Castle: At Close Range

by Michael Seese

"It's Ryan Time!"

I liked "At Close Range," though I didn't take a lot of notes. Perhaps I was too busy enjoying it. The opening pulled us right in: a bloodied Ryan staring into, then punching, the mirror. Then the "6 Hours Earlier" jumpback. They've used that technique before; though, if memory serves, the opening teaser scene winds up being near the end, instead of pretty much at the beginning, as it was this week. (I have to say, a pox on the folks who developed the trailer shown at the end of "Hong Kong Hustle;" I vividly recall the emphasis being on the scene where a bunch of cops draw their guns and order Ryan to drop his, making it look like he did something.)

And, as I have said on other occasions, I enjoy shows which focus on one of the non-Caskett characters. As an added bonus, we got to meet (as far as I remember, it was the first time) Ryan's sister. 

SPOILERS!

This one returned to the tried-and-true formula of "Is it suspect 1? Or 2? Or 3? No! None of the above." They kept us guessing right up to the end.

Boasting aside: I somewhat called it. As soon as I saw Lopez and Carolyn together, I thought, Affair. When Beckett called Ryan from the hospital to say she died, I announced, "They were having an affair, and he wanted her dead to clean up his act before the Presidential run." So I had it half right.

Picky aside: Like last week, I thought the motive was kind of sketchy. "You were going to dump me from your staff, so I killed your girlfriend."

And while I'm at it...

Picky aside #2: The gajillionaire Carl Shelton said in the interrogation that he funds a lot of groups, and can't know the people behind them all. That makes sense. So why was he talking to Chambers? Especially since, he would have had no way of knowing Chambers would be there, since he (Shelton) wasn't the one who arranged it.

Oh well. I still liked it.

Before finishing up here, I wanted to take a second and call out the scene where Beckett goes through Carolyn's purse. I just liked the way she waxed poetic about getting to know a woman's life by way of the contents of her purse.

The lines (not a whole lot):

Castle: "Ryan, is it One Direction? You'd tell me, right?"
Esposito: "They're in Hong Kong." (Nice back reference, BTW.)

Beckett: "You texted Castle and not me?"
Ryan: "Well, when you have a crazy theory, you don't tell the voice of reason."

Your thoughts, dear Castle devotees?

Castle: Hong Kong Hustle

by Michael Seese

In hindsight, I guess I wasn't all that impressed with "Hong Kong Hustle." Though I did not dislike it, consider:

- We watched it Thursday night.
- I didn't have time to write my review the next day, because Flash! Friday called. (And my entry, incidentally, was named first runner up.) Weekends can be busy as well.
- As I sat down to write on Monday, my first thought was, "Who was the murderer?"

After probing the depths of my brain, I remembered. And then...

SPOILERS!

... I thought, "Why again did she do it?"

If memory serves, the victim was going to pay off the debt of, thereby freeing one of, her slave waitresses. (If I have this wrong, refer back to the first sentence.)

Let me see if I got this straight. You're afraid you're going to lose ONE of your girls, so you kill the guy who is going to free her. Now you're going to jail. Let's do some mental math: get another girl, or kill the guy and risk prison. Yup. Option 2 sounds like a winner.

NOT!

Oh well.

I have to admit, the subplot of Beckett's (good natured) jealousy of Zhang was funny. And it gave us our best lines.

Beckett: "No, Castle. She's just like me. Only better."

Beckett: "Oh my god, Castle. I haven't felt like this since I had pimples."

Castle: "That sounds like something Zhang would say. Are you quoting her?"
Beckett: (pause) "No."

A few other standouts.

Castle: "Who is Ensign Klemp, and why hasn't he changed his name?"

Ryan: "She told him [the witness] to run. He probably set a personal best."

Castle: "Henry took something of value from the inside. That's what the assassin was trying to retrieve from his pocket."
Beckett: "And said stolen item was?"
Castle: "Cold fusion technology. Genetically engineered supervirus. A secret, unpublished Harry Potter manuscript."

Castle: "So you mean to tell me she got both of your guns."
Ryan: "Hey, you weren't there."

Castle: "Ryan, this is my third marriage. I think I know what I'm doing."

Let's see what At Close Range brings. Feel free to share your thoughts on "Hong Kong Hustle."

Flash! Friday: Bulls-eye

by Michael Seese

Here we are again...

Quick aside: Castle review coming soon.

So I was lazy yesterday, and ONLY wrote one story.

This week, we were tasked with marrying this picture...

 
















... and a parking lot setting. I contemplated for quite some time. Then the first line came to me, and I wrote the rest in about 15 minutes. Here is "Bulls-eye."

Uneven and rutted.

My life is this parking lot.

Asphalt can be patched. But the fractured foundation remains, lurking, hidden. Aching to crumble again. To truly fix things, you need to start all over.

The weight of the gun surprises me. This has been the week for surprises. I still can't believe she moved out. I thought we were strong, stable. Apparently she felt my apologies were just cold patch.

The parking lot is deserted. Just three cars, belonging to me, her, and her manager, who always stays ten minutes more to close up.

Perfect.

She leaves the store. I get out, and walk toward her quickly. I want this over with.

"Gloria," I say. She jumps.

"Ted? What are you –"

"I have something for you," I say as I pull the gun from my pocket. I hand it to her. "I know it was your Dad's."

She laughs. "Yeah. I'm probably the only girl in the world with a sentimental attachment to a firearm. Thanks. Listen, I... Thanks, Ted."

She gets in her car and drives away without asking why I wore gloves in July. And won't she be surprised when she learns that her precious Colt, as of 20 minutes ago, officially became a murder weapon. 

Please share any and all (clean) thoughts.