Castle: After The Storm

By Michael Seese

Some things never change. The Castle season premiere was last Monday. We watched it last night. Maybe we'll get to this week's episode before next week.

I'll admit that I had feared the season ending Castle-Beckett hookup would be a jump-the-shark moment. We'll have to wait and see. But I did enjoy "After The Storm."

I thought the opening five minutes were great television. It started with the awkward morning-after conversation. Then it moved to slapstick when Castle and Beckett literally fell off the bed. (And was that an elephant behind them? What is an elephant doing in Castle's bedroom?) Castle's discomfort was hilarious as he tried to shoo his mother out of the bedroom. Then, his dodge of the flying pillow was perfectly timed.

Down in the kitchen, I loved his hangover conversation, which rose and fell in volume as he tried to cover Beckett's escape sounds. Her panicked look for her brassiere had me in stitches. And it all ended with him nearly shouting, "Experience this in its fullness, untrammeled by relief from over-the-counter pain relievers." We watched that scene twice.

Plotwise, good and intense. The music which played as Beckett walked through the hall in her search for Bracken was perfect. And I thought the scene in the kitchen played out brilliantly.  Perhaps I'm making a big assumption here, but it seems to me as though the writers wanted to put this story arc away -- rather than have Beckett always looking over her shoulder -- but leave it open enough to revisit.

One more kudo: visually, I thought the scene where Castle and Beckett were reflected in the television showing Bracken campaigning was a neat idea.

OK, one plot faux pas: why did Castle and Beckett have to search for Michael Smith? Why didn't they just take the photo to Mrs. Montgomery and ask, "Who is this?"

And finally, the "looks." The aforementioned first five minutes was one long exercise in looks, especially Beckett's glare from the closet. And the whole thing ended with Castle's happy realization as the elevator doors closed and Beckett said, "I'm pretty sure I'll think of something to do" during her suspension.

So, very good episode. But I'll keep looking for fins in the water.

What did you think of "After The Storm?" Feel free to share your thoughts.