innocent lives because he is blinded by his own desire for wealth and power and would do anything and everything to achieve and protect those things. But Sunday’s episode exposed a very different side to this character, a public defender willing to put himself on the front lines to fight for truth and justice no matter the risk, someone very much like Beckett in that way. And while she found herself somewhat respecting and admiring Caleb for his efforts, Beckett also had to grapple with what she already knew to be true of his darker side. After all, Bracken himself had done a lot of good as well and that did not erase the monster he was deep inside.
Of course, this was also a storyline that gave Fillion a chance to shine, one that he certainly made the most of. It is what this reviewer has always appreciated about the more dramatic and serious episodes of the series, rare episodes that minimize the comedy and the lightheartedness that are just as enjoyable in their own ways, and instead delve into the darker and more intense storytelling that gives the actors a springboard to showcase their immense talents. Sunday’s episode was certainly not one of those episodes that jumped into the deep end of the drama, instead finding a balance between being heavier on the seriousness and a little lighter on the comedy and romance without losing those elements completely, but it still provided the cast, primarily Fillion in his front-and-centre roll in the storyline, to showcase their dramatic abilities.
Meanwhile, there was a sense within the hour that the Castle team was able to minimize the focus of Castle and Beckett’s fake separation due to the seriousness of this case of the week. There were reminders of their current situation, of course, and they did well to explore the humour of it by allowing the couple to have some fun with their secret sign to say “I love you” in public without anyone being the wiser, a recurring joke throughout the episode that provided some lighthearted comic relief while reminding the audience that at its core, this is still a love story about these two characters. But the case of the week was also one that provided the perfect opportunity for Castle and Beckett to work together without anyone being suspicious of their relationship status or without having to go overboard to convince people that they were truly moving on with their lives. After all, they had no choice but to work together to ensure none of them were involved in putting an innocent woman in jail. They also had to put the investigation into overdrive as the clock was ticking on their opportunity to ensure that true justice was served, so no time could be wasted on personal issues amongst any of them. These were all elements of the episode that allowed the entire team just to dive in to their mission and work together seamlessly and without hesitation, thus allowing the episode to feel much more like a classic Castle investigation. After all, the team worked together perfectly and with such chemistry as they always have, with Castle and Beckett putting aside the attempts to hide their relationship and publicly flaunt their separation to achieve that goal and, instead, just get back to being the team we have known and loved.
The episode also did well to bring the Loksat investigation back to the surface without fully delving into it for the hour, something that would have kept Castle and Beckett apart for much of the episode had they done that. After all, this is still Beckett’s investigation for the time being, at least until she is ready to make her move and bring Castle into the fold. So it was a perfect way to bring the story back out into the open without keeping the two apart to explore the mystery in depth. It reminded us that Beckett is still very much pursuing this investigation in secret, being careful not to allow herself to be exposed and not allowing Castle to be involved just yet, while also giving us a better look at the man at the heart of it all, Caleb Brown.
Overall, Sunday’s episode was an exciting and compelling hour, one that brought the Castle team to the courtroom for the first time, exploring some powerful and riveting drama throughout the episode. It also introduced the audience to Caleb in a much deeper way and cast this seemingly villainous character in a whole new light, perhaps one that will add more complexity to the Loksat case as we roll towards the eventual climax of the mystery later this season. But at its heart, it was an episode that provided an opportunity for the audience to enjoy a classic Castle investigation, putting aside Castle and Beckett’s fake separation for much of the hour to instead showcase the teamwork and chemistry that we have long known and loved about these characters. For many, this would have been a welcome change from the ups and downs of the season-long separation between the two. For others, it may be merely a reminder of what these two are working towards as they fight to get their lives back by taking Loksat down for good.
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