6x06 - "Get A Clue" Review
‘Castle’: Sometimes Sorry
Isn’t Enough
By Lisa Caputo
2013-10-28
Castle and Beckett embark on a
treasure hunt while Castle and Alexis find themselves at odds on Sunday’s
thrilling and heartbreaking episode
ABC’s hit series, Castle, has always
had the uncanny ability to weave between a wide range of storytelling from week
to week, exploring episodes of drama, comedy, mystery, suspense, and emotional
character development, all without ever missing a beat and still maintaining
their deeply meaningful personal storylines regardless of the theme or mood of
each episode. The show has also had a long history of paying homage to both
classic and moderns genres of storytelling, pulling inspiration from everything
from Hitchcock to horror or from science fiction to soap operas. The Castle
team’s ability to take the genres and pop culture references that audiences
adore and build a story around them that pays homage to them and often provides
a new twist to them is one that always displays the level of respect that they
have for the vast range of storytelling that exists in our world. Sunday’s
thrilling and yet extremely moving episode was their latest fantastic example
of that.
Penned by the always incredible Christine
Roum and directed by the extremely talented Toronto-born industry veteran Holly
Dale, “Get A Clue” was a clever and exciting nod to films like The DaVinci
Code and National Treasure, with Castle and Beckett finding
themselves involved in somewhat of a treasure hunt throughout New York City in
order to solve their latest case. When the evidence pointed to the ancient lore
of a hidden treasure encased somewhere in the city, our dynamic duo were
challenged with uncovering the truth about the lore and following the clues to
unlock both the mystery of this supposed myth and how their victim lost her
life because of it.
While the case of the week and the mystery
surrounding it was absolutely captivating and suspenseful, keeping the audience
guessing through each twist in the story and each thought provoking clue, there
were also a number of brilliantly written and performed scenes that exposed the
personal storylines of this early part of the season. These, as always, were
some of the absolute highlights of the hour.
Tamala Jones returned in the fourth episode
this season once the show made New York City and the NYPD its permanent home
once again, and fans of Lanie were thrilled when the M.E. was reunited with her
regular team. While Jones had just a couple of scenes in Sunday’s episode,
there was one rather significant one between her character of Lanie and Jon
Huertas’ Esposito, the longtime on again off again couple, that I found
intriguing. While Esplanie was clearly reunited last season, their relationship
status remained something of a mystery so far this fall. Early into the hour in
this week’s episode, however, it seemed as though the two may be back on shaky
ground again. I could be wrong, but I thought I sensed a slight hesitation when
Beckett instructed Esposito to head to the morgue to see what evidence Lanie
had uncovered about their victim. When the two shared a scene just seconds
later, there seemed to be an odd tension between them and their usual snappy
post-breakup banter was back in subtle yet noticeable force. Perhaps this scene
was a clever setup for some upcoming Esplanie drama? You be the judge, but this
reviewer could not help but wonder.
While the relationship between Castle and
Beckett was certainly not the focus of the episode, there were some quiet
reminders of their impending marriage and the two did share all of the classic
back-and-forth and playful banter that we have long come to adore about them.
They proved that despite Beckett’s recent foray into the world of the Feds,
they have truly never missed a beat in terms of how fantastic a team they are
when they are partnered up on a case. They have never lost a single shred of
the magic they have always had together and while their relationship was not at
the center of this episode, seeing them back in action as partners and knowing
where they are headed as a couple is more than enough. Of course, we did see
them share a very classic moment early on in the episode as Castle lamented to
Beckett about his current father/daughter issues with Alexis while Beckett
attempted to be the voice of reason. Though she also could not resist giving
her fiancé her classic Beckett eye-roll and a sarcastic quip when he vented to
her about Pi, saying “it’s as though he’s turned being a charming man-child
into a career”, leaving Beckett to point out the obvious; “Now, that doesn’t
sound familiar, does it?”
Speaking of Alexis, the storyline between
she and Castle was deepened and darkened in Sunday’s episode, something that
became perhaps the greatest highlight of the hour for the second week in a row.
The episode began with Martha and Castle making a visit to Alexis and Pi’s new
apartment for a housewarming dinner. Despite Martha’s sage warnings to her son
to remain open-minded and support his daughter’s decisions, the
always-protective Castle was unable to look past his own prejudices about her
moving in with Pi to open his eyes and see that his daughter was happy. While
Castle’s stance was one we can perhaps all agree with, simply wanting the best
for his daughter and believing that the path she was currently on was not the
best for her at all, it was also somewhat heartbreaking to watch him rain on
Alexis’ parade. After all, we have all been where Alexis was, trying to find
our way as a young adult and trying to find our place in life and find our
independence as well. Yet there is always that desire for acceptance from our
loved ones, even when we are attempting to find our way in life away from them,
and it was clear that Alexis was discovering the hard way that she was not
going to get that acceptance from her father. Not yet, at least.
As has been the case with so many classic
Castle episodes, the hour was bookended with a return back to this storyline
between Castle and Alexis to close out the episode. After learning that Alexis
had confided in Martha that she was upset with her father’s actions at their
dinner the other night, Castle decided to make amends and apologize to his
daughter. But despite his heartfelt apology, Castle learned that sometimes
repairing the damage that has been done is not achieved that easily. Molly
Quinn and Nathan Fillion delivered a heartbreakingly emotional and moving scene
as Alexis stood firm and explained to her father that despite her feelings of
being hurt and left out of his decision to propose to Beckett, and her not even
being sure if it was the right thing to do or if Beckett was really the one for
him, she accepted all of it knowing that her father was happy. She told him
that she had expected the same acceptance from him but his actions made it
clear to her that he could not offer her that, even if his words claimed he
could. With that, the two parted ways, leaving a rift between them for now, but
also leaving a great deal more storytelling left in this truly moving and
character-developing plot.
We know that these two will find their way
back to one another and the greater purpose of them going through all of this
will come to pass soon enough. Until then, we can be sure that this storyline
will continue to deliver these captivating and compelling scenes between father
and daughter, and we should sit back and enjoy the journey until these two
reunite in what will be a stunning moment of glory.
6x07 - "Like Father, Like Daughter" Review
Finding Common Ground on
‘Castle’
By Lisa Caputo
2013-11-4
Castle and Alexis put their
differences aside in order to team up together to save an innocent man on death
row in Sunday’s stunning new episode
Castle has
started off its sixth season with a string of truly stellar episodes, already
making it one of the strongest starts to any season in the long run of this
incredible series. By breaking new ground with Castle and Beckett’s engagement
and Beckett’s foray into the world of a government agency, the Castle team
was able to breathe new life into the series while also setting the stage for
some long-term storytelling as the characters have found themselves dealing
with the after-effects of their decisions that were made in the initial story
arc of the season. One of those brilliant new story developments has been the
arc between Castle and Alexis, one that has been breathtakingly moving and yet
equally heartbreaking to watch unfold over the past few episodes. Sunday’s
installment found the estranged father and daughter putting aside their
differences and finding common ground, delivering a truly stunning and
beautifully told story throughout the hour and, perhaps, marking not only the
start to Castle and Alexis mending their fractured relationship but also to
Beckett and Alexis beginning their own relationship together.
Penned by Castle newcomer, Marc
Dube, and directed by the seasoned Castle director, Paul Holahan, the
aptly-titled “Like Father, Like Daughter” delved into a seemingly closed case
that Alexis had been working on in her law class revolving around a man on
death row who may have been innocent of the murder he was accused of. When the
convicted man, Frank Harper, had his last appeal rejected just three days
before his date of execution, Alexis knew there was only one last person she
could turn to in order to help her prove his innocence; her father. Putting
their issues aside, at least for the most part, Alexis and Castle teamed up and
headed to Pennsylvania to investigate the case further, while Beckett, Ryan,
Esposito, and Lanie, all provided some keen backup from New York. What ensued
was an hour of suspenseful twists and turns in the case, emotional and moving
moments within the personal storylines, and some of the most captivatingly powerful
storytelling that we have witnessed so far this season. It seems as though the
newest Castle writers have always found a way to make quite an
impression on their first outing, and Marc Dube certainly continued that
tradition with an episode that was absolutely epic.
The case itself was a rather interesting
one, with plenty of twists and turns and also plenty of intense and suspenseful
moments, often forcing the audience to question Frank’s innocence just as
Castle did from time to time. Yet Alexis proved to have the same great
instincts that her father, and Beckett for that matter, have as well, as her
initial gut feeling that Frank was innocent was eventually proven to be right.
The case also opened the door for Castle and Alexis to reach out to Beckett and
the rest of their friends at the NYPD to assist them, something that was rather
heartwarming to see as the entire team rallied around Alexis to support her and
help in whatever way they could to save this man’s life. It was also quite
clever that this was yet another case with ties to marriage, with Frank’s
fiancé standing by him through the years despite his being locked away,
something that we have seen in nearly every episode this season as a reminder
of Castle and Beckett’s engagement and upcoming nuptials.
Though the episode spent very little time
showcasing Castle and Beckett’s relationship directly, the Castle team
cleverly wove that story into the hour in indirect ways, further developing the
characters and their relationship through the case at hand and through Castle’s
relationship with his daughter. After all, Beckett is not just marrying Castle
himself, rather she is also marrying into his family. Not only did Beckett
lovingly support Castle and his need to mend his relationship with Alexis, but
she also reached out to Lanie for advice on how to handle her own obviously
troubled relationship with Castle’s daughter, something that delved into
another aspect of the story that will likely be explored further as the season
progresses.
The scene between Lanie and Beckett was
truly a highlight of the episode, with Tamala Jones and Stana Katic delivering
a wonderfully touching and heartwarming moment between these best friends and
showcasing the depths of their friendship while also showcasing Beckett’s
commitment to becoming a part of Castle’s family no matter how daunting a task
that may seem to be. Getting to the heart of the matter, Tamala Jones delivered
one of the most profound lines of the episode, suggesting to Beckett that,
“Perfect families don’t exist. It’s going to be up to you to find a way to make
your baggage match their baggage. It’s up to you to make your own history.”
With those sound words of advice, Beckett took the necessary steps to do
exactly that.
Of course, the driving force of the episode
was the relationship between Alexis and Castle and their storyline was so
beautifully developed throughout the hour as the two worked together as a truly
stunning team and managed to find new ground to help them mend their fractured
relationship. Nathan Fillion and Molly Quinn once again knocked it out of the
park with their performances throughout the episode, stealing the show in each
and every scene they shared. But perhaps the most moving scene of the episode
came just before the end of the hour, delivering a compelling and captivating
moment between father and daughter and igniting the spark of reconciliation
between them. With the case in its final hours and Frank set to be executed, it
seemed as though all hope was lost in proving his innocence. In a moment of
fear and desperation, Alexis cried out to her father to tell her what to do and
how to handle this, showing that despite her recent need for independence, she
would always still need her father’s support and love through these difficult
moments. Castle lovingly told his daughter that while he did not have all of
the answers, he knew that they would get through this together, no matter what
happened. With that, the two shared a warm and moving hug, just as we have seen
so many times before, a signal that while they may still have some work to do
to mend their relationship, they are certainly well on their way.
In the end, Castle and Alexis were able to
solve the case and prove Frank’s innocence, with some key help from their
family and friends at the NYPD. While we are used to seeing Castle and Beckett
in those fantastic final scenes of the case, exposing the true killer in epic
fashion, Alexis rather perfectly assumed Beckett’s usual role, showcasing that
perhaps the two women in Castle’s life have much more in common than they
realize. In a truly satisfying conclusion to the episode, Castle and Alexis
stood in the courtroom together as Frank was exonerated of the charges against
him, with Alexis thanking her father for his help and uttering the words that
have long held meaning for the Castle characters; “this is enough.” With
that, she told her father that it was time to return home as she still had one
other person she needed to thank; Kate Beckett.
As the hour ended back at the precinct,
Castle looked on with pride and love as he watched his daughter and his
bride-to-be share a beautiful and heartfelt moment together, smiling and
hugging one another, cementing for him the image of what his life would be
about from this point onward.
Perfect families may not exist but this one
is perfect for Castle.
6x08 - "A Murder Is Forever" Review
A Man’s Home Is His ‘Castle’
By Lisa Caputo
2013-11-11
Castle and Beckett explored the
challenges of cohabitation in a sweet and meaningful episode about
relationships and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love
It has been a stellar start to the sixth
season of Castle, with the first seven episodes being a perfect mixture
of profound character growth, witty comedy, powerful drama, intense suspense,
and a great deal of commentary on relationships and family-related matters.
After focusing on the Castle and Alexis storyline over the past few episodes,
one that has truly been compelling and emotional to watch unfold, the Castle
team returned to its bread and butter, looking to Castle and Beckett to carry
the story in Sunday’s sweet and meaningful relationship-heavy episode.
Penned by Castle newcomers and
industry veterans, Dara Resnik Creasey and Chad Gomez Creasey, and directed by
the infamous and always incredible Bill Roe, “A Murder Is Forever” followed
Castle and Beckett as they explored the challenges of cohabitation while
investigating the murder of a famous relationship expert. The case itself
provided the perfect backdrop to enhance the personal storyline between
television’s most captivating couple while also being a compelling story in and
of itself, one that explored the complexities of relationships and the
sacrifices that we make for the ones we love. It was a beautifully written
episode, one full of deeper meanings and profound commentary on relationships
and specifically on Castle and Beckett’s relationship, and it was certainly a
convincing first outing for the Castle team’s newest writing duo as the
two delivered a truly remarkable episode.
When the relationship expert to New York’s
most powerful couples, Alice Clark, was found murdered, Castle and Beckett were
faced with the challenge of unraveling the mystery surrounding a rare manmade
diamond that she had stolen and how it connected to her tragic death. The
entire NYPD team was back and better than ever in this episode, with Penny Johnson
Gerald returning as Captain Gates, Tamala Jones back as Lanie, and both Jon
Huertas (Esposito) and Seamus Dever (Ryan) taking on a larger role in the
episode this week. The case itself was a rather interesting story, full of the
typical twists and turns of a Castle investigation, yet it also provided
a perfect link to the personal storyline between Castle and Beckett as the two
found themselves in a hilarious dispute throughout the hour.
In the opening segment of the episode,
Castle awoke to a clearly disturbed Beckett as she voiced her disdain for a
piece of animal art that Castle had hanging in his bedroom, asking if he would
consider moving it to another room to make her more comfortable now that she
was spending so much time there. While it was clear that Beckett still had her
own apartment and the two were not yet living together exclusively, it was
rather wonderful to hear Beckett refer to the loft as her home. Even still, as
most couples themselves could relate to, her rather simple request to make the
space more comfortable for her became an absolute power struggle between the
two. What ensued throughout the hour were numerous scenes of clever banter
between the dynamic duo, a story that not only delved into a perfect and
realistic challenge for Castle and Beckett's relationship but also one that
highlighted the stark differences between men and women and how they deal with
such challenges.
While Castle fought not to give up
something that symbolized his very identity and succumb to having his territory
taken over, Beckett played her way through the dispute like it was a chess
game, cleverly making him think he was winning before delivering a blow that
would make him rethink his strategy. It was very much a realistic portrayal of
a typical relationship power struggle and it provided a wonderful array of cute
and playful scenes for Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion to shine in, showcasing
the incredible chemistry these two have when playing off of one another and
challenging one another.
As the two made their way to the crime
scene early on in the episode, Beckett attempted to appeal to Castle by letting
him know that his home was now becoming theirs together instead. Yet when he
still seemed unwilling to budge, trying to guilt her into rescinding her request,
Beckett responded with a seemingly sincere apology before dryly telling him
that she could just stay at her own place instead, clearly not something that
Castle wanted to hear. A little later on, Castle tried a new angle, quoting
Alice’s book to illustrate to Beckett that he was simply acting on his basic
animal instincts, offering his “territory” to Beckett exactly as it was. Of
course, Beckett countered his new tactic with an even more convincing one,
hilariously telling him, “And if you want to be invited into my territory
again, you should probably rethink that.” Well played, detective, well played
indeed.
Halfway through the hour, Castle tried yet
another tactic to win this power struggle in a wonderful scene that also
brought back a number of classic Castle elements; coffee, Castle’s “I
was thinking” line, and the infamous elephant figurines on Beckett’s desk.
Castle tried to butter Beckett up by bringing her a coffee and started the
conversation off with his classic line before he tried to convince her that her
desk at work was also a shared living space for them and that he would feel
more comfortable in that space if she got rid of her elephants. Seeing through
his rather desperate attempt to force her to back down, Beckett countered with
a hilarious dose of reverse psychology, calling his bluff and telling him that
if he did not like her elephants than neither did she. Knowing his bluff had
been called, Castle sulked and admitted that he actually did like the
elephants, with Beckett smiling and enjoying her moment of victory.
In the end, Castle and Beckett solved their
case together, a case that highlighted for them the lengths that some couples
would go to in order to make sacrifices to protect the other or make them
happy. Perhaps it was the lessons learned throughout their case mixed with the
final chapter of Alice’s book that convinced Castle that he had a very easy
sacrifice to make in order to make Beckett feel more at home in the loft. With
that, he surprised the love of his life with a perfect replacement for the lion
painting in his bedroom; a shadowbox that framed a handful of seashells the
couple had collected on their first walk on the beach in the Hamptons together.
It was the perfect gesture, one that showcased that Castle had kept those
seashells to preserve that wonderful memory together as well as that he was
committed to making the loft their home now, filled with their memories and
their stories together rather than just his own. It was a touching and moving
conclusion to the episode and it once again put the focus on Castle and
Beckett’s commitment to their relationship and their future together.
It may still be a while before these two
exchange their official vows together, but episodes like this certainly make it
well worth the wait. After all, it is truly all about the journey and that
journey, so far, has been extraordinary. Castle and Beckett are not the only
ones who love their story.
6x09 - "Disciple" Review
A Ghost From The Past on
‘Castle’
By Lisa Caputo
2013-11-18
A terrifying string of murders leads
Castle and Beckett to a horrifying revelation; Jerry Tyson is alive and still
on the hunt
Castle has
long been successful at exploring a wide range of storytelling, seamlessly
maneuvering between comedy, drama, mystery, suspense, romance, and everything
else in between, often combining many of these elements into each episode or
shifting gears from one to the next week to week. While the show is always captivating
regardless of which method of storytelling it relies on for each episode, this
reviewer has always been drawn to those that delve into darker subject matter.
To me, Castle is truly at its best when it explores that dark side,
bringing forth truly compelling and game-changing drama while keeping the
audience on the edge of their seats throughout the hour. Sunday’s episode was a
stunning and shinning example of that, presenting a dark and dramatic story
that brilliantly opened the door to the return of the show’s most chilling
murderer, Jerry Tyson.
Two of the Castle team’s most
masterful storytellers, writer David Amann and director Rob Bowman, combined
their incredible talents in Sunday’s episode, the aptly-titled, “Deciple”,
which found Castle and Beckett investigating a serial killer in perhaps the
most horrifying case they have ever come across. With two victims who looked
identical to Lanie and Espsoito, the case immediately hit a tad too close to
home for the entire NYPD team and it was believed that someone was targeting
these two specifically. But in a brilliant twist halfway through the hour, it
became clear that their victims were used to obtain classified police and
medical files by pretending to be Lanie and Esposito themselves. Those classified
files were ones pertaining to the murders committed by Jerry Tyson, better
known to Castle fans as the incredibly disturbing and remarkably elusive
serial killer, 3XK.
The stunning episode had the look and feel
of a feature film, much the same way that the infamous Castle two-parters
always have as well, with every aspect of the storytelling truly being in a
league of its own. Meanwhile, the story itself showcased how incredibly
powerful this show can be when it delves into not only those dark elements of
storytelling but also into the mythological and looming ongoing mysteries that
are so brilliantly woven in and out of each season to remind Castle and Beckett
that they still have lingering threats out there in the shadows.
While the case itself was absolutely epic
in and of itself, combining some truly disturbing murder scenes with the
suspense and mystery surrounding the investigation and the questions revolving
around who would target the members of Beckett’s team and why, the moments that
always resonate most in even these case-heavy episodes are the personal ones.
Sunday’s dramatic and intense episode was no exception.
Fans have long been waiting for Tamala
Jones to have an episode focus much more heavily on her character of Lanie,
allowing the versatile and uber-talented actress the chance to shine on the
screen in more than just a couple of scenes each week. While this episode was
certainly not centered primarily on Lanie, it rather brilliantly opened the
door to achieve the same goal, allowing Jones the opportunity to deliver an
outstanding performance throughout the hour as she explored an array of
emotions while Lanie dealt with the horrors of investigating the death of
someone who looked exactly like her.
As expected, Jones stepped up to the plate
and knocked it out of the park in this episode, stealing each and every scene
that she was in, including a heartbreaking and chilling moment of absolute fear
and horror when she revealed to a shocked Beckett that their victim had
purposely been altered to be her exact double, as well as a beautiful and
heartfelt moment between she and Esposito as she painfully asked him how long
it would take before they could look at one another and not see the faces of
their victims. That, above all else, was truly one of the emotional highlights
of the hour and both Jones and co-star Jon Huertas were absolutely incredible.
Of course, with the early indications that
a target had been set on the backs of Lanie and Esposito, Ryan’s concern and
protectiveness for his partner were also on display. Seamus Dever and Jon
Huertas shared a stellar scene together near the end of the first half-hour of
the episode and both delivered their A-game as Ryan tried to coax Esposito into
talking things through and expressing how he felt about everything that had
happened. Not only did this scene cleverly showcase the bond that these two
share and how protective they can be of one another, but it also highlighted
the stark differences between the two as Ryan’s answer was to talk about how
Esposito felt while Esposito’s answer was to bottle it up and then express his
anger rather than his fear.
Throughout the hour, there were some subtle
yet very significant clues that the case could be tied to the show’s most
notorious and still uncaught serial killer, Jerry Tyson. While the victims were
clearly not his usual type, he did always have a penchant for using doubles of
people as accomplices in his crimes. In this case, they also became his
victims. And while 3XK was known for using rope to strangle his victims, he had
already changed that M.O. last season when he attempted to frame Castle for
murder. Either way, in each and every murder he committed, strangulation was
the cause of death, just as it was with each of these two victims. While it
seemed as though Castle believed fairly early on that these murders were tied
to Tyson and that he was sending a rather horrifying message to them, Beckett
was reluctant to believe it, clinging to the hope that Tyson really had died
last year even though it was clear that she may have just been trying to
convince herself of that more than she was trying to convince Castle of it.
After all, she knew what Tyson was capable of and she knew she had never been
able to stop him before. Perhaps it was easier to believe that he truly was
dead than it was to accept that this monstrous threat to Castle’s life could
still be out there.
In the end, it became clear that Tyson was
behind the murders and yet another telltale calling card of his proved to come
to light; he had a new partner. Annie Wersching turned in a chilling and rather
disturbing guest performance as cosmetic surgeon Kelly Nieman, and while she
certainly seemed too smug and absolutely creepy to not have been involved
somehow, it was not until the end of the episode that it was revealed that she
was, in fact, Tyson’s new partner. The revelation came far too late, though,
and just as Tyson had eluded them in the past, so too had his accomplice,
leaving behind a chilling note that taunted them with their possible return in
the future.
With that, Castle and Beckett realized that
both Tyson and Nieman were out there, lurking in the shadows until it was time
once again to strike. Tyson himself was certainly enough of a looming threat to
their lives and their happiness but adding Nieman into the mix added a double
dose of that threat, with television’s most captivating power couple now being
the ultimate target of a pair of the most ruthless serial killers possible.
The episode concluded with Castle finding a
hidden USB drive concealed inside of the pen that Nieman had left behind with
her note to them. As he quickly popped it in to his laptop with Beckett
standing watch, the two were terrified to hear the chilling warning that Nieman
and Tyson had left for them to find; they will meet again. With that, the hour
came to close in one of the most heart-pounding and devastating conclusions of
any single episode in the history of the series, as Castle and Beckett stood
frozen in their tracks, the terror of this warning painfully obvious. It was
chilling and it was intense but the ominous warning was also a reminder that
this part of the story is far from over and the final showdown will be nothing
short of spectacular.
6x10 - "The Good, The Bad & The Baby" Review
Visions of the Future on the
midseason finale of ‘Castle’
By Lisa Caputo
2013-11-25
Castle and Beckett tested the waters
of parenthood in Sunday’s heartwarming and memorable final episode of 2013
Castle has
long pushed the boundaries and challenged the mold of network television. It
began as a rare example of how a show could successfully combine various
elements of storytelling, explore a plethora of genres, and find a perfect
balance between comedy, drama, suspense, and romance. Over the years, it has
carved its own place in television history as one of the most compelling love
stories of all time, all while maintaining its procedural formula and
seamlessly progressing the stories of its characters amongst the backdrop of
the cases they explored together. It was also the first show in recent history
to successfully answer the “will they / won’t they” question it began with,
bringing its two lead characters together into a committed, loving, and
extremely captivating relationship and never looking back. In its sixth season,
Castle has continued to push forward, raising the bar even higher with
each and every new episode. With character-driven storytelling, a great deal of
focus on family and relationships, and some of the most intriguing and powerful
episodes of the entire series, the first portion of this stellar sixth season
has been nothing short of brilliant. Sunday’s heartwarming and memorable hour
capped off the fall season with the quintessential Castle episode, one
that is sure to become an instant classic.
Penned by the incomparable and incredible
Terri Edda Miller and directed by the legendary and uber-talented John
Terlesky, “The Good, the Bad, and the Baby” delivered absolutely everything one
could ask for in a midseason finale. The case itself was complex and
intriguing, with so many mysteries involved that even the most savvy Castle
fans would have had trouble solving the case before Castle and Beckett did. The
relationship between Castle and Beckett was explored in some new and very
compelling ways, with some of the finest Caskett scenes yet and some wonderful
dialogue between the two regarding their future together. The entire ensemble
cast contributed throughout the episode and each and every one of them
delivered stellar performances in their scenes. It was truly a culmination of
all of the elements that continue to make this show stand out amongst its
competition, a shining example of how incredibly talented this cast and crew
is, and the perfect way to conclude this epic start to the new season.
The episode opened with a dramatic and
heartbreaking murder scene, one that was beautifully shot, edited, and scored,
as a man struggled to walk down the aisle of a church in the midst of a
late-night mass, handing over a baby boy to the priest before collapsing to his
death. The mysterious death of this man and the even more mysterious reason
that he was carrying and protecting a child that was not his own quickly became
the basis of Castle and Beckett’s investigation. Of course, as with any Castle
episode, it also opened the door to the personal and character-driven elements
of the story.
The mere presence of this adorable baby boy
was enough in and of itself to bring out a great deal of insight into each and
every one of the characters throughout the episode. Castle, a devoted father
himself, was immediately drawn to the child and wanted to do anything he could
to provide for and protect the infant. Meanwhile, Beckett initially seemed
awkward and highly uncomfortable, clearly not having had much experience with
babies in her past, though she did start to warm up to him throughout the hour.
Ryan attempted to use the opportunity of having a baby around to help him
practice for his quickly impending fatherhood, though he was met with some
rather hilarious yet crushing results. Esposito seemed absolutely apathetic to
the presence of the baby boy while Lanie took every opportunity she could to
hold him and shower him with a wonderful dose of baby talk, even making the
details of the evidence she had found in her investigation of their victim
sound adorably cute. Alexis and Martha were able to join in the fun later on as
well, not hesitating whatsoever to offer to babysit the bundle of joy, and even
Captain Gates showed her softer side, cooing over the baby boy herself.
But perhaps the most resonating and
character-developing effect of having baby Cosmo involved in the story was that
his presence itself opened the door for Castle and Beckett to consider whether
or not they wanted to have children of their own in their future and to give
them an opportunity to test the waters of what parenthood would be like for
both of them together. It was a brilliant way to explore that aspect of their
relationship and get a glimpse of what their future could be like without
having to go all the way with a storyline involving them having a child of
their own just yet. Also, it lead to some of the most incredible, hilarious,
and heartwarming Caskett scenes yet.
Being that Castle and Beckett are vastly
different people, despite their becoming more and more alike in some ways over
the years, it was an interesting approach to explore their differences through
how they reacted to baby Cosmo initially and even more so throughout the
episode. It was also rather intriguing that despite Beckett labeling herself as
not being much of a “baby person”, she was quick to let Castle know that she
believed she would feel differently when it came to their own children. When
they learned that Child Services had failed to find a proper foster placement
for baby Cosmo, Castle saw a clever opportunity to test the waters of
parenthood with Beckett, offering to watch over Cosmo until they could locate
his real parents.
What ensued was, perhaps, one of the most
perfect Caskett scenes yet, with Castle and Beckett not only exchanging plenty
of their classic playful and challenging banter, but also working brilliantly
together as the partners they are as they hilariously tackled the highs and
lows of caring for an infant. It was a beautifully written and performed scene,
with Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic bringing forth all of the magic and
chemistry that they have always had on together while also exploring some
really interesting new aspects to their characters. The two carried this
through to a follow-up scene to this one, as Castle and Beckett had an open and
honest conversation about their future together and Beckett promised a thrilled
Castle that she not only wanted to have children with him but that she wanted
to actively raise them with him. Again, it was a heartwarming and beautiful
scene between these two, even if it did take place inside of a dumpster,
proving that Stana and Nathan can make even dumpster diving seem romantic with
the chemistry they exude together in each and every scene.
In the end, Castle and Beckett solved their
case, which turned out to be extremely interesting in and of itself, reunited
the baby boy with his true parents, and settled in to celebrate Thanksgiving
dinner with the rest of the growing Castle family. With a few clever quips to
conclude the episode in a way that bookended the hour wonderfully, Beckett
proved that she truly was Castle’s perfect match, turning one of his classic
pranks around on him and earning her place in the ranks of the stunningly
clever Castle women.
With that, the fall season concluded and
the show will take a long but necessary hiatus until the new year. “The Good,
the Bad, and the Baby” was the perfect way to cap off what has been a stunning
and brilliant year for Castle in 2013, and if every year before this is
any indication, the best is still yet to come this season.
Is it January yet?
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