‘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?
ONE WEEK LEFT!!!
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