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: "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.

Castle: Recoil

By Michael Seese

I don't have a lot to say about "Recoil." I thought it was a good episode: dark, intense, and other adjectives I've used before. As such it proved to be light on the lines and the looks, which are what I tend to talk about. So I'll just have to forge on, absent my usual material. 

As I've said before, I do appreciate ongoing story arcs. I think it's good when every single plotline is not conveniently wrapped up after 48 minutes. To refresh our memory, they started with your standard, "Previously on Castle..." Naturally, they had to show Beckett pistol-whipping Senator Bracken, so that we could see the scar on his left cheek, and say, "Oh, nice touch. Good continuity." I don't imagine we've seen the last of the not-so-good Senator.

There were lines, of course. They just tended to the pithy end of the spectrum.

Beckett (to Bracken): "Is there anyone you can think of who would like to kill you?"

And then:
Bracken: "It must be a dream come true for you."
Beckett: "In my dreams, I get to pull the trigger."

And in addition to her hateful looks, Castle spent the scene in Captain Gates's office positively glaring at Bracken.

We may actually have the time to see "Reality Star Struck" tonight. That would make for a great Castle trifecta this weekend.

Why do Castle & Beckett "Recoil" whenever they see Senator Bracken?  Click to tweet. 

Castle: Cloudy With A Chance Of Murder

By Michael Seese

Funny funny funny episode.

Funny scenes, funny lines, and funny looks. 

I thought one of the best scenes took place in the medical examiner's room when Lanie bluntly said to Beckett, "You're having sex," and asked who it was. Castle, of course, demanded to know as well. And on the set of the news show, I loved Castle's attempt to play weatherman, which morphed into him channeling Superman and flying over the city. (I also appreciated the way this bit started, with Beckett in the foreground and an out-of-focus Castle in the background.) Finally, the two makeup artists were great; I would love it if they could find some way to have them in a future episode.

Oh, and I loved the upside-down camera shot when Beckett walked in on Castle and Kristina.

Lines...

Beckett: "You just want me to take off my shirt again, don't you?"
Castle: "What?"

Beckett: "Isn't that the reporter who shows up to cover stories in her bikini?"
Castle: "I didn't... Is that..."
Beckett: "You want to try that again, only make it more convincing? 
Castle: "No. I'm good."
Beckett: "OK."

(When discussing the air quality monitor that Mandy took up in the chopper.)
Castle: "The direct tox monitor. Of course."
Beckett: "You have no idea what that is."
Castle: "No. Not a clue."

Castle: "You didn't tell me he [Chip, the sportscaster] called."
Beckett: "Really? You're going to play the jealousy card now?"

Castle (leaving for his date): "Call you later." (Pokes head back in.) "To check on the case."

Beckett: "Can we say we'll talk about needing other people, but we won't actually date other people?"
Castle: "Yeah, I can do that." 
Beckett: "Good. Because I have a gun and you don't really have a choice."

And, naturally, the looks:

Castle's bewilderment when Esposito asked, "What? No coffee?"

Ryan's attempted explanation when Espo asked, "Are you wearing makeup?"

And THE look...

Castle's smirk when Beckett said, "I keep seeing her boobs in your face." (Yes, I watched that one twice.)

What did you think? Share your thoughts.

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.
 

Castle: "Always"

By Michael Seese

OK, so perhaps (contrary to my previous estimate) it could take us two weeks to watch the season finale of "Castle." But it was worth the wait. There were a lot of fine, fine elements in this episode.

The folks who have spent years wondering when Castle and Beckett would get together now have their answer. I thought it was both set up and implemented well. (More on that later.) But I will state for the record that I have concerns about where it will go. In my opinion, "Moonlighting" essentially jumped the shark when Maddie and Dave consummated their relationship. So we shall see...

They reused the same technique as in a previous episode (the name and most of the plot escape me; the important point is the episode begins with Castle and Beckett in an alley, pointing guns at each other), starting out with a cliffhanger (in this instance, literally) and then flashing back to get us up to that point. I'm glad that they didn't end the season with Beckett clinging to the ledge. As I've stated before, unless the writers are planning to kill her, we know she will be rescued. So it really isn't a suspenseful element.

But I thought they staged her rescue well. She called out to Castle and heard (or thought she heard) his voice. When brought back up, she imagined it was him before Ryan came into view. Then the sea of officers parted to reveal...Captain Gates.

As has been the case in a number of previous episodes, the director really paid attention to the lighting. When the gang was planning their next move -- which Castle wanted to short-circuit -- there was dramatic side lighting, with his face in half light, half shadow. Also, near the end, when Beckett and Esposito were getting chewed out by the captain, the entire room was bathed in a sepia glow. In real life, I've noticed that the sky takes on a yellow-brown hue when a rain shower approaches near sunset; and sure enough, Beckett left the precinct and walked through a driving rain at night. As an aside, I thought it was funny that Esposito handed over his firearm, but walked out with two ammo clips on his belt.

One nitpick: a thief breaks into Captain Montgomery's house, his wife shoots him, and Castle and Beckett find out by tracing a phone call? What, did she forget the numbers 9-1-1? 

Of course there were plenty of "looks." I think the best was near the beginning when Castle asked Beckett to join him for a double feature. "Actually, I'd love to," she said, smiling. Then he displayed a dreamy smile.

OK, so back to "the moment." I thought the entire scene where Castle expressed his feeling for Beckett was simply great. Great dialogue ("You've already known that; you've known it for a year), great emotion, great impact. I wasn't sure whether they could top it and the end. But they did with a beautiful simplicity:

Castle: "What do you want?"
Beckett: "You."

So what did you think of "Always?" Please share your thoughts.

Until next season...

Castle: "The Limey"

Wow! We actually got to watch "The Limey" the day after it aired. How rare is that?

So what did I think of this episode? As I said last week, I knew that the focus would be the Castle-Beckett relationship; but, to keep true to form they have to throw in a murder. So, it was kind of like a soap opera. (I'm trying to come up with a clever pun -- "Precinct Place" or "All My Castle" -- but it's just not working. Yes, there is "Ryan's Hope" But it's not about him.)

The simple fact that Beckett and Lanie had a heart-to-heart at the beginning told you that she was looking for something other than a killer. I mean, really, when has Beckett girl-talked with anyone? And there were the not-so-subtle snips that both Castle and Beckett shared with Colin:

He said, "Sometimes it’s the people that we think we know best that we don’t really know at all."
She said, "...hanging on, hoping he'll change..."

Or, consider that the average case usually has...what...3, 4, 8 suspects, all with motive, all with opportunity, and none guilty (save for one) yet providing a subtle clue that leads the gang to the real murderer. In this case, there was one real suspect: Nigel. Heck, Biggie Slim wasn't even considered a suspect for more than two minutes. (By the way, I thought that Beckett said they were going to bring in his driver to confirm his alibi. How did that work out? Sorry.)

Still, there were a lot of very enjoyable moments in this episode. And some of them didn't even involve Stana Katic in her backless black gown.

I thought the opening scene was well done. There was the intense guitar music overlaying the quick cuts between Colin searching the body, and images of the body; then there was the tension generated by the maid searching for the right key, about to walk in.

I liked that Beckett was conflicted, and expressed that to Lanie.
"You're crazy about him. Oh, what, was that supposed to be some big secret?"
"Yes! No!"

There also was a lot more humor than had been on display in "47 Seconds."

Even as a guy, I laughed at Castle's chivalrous covering of Beckett's eyes when Colin dropped the towel. (And her curious peek around.)

And you had to love Castle's plan to break into Nigel's apartment. "...then I rappel down the side with Nikolai..." Plus, extra points for the exchange with Esposito:

"Question. Why does the brown man got to be the hobo?"
"You want the flowers?"
"Hobo it is."

I thought that Colin did a great job with his faux-Texas accent when he visited the storage facility at JFK. Plus, I found it amazing that he could talk with a foreign (to him) accent (actor Brett Tucker is from Melbourne, Australia), fall back to his "own" accent (which, as it turns out, really isn't his own) when talking to Beckett, be in constant motion while looking over the boxes, and appear concerned the whole time. I suppose that's why he's an actor, and I'm a writer.

And, of course, there were looks: Beckett's aforementioned glance around Castle's protective hand, and Castle's amused "No," when Beckett said, "You showed the stewardess our evidence?"

Oh, and if I may boast...

In my review of "Til Death Do Us Part," I speculated that Lanie and Esposito would be getting back together. It appears that they have, at least at the "bootie call" level.

From what I hear, we have to wait for two week for our next "Castle" fix. Until then, feel free to share your thoughts.