Several episodes have gone by since we last discussed the merry adventures of Richard Castle and friends. How are we liking where things are going? I think the show has been on an upswing of late, particularly the two-parter with Jennifer Beals guesting and tonight’s fairy-tale excursion. Giving Alexis her new internship seems like a smart move, rescuing her from irrelevance. And Gates is getting fairly little to do, which also seems like a good idea. Looking at the ratings, I see the show is in a bit of a swoon; maybe it’s time to finally see some real forward movement on Castle and Beckett!
The Blue ButterFly has to be one of the best tv episodes done in a long time - and yeah, this season has been on a genuine upswing - so long as Gates stays in her office and silent.
Hmmm… I wasn’t that keen on the big two-parter. I like Castle best when it does ‘case of the week’ episodes, but I appreciate that’s personal preference.
I had to groan when the Beals character told Beckett that she regretted sleeping with Castle. Basically the writers trying to tell us that they’re going to keep the ‘will they-won’t they’ storyline going for a while yet.
Kind of the reverse for me. The holodeck episode was hard to sit through (I succeeded, my wife didn’t) and the two-parter was just a little too far on the wrong side of the ridiculous line.
But I’m still watching each episode eventually.
I haven’t enjoyed this season as much, it’s too rushed. It seems like they’re throwing too much into each episode, so many “The killer is him! No her! No him! No the other him again!” There seems to be less time for the little interactions between the main cast that were what I really enjoyed about the show.
This season I seem to be letting Tivo get a couple of weeks ahead, then watching two or three episodes in a row.
Still love the show, but the shadow conspiracies are getting a bit much. This is a cop show, not X-Files.
A cop show about a mystery writer. One who names his characters Derek Storm and Nikki Heat. You think they aren’t going to shoot for all the tropes no matter how unrealistic they might get? This is Procedural Cop Show Lite.
I enjoy the show, personally. I’m not expecting realism. I’m just along for the ride.
I’m not either, but the CIA two-parter stretched my lack of expectation too far for me.
And for the holodeck episode, it’s just that I don’t care for that particular type of episode. Though maybe that is how Cold Case should have done it back in the day, each episode was just the cops imagining they were the people in the past.
I liked the holodeck episode. It had enough twists to keep me interested, and the by-play between the characters was nice.
It also allowed the actors to stretch a little and have some fun - the two parter bugged me -
a.) castle’s earlier muse being a plant
b.) dragging the “dad was a spy” into it
also , the finale of the episode made no sense - the big bad guy (actually no one) knew who the linchpin was until castle figured it out? which means that the linchpin was never in any danger until the final scene? That was one I felt they tried to hard to be a ‘thriller’ when compared with Blue Butterfly, it was just so well ‘crafted’ over all - and the final twist was a beauty.
I just started watching this season. The CIA two-partner was a little ridiculous. Other than that, I am really digging the show.
The villain was working on figuring it out. Gage, the rogue they were chasing in part 1, got intentionally put into a Bourne situation, both to put his expertise to use in obtaining the info and giving the villain a reason to pursue the info without arousing suspicion. Then Gage would take the blame for setting up the linchpin. But the NYPD got looped in, and the villain started employing Castle and Beckett to find the linchpin. The linchpin wasn’t in immediate danger until the climax, no, but the villain was using Gage, Beckett, and Castle to find it.
Really, that’s all this was. Beckett and Castle got pulled into a Jason Bourne plot, and I don’t see that as outside the scope of the show. Even from the first season the show has included conspiracies and criminal masterminds.
I’m one behind so am scrolling down very quickly past comments about the second half of the two parter, and the delay is why I’m not discussing the show much either. I am enjoying it a lot - I don’t usually like holodeck episodes (good name!) but the 1940s one ws very well-handled. I also just find Nathan Fillion so adorable I could watch him in anything.
It’s really a fun show. Castle is the perfect adult adolescent, but one that people find out they can count on as much as any other cop (and more than most).
I love how Beckett is totally the police detective, tough as she needs to be and smart as a whip. Then, every once in a while, she does some split-second thing so incredibly sexy my knees won’t bend for five minutes. Stana is stunning.
I didn’t like the way we found out who the mole is seconds before she was killed. I kept hoping she’d actually survive, just so Rick could ask her a few questions. But I guess leaving those questions hanging will lead to some future adventure.
I’ve read all three Nikki Heat books.
Holy Crap! That’s who that was!
As for her reveal that your-dad-was-a-spy and the we-had-sex-but-I-regretted-it, I think she was lying. In both instances she guessed what would get under the skin of her victim the most. Castle’s mom doesn’t know who his father was, how could MoleWoman?
I was glad they didn’t make the mathematician bonkers, *a la *John Nash as depicted in Beautiful Mind. I was sure they were going to as soon as I saw the room with the articles and string.
I’m close to giving up on the show; it just doesn’t seem to as funny and fun and sexy as it was in the the first two years. Like the holodeck episode (great name, btw), as I love the 40’s costumes/music/noir atmosphere. It was reasonably well-written, too. The CIA two-parter was awful. Couldn’t suspend disbelief at all, and it wasn’t funny, either. But the fairy tale episode was back to form.
I like Nathan Fillion and I’ll watch it for him a while longer…especially if he wears a fedora again.