Castle: "The Time of Our Lives"

by Michael Seese

I never thought I would TXT-SPK in a Castle review, but...

OMG!

What an episode that was!

And not just because ...

SPOILERS! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!

... they got married. Personally, I'm basically neutral to that story arc; you knew it was going to happen eventually. To be honest, I'm just glad no one got shot or blowed up at the wedding. 

Quick aside: I was hoping that Castle would say to Alexis something like, "Do me a favor. Don't ever dye your hair."

To start, I think the writers really like coming up with clever segues from the murder to the "Caskett" domestic life. This time, it was knife slashing toward the hand, then another one bisecting the cantaloupe.

Reflecting on "The Time of Our Lives," I think one thing that must really be tough for any alternate-reality episode (of any show) is having the actors act like they don't know each other. Yes, they're professional. But still, Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, et al have been working together for seven-plus years now.

I lost count of how many references to alternate histories were tossed about in the first five minutes. Most notable, both Castle:

"Your old FBI squeeze? You're so lucky I came along and saved you from that life."
"It's like It's a Wonderful Life. Every time your phone rings, a victim gets their wings."

I thought that Nathan Fillion the actor did a great job playing the confusion morphing into recognition, starting with the way he felt his pockets, looking for the artifact after the explosion.

My favorite was:

Beckett: "I've only known you for a day. But it seems a lot longer."
Castle: "I have that effect on people."

Some of the other great lines:

Castle: "Come on! I would never sing 'Let It Go' as a duet."

Castle: "That is awful."
Martha: "Exactly what the critics said."

Beckett: "I expected you to be on your best behavior."
Castle: "Actually, this is my best behavior."

Castle: "I hate this world."

I also jotted down a few nice comic touches:

- Castle's worst mug shot EVER.
- The way he stealthed around the precinct.
- The entire Chelsea scene. (It would be great if she appears in a future episode, and Castle snaps his fingers as if to say, "Don't I know you...")

And a nice touching... um... touch:

When Beckett admitted that she had met Castle at a book signing, and he said, "You never told me that."

Finally, the looks:

- Castle's cocked eyebrow at Esposito's "We were just stuck in traffic" explanation.

- Beckett's glare at Castle after she realized he had brought her to that sports bar in order to catch the perp. "The bitch set me up," said my wife.

One last thing: Did anyone else notice that in the opening scene (so, obviously pre-alternate-reality) the kitchen cabinets looked "different?"

What are YOUR thoughts on "The Time of Our Lives?"

Castle: "Driven"

by Michael Seese

He's baaaaaaack, and so am I. We watched the season premiere of Castle, despite the fact we have not yet seen last season's finale since TIME WARNER CABLE STILL HASN'T SEEN FIT TO RE-RUN IT, despite the fact that a four-hour weather alert interrupted the original broadcast.

But I'm SO over that.

Apparently, last season ended with a cliffhanger as Castle, on his way to the wedding, is run off the road, his car bursting into flames. I'm inferring that, based on the fact that "Driven" starts out with Kate finding Castle's car, run off the road, on fire.

But I won't be sure until TIME WARNER CABLE RE-RUNS IT.

(Still over it.)

This was a serious episode. The lines, the looks, everything was grim. Don't get me wrong. I thought it was a very good episode, and will set up (it would appear from the previews) the next episode, at least. Or, they might string it out.

I have my own personal theory on what happened / what will happen. I can't contain myself, so I will share it WAY at the bottom. Read at your own risk.

I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way the writers depicted the passage of time. Beckett starts with a huge list of leads, then crosses each off. Meanwhile, she puts up a newspaper article which notes that author Richard Castle is missing. Then another headline which says "six weeks." Finally, "Two Months, No Answers."

Quick aside: I love how she later called it "The Murder Board."

Once again, brilliant.

So, the lines...

Duffin: "You're breaking my finger."
Beckett: "Then after that, there's nine more."

Quick aside 2: When Beckett took down Duffin, I said, "Nice tackle, Kate."

Ryan: "What happens if you don't get your money?"
Vinnie (smiling): "That does not happen."

Castle: "A tangled web I fully intend to untangle."

Beckett: "The janitor tried to move your chair. I freaked out and almost shot him."

The two best looks were:

- Martha's fade from hope to worry as she hugged Alexis and said, "Your father will be home before you know it."

- Beckett's temporary elation when Esposito put a coffee cup in front of her.

That's (almost) about it for this week.

Feel free to share your thoughts (and theories).



**** IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ MY THEORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS, STOP READING ****










**** TURN BACK NOW ****








Here's what I think....

LAST CHANCE!

Castle was kidnapped by 3XK, and brainwashed. Why do I think that?

1. It's 3XK's style.
2. Beckett mentioned three possible past-case suspects: Bracken, 3XK, and someone else. (Sorry, I don't feel like firing up the DVR to see who it was.) Only 3XK was mentioned again.

What's going to happen?

Castle and Beckett will be somewhere. Maybe walking in the park, maybe home. Alone. Castle will answer his cell phone. His face will turn emotionless.

Beckett: "Who was that?"

Castle pulls out a gun.

Beckett: "Castle! What are you doing?"

3XK will step out of the shadows. (Or Castle will walk over an open his door.)

3XK: "He's committing the perfect crime. For me. In jealous rage, noted author Richard Castle kills his fiancee, then turns the gun on himself. Irony-revenge-blah-blah-blah."

Beckett: "You won't get away with this."

3XK: "But I will. Castle, finish the job."

Castle: "I plan to."

Then he plugs 3XK.

Castle: The Squab And The Quail

By Michael Seese

This will be a slightly discombobulated review, because my viewing "experience" was a bit off. At the conclusion of "The Fast And The Furriest," the previews for the coming week indicated a tense episode in which Beckett has stepped on a bomb trigger. "The Squab And The Quail" begins with an unseen hand spraying some liquid onto a plate of food, and moves quickly to some rich guy keeling over in his haute cuisine. The team starts interviewing the victim's associates, to see if he had any enemies. Then Castle hears that the poison had been sprayed on the mushrooms (poisoned mushrooms...nice touch), and realizes that the tainted food was meant for the OTHER rich guy at the table, the wealthy (and handsome) Eric Vaughn. So the gang has to begin again, probing to see if he had any enemies. They find the killer, and then find him killed. (I thought it was pretty cool when Esposito looked down, saw feathers blowing out from underneath the killer's apartment door, and knew something was up.) So now the team has to race to find the real killer. Of course, they were racing primarily because Castle led the charge, since Beckett had been ordered to serve as Vaughn's personal bodyguard, and they were holed up in a posh hotel. (I mentioned that Vaughn was wealthy and handsome...right?)

The point to all that (other than offering you, dear readers, a summary) is that I kept wondering, "OK, when is Beckett going to step on the trigger?" I later learned, through the Internet, that the show's producers opted to delay that episode in deference to the victims of the Boston Marathon attack. Perfectly understandable. But as I said, I felt somewhat confused throughout the whole episode.

Overall, there were a lot of funny lines.

When Castle, thoroughly engrossed in an online combat game, ignored Beckett's proposition, she lamented, "Oh my god! You actually have to think about this!"
And then he had to tell his gaming partner (via phone), "No, it's not my mom."

Also:

Castle: "I was in the zone, like Gretzky."
Beckett: "At least Gretzky knew how to score."
Castle: "Ouch."

Castle: "It's poetic, diabolically speaking."

Castle: "The guy won a MacArthur Genius Award. Do you know who they give those to? Geniuses!"

Castle: "I can't believe that the department is forcing her to hang out with some womanizing rich guy against her will."
Ryan: "Unbelievable."
Esposito: "Yeah, she's never done that."

After that exchange, Ryan and Espo shared "the look."

So Monday brings us "Still." (Of course, for me, it will be on Tuesday, or Wednesday.) Also, I found it telling that the previews downplayed the bomb, and played up that "Still" will be one of those "I'm going to die, so let's look back and recall the good times" episodes. 

Feel free to share your thoughts on  "The Squab And The Quail."

Does anyone know what a squab actually is? Castle does. Click to tweet.

Castle: "The Fast And The Furriest"

By Michael Seese

This won't be a gushing review. (And no, Hell did NOT freeze over.) "The Fast And The Furriest" didn't do a whole lot for me. Perhaps they went to the "Scooby well" once too often. And too recently. Although, what other show could work the Smurfs and Avatar into the same cultural reference?

So back to the "well" analogy. Like "Scared To Death" and "Undead Again," you knew that:

1. Castle would be absolutely convinced that a supernatural force was at work.
2. Beckett would be absolutely convinced that a supernatural force was not at work.
3. There would be a moment where she sees something which makes her think, "Could Castle be right?"
4. Then the balloon would pop.

In my review of one of those episodes, I probably recited the same basic "you knew..." litany. But it didn't bother me then. Perhaps this time, it was just old. Or perhaps, I assumed that, if nothing else, it was a guy in a Bigfoot suit; in contrast, "Scared To Death" offered no immediately apparent alternate explanations. Also, I thought the ending fell flat. In many episodes, the killer turns out to be a non-suspect. But at least, they offered a credible and clever explanation for the motive. In this case, they took the easy way out: "It turns out, you're a known stalker." Deus ex machina. 

Oh well. 

On the positive side, I did enjoy the scene where Castle and Beckett were sitting in bed, and he was trying to explain his love of the unknown: "There are no new continents to explore. There's no more deepest, darkest Africa."
 
I did think it was funny that, in this episode, Ryan was totally on board with Castle's hypothesis. I give extra credit for the exchange:

Beckett & Esposito: "Who's Darrel Meeks?"
Castle & Ryan "Who's Darrel Meeks?"

Which segues nicely to lines. 

Castle: "I've never sleep aten... Sleep ate... Sleep eaten."

Castle: "You're saying someone framed Bigfoot?"

Esposito: "Gentlemen, I hate to rain on your parade."
Castle: "Do you?"
Esposito: "No."

Castle: "Are you scared of my work?"
Beckett: "No, I'm scared that I might murder you, and then I'll have two crime scenes."

And looks:

The entire scene with Castle and "Moonshine."

Castle's smirk when the Aussie Bigfoot hunter told Beckett, "You're squatting in the wrong bush."

Castle's look of subtle realization when Alexis said she was afraid he would have given her "the speech," and he replies, "Oh..that speech, yeah." 

Next week's episode, "The Squab And The Quail," looks to be (if I may re-use a favorite word) intense. I'm going to make a bold prediction, though, and say they won't kill Beckett.

Feel free to share your thoughts. And something new...


Get someone else's fur flying.  Click to tweet.

Castle: The Wild Rover

By Michael Seese

WARNING! Lots of spoilers...

As I have said here and there, I really appreciate the episodes which focus on someone other than Castle or Beckett, since it allows the writers to develop the other characters. "The Wild Rover" may have been the best of the bunch.

Esposito may be the one with Special Ops experience. But Ryan showed a real toughness in this one, a toughness that even his friends may not have appreciated. In fact, when Agent Walker sung Ryan's praises, Esposito positively beamed.

We got our eyebrow-raising moment, when Siobhan walked over and kissed Ryan, then he quietly said to his friends -- and his WIFE -- "I can explain." (Cue the commercial break!)

Ryan's brash, brazen alter-ego served up a nice contrast to the soft-spoken, buttoned-down detective we all know and love. And I thought his whole "I can do this" psych-up was a great scene.

Then the end...

In my review of "Hunt," I called the rescue scene the best two minutes of the show's history. The last ten minutes of "The Wild Rover" is a close second. When Liam confronts Ryan and tells him that they're going for a ride, both my wife's and my heart were pounding. It didn't get any less tense when Bobby S. asked Ryan to put a bullet in Siobhan, a woman who obviously, though never explicitly stated, he had loved. (My wife called the part about blanks in the gun.) Then that scene wraps up with the cavalry arriving, following a plausible explanation as to how Ryan got word to them.

But wait...there's more.

Then we got the satisfaction of seeing the murderer -- a non-suspect, up to that point -- brought in. (Remember? This all started with a murder.)

Next, we had Castle confessing to Beckett about his embarrassment at his college dalliance in plagiarism, which pushed him into his writing career.

Finally, we got to end the show on Ryan's and Jenny's happy note.

Despite the intensity of this episode, humor abounded.

Beckett: "I happen to be an expert on nothing, and this is not nothing."
Castle: "Most of what I say is meaningless. Why would it be any different when I'm asleep?"

Beckett: "Looks like he's not the only one keeping secrets."
Castle: "I'm going to ignore that."

Castle: "Did you see the way Siobhan gave him that flying lip-lock?" In fact, I think "flying lip-lock" is a keeper.

And the looks...

Castle's discomfort at being upbraided for eating the dead guy's cupcakes. "It was free samples," he pleaded.

Castle's anticipation when Ryan said, "It's complicated." "I love complicated," he said, sitting down like a 15-year-old about to hear an older boy describe what sex is like.

And in one big, huge, line- and look-fest...

Esposito gave us a great look when Castle asked, "Where's Ryan." Then, cut to the apartment, where Ryan and Jenny are preparing for their doctor's appointment, and she sends him off to do his duty. Followed immediately by Castle saying, "So master baker Jimmy Whelan..." Gut-splitting stuff.

I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode. As I watched the previews -- which promise an obvious homage to "Rear Window" -- I said, "Is Castle actually in a wheelchair?" Per the pictures on IMDB, he is.

Feel free to share your thoughts. 

It wasn't Castle, but Ryan, who was the "Wild Rover."  Click to tweet. 

Castle: "Hunt"

By Michael Seese 

One word: WOW!!!!!!!!!!

(I suppose I should add another word to this, and all Castle reviews: SPOILERS!)

I try to avoid hyperbole, but that may have been the best Castle ever. I recall, years ago, reading a review of the Ron Howard movie Apollo 13; the reviewer called it a great film because, even though you knew it would end well, Howard still managed to keep it thrilling. I would say the same about "Hunt." (After all, we knew that they wouldn't kill off Alexis.)

The episode started out great (and in sepia), and just got better. I thought the scene with Castle and Gaston, where Castle asks about the latter's daughters and then says, "Now imagine them gone" was terrific. Then came the scene in the church, where Castle meets Jacque Henri. It was even better. (OK, it bordered on suspense movie cliche...whatever.) The underground scene, with Henri and his "audio mole" (I couldn't find a listing of the character's name) listening to the phone call between Castle and Alexis was even EVEN better. And Beckett's interrogation of Pauline...even even EVEN better. She really dialed her intensity up a notch. And then the rescue...

Again, sorry for the hyperbole, but that may have been the best two minutes of any Castle episode. First, unless you're WAY more insightful than I am, we all assumed Castle had been captured. But the manner in which they presented the rescue -- Castle's Dad (who in IMDB is credited only as "Castle's Dad") talks to Volkov and detonates the walkie-talkie, and then the actual escape sequence is intercut with flashbacks of "Spy Dad" explaining HOW Castle is going to get Alexis out -- was simply brilliant. Truly, as an author, I hope that some day I can write something so clever. (Though the technique really applies more to a screenplay; it would be hard to pull off in a novel.)

In addition to the plot / action, visually "Hunt" was a stunner. The lighting when Castle picked up the strand of hair was gorgeous. And I loved the camera pan through Volkov's mansion: opulent room, opulent room, another opulent room, girl in cage.

I have no real "looks" to report. 

Most of the lines which stood out were less "Castle," and more "Die Hard." (And most were delivered by Castle's Dad.)

- "Your friend there was pretty good. But he was out of his league."
- "Oh, don't be an idiot. I'm the good guy."
- "Given how bad you feel about your $200 phone, you might want to pick up that $3,000,000 briefcase."
- "You've been playing cop for years. Are you ready to play spy?"

Castle: "My dad's a spy? Does my mom know?"

Whew! After this, I can see why they're giving us a three-weak break. (That doesn't mean I like it, of course.)

Feel free to share your thoughts on "Hunt."

The "Hunt" is on for Alexis. Can Castle find her?  Click to tweet.

Castle: "Target"

By Michael Seese

What a gritty, emotion-wringing episode! Of course, given the plot, could it be anything but? Still, it was nice found a way to let Castle maintain a little bit of his trademark humor.

Martha: "My heart is never wrong."
Castle: "What about your first marriage? And your second?"

Beckett: "Do you want a coffee?"
Castle: "No thanks. My adrenaline will suffice."
 
The latter came after Castle's tête-à-tête with Stevens, the "wheel man." Personally, I'm glad they had Castle go medieval on his heinie. (Off-screen, of course.) It's what any father would want to do. And since in other situations Castle has been less than macho -- the bar fight in "Headhunters" comes to mind -- I thought it was good to see his other side. Or, as he stated:

Beckett: "I didn't think you had that side to you."
Castle: "When it comes to the people I love, I do."

Director Bill Roe employed a visual trick the show has used before: sepia. When Castle and Beckett met with Agent Harris, the room was awash in a light brown tone, giving everything a warm glow, which contrasted nicely with the chill of the scene. I would point out that the interview with Sara's parents involved no such visual effect.

Naturally, the funniest lines came before Castle found out that Alexis had been kidnapped:

Castle: "Well, it was acceptance until you started applying your fiendish logic."

Castle: "He was hiding in plain sight. A foreign agent in deep cover, on a special reconnaissance mission."
Beckett: "Why would he shoot up a van?"
Castle: "Maybe Jack Bauer was driving it."

Castle: "Though by definition, science fiction is not science."
Esposito: "It has the word in it."
Castle: "It's...that's an excellent point."

This was not an episode for "looks."

If I may pat myself (and my wife) on the back, our predictions were pretty spot-on.

Last week, I said that Beckett's line, "Castle, you don't need to see this," would refer to a blood-soaked jacket. OK, so it was a blood-soaked floor of the van...close enough. I did, however, say that this revelation would be at the very end of part 1. So call me 50/50. This week, when we found out that Hasim possessed an arsenal that rivals Ted Nugent's, my wife said, "He was probably paid by her family to protect her." She nailed it. Then at the end, when Alexis ran out to the roof, I said, "She's probably in Europe." And to be 100% honest, in my mind I thought, "Paris." Though as I've said elsewhere in this blog, I kind of have Paris on the brain right now.

So here is my prediction for this week: Sara's parents were behind the kidnapping. We'll see if I'm any percentage of correct on that one.

We're definitely looking forward to "Hunt."

Feel free to share your thoughts. 

What happens when Castle learns that Alexis was really the "Target."  Click to tweet.