‘Castle’
: The Game-Changer
By
Lisa Caputo
2015-11-16
Ryan and
Esposito settle their differences while Castle and Beckett take a time out from
their time out and Castle discovers a lead into Beckett’s investigation
We live in a world where we are not
used to waiting for things; if you have an answer, you can get an immediate answer
with a Google search or by simply asking your phone to provide its infinite wisdom.
If you want to buy something, you are just a few clicks away from ordering it
online from anywhere at any time of the day. If you want to connect to friends
or family no matter where they are in the world, communication can be made
instantly through email, texting, or social media. Perhaps it is this
conditioning, this instant gratification, which has greatly affected the way
audiences today watch a television show, often expecting instant results,
immediate answers, or a quick payoff. But storytelling is an art in which
patience is truly a virtue and that is something that is best left unaltered,
especially when the television landscape is already riddled with enough
programming that lacks that art altogether. Throughout this eighth season of Castle,
that has been the key to the storytelling; trusting that the emotional turmoil,
the heartbreak, and the painful yet also remarkably hopeful separation between
Castle and Beckett, as well as that of Ryan and Esposito, would pay dividends
not only in strong individual episodes throughout the current arc but also with
a worthy payoff that would set the stage for the next phase of the season.
Monday’s episode brought about the start of that payoff, adding in a few
game-changing moments which will undoubtedly propel the story into next week’s
midseason finale, and also showcased an incredible range of emotions in one
single hour, emotions we have seen all season but which were brought to a whole
new level in this episode.
Penned by the brilliant Rob Hanning
and directed by the legendary John Terlesky, Monday’s “The Last Seduction”
found Castle and Beckett on the eve of their first wedding anniversary and yet
far from where either would have expected their marriage to be a year ago.
Meanwhile, Ryan and Esposito’s own fractured relationship was on the verge of
its boiling point, putting both of these beloved partnerships on thin ice. But
when their latest case forced both pairings to face the reality of what they
truly had together, each were starkly reminded not to let go and rather to hold
on tightly and find a way to make things work. It was a remarkable hour,
combining a truly intriguing case with a profound message under the surface,
some wonderfully witty comedy, clever throwbacks to the past, and plenty of
compelling drama, all of which had such a depth and heart to it that there was
much to sit back and reflect on when all was said and done.
The case itself was an interesting
one, with a brilliant and very classic Castle way of mirroring to the
personal storyline in the episode and creating some captivating moments as the
characters felt those mirrors quite clearly themselves. One such example came
as a result of the clever undercover operation from Castle, Alexis, Ryan, and
Esposito. Watching Castle go undercover to gather evidence against the divorce
attorney had a profound impact on Beckett, knowing that he was just playing his
role yet still becoming deeply affected by the mere question posed to him as to
whether or not he felt his relationship with her still had hope or if it was
truly doomed forever. It was a moment that not only served its purpose for the
case itself but also opened the door to a truly poignant source of emotion for
Beckett, something that would come back around by the end of the episode to
feed into the heartfelt moment she would share with her husband.
Despite the story being focused
largely on Castle and Beckett’s anniversary, this was truly an episode that
allowed Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever to shine as well. The friendship and
partnership between Ryan and Esposito had taken a harsh turn lately, the two
finding themselves at odds when they both took the sergeant’s exam together
early in the season but only Esposito passed it, leaving Ryan feeling the pangs
of both failure and jealously. And when he mistakenly shot his partner shortly
after, something Esposito immediately attributed to that jealousy, the pair
found themselves at each other’s throats for much of the season. Huertas and Dever
showcased their fantastic range throughout this episode, with Esposito and Ryan
failing miserably at all attempts to work out their differences. At times, they
were hilariously funny, even swapping roles to play each other’s characters as
Ryan and Esposito poked fun at each other, and at other times they were
incredibly deep, showing the heartbreaking emotion both were feeling after
being so hurt by the other. In the end, it took a life-or-death situation to
bring the two back to the partners we have always loved seeing them as; two
friends, two partners, two brothers who would risk their own life to save the
other. Throughout it all, these two played their roles perfectly and it was
quite heartwarming to see them finally find their way back to sharing the
bromance we have been accustomed to for all of these years.
In a way, their fractured partnership
somewhat mirrored that of Castle and Beckett, though with much more aggression
and much less maturity. It has been intriguing to watch as one would expect the
married couple to be undergoing therapy or being unable to work together or see
eye to eye yet while Castle and Beckett have both handled their heartbreaking situation
with civility and a great amount of love and respect, it has been Ryan and
Esposito acting like a married couple on the verge of a nasty divorce, though this
review suspects that was the purpose all along. Maybe we were meant to see the
ugly side of this fractured partnership between Ryan and Esposito to better see
and appreciate the way that Castle and Beckett avoided that relationship
pitfall simply by working to understand and respect one another. While Ryan and
Esposito were at odds because of jealousy, hurt feelings, and a sense of
betrayal in some ways, Castle and Beckett’s separation was never a question of
their love and commitment to one another, rather quite the opposite and an
interesting counterpoint to what Ryan and Esposito were going through.
The episode did, of course, provide a
number of remarkable moments between Castle and Beckett, the two clearly being
torn between their desire to be together, especially on their anniversary, and
their need to do what they felt was best for the other as well. Beckett was still
intent on keeping her distance from her husband to protect him from finding out
and involving himself in her dangerous on-the-side investigation yet she could
not help but give in when he presented the idea of them taking a time out from
their time out to celebrate their anniversary together. Meanwhile, Castle
fought that desire to do whatever he could to end this separation, especially
on their special day, in order to honour Beckett’s wishes for time and space.
What was abundantly clear was that
they were each well aware that they were both in love with one another, still
very much committed to their marriage, and still extremely torn by their
current situation. They have come to find that understanding in what the other
is going through and as difficult as it has been on both of them, they have
found their way to keep the other very much aware of their feelings, something
that has displayed a sense of honesty amongst the necessary secrecy at play. As
hard as she tried, though, and very much despite her conflicting feelings,
Beckett simply could not resist Castle’s offer to take a break from their
separation, if only for one night, to celebrate their wedding anniversary
together and give themselves a chance to enjoy each other’s company again.
Regardless of Vikram’s warnings and regardless of the risks she knew would be
involved, Beckett simply could not deny herself nor her husband the chance for
some normalcy amongst their complicated situation.
Despite their celebration being
delayed due to having to do damage control between Ryan and Esposito, something
that actually seemed to convince them even more that their own separation just
felt wrong, Castle and Beckett did get to enjoy some time together to celebrate
their first wedding anniversary, a moment that not only gave the audience a
time out from the time out but also gave the husband and wife a chance to
escape their current heartbreak, those conflicting feelings, and their painful
separation, if only for one night… for
now.
While it would be easy to get caught
up in their reunion itself, it was their conversation, more than anything that
may have occurred prior to that, which showcased exactly why there should be no
doubt as to where their relationship is heading this season. The playful
laughter, the deep honesty, and the reaffirmation of their love, their commitment,
and their sense of hope, combined with the sheer on-screen chemistry of leads
Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion who delivered a stunning performance both
together and apart throughout the episode, all of this beautifully displayed
exactly why this is a love story that has long captivated the audience.
As the episode came to a close,
Castle discovered a lead into Beckett’s secret investigation, seeing a message
come through on her phone telling her that whoever she was working with, who we
know to be Vikram, had found something important. With that, Castle had all he
needed to confirm that Beckett was, in fact, investigating something in
secrecy, and knowing that it was something she felt she needed to hide from him
seemed to weigh heavily on him as it was clear it had to be something
dangerous. Armed with this new information, and after last week’s clever hints,
the stage has been set for a potentially explosive situation in next week’s
midseason finale. Perhaps the time has come for Castle to inadvertently involve
himself in Beckett’s investigation, the one thing she sacrificed her own
happiness to avoid, and perhaps the time has come for Beckett to understand
that there is no way to protect him if she is putting her own life in danger.
Maybe these two will stop trying to protect one another while apart and,
instead, do what they do best and protect one another while together, no matter
the risk, finally accepting that putting either of them in danger means putting
both of their lives on the line since their lives are now fully intertwined.
Always.
As we have heard so many times before
throughout the series, this great love story has always been about these two
overcoming obstacles. Their greatest joy has always sprung from their greatest
heartbreak, their success from their failure, and their hope from despair.
These are the emotions we have been seeing all season, a payoff in and of
itself, and this conclusion to the episode served to present, as always, what
the greater purpose for all of it has been. Without risk, there is no reward,
and while many fans have felt the reward of this storyline all season long,
others who have not felt that yet may at least be starting to feel that now.
And with the stage set for one heck of a conclusion in next week’s midseason
finale, this reviewer thinks that we’re just getting started.
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