I loved loved loved watching Castle back in the day and have been doing a rewatch over the last couple months. However, back then and now, I can't bring myself to continue the show past the first few episodes of season 5...I've probably seen those seasons 3 or 4 times over the years, but still stop around the same place.

I just feel so satisfied when Castle and Beckett finally get together, that stopping around that point feels natural. I watched some Caskett compilations on youtube and loved it but I still don't feel any need to continue the show. Thoughts? Anyone else do this?

Are there bad seasons? Great episodes? Does it take a dive? Any character deaths? Any character replacements? No spoilers but I’m curious what I’m getting into lol.

Because why not:?

Firefly - show and movie - aired way before Castle but Firefly books were written AFTER Castle ended. "What Makes Us Mighty" was published in 2022 - and look at that quote.

"In my dreams, I pull the trigger"

Just what Beckett says to Senator Bracken in season 5 episode Recoil.

If that's not a (veiled) reference I don't know what it is.

Not the first tine in these books IIRC ...

I'm watching castle again and I just noticed something.

He's defending the mayor, saying he new him for 12 years and he wouldn't kill.

Didn't he discovered his boarding school mentor was responsible for his dad's murder? And he was adament he couldn't be a killer. What kind of lazy writing was this?

I’ll be honest—for me, this is the best season of the entire series. It has a truly large number of iconic episodes. There are very few weak ones; in fact, I think I like all of them except for one.

1. 4x08- Heartbreak Hotel- What can I say—I still don't know why the creators wanted Castle, Espo, and Ryan to go to that hotel. The scene with the Elvises wasn't funny to me. 5/10

2. 4x20- The Limey- I don't know, Castle acts too much like a sulky child in this episode. And the British detective was bland. 5.5/10

3. 4x18- A Dance with Death- I think it’s just typical filler. It’s an unengaging case, and the subplot is the same. 6/10

4. 4x12- Dial M for Mayor- Over time, this episode has lost its appeal for me. It’s probably the weakest episode involving the case of Beckett’s mother. The idea of ​​ousting the Mayor of New York just so Gates could fire Castle made no sense. How could they be sure she would actually do it? All that just to remove the mayor of a major city? Plus, it felt a bit like a rehash of the Season 3 episode "The Final Nail." 6.5/10

5. 4x04- Kick the Ballistics- This is supposed to be a "3XK" episode, but I don't think it fully qualifies as one. It’s more of a story about Ryan, who is wracked with guilt over the fact that someone could have died because of him. Still, the case itself was good. 7.5/10

6. 4x13- An Embarrassment of Bitches- A delightful episode, especially when Castle and Beckett are competing over the dog. As for why it’s ranked here—compared to other episodes this season, it isn't quite as colorful. 7.5/10

7. 4x17- Once Upon a Crime- Inventive. Simply a really good episode of the series. 8/10

8. 4x21- Headhunters- The buddy-cop dynamic between Fillon and Baldwin is really enjoyable—it features all the things Castle could never do with Beckett. Yet, it also showed that no matter how badly Rick might mess up a case, Kate is immediately ready to help, even when they were giving each other the silent treatment. 8/10

9. 4x05- Eye of the Beholder- "Mom, I want Catwoman." "But we have Catwoman at home." That look on Kate's face when Castle smiles at Serena, but she suddenly glares at him, looking ready to do him harm. 8/10

10. 4x11- Til Death Do Us Part- An episode showing the close-knit team already looking forward to Ryan's wedding. Plus the ending, where Beckett drops a hint about a future wedding with Castle... 8/10

11. 4x03- Head Case- I don't understand the viewers' aversion to this episode. It’s a classic *Castle* case. There’s no body—just blood—an organization preserving bodies for future revival, a man fleeing with a severed head, and a tragic love story in the background. 8/10

12. 4x15- Pandora- As for seasons 2 through 5, this two-part special was the worst—though still good. It introduces another figure from Rick's past, features a totally jealous Beckett at this stage, and marks what is likely the first time the characters work with such high-level authorities. 8.5

13. 4x16- Linchpin- It was better than *Pandora*—more action, and the twist really took me by surprise. However, I get the feeling that, unlike the previous ones, this second part was more forgettable for me. 8.5

TOP 10

1. 4x19- 47 seconds- The episode was done in a cool style, showing the perspective of the people at the protest. But let's be honest: this episode is definitely about Rick discovering the truth about Kate's "amnesia." 9.5/10

2. 4x09- Kill Shot- Beckett is suffering from PTSD after being shot and trying to come to terms with what happened. An incredible episode about how quickly someone's life can be taken—just like that. 9.5/10

3. 4x01- Rise- A great follow-up to "Knockout." Beckett knows that Castle loves her, but she also knows she must finally put her demons behind her to be truly happy. 10/10

4. 4x06- Demons- It’s such a *Scooby-Doo*-style episode—I absolutely love it. You’ve got Beckett playing along with Castle, and Castle trying to convince her it’s ghosts. Beckett’s response is basically: "Okay, so they’re ghosts—now what? Are we supposed to catch them with a vacuum cleaner?" 10/10

5. 4x14- The Blue Butterfly- I think what makes this episode work so well is that it doesn't completely abandon the actual investigation in favor of that 1940s style. But it was an amazing episode. 10/10

6. 4x07- Cops and Robbers- The bank robbery episode. A brilliant bank robbery episode. And that wonderful eyebrow movement from Kate when she saw Rick, and that smile of hers... 10/10

7. 4x22- Undead Again- The episode about the zombie. ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE. The scene where the zombie comes back to life and everyone clutches their hearts... 10/10

8. 4x02- Heroes and Villans- This episode is such a love letter to superhero tropes—all those themes, like "with great power comes great responsibility," and the superhero love story. I LOVE THIS EPISODE. 10/10

9. 4x10- Cuffed- Castle, Beckett... and a tiger. Let's lock our main characters in a single room, and things are bound to get interesting. 10/10

10. 4x23- Always- I have just one word to wrap up this ranking and review this episode: ALWAYS. 10/10

Original Airdate: November 15, 2010

Synopsis: After a prominent astro-physicist is found murdered in her car – Castle jokingly theorizes she was killed in the vacuum of outer space.

Notable Guest Stars: Lance Henricksen, who portrays Benny Stryker, is one of my favorite character actors. He has appeared in ‘The Right Stuff,’ ‘Aliens,’ (where he was awesome as the android Bishop), ‘Near Dark,’ and ‘The Quick and The Dead.’ As you can see, my movie tastes are quite varied.

Lyle Lovett, who portrays Agent Westfield, from some unnamed Federal Agency, is a man of many talents. He graduated from Texas A&M with degrees in German and journalism. He’s not one of my favorite people, but I do find him interesting. He was once married to Julia Roberts, and appeared in one of my least favorite Patrick Swayze movies, ‘Next of Kin,’ which also featured Liam Neeson as a backwoods good ol’ boy (I swear I can’t make this stuff up).

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: After speaking Chinese and being questioned by Beckett, Castle says, “TV show I used to love.” This is a reference to ‘Firefly,’ where it was common for characters to speak Chinese. Wow, this is the first ‘Firefly’ reference we’ve had in Season 3. In Season 4, Nathan’s former co-stars begin making appearances.

This was the first episode of the third season to not have the introduction montage of the show’s premise. (Andrew Marlowe explained during a Paley Center panel that they did away with the montage introduction in order to add an extra 30-60 seconds run-time to the show).

When Castle and Beckett’s car is disabled, the scenery background and camera angles are similar to ‘Close Encounters of The Third Kind.’

Lance Henriksen appears in this episode focused on aliens and the paranormal, wherein Rick Castle can often be heard whistling a tune similar to the theme song of ‘The X-Files,’ a series famous for its paranormal subject matter. Henricksen also appeared on ‘The X-Files,’ and its spin-off series, ‘Millenium,’ as FBI profiler Frank Black. (The tune Castle was whistling wasn’t similar to ‘The X-Files’ theme, it was ‘The X-Files’ theme).

Continuity: In the opening credits scene, Castle and Alexis are talking, and Alexis’ necklace keeps switching back and forth between on top of her shirt, and under her shirt.

Factual Errors: The car is stopped by a powerful EMP pulse which would burn out all electronics including the listening device attached to the car so they would not have been working when Beckett opened the plastic container and said, “We have what you want.”

Plot Holes: Ted Carter comes under suspicion because his key card was used to enter the research facility where the victim worked. When he quit, he would’ve had to return his key card, or his access would be revoked in the system rendering the card useless so it would be impossible for him to reenter the facility with his card. (You know me. I love a good plot hole. I wrote three stories trying to fix the plot holes in Season 8. I also have knowledge regarding key cards. I worked for a government contractor and we used key cards. When you quit or were fired, your card was returned and deactivated in the system. Also, the day shift supervisor would send out a group email telling us that Joe Blow no longer worked for the company and was no longer allowed on the premises. The latter part was for the terminated employees, not the ones who quit).

Ranking: I have this one ranked at #13. Like the previous two entries, I thought there were hilarious lines of dialog, plus we get another Beckett nugget that just begs to be explored further.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       The murder of the week was interesting. I had never heard of explosive decompression before. I learn something new every day.

·       The secondary story of the week once again features Alexis and Ashley (although we don’t actually see him). I’m sorry, but Castle doesn't strike me as the type of guy of goes hiking and camping. Alexis, yes. Beckett, definitely. But Castle? No. He and Alexis are planning a camping trip for the weekend, and Ashley has been invited to join them. But first, Ashley’s parents want to meet Castle. Castle isn’t too concerned about this until he has a conversation with Beckett at the crime scene.

Beckett: So, it’s ‘meet the parents’ time, huh, Castle? This is a pretty critical moment for you.

Castle: Me? Why me?

Beckett: Well, I mean Ashley is Alexis’ first love, right?

Castle: Mmmhmm.

Beckett: What do you think will happen if you don’t get on with his parents?

Castle: She’ll lose interest in him?

Beckett: Oh, no. The exact opposite. I mean, it’ll make their romance feel forbidden and they’ll be off doing God knows what. Trust me. I know. (This might be where the 7-month long relationship with the grunge rocker came into play).

Castle: I never thought of it that way.

Beckett: My advice is to keep the boyfriend close but the parents closer.

·       Castle loves this case. He spends most of the episode whistling the theme from ‘The X-Files,’ and coming up with all kinds of theories on how their murder victim ended up in a railroad yard looking like an over-stuffed sausage. That’s Castle’s description, not mine. He discovers a copy of the book ‘Taken by The Fourth Kind.’

Beckett: So, what’s your theory, Castle? That she was abducted and killed by aliens?

Castle: Well . . . a story that makes more sense is . . . alien abduction gone wrong. One that ends with Marie being accidentally blasted out of the airlock of the alien spaceship. (Is there such a thing as an alien abduction gone right? I never understood the meaning of that phrase. Yet you see it on crime shows all the time. ‘This must’ve been a robbery gone wrong.’ How does a robbery, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, etc. get done right)?

Esposito: Well, if it was ET, he has a nicotine addiction. Found a cigarette butt by the rear tire. It was laying in the track, which means it was dropped after the car was parked.

·       I always love it when Ryan teams up with Castle. There’s a great example of this coming up in Season 4. But for now, Ryan is all on board with Castle’s alien abduction theory.

Ryan: Marie Subbarao, the before version. Born in Chicago, did post grad at Johns Hopkins. Two years ago she takes a job in the Aubrey Science Center in Midtown . . . as an astrophysicist.

Beckett: Doing what?

Ryan: Not really sure. According to the Center’s website, she recently landed a grant for the SETI Institute.

Castle: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence SETI? That could explain why—

Beckett: No, it couldn’t.

Castle: So, her working for SETI was just a wild coincidence?

Beckett: I’m saying it’s an interesting fact that’s unrelated to our case. Aliens were not involved in Marie Subbarao’s death.

Ryan: Um . . . I don’t know.

Castle: Why, Det. Ryan, I never figured you for a believer.

Ryan: All I know is my father’s cousin Raymond left this party in Jersey one night. He’s driving back to Queens and Bam! Blinding white light comes down from the sky and the next thing he knows it’s morning and he’s on the New Jersey turnpike.

Castle: Let me guess, no memory of what happened.

Beckett: That’s not called an alien abduction. That’s called a hangover.

Ryan: Maybe. Raymond was always the lightweight in the family.

·       There are several great conversations between Castle and Beckett in this episode. One of which involves a revelation which begs for further exploration.

Beckett: C’mon, Castle. We all know there are no such things as alien abductions.

Castle: Yet most abductees report the same experiences. The white light, the memory flashes.

Beckett: That’s because they all read the same books, so of course they describe the same event. The dark, lonely road, the bright light out of nowhere, memories of being poked and prodded.

Castle: I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘probed.’ And then of course there’s the alien implant that’s used to track the abductees.

Beckett: That reminds me of the Lego I got stuck up my nose when I was six. (I’m sorry, but isn’t six a little old to be shoving foreign objects up your nose)?

·       But that little tidbit begs to be explored in a fan fiction story. I’ll write it myself. I loved the look on Castle’s face when she disclosed this.

·       The next day, Castle approaches Beckett at the murder board.

Castle: Where do you come down on deficit spending during an economic downturn?

Beckett: I take the theory that’s held by most economists; that deficit spending is acceptable as long as it focuses on public investments, like infrastructure, defense, education, research.

Castle: Wow. Where did that answer come from?

Beckett: Semester of economic theory at NYU. Where did that question come from?

Castle: Trying out conversation starters.

Beckett: Well, we started a conversation, so . . . I guess it worked. Kind of.

Castle: It’s for dinner with Ashley’s parents. He’s this stuffy economist, you know, and I just want to win him over. Get them on my side. But what if they don’t take to me?

Beckett: Oh, c’mon, Castle. They’ll take to you.

Castle: Really?

Beckett: Yeah.

Castle: Thanks.

Beckett: So long as you don’t act like yourself.

·       Castle kind of walked into that one. Season 3 Beckett is famous for setting Castle up. I think it’s her new favorite hobby.

·       My favorite conversation occurs after Castle and Beckett return to the precinct after being interrogated by the Men in Black.

Beckett: Those men knew who killed Marie, and they refused to tell us.

Castle: They also refused to confirm that J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses.

Esposito: Abducted by government agents, huh? C’mon, what were you two really doing?

Beckett: It’s not a hickey, Esposito.

Esposito: You both have one.

Castle: I wish it was a hickey. (I loved the look from Beckett). It’s from the injectors.

Esposito: Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Castle: They were Men in Black.

·       I loved it when Beckett’s car stalled in the middle of nowhere and then the blinding white light shone from above. It was Steven Spielberg meets Andrew W. Marlowe.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       I didn’t like the secondary storyline. And it wasn’t about Alexis this time. We barely saw her in this episode. I just don’t take Castle for ‘A hike in the woods’ kind of a guy. And I really don’t take Alexis for one, either, now that I think about it. I can’t see her being that far away from her textbooks and her Wi-Fi. It goes back to ‘The Late Shaft’ in Season 2. She was going to take every textbook she owned on a backpacking trip.

Favorite Scene: When they returned to the precinct and Montgomery learned they’d been abducted. I’m picking this scene more from the Season 3 blooper than the actual scene. If you don’t own the DVD, in the Season 3 blooper for this episode, Montgomery gets on the phone and asks for Al Sharpton. Montgomery had two great bloopers in Season 3. This one, and one later featuring Ryan and Esposito.

Favorite Quote: The warehouse.

Beckett: Have you seen this man?

Castle (Speaking Chinese): My partner is crazy and may start firing at any moment.

Beckett: Semester abroad?

Castle: No. TV show I used to love.

Beckett: Huh. Nice job.

Castle: Thanks.

·       Yeah, Nathan. You starred on ‘Firefly.’ We get it. Would someone, anyone, explain to me what the attraction is? Because I don’t get it.

WTF? (Why the Face?): My former best friend had parents like Ashley’s. Her dad was okay, but her mother was another matter. I felt like Ashley’s father had an inflated sense of his own importance.

Favorite Side Character Scenes:

Beckett, Castle & Montgomery:

Montgomery: My contact at Justice says no warrant was issues for Marie’s office.

Beckett: Well then, people claiming to be federal agents seized her property. I mean, there’s gotta be an explanation.

Castle (Coughing into his hand): Men in Black.

Beckett: Other than that.

Beckett, Castle & Esposito:

Beckett: Without knowing who ‘they’ are, we can’t find them. You know, the key lies in the murder weapon. Esposito, tell me you’ve found that altitude chamber.

Esposito: I did. At the physics center. At Hudson University. It’s the only other one in five boroughs.

Beckett: See?

Esposito: It’s clean. CSU just checked.

Beckett: Well, there’s gotta be another device that does the same thing.

Esposito: Lanie and I looked into that. The only thing we found was an industrial vacuum packer used for food processing.

Beckett: Check into every single one in town. We need to locate that crime scene.

Esposito (after Beckett walks off): Castle, just prove that ET did this, bro, please. I hunt people, not machines.

Castle: I’m working on it.

Esposito: Thank you.

Esposito screwed up when he said ‘he and Lanie were working on it.’ That’s probably how they all knew that he and Lanie were having a thing.

Beckett, Castle, Esposito & Ryan:

Ryan: Hey. Those hickeys?

Esposito: Yes.

Beckett: No.

Castle: I wish.

Until Friday, readers.

I don't know what it is about S6E4 - Number One Fan - but it is my absolute FAVORITE episode ever though it's one of the less "spectacular" ones

I reaallyy look forward to it every re-watch ✨

So I’m an idiot, apparently this character was on the show prior to his demise a season later

His appearance in 4x03 and shows up again in season 5x12

Seen this show in rotation at least 4-6 times in years and I’m just figuring that out.

So through my rewatches, I’ve been kinda honing on someone…Martha, I have a crush on her, especially in season 3, where I think she looks just extra gorgeous, I can’t help but stare at her whenever her scenes come up….she’s always been beautiful in the show but like I said, season 3 she’s just hitting different. Maybe it’s the hair or the lighting on her or everything but damn.

Just thought I’d get that out, does anyone have the hots for her or am I alone?

Hi, as I’ve been reading fanfiction for a few months now, I wanted to ask which stories you’d recommend. Perhaps there are one or two I haven’t come across yet. As I’ve only read on the FF.net site so far, I’d also like to know if there are any stories on AO3 that aren’t available on FF.net; if so, I’d like to download them onto my e-reader. Thanks for your help.

Original Airdate: November 8, 2010

Synopsis: A subway worker is murdered after it’s discovered that he witnessed the kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy

Notable Guest Stars: Ever Carradine, who portrays Mirielle Lefcourt, is part of a Hollywood acting dynasty. She’s the granddaughter of actor John Carradine, the niece of the late David Carradine and his brother, Keith, and the daughter of the late Robert Carradine, as well as the cousin of actress Martha Plimpton. One of her other notable appearances was on the show ‘Major Crimes,’ where she played the mother of Rusty Beck. By the way, Rusty Beck is one of the few characters I find more annoying than Alexis Castle.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: When this episode was made there were only eight red-tailed hawks in all the five boroughs of New York City. Manhattan is the smallest and most urbanized of those boroughs.

In order for ‘Light Bulb’ Len to have changed approximately 1.2 million light bulbs, he would have to change 150 bulbs a day, 365 days a year, during the 22 years he worked in the subway.

By 2021, the Twitter (X) account, u/birdcentralpark, routinely featured photos of red-tailed hawks in and around Central Park.

Unstated, but implied trope; Ashley’s albino Winstar rat that looks just like every other albino Winstar rat is five years old, even though the lifespan of a rat is stated as two to three years. This beloved pet rat has already been lost/killed and replaced several times without Ashley knowing (I found this fact very funny. It’s kind of like constantly replacing your kid’s pet goldfish without them knowing).

Factual Errors: When Castle and Beckett are looking through pictures, the pair of birds identified as red-tailed hawks are actually ospreys. They look nothing like red-tailed hawks in size or color.

When Castle and Beckett go to the subway station while searching for Tyler, the subway station is empty. No one train passes. Now, this had to be at least Thursday evening, since Tyler was kidnapped Tuesday and was already missing 36 hours. Now the A.C.E. line from Penn Station has a train every 90 seconds, which is just north of Canal. A train would’ve had to have passed while Castle and Beckett were by the mechanical rooms. And Thursday would be a pretty busy day for no people to be around. (Yeah, I thought about that, too).

Ranking: I have this one ranked at #19. The episodes going toward the middle of the season, and then at the end of the season seemed to be my least favorite episodes. This also happened in Season 4.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       Like Friday’s entry, this wasn’t one of my favorite episodes, although it had some great dialog. It also had a cute secondary story, even though it did feature Alexis. I bet you guys thought I was going to throw Alexis under the bus again, didn’t you? Not this week. Sorry to disappoint you.

·       The first scene I liked had more to do with something Castle said rather than the scene itself. However, thinking about it, there is something about this scene that struck me as odd. When Castle walks into the living room and learns that Alexis is rat-sitting for her boyfriend, Ashley. You would think Ashley would’ve delivered Theodore (the rat), his cage, food, and accessories the night before. Or, if it had been that morning, you would think Castle would’ve heard the commotion or at least heard Alexis and Ashley chatting. But no. He walks into the living room and discovers the rat, etc. Which leads me to this question. Does Alexis ever ask her father’s permission for anything? We watched my niece’s guinea pig several years ago while she went to Disneyworld with her family. But at least they asked us first instead of just stopping by and handing us a guinea pig. This is the scene when Alexis chastises her dad for stealing Theodore’s food.

Alexis: Dad, those are for Theodore. He has a very specific diet I’m supposed to follow.

Castle: Well, unless he’s Ben, I’m sure he won’t hold it against me. If anybody needs me, I’ll be in the park with a dead body.

Alexis (to her grandmother once her dad leaves): Who’s Ben?

Martha: Killer rat movie. Before your time.

·       I saw that movie for the first time when I was 14. It freaked me out, although I liked the theme song by Michael Jackson. I thought it had been rebooted. Or was that ‘Willard?’

·       I also liked this exchange between Castle and Beckett.

Castle: What’s the strangest pet you ever had?

Beckett (without missing a beat): You.

·       Castle kind of walked into that one.

·       The murder victim, Leonard Levitt, is a birdwatcher. But he also winds up being a hero. While taking pictures of birds in Central Park, he inadvertently captures a picture of a man kidnapping a young boy. But who was taken? Why were they taken? Why has no one reported him missing? Why were the FBI never called? So many questions. One of which I will address in the next section.

·       Speaking of things that are missing; Theodore, the rat, has decided to take a powder. Somewhere in the Castle’s loft is a missing rat. The missing rat freaks Martha out so badly that she informs her son if that rat is hiding in her room, she’s going to need a new bed and a wardrobe. And one more thing . . .

Martha: Just so you know, I’m checking into The Plaza. And you’re paying!

·       Who knows? Maybe Martha will run into Kevin McAllister or Tim Curry. Rest in Peace, Tim Curry, and Dolly Parton, even though neither had anything to do with Castle. They both passed on the fifth anniversary of my mom’s death.

·       One of my favorite interrogations is with another birdwatcher, Byron Singer. At first, Castle and Beckett believe that Mr. Singer had caught Len Levitt in the park in a compromising position. The interrogation keeps going along that line for quite some time. This scene is an early example of the Castle/Beckett mind-meld, which they perfect as the series progresses.

Castle: So, then he goes to the park and sees for himself.

Beckett: And then he confronts them in a jealous rage and they kill him.

Byron: They do what now?

Castle: They kill him. The cheating girlfriend and her lover.

Byron: What are you talking about?

C & B: What are you talking about?

Byron: The red-tailed hawks. There hasn’t been a nesting pair in the park for 40 years.

Beckett: You mean . . . this is about birds?

·       And it was, sort of. Until Castle and Beckett recovered Lightbulb Len’s camera from a tree in the park. Which is when they learn the real reason why he was murdered. The kidnapping strikes a chord with Castle. He becomes extremely upset when they can’t recover any clues from the picture Len had taken at the park. I’m starting to enjoy that Castle sometimes thinks like a real cop. I can do that on occasion. According to a friend, I sometimes think like a cop a little too much.

·       Castle also figures out that the kidnapped boy is part of a youth soccer team, which is how they learn his identity. His name is Tyler Donegal and he’s 12 years old. But again, why has no one reported him missing? This is when things start getting interesting.

·       Mirielle Lefcourt, Tyler’s mother, has remarried and is now living in the suburbs. She tells Beckett that Tyler is supposed to be with his dad. No one can find the dad. Has he taken off with his son? The truth is revealed after they locate Tyler’s father, Dean, in a motel room. This is when they learn that Tyler has indeed been kidnapped. Which is going to lead to something else I didn’t like about this episode, which I’ll be getting to soon.

·       Let’s return to Theodore, the missing rat for a moment, shall we? Alexis has done everything possible to lure Theodore out of hiding. She wants to find him before Ashley returns to reclaim him. Alexis feels awful, and I don’t blame her.

·       The scene where Ashley comes over to pick Theodore up is very sweet.

Alexis: Hi.

Ashley: Hi. I missed you.

Alexis: I missed you, too.

Ashley: What’s . . . what’s wrong?

Alexis: It’s about Theodore. When I fed him he must have got out of his cage and . . . and he’s gone.

Ashley: He’s gone?

Alexis: We looked everywhere, I swear. We turned this whole place upside down.

Ashley: How’d he get out? (Dude, she told you. Weren’t you listening?)

Alexis: I must not have locked the cage right. Ashley, I’m so sorry. You have every right to hate me.

Ashley: C’mon, Alexis. I . . . I’m upset, but I don’t hate you.

Alexis: You don’t?

Ashley: I mean . . . look at this place. Look at what you did to try to get him back. Who else would do that?

Alexis: You cared about him a lot.

Ashley: Yeah, but I care about you more.

Just as Ashley leans in to kiss Alexis, Martha lets out a blood-curdling scream from upstairs. It seems that we have found Theodore.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       There were three things I didn’t like about this episode, but one of these things will be in the ‘WTF’ category.

·       Where was the FBI? Referencing ‘Little Girl Lost’ from Season 1, Beckett told Castle that the FBI always has jurisdiction over child abductions. This won’t be the last episode where this little nugget is just tossed aside.

·       Why weren’t we at least introduced to the bad guys? I would’ve liked to have known something about them before meeting them in the elevator with Dean.

Favorite Scene: Castle telling Beckett the story about losing Alexis when she was a child.

Castle: When Alexis was four, we went Christmas shopping at some mall in White Plains. I was trying on some charcoal fedora. I turn around, she is gone. Vanished. I looked everywhere. So did mall security, so did the police. We searched for an hour. You have to be a novelist to think of all the worst care scenarios. (No, you don’t. You don’t even have to be a parent. You just have to be a person who’s more than a little obsessed with true crime shows and podcasts. Yes, that would be me).

Beckett: Where did you find her?

Castle: Behind a rack of winter coats. She got bored. She crawled underneath there and went to sleep. (Beckett chuckles, but Castle doesn’t. It’s clear he’s still clearly affected by it). To this day I dream about it.

Favorite Quote: The big guy, Roy Montgomery, gets honors this week.

Bad Guy #1: Sorry Dean, last stop.

Robert: We’re supposed to go to the subway. Why are we stopping at the lobby?

Bad Guy #1: Don’t look at me!

Montgomery: No, look at me! I suggest you drop your weapons.

WTF? (Why the Face?): I detested Elliot Lefcourt, Mirielle’s new, richer husband and Tyler’s stepfather. I’m one of those people who firmly believe stepparents need to stay out of family business. I’m a child of divorce and remarriage. Both of my parents remarried other partners soon after the divorce. I wasn’t fond of either my step-monster or my step-dad, who was an abusive prick. Elliot needed to butt the hell out.

Until Wednesday, readers.

For those unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, "Just For Fun" pages are pages on the website that hold some kind of amusement to people who edit there, but aren't meant to be serious or created so as not to clog up the site.

There's a couple catagories of JFF pages I am not familiar with, but the type of pages I most enjot (and am referring to in my question) are pages that treat shows-within-shows/pieces of media and trope them as if they were actual pieces of media. Examples of this include Aladdin IV: Jafar May Need Glasses from a Family Guy cutaway, both Horsin' Around and Mr. Peanutbutter's House from Bojack Horseman, the McBain movies from The Simpsons, and "Father Crime" from Elsbeth (my own creation, if that means anything).

With this concept out of the way, do you think we learn enough about any of Castle's books or even other TV shows or books that one of these pages could come to be. Sadly, "Nikki Heat" won't count for this because there already exists a page based on the actual books for it that were written in reality, but maybe there's something else that can get the treatment.

ETA: Forgot the link to the McBain and Father Crime pages.

Do we ever meet/ get a name for the detective whose desk Beckett is at in this shot? It’s Season 2 Ep 8. You can kinda make out her desk plaque behind them, but the one that’s closer in the shot is turned just enough so you can’t see it. We know it isn’t one of the boys, their desks are on the other side of the room, and while we’re at it, whose desk is in front of Kevin’s?? Do they have names and I just completely missed it in my first watch through?

Original Airdate: November 1, 2010

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a stripper dressed as a cop.

Notable Guest Stars: Mary Page Keller, who portrays Rebecca Dalton, portrayed Kevin Spacey’s wife in the movie ‘The Negotiator.’ (No comments about the disgraced actor this time, I promise). She also appeared in the soap operas ‘Another World’ and ‘Ryan’s Hope.’

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: When Castle and Beckett are discussing the victim and Castle suggests he wanted to keep the badge he made his career on, Beckett tells him the victim is too young to have ever had that badge. Castle then reminds her of ‘Doogie Howser, MD’ (which is funny, because one of the robbers in ‘Cops and Robbers’ in Season 4 uses that name). Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris, who played Doogie Howser when he was a teenager, starred in ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008).

Miss Lombardo, a woman who is interviewed by Castle and Beckett regarding the victim, lists three names from ‘Jersey Shore,’ the reality show; Sammie, Paulie, and Ronnie. Miss Lombardo is also clearly from the Jersey shore.

Ranking: I have this one ranked at #20, which is just about right.

What I Liked About This Episode: Actually, very little. There are some great pieces of dialog, but there’s little about the actual episode that I liked.

·       The great dialog started early. Beginning in the second scene in the episode. Castle is awakened by some god-awful caterwauling, courtesy of his mother and Alexis. Guess who once again has the worst parts of the episode again this week? I swear, I give up on Alexis Castle.

Castle: I had a dream. I was floating on a lily pad and the Swedish bikini team was reciting positive reviews of ‘Naked Heat.’

Martha: Oh, that must have been lovely.

Castle: Yeah.

Martha: Why are you telling us this?

Castle: Well, because of you, my Swedish paradise turned into a wailing cat shelter.

·       We learn that Alexis is thinking of trying out for the role of Sandy in her high school’s production of ‘Grease.’ Which, at this point, I don’t care anymore. I just want Alexis Castle to elope or go live with her mother. Decide that she wants to go to school in Siberia. Anything except watch her in one more episode of ‘Castle.’ I’m sorry if I’m offending the Alexis lovers. I’m just not one of those people, although she does have one of my favorite lines in Season 6. The girl is ruining my blogging experience. I just never realized it until I started working on Season 3. Anyway, I will soldier on somehow.

·       The murder victim is a male stripper dressed as a police officer. I liked the scene where they brought the girls from the bachelorette party to the precinct.

Kathleen Park: Can we stop and get brunch on the way?

·       After doing some digging, they learn the male stripper, Derek Brookner, is an out of work actor. And not a very good one judging by the clips they find on the Internet. This guy should stick to stripping. On a side note, one of my nieces hate those shows that do re-enactments. Which is most of them. She won’t watch them.

·       Brookner does have an agent, who runs an agency called Mucho Men, which leads to a couple of hilarious scenes between Ryan and Esposito.

Esposito: Lloyd Saunders?

Saunders: I’m already up to my ears in A-Rod’s. But, uh, your friend here . . . I got women requesting that skinny Twilight dude like crazy. (He tosses Ryan a speedo). They’re one size fits all. We can pad if need be. Bathrooms down the hall, if you’re shy.

·       This leads to a scene at the precinct later between the boys, where Espo is desperately trying to hold on to his masculinity.

Ryan: What the hell are you doing?

Esposito: Up to his ears in A-Rod’s? I got an A-Rod for that son of a bitch. Three years varsity ball, two years Special Forces triathlon, and NYPD calendar 2007. What?

Ryan: It was a group photo.

Espo: I got letters.

Ryan: Yeah, three. Two of them were from your mom.

Espo: One of them was from my mom.

Ryan: Sure.

Espo: Twilight, my ass.

·       Castle and Beckett at the strip club was also funny. Plus, can I just add that Beckett looked very hot?

Castle: I can’t believe you got dressed up for this. Tell me again why Ryan and Esposito couldn’t come with you.

Beckett: We all agreed, as Volunteer Homicide Detective, you could really sink your teeth into this avenue of investigation. And they called ‘not it.’

Castle: You know, ever since I’ve been following you, I’ve been dreaming of the day that you’d say, ‘Let’s go to the strip club and get this dirt bag.’ I just never imagined that it would feel like this.

Beckett: Let me know if you need any singles.

·       I loved the Hans von Mannschaft character so much that I added him to one of my stories. By the way, so far it has been the only one of my stories that featured Alexis as the main focus. And I was nice to her!

·       Another great scene is when they visit the beautiful Braverman loft showroom. Which is not, by the way, in idyllic riverfront Hoboken. That’s when they learn that Derek Brookner, aka Jesse Mandalay, is scamming people left, right and center. But this scene leads to a great Beckett line.

Beckett: Do you have any brochures? I’m looking for a place. Mine blew up.

·       But they also learn that Brookner was just an actor, playing a part. His killer winds up being the attorney for Brookner’s girlfriend, Rebecca Dalton. She is a former model who happened to be in Paris when her former boyfriend was murdered. I loved Castle’s crack to the lawyer.

Castle: Do you want a lawyer? Or do you want an actor to play one for you?

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode: Dare I say it? Nah, Well, all right, since you guys insist. Alexis. I can’t make this stuff up.

Favorite Scene: This week, the honor goes to everyone favorite’s M.E., Lanie Parrish. The scene in the morgue.

Castle: He’s not that handsome. You want my opinion? Three hundred bucks an hour? Little steep.

Lanie: As a person in this room that’s seen everything under the sheet. Bargain.

Favorite Quote:

Castle: Hans von Mannschaft? That’s a hell of a stage name.

Hans: I’ll have you know, I come from a long line of proud Von Mannschaft’s. (Could that line sound any more porno? OMG!)

WTF? (Why the Face?): The killer/lawyer, Michael Grant. He got greedy, stealing from his own client and using this broke actor to help him. Idiot!

Until Monday, readers.

We really enjoyed the writing in the first seasons of Castle—it’s always time for another rewatch.

Recently, we started The Rookie season 1 and the writing and pacing seems predictable. Does it improve as the show hits its stride or is this as good as it gets?

Original Airdate: October 25, 2010

Synopsis: The discovery of a dead woman in an alley sends Castle and Beckett on the trail of a notorious serial killer who’s M.O. is killing three women in a week’s period and then disappearing for a month before striking again.

Notable Guest Stars: Michael Mosley makes the first of four appearances as Jerry Tyson. He will make sporadic appearances through the end of Season 7. Mr. Mosley has quite a reputation for playing very, very bad guys. After ‘Castle,’ he portrayed serial killer Everett Lynch in the final broadcast season of ‘Criminal Minds.’

Lee Tergesen portrays Marcus Gates, Tyson’s partner. His previous TV appearances include ‘Oz,’ and ‘Law and Order: SVU.’ He has a reputation for playing either cops or bad guys. Always one or the other.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: The medical condition that Paul McCardle suffers from is very real. It is called hyperhidrosis and it causes people to sweat excessively. This occurs in about 3% of the population.

After the suspect is identified, his photo is shown on a poster with the word WANTED above him. Lee Tergesen starred as a deputy U.S. Marshal on the TV show ‘Wanted’ (2005), where he and a team of cops looked for wanted criminals.

Lee Tergesen and Michael Mosley previously worked together on ‘Longmire’ (2012). Tergesen played Ed Gorski, Deputy Vic Moretti’s former lover/stalker. Mosley played Sean Keegan, Deputy Vic Moretti’s husband.

Continuity:

After 3XK collects Ryan’s gun and badge, he checks the gun’s magazine, reinserts it, and then racks the slide to reload it. After spending time chatting with Castle, you can hear the gun’s slide being racked again. If we are to assume the gun was loaded from racking the slide the first time, there’s no need to load the gun again.

Factual Errors:

After Tyson knocks Ryan out and taking his gun, he can be heard cocking the hammer. However, Det. Ryan carries a Glock 17. There is no external hammer on any Glock 17.

Ranking: This is my second favorite episode of the season. I had some trouble ranking my Top 5 for Season 3. But I finally had to settle on one. I knew that ‘3XK’ was going to be #2 no matter which of the other four I put in first. #1 will be coming up in a couple of weeks or so.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       If you watch this episode for the first time, you know there’s going to be at least one follow-up episode. I had no idea this episode would be the beginning of a six-episode arc spread over the next five seasons. Jerry Tyson only appears in four of the six, but the ones he appears in are exceptional. With the exception of two of the episodes, I can watch the others over and over. I found the Season 4 episode ‘Kick the Ballistics’ to be the weakest of the episodes, although I enjoy it more with each rewatch. My most disliked episode of the arc is the Season 5 episode ‘Probable Cause.’

·       This episode plays a key role in bringing Castle and Beckett closer together. They hold hands briefly at the end of the episode.

·       I have seen actors Lee Tergesen and Michael Mosley in countless TV shows over the years, but they are both mesmerizing in this episode. Lee Tergesen has always been good at playing creepy characters, and this episode is no exception. The scene where he’s confessing the murders to Beckett is chilling.

·       Michael Mosley is also quite good in this episode. At first, he is quite believable when he’s playing the victim. If I were watching this episode for the first time, I would never have suspected he was the Triple Killer. It’s only in that scene at the hotel when the pieces start clicking into place and you find yourself going ‘Oh, shit!’

·       Spoiler here: I have to add something about a person we aren’t going to meet until Season 6, and that is Dr. Kelly Neiman. While we knew Tyson had a partner, which he disclosed to Ryan at the hotel, we had no idea one of those partners was a psychotic plastic surgeon. The way the writers threw that at us was nothing short of brilliant. Watching now for the 15^th or 20^th time, I now realize the money for Paul McCardle’s heart surgery came from Neiman. Where else would Tyson have gotten the money?

·       There wasn’t a great deal of humor in this episode, which is fine. It didn’t need any. Even the secondary storyline of Alexis and her secret admirer tied into this episode perfectly. The whole secret admirer drama played perfectly into a father’s worst fears for his daughter’s safety. When Castle adamantly refused to allow Alexis to meet her still unknown secret admirer at Strawberry Fields in Central Park, I was 100 percent on his side. I had to ask myself what in the hell Alexis was thinking. She’s a clear example of a very smart girl without common sense.

·       Back to the lack of humor in this episode. There was one great bit of humor in this episode.

Montgomery: For those of you living in a cave, four years ago, the Triple Killer, or 3XK, got his nickname by strangling three girls in a week, dropping out of sight for a month, then killing three more. Then he disappeared. I served on the task force that investigated those six murders. An FBI profile is the closest we came to identifying the suspect. Feds say he’s a white male, 25 to 45 years old.

Castle (Whispering to Beckett): Could be me.

Montgomery: With a dysfunctional relationship with his mother.

Castle: Still me.

Montgomery: With a menial, unimportant job.

Beckett: Definitely you.

Castle: Just for that, I base my next book on Esposito.

·       The look she gave him was priceless. Just a season before, she would’ve been glad to never have another Nikki Heat book.

·       The scene where the father of one of the victims is talking to Montgomery was so sad. Many marriages don’t survive the death of a child, and that was the case here. It must be hell to be the parent of a murdered child and have to wait years for answers on who killed them. If an answer ever comes.

·       One of the issues I had with this episode had to do with the scene where they bring Gates in for questioning. Castle is preparing to go into the room with Beckett, as usual, but Montgomery stops him.

Montgomery: Castle, not this time

·       I have a cop friend who has told me that if Castle were real life, Castle would never be allowed to participate in any of Beckett’s interrogations. I get that. So, if Montgomery was worried about Gates’ case being thrown out on a technicality, what about the other cases Castle sat in on? I’m sure there are killers walking free all over New York City because Castle isn’t a cop. And before anyone says it, I know. It’s fiction.

·       Always thinking, Castle knows things aren’t adding up with Marcus Gates after he and Ryan visit Paul McCardle in the hospital, where Gates former foster brother has just undergone valve replacement surgery. It’s only when the two men go to the motel to let Tyson know that Gates has confessed that the pieces start falling into place. My favorite scene right here is Castle letting Tyson know that he’s got him figured out.

·       But Tyson also has Castle figured out. Which is the beginning of the cat and mouse game which goes on until almost the end of Season 7.

Castle: Ah, Jerry. Shooting? It’s not your style.

Tyson: Oh, you really don’t know me at all, do you?

Castle: Oh, it’s not complicated. You were raised by a single mother. She was blonde. Oh, she was beautiful, but . . . she never wanted you. When you were . . . what? Twelve, I’m guessing, she died suddenly. Let’s say drug overdose. You go into foster care. The bad kind. You have so much hate, so much hate against your mother for abandoning you that you kill these women to get back at her. But you leave them looking peaceful because as much as you hated your mother, you loved your mother. Am I getting warm?

Tyson: You’re drawn to death. You like to be around it because it thrills you. Now, where does that come from? Your own suppressed impulses? How close to death do you want to get? Huh?

·       Martha calls interrupting the game. But Castle is able to get a message to her that she passes on to Beckett offscreen. Which is too bad, because I would’ve loved to have heard that conversation.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       Alexis Castle is setting some sort of record for disliked scenes this season, and I’m only on episode 6. The whole secret admirer storyline was so lame. But it did also tie into the primary storyline. I couldn’t believe Alexis saw nothing wrong with meeting some random boy in Central Park. And would your boyfriend really be your secret admirer? I didn’t date in high school. My sister was the social butterfly. In fact, my sister and the vice principal were on a first name basis because she was a little bit too much of a social butterfly. So, the secret admirer thing is a foreign concept to me. If Alexis is the worst thing in the next entry, I might just copy and paste. I know Alexis has her fans, but I’m not one of them.

Favorite Scene: The end scene with Castle and Beckett where she’s consoling him after Tyson gets away.

Beckett: Tell me something, Castle. Why did he let you live?

Castle: To punish me. Make me pay for ruining his plan. Now he’s going to kill again, all because I couldn’t stop him. And I feel so –

Beckett: I know the feeling.

Castle: I know you do.

I loved her clasping his hand. I also believe this was the first time she brought him coffee.

Favorite Quote: Lee Tergesen gets the honors in this episode.

Gates: Wow! Brought out the old guy, huh? Can only mean one thing. You want me in a bad way, right?

WTF? (Why the Face?): Horticultural technician Paul McCardle gave me the creeps. It wasn’t the fact that he had a medical condition that reminded me of Robert Hayes at the controls in ‘Airplane!’ He was just creepy.

Favorite Scenes Between Supporting Characters:

Lanie, Beckett & Castle at The Morgue:

Lanie: That was quick.

Castle: 9-1-1 has that effect on her.

Beckett: What’d you find?

Lanie: I pulled all the files on all his past murders, just like you asked.

Castle: I . . . I believe that was my idea.

Lanie: Yeah. But I only listen when it comes from her.

Ryan & Esposito Arguing Over Ryan’s Filing System:

Ryan: No, I had it all set up. It was in this pile, over there.

Espo: I don’t understand.

Ryan: You’re messing up my system.

Castle: Hey, guys. Any news on Gates?

Ryan (ignoring Castle): My system is efficient.

Espo: And dumb.

Ryan: I already went through this with you.

Espo: It’s on this stack.

Ryan: It’s part of my system!

Espo: Your system is dumb.

Beckett, Castle & Espo:

Castle: Gates said he walks home every night at the same time, right? So, this traffic cam footage from the day before – wait! There he is, there he is. (Espo zooms in) That’s Gates on the right the night of Kim Foster’s murder. On the left, Gates from a night earlier. What’s wrong with this picture?

Beckett & Espo: He’s too short!

Castle: So, either Gates shrunk—

Beckett: Or this is his partner.

Castle: He wore Gates’ clothing. He would have access to wigs and disguises from the prop house. That’s how Gates can be in two places at once.

Espo: Wait! What’s that? (pointing to the picture on the right).

Castle: It’s a reflection from . . . from sweat! That’s Sweaty von Sweats-A-Lot!

Until Friday, readers. My entry on Friday probably won’t be until the afternoon because I have an appointment early Friday morning.

It’s always so interesting how good the revealed killers lie to cops like they’re so smart. If I killed somebody or multiple people, there’s no way I’m playing it dumb THAT well to evade, the fact that most of them do it is so funny to me when it’s a high chance they’ll get caught by the cops. But then again murders go unsolved all the time, so maybe their ego is so high about it. I guess they’d never count on a obsessed writer that revels in the job and a hungry detective that’ll stop at nothing to get justice.

Anyone find this amusing?

Original Airdate: October 18, 2010

Synopsis: A dead woman is found, along with the original deceased, in a casket at a Jewish funeral. The discovery leads Castle and Beckett into a case of possible wrongdoing at a hospital. Meanwhile, Castle’s relationship with Gina is challenged when she tries to bond with Alexis.

Notable Guest Stars: Monet Mazur guest stars as Castle’s publisher/girlfriend, Gina Cowell. This will be her final appearance on the show, although she will still be mentioned on occasion.

A Martinez guest stars as Cesar Calderon. My sister and I both had huge crushes on Mr. Martinez. This went back to when he co-starred as Cimarron in the John Wayne movie ‘The Cowboys,’ and then the short-lived series based on the movie. He was also very popular on the soap opera ‘Santa Barbara.’

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: The name of one of the doctors at the hospital, Rhonda Chimes, is a friendly poke/tribute to Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, which is on the same network, and is, of course, set in a hospital.

During the scene where Castle and Beckett first interview Greg, they say ‘seriously’ a ridiculous number of times. Another throw to Grey’s Anatomy, which has been known for excessive use of the word.

The short female doctor with a forearm crutch is a nod to Kerry Weaver character played by Laura Innes in the TV series medical drama ‘ER.’ By the way, ‘ER’ is the second-best medical drama ever, only bypassed by ‘The Pitt.’

Factual Errors: When Beckett is examining the carpet fibers, the microscope display appears to be from an electron microscope, showing a 15kV accelerating voltage, but our heroes seem to be looking down a conventional optical microscope. (Did anyone seriously notice this?)

Ranking: I have this episode ranked at #16 and I have to ask myself WTF?

Pop Culture References: There are references to Martha Stewart and her incarceration in this episode. There's also a reference to 'Shawshank Redemption,' which is my third favorite movie of all time after 'Goodfellas' and 'Tombstone.'

Before I get started, I’m going to add a new section of best lines by all the supporting players. A lot of people commented about me leaving out Ryan’s best line from ‘Punked’ about Squirrelstein. I’m going to fix that starting with this entry. It may be dialogue or just one particular line. Not everyone will have one with every episode, but if there is one, I’ll add it.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       I’m surprised I have this one ranked in the middle of the pack. While I don’t hate this episode, per se, it isn’t one I watched every time it airs or every time I watch the DVD’s. But since I have it ranked this high, I might as well make the best of it.

·       The opening scene of the woman tumbling out of Mr. Mankofsky’s casket was funny, especially his wife’s response.

Mrs. Mankofsky: Who’s the shiksa?

·       We learn that Joshua Davidson is a cardiac surgeon. This comes in handy in 4x01, but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves.

·       I wasn’t crazy about the secondary storyline in this episode. Because, once again it deals with Alexis and her teenage drama. OMG! Can we just ship this girl off to boarding school or somewhere else? Can Meredith decide she wants Alexis living with her? Anyway, I’ll get to Alexis and her drama soon enough.

·       Martha Stewart gets a mention in this episode, because . . . well, Capt. Montgomery puts it best.

Montgomery: What does a smuggling ring have to do with Katonah? It’s basically a nothing town.

Castle: Three reasons why Katonah is awesome. One: gorgeous countryside. Two: it’s where Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau went to school. And three, and perhaps most importantly, it’s where Martha Stewart lives.

Beckett: You like Martha Stewart?

Castle: Doesn’t everyone?

Montgomery: Yeah, well, I liked her. Till she went to prison for insider trading. Wait a minute. Prison? Next to Katonah is Bedford Hills. And what’s in Bedford Hills, Detective?

Beckett: There’s a women’s prison. Do you think she suspected someone there?

Castle: If we’re talking about a field trip to a women’s prison, I’m in. (Castle has seen way too many Skin-a-Max movies).

·       We learn that Alexis and Ashley have a song, ‘Mine,’ by Taylor Swift. Which leads to Castle confessing that his and Gina’s song was ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ by AC/DC. I agree with Alexis on that revelation. Ewww. Later, Beckett tells Castle that they also have a song. ‘You Talk Too Much’ by Clarence Carter. I know that song, but the version I’m aware of was sung by Joe Jones. I’ll get more in depth with this in the next section.

·       Nurse Greg McClintock was the best part of this episode. That, and looking at A Martinez, but enough about my ‘Tiger Beat’ crushes of the 1970’s.

Greg: So, what can I do for you?

Beckett: Well, we’re here about Dr. Monroe’s murder.

Greg: Yeah, it’s pretty awful.

Castle: We understand you had a meeting with her right before her shift ended last night.

Greg: Yeah, I saw her. (turning to Beckett) I love the way your hair frames your face. Do you always wear it like that?

His flirting is cute, and a nice distraction and you can see Beckett getting suckered in by his charm. Until she remembered why she’s there.

Beckett: Where were you last night between seven and nine?

Greg: Are you asking for my alibi? Seriously?

Beckett: Seriously.

Greg: Seriously?

Beckett: Seriously.

Greg (turning to Castle): Seriously?

Castle (annoyed): Seriously.

·       Other than Nurse Greg and A Martinez (sigh), there wasn’t anything else that I liked about this episode.

·       The victim was murdered for all the wrong reasons. Cesar Calderon’s brother, Manuel, killed her because he thought Dr. Monroe was working with the feds regarding his brother. She was working with the DEA, but it was because of corruption at the hospital where she worked.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       For the third episode in a row, the winner of the most disliked part of the episode goes to Little Castle. She wants to see Taylor Swift because she and Ashley have a song. But now that I think about it, what I also disliked in this episode was Big Castle. I don’t like Gina, but I thought her getting the Taylor Swift tickets and the backstage pass for after, was a very sweet gesture. I felt sorry for her when she was talking to Castle about how she had always felt left out during their marriage when it came to Richard and his daughter.

Gina: This is exactly what I’m talking about, Rick. Even when we were married, you built a wall around Alexis like you didn’t want anyone else to be close to her. When it came to the two of you, I was on the outside, looking in. I just – I just don’t want to feel like an outsider anymore.

Beckett defended Gina on this point.

Beckett: How did Alexis’ surprise go?

Castle: Turns out the surprise was on me. Gina got her tickets, too. Front row; backstage passes.

Beckett: You say that like it’s a bad thing.

Castle: Well, she should’ve checked with me first.

Beckett: Maybe. But at least it means she cared enough to do it, right?

Favorite Scene: The reading of the letters sent back and forth between Amy and Greg.

Castle: Listen to this. ‘The days without you grow stronger, but my love for you grows—’

Beckett: Stronger?

Castle: ‘Harder.’ A poet, he’s not.

Beckett: Yeah, well, not everyone is a best-selling crime novelist. And it doesn’t mean that their love is any less. Listen to what she wrote to him. ‘I can’t bear to see you suffer. Make a new life with someone else. Just be happy. If anyone deserves it, it’s you.’

Castle: I think I have his response to that. ‘I don’t believe in much, but I believe in us.’ I like this guy. ‘And no matter the obstacles, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never get rid of me. I love you.’ (The shared look between Castle and Beckett is priceless). You’re right. These are worthless.

Favorite Quote: This week’s favorite quote goes to Martha. And this is my favorite thing she said throughout the series.

Martha: But the question is this; when it comes down to it, would you be willing to break her out of prison? Because that, my boy, is true love.

As it turns out, Beckett would indeed be willing to break Castle out of prison.

Beckett: Don’t worry, Castle. I’d get you out.

WTF? (Why the Face?): Manuel Calderon. He killed his ailing brother’s girlfriend because he thought she was a police informant, when nothing was further from the truth. And I’m not just castigating the guy because his brother was played by A Martinez (sigh). Hey, I’d be acting far worse if the A Martinez role had been played by Esai Morales. “RITCHIE!” I just like listening to Esai talk.

Favorite Scenes Between Supporting Players:

Ryan & Esposito:

Ryan: A doctor who buys coffee. Wow, that is unusual.

Esposito: It is if the coffee shop is 20 blocks from her apartment.

Castle: Maybe it was on her way to work.

Esposito: Nope, complete opposite direction.

Castle: Boyfriend in the neighborhood?

Esposito: On my way to find out.

On his way out of the bullpen, Espo shoots them all a look.

Ryan: Oh, great. Now he’s mad at me.

Espo & Montgomery:

Montgomery: Where’ve you been?

Espo: Getting coffee.

Montgomery: All day?

Montgomery, Beckett & Castle:

Montgomery: Those Jersey state troopers you had staking out the Burgeroplis just pulled your fugitive love birds from the drive through. They’re bringing them in now.

Castle: You had Jersey state troopers stake out the Burgeroplis?

Beckett: Yeah.

Castle: But you said that was stupid.

Beckett: No, you said it was stupid. And it looks like you were wrong.

Castle (as Beckett is leaving): No! No, no, I was right!

Until Wednesday, readers. I promise not idols for me to sigh over in the next entry. Just the first appearance of a serial killer.

In my last post, i said i have a more in-depth (sort of) review of the show up on my serializd, so i’m also posting it here for those who want to see it but dont have serializd :) also, please keep in mind that this is my first long review and english isn’t my first language, so there may be some mistakes

“To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th.”

Wow, I genuinely have no words. I actually had this whole review planned out in my head, but that ending…wow, just wow.

I’ll just say what i remember from what i had in mind, and i’ll keep it spoiler-free (except the aliases of the “Big bads”, but they aren’t much of a spoiler i think🤷‍♀️)

I started this show on May 21st with small expectations, i mean, yet another “Detective x consultant” trope, it’s bound to get repetitive at some point, but boy, i was so so wrong.

During those 4 months, this show has been there for me whenever i needed comfort (mf what comfort), or just something to brighten up my day, and i am forever grateful for that.

It doesnt matter to me that the ending was kind of rushed (according to most people), in my opinion, it was the perfect way to end this show, and i will forever hype it up and recommend it to everyone.

“Castle” has also brought to me one very close, unexpected, and amazing friendship, which i will forever cherish and be grateful for.

Rick Castle, a goofy guy, but genuinely one of the most caring and reliable ones out there, because of him i’ll never lower my standards.

Kate Beckett, probably one of the strongest detective characters out there, she is easily in my top 3 TV detectives of all time. This character introduced me to my current favourite actress, and i will most definitely be watching more of her works (Currently halfway through “For lovers only” and i’ve watched the first episode of “Absentia”)

The detectives and families always made the episodes more fun, i don’t really have more to say other than that without them, the show wouldn’t really be the same.

And of course, the “Big bads”, whether it was 3XK, LokSat, or the person behind Beckett’s mother’s death, they always kept me on edge, always wondering who it is, or how they did it, never expecting the plot twists coming my way.

Castle is forever engraved in my heart now, and i will truly cherish the 4 months i spent watching it.

Always

Yesterday i finished my first ever watch of “Castle”, and as someone who has almost no critical thinking when it comes to things that interest me, i absolutely loved it and gave it a 5/5 stars.

Yes, season 8 did feel kind of rushed and unfinished, but it’s way way better than if we got the season 9 they planned.

“Castle” will forever hold a special place in my heart, and i truly enjoyed the few months i spent watching it.

I have a more in-depth (sort of) review on my serializd if anyone wants to check it out :) https://srlzd.com/r/511e421

EDIT: I’m not a big fan of rewatching, mainly because it doesn’t hit the same as the first watch, but i see many people telling me to rewatch it, so maybe i will someday, just not now. This is just my opinion and how i enjoy shows, so please don’t come at me for it 😅

EDIT 2: i posted the serializd review on here aswell

I really started to get sick of the larger than life villains in the show. I still loved it all the way through, but for example the whole LokSat arc, the disappearance arc (which I'm separating from LokSat because I fully believe they did not have a solid plan for what the disappearance actually was), and 3XK just got on my nerves

Bracken should have ended with Bracken, even if the ending was kind of lame with the recording. 3XK should have been a serial killer that escaped and came back, not a magical being who can seemingly do anything. Castle and Beckett BOTH emptied a clip into him on that bridge, and he's just fine? What the hell

The simplicity of season 1 is just a breath of fresh air

ALSO: If they were renewed for a 9th season and decided to kill off Beckett, I would have firebombed the showrunners house. I can't even wrap my head around the thought behind that. I know Stana didn't want to be on the show anymore, but if they were forced by the network execs to continue, maybe they could have considered faking her death? Or maybe that's what they were planning on, since I guess most of that discussion is just speculation

Today ten Years Ago the Final Episode of Castle Had Its Premiere in my Country, the 22th of August 2016, 3 month after the USA Premiere

Now officially 10 Years since the Final Episode in Germany

First, I want to thank everyone for the comments. Everyone seems to really be enjoying Season 3.

I've been suffering from writer's block since the death of my mother in 2021. Writing these reviews fulfill that need to write something.

I have the entries prepared for the rest of Season 3. I will be taking a break after the finale to work on Season 4. Think of it as my summer hiatus.

A few years ago, I was posting weekly on Facebook with a creator who had a page called SmallScreenSmackdown. You will occasionally see references made about my editor. At first, he was looking for a cheaper web browser to keep posting the entries. Then he became sick. Since then, radio silence. I miss him because he would add stuff to my entries. John T., if you're out there. I hope you're okay.

Can any one pls tell me where can I watch castle in India? Any telegram link or any website where can I watch the series using VPN? Pls DM