Castle: PhDead

by Michael Seese

OK, so it wasn't what I thought it would be. At the end of "XX," I thought Beckett was going underground, and in my review opined about "Caskett On The Run." Instead, she was just moving out of the apartment in order to protect Castle & family.

And in an obvious effort to lighten the tone from the previous two installments, "PhDead" was a really funny episode. I loved the subtle humor in the imagery of the dozen or so arrows stuck in the door frame, as Castle practiced his archery. 

We also FINALLY got "lividity" from Lanie. Of course, the first two shows this season didn't have "found" bodies, so there wasn't the opportunity.

I nearly ran out of room writing down the lines.

Great concept: The CDRK, aka, the Castle Depression Rescue Kit which, per Alexis, contained "video games, Sumatra coffee beans, enhanced Blu-Rays of the original Twilight Zone, and this..."
Martha: "9 Woof Woof?"
Alexis: "Puppies at your doorstep in 30 minutes or less."

Castle: "I can't recall if I saw things other than a body with a gruesome wound."

Scott Powell: "You didn't really think you could Jump Street the prime suspect, did you? Your partner is growing ear hairs right before my eyes."

(I had to cite the IMDB entry for the show, since it was MUCH better than the movie.)

Castle: "You, in the printed non-ironic tee, beside the too-friendly blonde."
 
Alexis: "I'm getting fitted for an iron lung in the morning."

In the bondage room...
(Castle's look)
Alexis: "What? I read 50 Shades, and so did Peter."
Castle: "I'd say this is less 50 Shades, and more Fatal Attraction."

Castle (over the walkie-talkie): "In your face, Frankenstein."
(Beckett's look.)
Ryan: "We can explain."
Beckett: "I ask one thing of you guys."

Quick aside: Maybe things have changed since I went to college, but Halloween didn't last a month back then.

Frankenstein: "You're pretty hot for a cop."
Beckett: "I have a gun."

Castle: "You're indoors and it's dark. Take off the sunglasses. You look stupid."

Castle: "When you say it in that tone, I sound like a bad parent."

A few nitpicks (with a SPOILER) thrown in:

- Regarding Beckett, Castle was being a baby. (Much like a few seasons back, when Beckett decided to move to DC, and he thought it would be the end of them.) I get the whole "we're a team" thing. But she's not talking about separating; she's talking about protecting,

- Castle was far too easily rattled by Scott Powell. Richard Castle is a multi-millionaire, best-selling author who has faced death many times, and he lets a 20-year-old punk dress him down? I DON'T THINK SO.

- Likewise, the initial prison scene had a few issues. Let's see, Castle and Alexis find a prison in the middle of Midtown, staffed by obviously young people. One takes his wallet and phone and shoves him into a cell. And Castle lets him? And the "guard" didn't think, "You sure don't look like a student." Not too mention, Professor Lillstrom was video monitoring it all; she didn't see it?

- You mean to tell me that Emily, an emotionally broken 110-pound girl, threw a man onto the tree branch with enough force to impale him? Uh-huh.

Still, the above were not so egregious as to tank the whole episode.

What did you think about "PhDead?"

Do-do-do-do Do-do-do-do

I had two "low-level" Twilight Zone experiences today.

1. In the building where I work, the restrooms are right across from the conference rooms. As I passed a conference room on the way to a "necessity break," there was a pretty big meeting in full swing. I would say there were 20 - 25 people there. I did my business, and emerged at most one minute later. AND THE PEOPLE WERE GONE! The room was empty; the lights were out. I understand that meetings end. But usually a few people linger and shoot the breeze. But there was no sign of life. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing any of them around for the rest of the day....

2. Then on the way home, I stopped at Great Clips to get a haircut. This was my second time there. The first time, I learned that they ask for your name and phone number, purely for "servicing purposes," as in, logging what they did, so they will know what was done in order to help them on your return visit. They swear that the information will not be used for marketing purposes.  And that may be so. But as a privacy professional, I know that if they later decide to sell my information, they can, if they notify me in some fine-print legalese. So I try to avoid giving it out. The gentleman who checked me in was the same one who cut my hair the last time. He said if I had been there, my surname would be in the system. So I gave it to him, and he looked it up. "You're here," he said, showing me the screen. The name was "Seese." There was no first name shown. The address was not mine. BUT...the street was Bushnell Avenue.  My father grew up on Bushnell Avenue. It's a fairly small street. . .perhaps 500 feet long. I can't say when my father's parents moved out of the house. But they died in 1963, and by that time, my father was married, and not living there. He had no brothers. In short, I have no known living relatives on that street. And yet, there is someone with my name there.

(Cue Twilight Zone theme.)