Season 8 Episode 9 - "Tone Death" Review

‘Castle’ : A Dangerous Web    

By Lisa Caputo

2016-02-08

Castle and Beckett move forward with their marriage in secret, going to extremes to convince their friends that they are actually moving on separately

After a long hiatus, Castle returned to its eighth season with an episode that captured some key classic elements of the series while also moving in a new direction in the storyline. After Beckett’s secret Loksat mission was exposed to Castle in the midseason finale, ultimately leading to the couple agreeing to work together while still keeping up the charade of their separation in order to protect their rogue investigation, a new door was opened to rekindle a bit of that secret relationship magic that viewers saw back in season five. But with this couple now married rather than in the early stages of their new romantic relationship, the stakes for them keeping their happiness a secret from their friends and family are higher than ever, something that became abundantly clear when the season resumed.

Penned by Castle newcomer Robert Bella and directed by the accomplished Hanelle M. Culpepper, Monday’s “Tone Death” found Castle thrust into Beckett’s latest case when a new colleague of Martha’s was found murdered in the theatre she worked in, prompting her to ask Castle to help find the killer and bring them to justice. Despite their agreement to keep their rekindled marriage a secret from their family and friends, Castle and Beckett had no choice but to work the case together, resulting in them having to work overtime to keep their charade going, even resorting to some extreme measures to do so. The episode certainly had interesting case that had a stronger personal tone to it than most because of Martha’s connection to the victim, something that was wonderfully and beautifully brought to life through Susan Sullivan’s heartfelt performance in the episode. It was a brilliant choice to bring a murder close to home for the Castle matriarch, giving Sullivan a chance to shine as she always does when given an emotional storyline to chew on. But the episode also did well to balance the case with storytelling revolving around the relationships between various characters and how they were affected by the events that unfolded throughout the hour, with not only Castle and Beckett’s relationship in the spotlight but also their individual relationships with Ryan and Esposito, as well as Castle’s relationship with his mother. This gave the episode its heart and soul, exploring those age-old relationships that have long been the core of what draws viewers in to the series.

It was also an episode that had a little bit of everything, mixing comedy, drama, romance, and mystery in a seamless blend, a clever way to start the second portion of the season by appealing to all of the various elements that have resonated with fans throughout the series. There were many great moments between Castle and Beckett, from their bookended romantic moments of bliss at home to their classic showdowns to keep up the image of their separation in public to their tender moments secretly slipping away from the prying eyes of their family and friends. It was also heartwarming to see how far they were both willing to go to play the villain in the eyes of their friends to spare the other from having to feel that burden, especially the way that Beckett felt terrible when the guys expressed that they would turn their back on their friendship with Castle to show loyalty to her, prompting her to even the playing field by telling them that she had also moved on with another man. 

These different elements throughout the episode showcased both their loving chemistry and their fiery swordplay, something that was reminiscent of not only those early days of their secret relationship when it began years ago but also the verbal sparring we have long known and appreciated about them since the very beginning of the series. It provided a springboard for leads Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion to deliver a varied range of actions and emotions within their characters, almost like viewers were watching the best, and at times the worst, of Castle and Beckett, all in one episode. While their attempts to keep their reconciliation a secret may have gone a few steps too far at times and likely should have given them away, they were able to keep the charade going throughout the episode and nobody seemed to be the wiser.

Of course, their methods did have an unwanted impact on their friends, one the couple should have known would happen yet seemed to overlook in a big way. In an attempt to hide their blissful reunion from Ryan and Esposito, the Castles ended up putting their friends through the ringer, having to witness the pair fighting on multiple occasions, thinking Castle was cheating on Beckett during their separation, and then finding out that Beckett herself had supposedly moved on with another man as well. For Ryan and Esposito, this was all such a devastating experience and both Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas did a stellar job portraying the rollercoaster of emotions their characters were feeling throughout the hour, from protectiveness to anger to utter disappointment and a sense of hopelessness. While it was highly entertaining for the most part, it was also slightly difficult to watch at times because the excitement Castle and Beckett had infused in their own secret rendezvous was now coming at the expense of their closest friends. As we so often see, one lie requires another to keep it covered up, creating a snowball effect that is impossible to stop. The question now seems to be how big will that snowball get before Castle and Beckett are able to put a stop to it and how difficult will it be for them to make amends with Ryan and Esposito when all is said and done?

The episode also did well to include the remaining members of the longtime ensemble cast, with Molly Quinn and Tamala Jones getting in on the action, albeit not for long. It is always enjoyable to have Alexis involved in some way in the investigations, showing how much this clever girl has grown over the years, now a mature young woman who is proving, now more than ever, that she is capable of joining the adults on their adventures, just as Quinn has proven that she is capable of holding her own in the spotlight amongst this talented cast that she’s grown up with.

But the lack of screen time for Tamala Jones in her portrayal of Lanie has actually started to become a distraction for this reviewer. It seems as though Lanie has been limited to simply being the M.E. for the typical crime scene scenes or the odd scene at the morgue thrown in early on in an episode here and there, something that has limited Jones to a few lines every few episodes throughout the season. While this may be a simple matter of opting to concentrate on other aspects of the case instead, it also seems to discount the value that this character has in the personal storylines and not just the cases themselves. After all, Lanie has always been more than just the M.E. on Castle. She is Beckett’s best friend, her confidant, and the voice of reason to help guide Ryan and Esposito along the way as well. Yet despite Beckett’s supposed separation from her husband and the resulting impact this has had on all of their team, Lanie has only found her way into that storyline once or twice this season. Where is that voice of reason to help Ryan and Esposito deal with their conflicting emotions? Where is the best friend with the sound advice when Beckett made it known she was moving on with her life? Where is that firecracker who should have been the first one to go after Castle for his supposed cheating? If there was an episode for us to see Jones involved in a big way in the personal storyline, this episode was a prime opportunity. But all we saw was Lanie Parish, M.E., something that has become an alarming trend this season and hopefully one that ends soon.

Despite this disappointing element, Monday’s episode was a solid return overall and a great way to kick off the second portion of the season. It seems clear that Castle and Beckett’s secrecy can only last for so long before their closest friends and family catch on to their charade. After all, it is a dangerous web of lies that they are weaving and as we have seen so many time in the past, secrets can be ticking time bombs just waiting to explode. But for now, it should provide a steady combination of comedy and drama as we watch them struggle to hate each other in public despite being more in love than ever before, all the while with their friends and family attempting to deal with this major change in their own lives as well. But if Beckett insists on slapping Castle every time the guys catch them together in the same room, he may want to invest in bubble wrap.