# Castle - Nathon Fillion vehicle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 9, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131 "2009-02-09T21:44:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/41 "2009-03-10T21:57:59Z")

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I enjoyed it enough that I’ll give it a go, but then I have a weak spot for stupid mystery TV (but almost no enjoyment of mystery novels of any types - odd).

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/42 "2009-03-10T22:01:14Z")

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> [@Wile\_E](#):
>
> The previews really haven’t interested me with all the hitting on of the policewoman who looks a bit mannish. I suppose it should be a good thing that a female lead doesn’t look like a supermodel…

“Mannish” & “looks like a supermodel” are not mutually exclusive.

I don’t think she’s mannish. She has short hair & they had her lips a naturalistic pink in the pilot, but so what? In the previews, she reminded me of Katie Holmes, but that washed away once I saw the show.

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/43 "2009-03-10T22:24:25Z")

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Premiere episode online here

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/44 "2009-03-10T22:42:36Z")

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Wow. I just watched the first 20 minutes or so, and so far it is a hotbed of network TV cliches. Here’s hoping it gets a LOT better, quickly.

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/45 "2009-03-10T23:04:52Z")

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As I told a friend, I was expecting garbage, and instead I got a recycling bin.

'Twasn’t as terrible as I was fearing, but I too wonder how long it can go on. Cap’n Mal is good to see in any 'verse. I really like his mother and his daughter and the relationships there. I hope those don’t take a backseat to the boilerplate cop stuff.

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/46 "2009-03-11T08:22:27Z")

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Seeing the trailers, I expected it to be really bad. But it had Nathan Fillion so I figured I’d give it a chance. I actually enjoyed it a lot, mostly for the characters and the fact that it never steered into the things I was expecting to make me cringe. They walked a fine line and got the balance of things right. I have some doubts about how far they can take the concept, but I’ll keep watching to see if things pan out.

> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> And, as usual, they got the business of writing wrong: no publisher is going to ask for an advance back, especially from someone who’s selling as well as Castle does.

Well the publisher seems have put his evil ex-wife in charge. Even if they wouldn’t take back his advance, it’s certainly within character for her to threaten it.

> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> How could any smart modern woman put up with that kind of Sexual harrassment? I don’t care if he has\* Obama’s \*name in this speed-dial.

Flirting is not sexual harassment. Castle was actually a lot more charming and less of a dog than I would have expected from the reputation he’s garnered.

> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> Looks like a pilot that got picked up because it was good as a pilot, but not necessarily a concept to last as a show.

I was thinking this too - this might have worked better if fleshed out as a movie or tv movie.

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/47 "2009-03-11T13:11:25Z")

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I found it unrealistic that they would keep his ex-wife as his editor. It would be the same as if it was a blood relative-too much chance of bias either good or bad.

The grandmother was annoying and too “wacky”. And Castle doesn’t seem like the “settle down” type.

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**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/48 "2009-03-11T13:30:14Z")

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> [@Tal](#):
>
> Firstly, I feel I need to point out that the site referenced above isn’t the official site, it’s a fan site but I know the creator is happy when people mistake it for an official site and takes it as a compliment!

Now how could you possibly know that?

😉

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**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/49 "2009-03-11T15:30:53Z")

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> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> “Mannish” & “looks like a supermodel” are not mutually exclusive.
> 
> I don’t think she’s mannish. She has short hair & they had her lips a naturalistic pink in the pilot, but so what? In the previews, she reminded me of Katie Holmes, but that washed away once I saw the show.

Mannish probably wasn’t the word I wanted and I didn’t really express why that was annoying me. They downplayed her looks, with the short unstyled hair, minimal makeup and men’s type of clothes and I think it bugged me because it said to me that they were planning on really dolling her up later, which I’ve since seen in previews, and then he will probably hit on her even more. The constant “hitting on” by Castle in the short previews was annoying because it made it look like that was going to be what all their encounters were like which frankly gets old fast and makes the character rather unlikeable to me.

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**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/50 "2009-03-11T22:42:37Z")

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And yet while they had her made down a bit, she was still wearing stupidly high heels, even when serving a dangerous warrant. :dubious:

Seriously though, our biggest problem was the female lead was horribly underwritten. Katic might be great or might be awful, but she’s given nothing to work with so you can’t tell. If her only mode continues to be uptight pissed-off straight man for Castle, it’ll get old quick. The moment when she outsmarted Castle was a notable high point where she almost seemed human and engaging. (I thought it would have been much more fun earlier in the show, when Castle asked if she knew that she had amazing eyes, she just deadpanned, “Yes, I’m aware . . . now about the case,” or something. I was already tired of her being annoyed and frustrated by him.)

However - Nathan Fillion. Therefore, we will continue to watch.

I also liked his family, and his mom echoing my own complaint that \*Mousetrap \*makes no sense. 🙂

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/51 "2009-03-11T23:45:35Z")

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I have watched five minutes, and every scene and character so far feels forced.

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/52 "2009-03-12T00:44:05Z")

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Did [castletv.net](http://castletv.net) get taken down?

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/53 "2009-03-12T02:13:27Z")

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He seems like an asshole to me.  
I would characterize his behavior as sexual harassment.  
Wanting pictures of the bodies to impress his friends was sick and disrespectful of the dead.  
His figuring out who done it was well done.  
Things improved after they interviewed the father. Using his rich guy contacts to force his way into the station sucked.

I hope it gets better.

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/54 "2009-03-12T05:49:56Z")

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> [@Flutterby](#):
>
> [The official website.](http://castletv.net/)

Which refers to it as a “Drama”. Instead I think it is a blending of drama, mystery and comedy (the combinatorial form of which is left as an exercise for the reader).

Anyway, it’s a fine genre - from Moonlighting; to Rock Hudson/Susan Whatshername in McMillan and Wife; to William Powell/Myrna Loy in the Thin Man movies; to wherever it began. But it has to be done **very well** if it is going to stick.

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**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/55 "2009-03-12T11:23:50Z")

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Low points:

You have crime scenes with no prints, and a letter with prints all over it, and you need a whole group of writers to tell you that it is implausible?

It takes me out of the show when they have characters basically complimenting the plot of the show itself. Writer guy: “Now if it wasn’t him, that would be a twist ending, a truly good story.”

The female cop isn’t interesting to me, certainly not enough for Castle’s infatuation to make sense. She’s so cliche, even, that the cliche backstory explanation seems to be correct.  
High Points:

- The woman detecting the lying. So she is good for something.
- Castle had some good lines.
- There was another motive than the money.
- The murder plot.

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**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/56 "2009-03-12T18:55:15Z")

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I enjoyed it. Maybe I’m just not that discriminating, but give me two leads that I like, some chemistry and some banter, and I’m happy.

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**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/57 "2009-03-12T21:14:22Z")

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> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#):
>
> Which refers to it as a “Drama”. Instead I think it is a blending of drama, mystery and comedy (the combinatorial form of which is left as an exercise for the reader).

dramydy

I watched the first one, I could watch a couple more. All new shows feel a bit forced in the beginning. Nathan Fillian is a doll.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/58 "2009-03-13T01:46:09Z")

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I liked it. My only major gripes were the poker game and the two completely inaudible lines in a scene where Castle is talking to his daughter in the kitchen. After rewinding the DVR twice I had to resort to turning on the closed captioning to figure out what they were saying.

Did no one else find “Apples! Apples! Apples!” to be supremely amusing?

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/59 "2009-03-13T02:19:41Z")

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> [@Number](#):
>
> Did no one else find “Apples! Apples! Apples!” to be supremely amusing?

What was with that?

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**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/castle-nathon-fillion-vehicle/485131/60 "2009-03-13T03:45:25Z")

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I thought it was hysterical. He had earlier, when flirting with her over a pair of handcuffs (I think) said that ‘apples’ was his safe-word.

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