‘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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