by Michael Seese
Another winner!
"Once Upon A Time In The West" is not to be forgotten, lost to the pages of history, or... OK, I think I've beaten that horse to death.
I know in the past I've said that some of the episodes where most of the action takes place outside of NYC seem to be "lacking" because I see the city as a character. But in this case, the Diamond Back was a character all its own.
Picky aside: if someone poisoned you, would your dying words be the place the murder was committed, or THE PERSON WHO POISONED YOU?? It sure would have made the show a lot shorter.
Another picky aside: the fact that the victim was from New York, and keeled over in New York is irrelevant. She was murdered in Arizona.
Final picky aside: Beckett seemed awfully cavalier about discussing the case (via cell phone with the boys back in the City) out in public.
One of the joys in this episode came from losing count of all the Western movie cliches and homages:
- The gun-spinning hotshot. (Followed by Beckett's look of amazement, and Castle's proclamation, "I want to be him when I grow up.")
- Castle's saloon entrance. (And the doors swinging back on him. I completely saw it coming.)
- The burning Bonanza map.
- The rolling tumbleweed.
- The bartender's google-eyed slow descent behind the bar when the gunfight was imminent.
- The gay cowboy neighbor. OK, that was new.
And lines everywhere.
Lanie: "I haven't hard a carb in months, just in case I had to put that damn dress back on."
Castle: "We got married, Mrs. Castle."
Beckett: "We certainly did, Mr. Beckett."
Castle: "I have three theories."
Beckett: "And I'm sure that none of them will be a waste of my time."
Esposito: "You still suck."
(Also, I loved how Captain Gates smacked Espo and Ryan down, calling them "school girls," if memory serves.)
Beckett: "This is so not our honeymoon."
Castle: "We approach this like writers."
Beckett: "So we procrastinate and make stuff up?"
Castle: "Of course I want to go after the gold. It's gold!"
A great look: the dour faces of Lanie, Ryan, and Espo (in contrast to the elation of Martha and Alexis) when Caskett made the announcement.
And I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I thought the Yavapai elder was a great character.
Oh, and...
Applause for the continuity editors, who remembered to put a scar on Beckett's chest at the end.
Whew! What did I miss?
By Michael Seese
No sign of the Fonz on water skis, I'm happy to report. I'll admit I feared that Castle's proposal to Beckett spelled the beginning of the end. But if "Valkyrie" is any indication, the show hasn't lost a step.
Usual disclaimer: SPOILERS!
The opening scene was wonderful, funny and touching. The dialog (and looks) careened between the two extremes.
Beckett: "Oh my god! Oh my god! You're proposing!"
Castle: "OK, you're surprised."
Beckett: "Of course I'm surprised. I thought you were breaking up with me."
Castle: "By offering you a ring?"
...
Castle: "Not yes?"
Beckett: "No. Not not yes."
Castle: "You know how this works, right?"
But then Castle's gentle, "If that means when things get difficult we have to figure them out, then I'm wiling to figure them out. Assuming you're willing to figure this out with me."
Another great scene had to be "Mr. C's" introduction to Pi. (Prediction: the latter is a conman.) Castle's face was precious, especially during the exchange:
Pi: "The whole spelling thing stifles creativity."
Castle: "The spelling thing?"
A great standalone line was Castle's comment that his cardboard cut-out is "best with rhetorical questions."
Noteworthy looks:
Ryan's face when Castle (over the phone) said, "You're swaddling that doll right now, aren't you?" And Beckett's closed-mouth "Yeah," when Castle asked, "Would you at least like to know what I found out?"
A few picky things...
The exercise at the beginning, where Beckett ostensibly gets shot? She's a decorated New York City police veteran. She's busted more bad guys than Dirty Harry. And yet, the feds feel compelled to have her complete urban training? In a real urban setting? (And, heck, even I said, "The blonde is with him." After all, it's not as though pretty blondes in blue print dresses randomly hang out in alleys.)
Also, whatever the toxin was, it killed Bronson (the ex-Marine) in a matter of minutes. So why does Castle has 24 hours? Yes, I assume the point was that Bronson had been exposed a day or two before, and he finally, coincidentally succumbed with Castle in the car; but Beckett mentioned only the level in Castle's blood, and not the time differential between the two men's exposure to it. As a writer, I'd say they should have tossed in a quick line referencing the latter.
And a comment I've made before...
Since the show is named "Castle," I'm going to go out on a limb and say they're not going to kill him off. (Plus, right now IMDB lists four more episodes.) So unless Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle will appear only in a hospital bed, or heaven...
Will a valkyrie be taking Castle to Valhalla? Click to tweet.
