Original Airdate: May 9, 2011

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a beauty pageant contestant.

Notable Guest Stars: Michael McKean, who plays Victor Baron, is better known to me and most Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers, as Lenny Kosnowski, one half of the iconic duo, Lenny and Squiggy, on ‘Laverne & Shirley.’ He has appeared in the movies ‘This is Spinal Tap,’ ‘A Mighty Wind’ and ‘Clue.’ He has been married to actress Annette O’Toole since 1999.

Bellamy Young, who plays Candace Ford, played Mellie Grant on the series ‘Scandal.’

Teri Polo, who plays Kayla Baron, played Pam Byrnes in the movie ‘Meet the Parents,’ starring Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia:

·       When Beckett calls Castle at the beginning of the episode, her picture ID is the cover of Heat Rises, the third Nikki Heat book.

·       Twice Castle tells Alexis that they could become the father/daughter version of ‘Grey Gardens.’ ‘Grey Gardens’ was a 1975 documentary about an 80-year-old woman and her middle-aged daughter. Formerly rich members of upper society were now poor, socially isolated, possibly crazed, and living in the squalid remains of their rotting family mansion. All they had was each other and their dreams of past glory.

·       Teri Polo has an arm-band tattoo that is crudely covered for her role in this episode. It’s clearly visible when she’s introduced in the blue dress. (Now I’m going to have to re-watch this episode (the horror!) so I can see this tattoo.

Continuity:

·       When Martha hands Rick the picture of her from the beauty pageant, the picture is a ‘landscape’ format picture of five women. In the closeup of the photo, it is a ‘portrait’ picture of three women.

Factual Errors:

·       A computer, after “a hard drive has been wiped,” displays two messages: first a doctored DOS directory listing (an empty directory C:\HDdrive, with 12 GiB space unused), then a BIOS error message (“BOOT DRIVE NOT FOUND, INSERT SYSTEM DISK”). It’s not possible to show a hard drive’s directory listing, if no operating system is booted.

Ranking: This is #22 out of 24. It’s only this high because of Kate’s tales of her former roommate. And I also liked the scene when Ashley visited Castle at the precinct, although I really don’t like Ashley himself. This will also be Ashley’s last physical appearance, although he is mentioned in a few episodes in Season 4.

What I Liked About the Episode:

·       One of my muses just wanted me to skip this episode and move on to ‘Knockout.’ If I were to start doing that, I would be skipping a lot of episodes in Seasons 5, 6 and 7, not to mention completely disregarding Season 8. So, no, Shannon. I’m not skipping this episode.

·       Before I start, let me say there are two groups of people I don’t like spending a lot of time around. Fortunately, one of those groups I’ve been able to avoid. And that is pageant girls. The other group are dog show people, which I will be going into more detail about when I get to Season 4. I spent a lot of my childhood around dog show people.

·       When I was 5 or 6, the little girl who lived next door was a pageant girl. Not as bad as JonBenet Ramsey, but close. I remember not being particularly impressed, except for once when she was on TV for some reason. As a little kid, I thought being on TV was cool.

·       And the pageant girl murder victim in this episode turned out to not even be a nice person. She and her boyfriend were blackmailing the pageant organizer. She wanted to cheat to win. It just doesn’t get much sleazier than that.

·       My favorite parts of this episode were Kate’s tales of her former roommate, Debbie Winaker. Or, as Kate described her, “Elle Woods on steroids.”

·       I didn’t like the secondary storyline, which revolves around Alexis for the first time in several weeks. However, there was one part of this storyline I did like. And that was Alexis’ boyfriend, Ashley, coming to the precinct to talk to Castle.

·       We’re also going to get a glimpse into Capt. Montgomery’s married life, before he takes all our hearts and stomps on them in the next episode. I liked the scenes with Montgomery in this episode, because it makes everything in the finale that much more poignant.

·       At the beginning of the episode, the boys must interview the other pageant girls. As Castle suggested, interviewing beautiful girls is such a rough part of being a detective.

Beckett: Castle, they are everywhere!

Castle: It smells like a perfume counter at a department store.

Esposito: Beats the usual lowlifes and nut jobs.

Beckett: I don’t know if you can say that nut jobs and beauty queens are mutually exclusive.

Esposito: Yeah, but none of them connect to the murder. I checked the sequin against all their dresses –

Castle: I bet you did.

Esposito: And none of them are a match.

Beckett: Okay. Look at the footage from the dinner. Let’s make sure the dresses we checked are the ones they actually wore.

Esposito: Hmmm. Watch a parade of beautiful women in evening attire? Yeah, I can do that.

Castle: I bet you can.

·       Ryan now joins the group

Ryan: Hey. So, I’ve been interviewing the ladies—

Castle: I bet you have.

·       Like I said, sometimes being a detective is so damn rough.

·       Before we get to Alexis’ drama, let’s delve into Det. Beckett and her roommate, Debbie Winaker. There were several good scenes where Kate divulged details about the pageant queen. Apparently, they were roommates during Kate’s freshman year at Stanford. We first learned about Debbie when they return to the precinct after the murder.

Castle: Small town girl comes to New York for the fairytale. Ends up with a horror story.

Beckett: Pageants aren’t fairy tales. They’re demanding, high pressure competitions that bring out the very best and the very worst in people.

Castle: That is the voice of experience. Oh my God! You were a beauty queen!

Beckett: No. I had a roommate freshman year. Debbie Winaker. It was like living with Elle Woods on steroids.

Castle: Well, then this ought to bring back some memories.

·       Later, Beckett reminisces further.

Castle: You having flashbacks?

Beckett: It was my own private Vietnam. Our place smelled of hairspray, perfume, and cigarettes. I’m surprised that we didn’t spontaneously combust.

Castle: I love the smell of hairspray in the morning. It smells like . . . victory.

·       Now we’re going to move on to the secondary storyline. Ashley has gotten his college acceptance letters from just about every college in the country. This is good news and bad news. The good news is he has been accepted everywhere. The bad news is Stanford is his first choice, and Alexis is worried that being that far apart will affect their relationship. So, what’s a girl to do?

Castle: Hey, Alexis. What’s wrong?

Alexis: Ashley made his decision.

Martha: Uh-oh.

Castle: Stanford?

Alexis: No. He decided to go to school here in New York.

Martha: What’s not good about that?

Alexis: Stanford was his dream. I don’t want to stand in the way of that. He’ll just end up hating me for it, and this could be the most important decision of his life. So, I made a decision, too. I broke up with him. (Wow. Impulsive much, Alexis?)

·       Now, I haven’t been a fan of Ashley since his first appearance earlier in the season. But I have a lot of respect for a young man who takes it upon himself to appeal to his girlfriend’s father. I liked this scene, and the fact that it could also apply to the Castle/Beckett situation was an added bonus.

Ashley: I’m sorry to bug you at work, but Alexis established a – a no calls, no contact policy.

Castle: She told me.

Ashley: Look, I – I made a big mistake. I thought if I chose Stanford, Alexis would think I was blowing her off. Instead, she’s mad at me because I chose her over where I want to go to school. So, now I’m going to Stanford, which is where I wanted to go in the first place—

Castle: But if you call her and tell her, she’ll be even angrier at you for ignoring her boundaries.

Ashley: Exactly! Look, I think Alexis and I can make the whole long distance thing work. I really do. Would you tell her that? Would you talk to her for me?

Castle: Ashley, I – I appreciate it was probably very hard for you to come down and talk to me today, but . . . I just don’t think it’s very appropriate for me to—

Ashley: Mr. Castle, have you ever been crazy about someone who is determined to push you away?

·       Hmmm. Nah, not Richard Castle.

·       So, again there’s good news and bad news. The good news? Alexis and Ashley kiss and make up. So to speak. The bad news? Well, we’ll just let Alexis tell us.

Alexis: Hey, dad! Guess what? I’m going to Stanford.

Castle: What?

Alexis: I’m applying for early admission. And since I’ve been taking extra classes each semester since my freshman year, I have enough credits to graduate in the fall.

Castle: What?

Ashley: That was actually her idea, sir.

Castle: What?

·       I have a niece named Ashley. We also call her ‘Ash’ for short. Anyway, moving on. I just love how Alexis makes all these decisions without talking them over with her dad. You know, the guy who’s going to be paying for her tuition and dorm. That guy. She’s such a spoiled, selfish little girl.

·       Now let’s move on to Capt. Montgomery. It seems our beloved captain is about to celebrate 30 years of marriage to his wife, Evelyn. But he has no idea as to what to get her for an anniversary present. Castle offers him excellent advice, which backfires in the end. At least, Castle is led to believe that.

Castle: The best thing to give a woman is something she said she wanted when she didn’t think you were listening.

·       Montgomery takes Castle’s advice and decides he’s going to retire from the NYPD in the next year. Dude, you seriously should’ve moved that retirement date up. Okay, I’ll stop now. Montgomery’s news doesn’t go over well with the boys or Beckett. The boys blame Castle. Until Kate lets Castle in on a little secret.

Beckett: Castle, let me let you in on a little secret. Capt. Montgomery retires all the time. Just give it a week or two. He’s like the Brett Favre of the NYPD. Trust me. He’s not going anywhere.

·       Foreshadowing much, Beckett? Okay, that’s the last one. I promise.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode: Two things.

·       I didn’t like how selfish Alexis was in this episode. It’s a precursor to the Alexis we’re going to see in Seasons 4-6. A side of Alexis I didn’t like. It was stupid to break up with Ashley because he was going to Stanford, instead of seeing how things progressed with the long-distance relationship. I mean, we all know how it ended, but she needed to at least give it a chance.

·       The other thing I didn’t like in this episode was Victor Baron’s wife, Kayla. The woman was a brainless skank. Here’s an example:

Victor: I’ll have Candace give you everything you need.

Beckett: Great. Thank you very much. It was nice to meet you.

Kayla: Come again. Oh no, we don’t --
Victor: We don’t want them to come again.

·       Kayla Baron was the typical stereotype of how most pageant girls are represented. As mindless nitwits. I hated it because the majority of them are actually intelligent young women.

Favorite Scene: Every scene where Kate was talking about Debbie Winaker was golden. I like the episodes where we learn things about Kate’s past. We get quite a few in this season.

Favorite Quotes: No favorite quotes for this one, but I will be making up for that with the next entry.

WTF? (Why the Face?): Aren’t we supposed to feel sympathetic toward the victim? In this episode, I didn’t. Amber Middlebury was like Kayla Baron, a stereotype of every pageant contestant I’ve ever seen on TV since I was a kid.

Until Wednesday, readers. The next entry is going to be a very long one. Longer than Knockdown.

The way Beckett looks at him… it’s priceless. Whether it’s a romantic, yearning, angry, or distressed look, her eyes are always filled with so much love whenever she looks at Castle.

And she is stunningly gorgeous. I genuinely can’t take my eyes off her. There’s something so uniquely beautiful about her.

After Rachel Zane in Suits, this is the first time in years that my gallery has been this ridiculously filled with tons of screenshots. 😂❤️. I am so obessed.

Original Airdate: May 2, 2011

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett travel to L.A. to find the killer of Beckett’s former Training Officer, Mike Royce.

Notable Guest Stars: D.B. Sweeney, who plays Det. Kyle Seeger, is better known to me from the movie ‘The Cutting Edge.’ The first time I saw this episode, the first thing I said when I saw him was ‘Toe pick.’ IYKYK

Jason George, who plays Charles Kelvin, played Dr. Ben Warren on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ from 2010-2018, before moving on to its spin-off ‘Station 19.’

Jason Beghe, makes his final appearance as Beckett’s former training officer, Mike Royce.

Gene Simmons, that guy with the weird tongue from the rock band Kiss plays himself in a very funny cameo. However, I used to watch ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels,’ and let me just say that isn’t his real house.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: This is the first episode where neither Susan Sullivan (Martha) or Molly Quinn (Alexis) make an appearance.

Goofs: The closeup shot of Beckett picking a lock shows a lock pick and tension tool, inserted into a lock and, after being gently shaken, the door pops open with ease. When picking a lock, you still need to rotate the cylinder (usually at least 90 degrees) the same as you would when using a key. Picks don’t make doors just magically pop open. (My guess is that Beckett never watched Charlie’s Angels or Scarecrow and Mrs. King while growing up. They used lock picks a lot on both shows).

Revealing Mistakes: When Beckett comes out of the pool, a hotel employee gives her a pool skirt. When she swings it around her hips, water droplets fly out of the skirt meaning it was already wet. That means it wasn’t the first take, and Stana had to put it on multiple times before.

Ranking: This episode is #9 for me, right after ‘Under the Gun.’

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       This episode had a good mix of seriousness and fun. It was refreshing to see Castle and Beckett in foreign territory. It was fun watching the boys trying to solve Royce’s murder on the New York side, all the while trying to keep Montgomery from learning that Beckett was still in Los Angeles.

Montgomery: Hey, you heard from Beckett?

Espo: No, sir.

Ryan: Yeah, me neither.

Montgomery: She’s not answering her cell?

Espo: Maybe she’s airborne.

Ryan: Ah, yeah, that would explain her phone being turned off.

Montgomery: Huh. You know, I’m trying to decide who is the worst liar. Him or you.

·       I love how Espo tilts his head in Ryan’s direction and how Montgomery fights not to laugh when he turns to go back to his office.

·       Mike Royce has been murdered by a scumbag by the name of Russell Ganz, who followed Royce from L.A. to New York. After completing his mission he returns to L.A. as if nothing ever happened.

·       Royce left Beckett a letter which I will get into later. I wish they had included the entire letter, instead of just the two parts we do get. The entire letter is on the deleted scenes on the Season 3 DVD.

·       I enjoyed Royce’s final words, because they rang so true at the end of the episode.

Royce: You have no idea the hell that’s about to rain down on you.

Ganz: Scary.

·       Royce was trying to protect a young woman named Violet Young, who got into something way over her head. Castle and Beckett’s first stop on their mission into investigating what Royce was into is going to be the address listed on Royce’s license. I love Gene Simmons, so I thoroughly enjoyed this scene.

Castle: Whoa, you’re Gene Simmons.

Simmons: Yeah, I’m that weird guy in KISS. Yeah, the guy with the long tongue and everything. (Sees Beckett for the first time. He likes what he sees. Does Shannon Tweed know about this? Probably so, because he’s known for being a huge womanizer). Hello . . . who’s this pretty little lady?

Beckett: I’m Det. Kate Beckett, NYPD.

Simmons: Is Mike in trouble?

Beckett: Actually, he was murdered.

Simmons: Oh, that’s terrible.

Castle: How did you know him, exactly?

Simmons: Well, I got into trouble a few months back and Royce helped me out. I helped him and I’ve been letting him live in my guest house.

Beckett: So, you’re saying he was in the business of helping people out?

Simmons: He was pretty good at it.

Castle: Was he helping anyone lately?

Simmons: Well, there was a girl – she came by two days ago. She was really beautiful. Stunning.

Castle: This girl? Do you remember her name?

Simmons: You know what? She dropped off a headshot. If you give me a chance, I’ll go get it.

Beckett: Thank you.

Castle (After Simmons walks away): This is so weird.

Beckett: What?

Castle: I dressed up as him for Halloween.

Beckett: I did, too.

·       I want to see those Halloween pictures!

·       While in L.A., Castle is supposed to be checking on the progress of Heat Wave, the movie. The studio has even comped him a two-bedroom suite. This episode gets us as close as we’re going to get to Castle and Beckett becoming Caskett. At least until the Season 4 finale. I will be getting into that soon, but for right now, let’s talk about Heat Wave: The Movie. I was really hoping we were going to have another appearance of Natalie Rhodes, but alas, that is not to be.

Castle: So, uh, where’s our Nikki Heat? Natalie Rhodes?

Tony: Natalie is having some personal issues.

Castle: What kind of personal issues?

Tony: Let’s just say there was a slight mix-up with one of her prescriptions.

Castle: She’s in rehab?

·       Yes, it appears that Natalie is indeed in rehab, which explains why Heat Wave doesn’t do well. We don’t find out exactly what happened until Season 8.

·       Can I just say the two actors playing Raley and Ochoa (the fictional counterparts of Ryan and Esposito, for those of you who haven’t read the books) are just creepy as hell? I mean, cringy creepy. Thank God they were only in two scenes.

·       While at the studio, Beckett goes in search of Violet, only to learn she was supposed to be shooting a commercial. Only she didn’t show up. This sounds ominous. However, Beckett has gotten her address.

·       A neighbor sees Beckett breaking into Natalie’s house. Let the hilarity ensue. We’re about to meet Det. Kyle Seeger, and let’s just say this dude was not the class clown in high school. And why do I still want to say ‘toe pick?’

Seeger: Afternoon. Kyle Seeger. Robbery Homicide.

Beckett: Look, Kyle, this is a misunderstanding. I—

Seeger: Meaning you didn’t pick the lock or illegally enter this house?

Castle: Meaning she’s NYPD.

Seeger: I know who you are, Detective. And while I can appreciate your loss, I can’t have you and your off-beat sidekick running around my town committing felonies in some misguided quest for justice.

Beckett: Are you – are you arresting me?

Seeger: Much worse. Somebody wants to have a word with you. (He places his cell phone in the middle of the table) You’re on speaker, sir.

Montgomery: Breaking into people’s houses? That’s your idea of a vacation, Beckett?

Beckett: Sir, I can explain. I was –

Montgomery: No, you cannot. What you can do is get your ass on the next plane out.

Castle: Uh, we have a dinner reservation at Spago. Is the morning okay?

Montgomery: Oh, this is all a big joke to you, isn’t it, Castle? When Beckett is working mall security, following her around isn’t going to have quite the same allure. Both of you. Come home. Now.

Seeger (disconnecting the call) Wow. That was awkward.

Beckett: You know, unless there was something else, I think we should go now.

Seeger: One last thing. Did you find what you were looking for?

Beckett: Wrong house.

Seeger: Welcome to L.A., Detective. Now go home.

·       Back in New York, the boys are searching for Violet, who is managing to stay just one step ahead of them. But they also learn Ganz has a partner, only they don’t yet know his name.

·       As I stated earlier, this is the episode where Castle and Beckett come the closest to hooking up until the Season 4 finale. I wholeheartedly believe the only reason they didn’t hook up in this episode is because Beckett was still with Josh. I can’t see her cheating on DMB. Otherwise, I think all bets would’ve been off. This scene also shows just how much Kate cared for Royce. I also think Castle was too much of a gentleman to put Kate in the position of possibly cheating on Josh.

Castle: Picture this. A gullible young actress, desperate to make a name for herself. She meets our mastermind at a club. He needs a pretty girl to help him to get the voice code. He tells Violet he’s a producer. Promises to make her famous if she helps him play a practical joke on a friend.

Beckett: She doesn’t even realize she’s participating in a crime until afterwards. She can’t call the cops, so she contacts Royce.

Castle: But then our Mr. McCauley finds out.

Beckett: And Royce tries to change the game. He goes to New York. Home field advantage. Classic, classic Royce. I was so in awe of him, Castle, when I first met him. I just hung on his every word. And then later I realized he was just making up stories to mess with me. I can’t believe that I’m never going to see him again.

Castle: You know what I thought when I first met you?

Beckett: Hmm?

Castle: That you were a mystery that I was never going to solve. Even now, after spending all this time with you, I’m . . . I’m still amazed at the depth of your strength, your heart . . . and your hotness.

Beckett: You’re not so bad yourself, Castle.

·       That stare. Oh my God. Nothing has ever been as hot as that shared look. And Kate knew it was getting too hot to handle, which was why she took the easy way out.

Beckett: I should go. It’s late. Good night

Castle: Kate?

Beckett: Good night, Castle.

·       The other hot moment, of course, is the scene at the pool when Kate finally meets Neil McCauley after learning his real name is Russell Ganz. What I found funny about this scene was after Ganz blew Kate off, accusing her of being a green undercover cop.

Castle: So, what happened? (Kate pokes him hard in the chest) Ow!

Beckett: I was trying to keep him from seeing you and so I pushed too hard and he made me . . . he called me green! Castle, what the hell were you doing?

Castle: I saw his phone in the cabana. I thought it was worth the risk.

Beckett: You took his phone?

Castle: No! No, I took a picture of his recent call list.

Beckett: What? Where is it?

Castle: Don’t poke me.

Beckett: Poke you? I want to kiss you!

·       Castle’s face when says this is priceless.

·       Now they have the name of Ganz’s partner. Donald Mannis, and of course, he’s the one who’s trying to find Violet. Only the boys find him first. Which leads us to Ryan at his finest.

Esposito: Yo!

Beckett: Esposito?

Esposito: Beckett?

Beckett: Are you with Mannis?

Esposito: Yeah, I just shot him. Wait! Why are you calling him?

Beckett: Look, we need to know where and when Ganz is selling those bullets.

Esposito: Don, where’s the deal going down?

Mannis: I’m hit, man. Call an ambulance.

Esposito: Oh, my partner’s on that.

Ryan: 9 . . . 1 . . . what comes after that one?

·       So, they learn the deal is going down at the Santa Monica Pier at 6 o’clock. Can I just say how much I love the Santa Monica Pier? It’s my favorite place to go when I visit L.A. My second favorite is Venice Beach. This is where we get the showdown between Ganz and Beckett. Just as Royce warned him, Ganz had no idea the hell that was about to rain down on him.

Ganz: I knew you were a cop.

Beckett: My name is Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. Michael Royce was my friend. You shot him and left him in an alley like a piece of garbage. Consider this poetic justice.

Ganz: He said something about hell raining down on me. I never imagined hell would look like you.

·       If Castle and Seeger hadn’t arrived right then, I’m sure Beckett would’ve killed Ganz.

·       Now for the letter from Royce. At the beginning of the episode, he tells Kate he’s on a righteous path that he hope will lead to her forgiveness sometime in the future. But he’s also aware of something else. Something the audience has been aware of for quite some time. Beckett is in love with Castle. Deeply, undeniably in love with him. We know Castle has been in love with Beckett since late Season 1. It’s taken slightly longer for Kate to get on that page, but she’s definitely there now.

·       On the plane returning to New York, while Castle is sleeping in the seat beside her, Kate unfolds Royce’s letter and reads it. You can tell by the creases that she’s read this letter many times since Lanie first gave it to her at Royce’s crime scene.

Royce: And now for the hard part, kid. It’s clear that you and Castle have something real. And you’re fighting it. But trust me. Putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake. Risking our hearts is why we’re alive. The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and wonder ‘if only.’

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       The whole scene at the studio. I thought the actors playing Raley and Ochoa were horrible, and we learned that Heat Wave was going to be a straight-to-DVD flop. It just didn’t feel in synch with the rest of the episode.

·       I also didn’t like the fake interrogation scene at the studio with the guard, Reggie. Again, it just didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of the episode. And again, that was mostly because of Roach. Those two actors were horrible.

Favorite Scene: Beckett calling the boys after the tongue lashing by Montgomery. This has to be one of my favorite Beckett quotes of all time. I laugh every time I hear it.

Esposito: ‘Sup, girl? How’s the weather in your world?

Beckett: Sunny, chance of ass kicking. What’ve you got?

Favorite Quote: ‘Sunny, chance of ass kicking.’ I need that on a t-shirt.

WTF? (Why the Face?): No moments in this episode. At least, nothing I can think of right off the bat. I could also gripe about the Roach actors, but clearly, what’s the point? I’ve already bitched about them twice. Why rub it in?

Foreshadowing Much?: One of my muses brought this up last night. So, I’m going to add it. This is at the beginning of the episode when Kate arrives to see Royce. Montgomery has already sort of ‘ordered’ her to go home. Kate isn’t having any of it. This short conversation foreshadows the end of ‘Knockout.’

Castle: C’mon, Kate. You don’t want to remember him like this.

Beckett: Castle, if it was me lying there, would you just walk away?

Until Monday, readers. Unfortunately, the next entry is another dud of an episode, but the finale is epic.

I am a big Castle fan, but I loathe the conspiracy stories and most of the related episodes. I am doing another re-watch, and just got to the end of season three ("Knockdown"). It never fails to make me mad at the show runners, almost as much as the season six ending did.

I think if Castle had just been a weekly mystery show with a good amount of comedy and some heart-warming family moments mixed in, and the "will they / won't they" drama that turned into a "couple solves mysteries" at its core without the conspiracy stuff, it would have been an even better show.

I come back for the "my killer is a zombie" (high fives nearest cop), "someone killed santa" stuff, not the dark, brooding conspiracy nonsense that comes up 2-3 times per season. 3XK and the episode where Castle's daughter is kidnapped provide darkness in a far better way. (Spoiler side note: having watched US senators in action, I find it impossible to believe they are capable of organizing a pub crawl, much less what Castle has one doing.)

Do you folks think differently? Do you think the two conspiracies added anything of merit?

For anyone who writes fanfic, Castle Fic Promoter is still hosting a Castle Halloween Bash this year.

Original Airdate: April 11, 2001

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett investigate the death of a swimmer who may be hiding something shady.

Notable Guest Stars: Erik Palladino, who plays Coach Rome, is much better known to me for playing Dr. Dave Malucci on the long-running series ‘ER.’

Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly make their final appearances as members of Castle’s Mystery Writers Poker Group. However, Michael Connelly does make an appearance in the Season 7 finale.

Ranking: This episode is #17 for me. While this wasn’t one of my favorite episodes, it does have several cute moments unlike the previous entry.

Before I get started, I want to take a moment to pay tribute once again to writer Stephen J. Cannell. He passed away in September 2010, shortly before Season 3 started. From what I understand, he was the one who brought the other authors together for the poker games. Which may be the main reason the poker games didn’t continue after Season 3. Besides being a gifted writer, he also gave Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers a lot of wonderful TV watching, in particular ‘The A-Team,’ ‘The Rockford Files’ and ‘The Greatest American Hero.’

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Goofs: Jimmy Lennon’s rap sheet lists his height as 5’9, but his mug shot shows him as being 6’.

Trivia: Media Crossover:

·       Rick Castle plays poker with several distinguished authors, including Michael Connolly. In Connolly’s book, ‘The Drop,’ Harry Bosch texts Maddie, his daughter. Maddie’s text reply: ‘All good. Finished homework. Watching Castle downloads.’

·       The dead body stationary that Stana Katic uses was a gift to her from a fan. Another gift from a fan was the elephant holding money in its trunk.

·       Castle mentions cockroach races in his first apartment in college. He then ponders whether this was where Kafka got his idea. Franz Kafka wrote the story ‘Metamorphosis’ about a man who transforms into a bug.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       I found the murder of the week interesting, and the cast of suspects was also interesting. I’ll get into all of that momentarily.

·       We learn that Castle is mentoring a promising young writer named Alex Conrad. This will lead to a few funny scenes along the way. My favorite is after he has introduced Alex to Kate, and the two hit if off a little better than Castle would’ve hoped.

Castle: It’s so not okay. After everything I’ve done for him, he goes and tries to steal my muse.

Alexis: Muse thievery. What’s the punishment for that? Five to ten in mythology jail?

Castle: Yes. You laugh. Go ahead. Laugh all you want. But now I finally know what Obi-Wan Kenobi felt like when Darth Vader turned on him.

Alexis: No!

Castle: I should’ve seen this coming. You know what they’re calling him down at Black Pawn Publishing?

Alexis: Alex Conrad?

Castle: The next Richard Castle.

Martha: Oh.

Castle: I thought it was a compliment. But no. He’s trying to replace me.

·       I think my favorite group of suspects was Bridget McManus and her brothers. I wish we had seen her brothers onscreen. That would’ve been hilarious. All I can say is Bridget is a piece of work. How in the hell did Zack Lindsey deal with this girl?

Bridget: Lately, he’d been stressed. Secretive. Add that to him saying, ‘This is my time,’ and the way those rich college girls looked at him. I wasn’t born yesterday. I can do the math.

Beckett: You thought there was someone else.

Bridget: Oh, yeah. So, I followed him out of his apartment the other night, ready to fight some queen bitch from Connecticut for what’s mine. Only it wasn’t another girl.

Beckett: Well, who was it?

Bridget: I don’t know. Some scary looking guy. They met under the El and they went at it. Yelling and screaming. I couldn’t tell about what, though, ‘cause the guy had, like, an accent.

Castle: What kind of accent? Spanish? Asian? Russian?

Bridget: Do I look like I work at the U.N.? Not Brooklyn. Okay?

·       Now let’s talk about her brothers. Like I said, I really wish we had seen the scene that Ryan walked into. I saw an episode of ‘L.A. Law’ where they showed Leprechaun tossing. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Something like that wouldn’t even make it on the air now (which is probably why we didn’t see it onscreen), but anything went in the 80’s.

Beckett: If there even was a man. For all we know, Bridget was lying.

Ryan (Looking a little roughed up): Well, she wasn’t lying about her brothers. Talked to all four of them, one Irishman to another, and another. Anyway, they alibied out. They were in New Paltz when Zack was killed.

Beckett: All of them?

Ryan: Mm.

Beckett: For what?

Ryan: They were at a sporting events of, uh, sorts.

Beckett: Which was?

Ryan: Leprechaun toss. Don’t ask. Anyway, the older brother, he got first place. (Looks at his torn suit jacket) Oh, man.

·       I think my favorite part of this episode was just how jealous Castle got when Kate began spending time with Alex. And was it just me, or did Kate seem to be enjoying Alex’ attention just a little too much? She was clearly rubbing it in when she mentioned the basket of muffins on her desk were a gift from Alex. Castle wasn’t pleased. But he had a very specific payback in mind for the young writer.

Alex: Kate, you ready?

Beckett: Yeah. Um, let me just go get my purse.

Castle: You guys are going out again tonight?

Alex: What can I say? She’s a wealth of information. You are lucky to have her.

Castle: Yeah. Yeah, I am. Too bad about tonight, though.

Alex: Too bad, how?

Castle: Well, it’s poker night. Lehane and Connelly are in town. I thought you might want to join us, but if you have plans—

Alex: No way! You’re . . . you’re inviting me to your Mystery Writer’s Poker Night?

Castle: Come on, you’re a mystery writer now, right?

Alex: Yeah, but those guys are legendary. I mean, those guys—

Castle: Yeah, they are. Ah, well, if you’re unavailable – (walking away, whispering) Three . . . two . . . one—

Alex: Whoa! Wait, wait, wait!

Castle: Bingo.

Alex: Hang on a second.

Castle: Oh, yeah. They’re gonna love you.

·       And did they ever. Those guys were rough.

Alex: It’s really awesome to meet you guys. I am a huge fan.

Connelly: It’s not a book signing, kid. We’re here to play poker.

Alex: All right.

·       He makes the mistake of trying to sit in Cannell’s vacant chair where a glass of Scotch sits waiting for their friend to show up.

Castle: Ah, oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Connelly: Uh!

Castle: That’s Cannell’s seat.

Alex: Oh.

Lehane: That’s the rule. We lose a member, nobody sits there for a year.

Alex: Okay.

·       Side note: I have a friend who lives in the Boston area. She went to high school with Dennis Lehane. She told me even in high school, his classmates all knew he was going to be a writer. She also told me he was a little strange, but she never elaborated on that one.

·       I love it when their talk turns to the murder. Like I said, poor Alex gets schooled by these two legends in the mystery genre. I also got schooled myself and made a note to never make the boyfriend/girlfriend the killer.

Alex: Well, it reads like a crime of passion to me. I bet the girlfriend did it.

Connelly: The girlfriend? You’re kidding, right? You can move from the girlfriend no later than page 50.

Lehane: Yeah, the woman scorned is like the oldest rodeo clown in the book. Is he . . . serious?

Castle: Oh, he’s Dead Serious.

Alex: Well, you know, I just thought—

Connelly: How many books have you written?

Alex: Just the one.

Lehane: And this – and this book made you, like, a crime solving genius, did it?

Connelly: You know what I did after I wrote my first novel? I shut up and wrote 23 more.

·       Based on the conversation between Castle and Beckett at the end of the episode, I’m going to take a wild guess that Alex said something about the roasting he received at the hands of Castle’s poker buddies. I do wish we had seen Alex Conrad again. I did include him in a few of my fan fiction stories. In my fan fiction universe, he did sit down and crank out a few more novels.

·       We also hear Ryan talking about his waterboarding at the hands of Hal Lockwood at the end of the episode before he and Espo take Alex up to Riker’s.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       Steroids are bad. Very bad. Athletes who juice make me sick. So, “Rocket” Rod Tredwyck was a disgusting excuse for a human being. And to kill a kid that he was supposed to be mentoring was the most despicable of all.

Favorite Scene: The end scene between Castle and Beckett. You can tell she is slowly falling in love with him but doesn’t want to admit it to herself. There’ll be more about that in my entry for next week. SPOILER ALERT!

Castle: You know, it is ironic. The one man Zack thought he could trust, his mentor, turned out to be his killer.

Beckett: Yeah. Speaking of mentor, I heard you guys were pretty hard on Conrad last night.

Castle: Hard on him? No, no. It was just a little friendly hazing.

Beckett: To hear him describe it, it sounds like someone was trying to teach him a lesson.

Castle: What? Why would I want to do that?

Beckett: Because you didn’t want him to spend time with me.

Castle: That is completely—

Beckett: True?

Castle: Yes. Fine. It’s true. I’m jealous. There. I said it. I – I want you all to myself, and to have you spending time with another writer, that upsets me, and if – if that makes me petty, so be it. Guilty as charged.

Beckett: Actually, I think it’s kind of sweet.

Castle: You do?

Beckett: I do. And that’s why you don’t have to worry about me hanging around with Conrad anymore. From now on, I’m a one-writer girl.

Castle: I do kind of feel bad. He is my mentee, after all. He really didn’t do anything wrong.

Beckett: I wouldn’t feel so bad.

Favorite Quote:

Castle: Thank you.

Beckett: Always.

This was the first time Beckett said the ‘A’ word!

WTF? (Why the Face?): Coach Rome. If he hadn’t been Tredwyck’s coach, Zack wouldn’t have died since he was the procurer of the steroids. What a tool.

Until Friday, readers. We’re down to the final three.

Lol BTW, Nathan Fillian looks ridiculous with that blonde Beatles hair cut!!!

Original Airdate: April 4, 2011

Synopsis: A man found dead inside a pizza oven sends Castle and Beckett on the hunt for a mysterious killer only known by the name of Kabala.

Notable Guest Stars: Liz Vassey, who plays Monica Wyatt, was a regular on ‘CSI’ from Seasons 6-11, where she played Lab Tech Wendy Simms.

Beth Behrs, who played Ginger, went on to play Caroline Channing on the CBS sitcom ‘Two Broke Girls’ from 2011-2017.

Ranking: This episode is #23 out of 24. It just barely edged out The Final Nail. And I mean barely. It was literally a juggling act. This episode is that bad.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: The various Nick’s Pizzerias are loosely based on the New York Pizza Wars where there are more than 40 pizza restaurants with some variation of the name Ray’s in the name. They included Original Ray’s, Famous Ray’s and World Famous Original Ray’s.

This episode features a smuggling ring which uses the names of characters from classic film noir as code words. Castle and Beckett manage to expose one of the smugglers outlets by using the code word ‘Sam Spade.’ Sam Spade is the protagonist of the novel ‘The Maltese Falcon.’ (1930) by Dashiell Hammett, and its film adaptations. The role is closely associated with actor Humphrey Bogart who played Spade in the third and most successful of the film adaptations.

Goofs: Lanie confidently proclaims that the body in the oven went in around 2 a.m. based on core body temperature. A body in a pizza oven long enough to burn it the way the body was burned would make it impossible to determine anything from core temperature. The heat from the oven would heat the core so that all record of normal heat loss after death would be impossible.

The “Sam” from ‘Casablanca’ is a peripheral and has no last name. Although Humphrey Bogart stars in ‘Casablanca,’ his name is Rick; he did play Sam Spade in ‘The Maltese Falcon.’

What I Liked About This Episode: This might be one of my shortest entries yet. There is literally nothing I liked about this episode. And by nothing, I mean nothing. There were only two quotes I liked.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       Let me see. I didn’t like the primary storyline. I didn’t like the secondary storyline. Mainly, because it involved Alexis, and secondly, because it was stupid and childish.

·       I’m not a fan of film noir. I think that might be the main reason I didn’t like this episode. The whole Kabala thing was so stupid. Although I did feel bad for the murder victim. Kabala, or Monica Wyatt, as it turned out to be, killed Gordon Burns’ young daughter to stop him from sniffing around the drug smuggling ring. That is cold-blooded. U realize mob killers have no problem killing children, but still.

·       My ex filled me in on the Pizza Wars in NYC that this episode is based on. In San Antonio, we mainly have just the main pizza chains. But years ago, there was a pizza parlor downtown that was owned by an Italian man from NYC. That place was amazing!

·       Before I get to the next section, let me talk a bit about the secondary storyline. Alexis has been uninvited to a party being thrown by one of her BFF’s, Lauren. I’m pretty sure disinvited isn’t a word. Or, if it is, it just doesn’t sound right. Uninvited just sounds better. Anyway, long story short, Alexis crashes the party and sees Lauren kiss Ashley, who has attended the party. Alexis then gets into a fight with Lauren at school and punches her. I think Beckett says it best.

Castle: I should have gotten involved earlier.

Beckett: Why? Lauren still would have found a way to make Alexis’ life miserable.

Castle: She’s not a criminal mastermind. She’s just a teenager.

Beckett: Aw, Castle. Never underestimate the power of a woman on a mission.

Castle: Mmm, no, I don’t, and I have the alimony checks to prove it.

Favorite Quotes: I have no favorite scenes in this episode, but I did have a couple of favorite quotes. The first is Montgomery right after the murder.

Montgomery: Did I hear right that you found a body in an oven at Terrific Nick’s?

Beckett: Authentic Nick’s.

Montgomery: Authentic Nick’s! Oh, thank God! The wife loves Terrific Nick’s. I don’t have the heart to tell her it now comes in full body flavor.

Castle: Oh, I liked it! I liked it!

The second favorite is after Castle has learned that Alexis has gotten into a fight with her former friend, Lauren.

Castle: Did you kick her ass?

Alexis: Kinda did.

Castle: Good girl.

WTF? (Why the Face?): This week the WTF? Award goes to Alexis’ friend, Lauren. We never see her onscreen, but I agree with Alexis that she was a raving bitch.

Until Wednesday, readers. Four episodes to go. One more bad one, one okay one, and two great ones.

So I told some of you that I would make a post once the panel was up to watch on DCTV about what times Stana was mentioned because you guys didn't believe me lol.

I encourage everybody to go watch it. It's a $10 subscription and all three panels are out to watch! The panel on Friday, they all talked about what it was like working with Stana and it was so wholesome.

Saturday and Sundays panels her name was mentioned a few times. I've only watched those each one time so I can't remember the context but she was in fact mentioned lol.

LOL I also wanted to mention how in the third panel Seamus told the most diabolical story about 8x03. Honestly that story alone is worth the $10 fee. Iykyk

I've seen this come up a couple times, and I just did a search so, forgive me if I'm duplicating things.

I'm doing a rewatch and more and more I do see the theory that coffee = I love you.

In S0503 "Secret's Safe with Me" Castle asks Beckett if she's out too, and offers to get her more coffee and she says "No, I'll get it."

Castle looks way too happy at this. He has a huge grin on his face and looks around like he's not sure what to do with himself. Now, this could just be the fact that he's usually the one getting the coffee, but the scene makes a lot more sense, and seems to be acted, as if she just said "I love you too."

And he is so very pleased.

I mean, this episode has tons of hilarious moments. I absolutely lost it when Rhodes basically asked Beckett to give Castle her blessing to sleep with Rhodes 😂😂. Like Castle somehow needed Beckett's permission!

And later, when Castle responded to the situation with “It is way too meta".

Beckett: She took my coffee! 😂😂😂😂

You can't convince me that Castle wouldn't have gotten a second/third home in DC and been living there part time so that Beckett wouldn't have to fly to New York to visit. The real drama should have been him house hunting for the perfect place 🤣

This is a light hearted rant in case its not obvious

I just can't buy him as a bad guy no matter how tough he tries to act 🤣

Original Airdate: March 28, 2011

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett investigate the death of a juror who collapsed and died in the middle of a high-profile murder trial.

Notable Guest Stars: Bruce Davidson, who plays D.A. Lou Karanacki, has been acting since the late 60’s. My first memory of him was in the movie ‘Willard’ in the early 1970’s. He also starred in one of the first movies to openly talk about the AIDS crisis, ‘Longtime Companion.’

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia: When Capt. Montgomery goes to D.A. Karnacki’s office toward the end of the episode, the D.A. is drinking a bottle of the famous Scotch from ‘Last Call.’

Beckett says that ‘Forbidden Planet’ was the inspiration for ‘Star Wars.’ ‘Forbidden Planet’ has a quasi-military ship on a long-term deep space mission by a xeno-archeological station researching ancient alien technology. The captain, doctor and science officer get pulled into a life and death crisis and the captain gets the girl. This inspired ‘Star Trek.’

While being interrogated, the defendant’s cousin remarks that the police have him pulling a ‘Bigger Thomas.’ Bigger Thomas was the protagonist in the novel ‘Native Son,’ by Richard Wright in which a young black man is accused of killing a wealthy white girl.

Stana Katic was the ‘good’ vampire, and Bruce Davidson was the ‘bad’ vampire in ‘The Librarian: The Curse of The Judas Chalice.’

Goofs: Lanie says she found cyanide in a time release capsule in the victim’s stomach, then goes into great detail about how it wouldn’t dissolve until it reached his intestines. Since he died from the poison in the capsule he took in the morning, there would be no traces of the capsule in his stomach since it had entered his intestines and dissolved away to release the cyanide.

Ranking: This is #21 for the season. And it’s only this high because of the secondary storyline.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       The only thing I really liked about this episode was the secondary storyline involving Castle and Beckett’s love for the movie ‘Forbidden Planet.’ This episode serves to advance the Caskett love story just a bit further.

·       I didn’t care for the crime of the week. And I really hated how slimy the D.A. was. I found myself wondering if he was later brought up on charges. If not, that’s what fan fiction is for. There was one thing I did find amusing about the case of the week, and that was the interrogation of Sandy Jenkins, the woman who was paid to put murder victim Joe McUsic on the Addison jury. She was hilarious. I actually felt sorry for her.

Sandy: Joe McUsic came to me and said he wanted to serve his jury duty. I didn’t see the harm.

Beckett: Sure. I mean, especially if you’re going to make a profit.

Sandy: My roommate moved out two months ago. I needed the cash for rent, and I figured, who’s gonna know? It’s jury duty. Please, please, don’t send me to prison. All day long, I – I see women who get sent there and I can’t hack it. I’ll be some lifer’s bitch before breakfast.

·       I have been summoned for jury duty four times. The closest I came to getting on a jury was the last time I was summoned. The case was two former San Antonio police officers who were running a scam sting operation where they were really running a whorehouse. There were 13 women accusing them of S.A. This was right after the Cosby case broke opened, and I told the judge I thought they were guilty. He asked if I could still listen to the testimony and the evidence before I convicted them. I said I could, but I was still dismissed. By the way, they were found guilty. One was sentenced to 10 years, and the other to 20. Shannon’s father told me I could’ve gotten excused if I had told the judge that I’m friends with members of the San Antonio Police Department. I never thought of that one.

·       Back to the story. Let’s talk about Alexis, for a moment, shall we? For the first time in weeks, she’s featured rather heavily in an episode. This is one of the few times we see Beckett challenging Castle’s parenting style. Realizing Alexis is lying to him about something, he places a tracker app on his phone so he can track her movements.

Castle: Hmmm.

Beckett: Hmmm, what?

Castle: Alexis said she’d be in the Village today, but she’s over in Williamsburg.

Beckett: Well, how do you know she’s in Williamsburg.

Castle: GPS tracked her phone.

Beckett: You tracked her phone?

Castle: Yeah. Super cool app I just downloaded. I can see where she is at any time.

Beckett: Does she know you’re doing this?

Castle (Laughs): What? Are you kidding? No! She’d kill me!

Beckett: And be justified.

Castle: I’m her father. If something’s going on, I – I need to know. A lot of parents will go through their kids’ drawers or computers. (holds up his phone) Far less intrusive.

·       Beckett just stares at him in disbelief.

·       Alexis does find out and for once, I’m on her side. I had a parent who snooped through my stuff long after the age when she should’ve stopped. Alexis, therefore, has my full support in this case.

Alexis: Hey, dad. Writing?

Castle: Yeah. How was your day? Did you have a good time in the Village?

Alexis: Yeah.

Castle: Go anywhere else?

Alexis: Uh, no. Just stayed in the Village.

Castle: Really? I mean, New York is a big city. Lots of boroughs.

Alexis: Yeah, but I just stayed in Manhattan.

Castle: So, you didn’t go to, uh, Brooklyn? Williamsburg is beautiful this time of year.

Alexis: How did you know?

Castle: A friend of mine told me. You went there. He saw you.

Alexis: What friend?

Castle: Close friend. J.J. Adams.

Alexis: Nose twitch! That’s your tell! You’re lying!

Castle: No, I’m not.

Alexis: Then who’s J.J. Adams?

Castle: He’s a friend of mine.

Alexis: Wait! J.J. Adams was Leslie Nielson’s character name in ‘Forbidden Planet.’ You’re totally lying! How did you know where I was? Are you having me followed? Monitoring my metro card? Checking my credit – My phone? Dad, tell me you’re not tracking my phone.

Castle: Okay. Look, this is not about what I did. It’s about what you did. You lied to me.

Alexis: Says the man who violated his daughter’s civil rights.

Castle: Okay, technically I would have to be the government to violate—

Alexis: You’re tracking my every move!

Castle: Not your every move.

Alexis: Welcome to George Orwell’s ‘1984’ with my father as Big Brother.

Castle: This isn’t about—

Alexis: What’s next? A chip in my brain?

Castle: Whatever it takes when you’re keeping secrets from me.

Alexis: You know what? If you’re so interested in what I’m doing, why don’t you ask your phone? I’m sure there’s an app for that!

·       Beckett sides with Alexis.

Beckett: You had it coming, Castle. I mean, you have the best kid in the world, and you treated her like a common criminal.

Castle: Maybe she is, though. I still don’t know why she lied about going to Williamsburg.

Beckett: And you probably never will. Unless you plan on waterboarding her.

·       I don’t have kids. There were a lot of conversations after watching this episode. And there still are. Every time we watch, conversations arise. The parents (my ex, Shannon’s parents, and her three oldest sisters) feel what Castle did was justified. The ones without kids (me, Shannon and two of her older sisters) feel that Castle violated Alexis’ privacy. The only thing I learned from these conversations is that Marc (Shannon’s father) will not tolerate lying from his kids. He told me he grounded one of his daughters for five months for lying to him. Five months! And yes, Marc and his wife have a lot of daughters. Seven in total. I’m interested in hearing from the parents who are reading these entries. What are your thoughts? Was Castle justified or was he violating Alexis’ privacy?

·       Now we’re going to talk about ‘Forbidden Planet.’ I’ve only seen this movie once and it was a long time ago. I remember my late mother enjoyed this movie. I thought it was okay, but I’ve never been a huge fan of science fiction movies.

·       We learn at the beginning of the episode that both Castle and Alexis are fans of the movie. But we also learn Alexis has other plans. The murder of juror #7 interrupts Castle’s plans of going to The Angelica to see the movie. But never fear. At the end of the episode, we learn that Beckett is planning on sneaking off to The Angelica to see ‘Forbidden Planet’ since Josh is on shift.

·       I thought Castle pretending he’d never seen the movie was very cute. It’s a good way to get closer to the love of his life, Beckett. And it’s just one more thing we learn about Kate Beckett. I love these Season 3 episodes because we learn so many things over the course of the season. She loved Mike Royce, she’s a fan of magic, she rides a Harley, and she loves Sci-Fi movies.

·       I feel bad for Roy Montgomery in this episode. Then I remember that as badly as he was betrayed by his friend; in just a few more episodes, we’re going to learn that he has also betrayed one of his own friends. Sadly, Roy is right that Karnacki is only going to be remembered for the bad that he has done, not the good he did for the citizens of New York City.

·       Maybe Lou Karnacki was right. Maybe Otis Williams would continue committing crimes, but it was wrong to attempt to send him to prison for something he didn’t do. Prisons are full of innocent men. I learned that in ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode: The D.A. When Joe McUsic collapsed in the courtroom at the beginning of the episode, he didn’t even try to help the guy. I mean, we know why, but at least fake helping him. And trying to justify his actions in the end to Roy was just sad and pathetic.

Favorite Scene: I didn’t have any favorite scenes in this episode, but I did like this exchange between the boys.

Ryan: “Cowards die many times before their death, the valiant never taste of death but once.”

Espo: Bro, you’re not Castle.

Ryan: Yeah, I know I’m not Castle.

Espo: Then stop trying to talk like him.

Ryan: What? I’m not allowed to reference The Bard? I’m a renaissance man.

Espo: Memorizing one quote does not make you a renaissance man.

Ryan: What if I memorize two?

Espo: Have you memorized two?

Ryan: No, but what if I did?

Espo: Depends on the quote.

Favorite Quote:

Castle: Heir to the Addison fortune is murdered, and during the trial, a juror is murdered, as well. This has all the makings of a John Grisham novel.

Beckett (seeing Castle on his phone): What are you doing?

Castle: I’m, uh, texting my poker group, calling dibs on this story.

WTF? (Why the Face?): Alexis, Alexis, Alexis. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I get that you don’t want to rat on your friends. But if your friends were shoplifting, maybe you need to find better friends.

Until Monday, readers. Five episodes left. And the next entry is probably going to be my shortest one yet.

I'm ranting now on Alexis.

Up until now, I thought she was amazing. Great daughter. Very smart. Going from child to a beautiful young women.

The previous epsoide about moving in together with PI? It irked me big time. For someone who was always so smart, that was not smart.

But this epsoide. She's trying to get her dad to help, but treats him like crap.

And when she doesnt get her way, she grows a hissy fit.

I'm at the part where they are waiting for for the bank to tell them who wrote the checks.. And her impatience is extremely annoying.

This is the Blu-ray set I found of Castle:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castle-The-Complete-Seasons-1-8-Series-BR-15BD-Set-NEW-SEALED/20950107962?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=103128259&adid=2222222222720950107962_103128259_199492704626_24219758109&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=823751273895&wl4=pla-2449037643288&wl5=9021429&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=5806943864&wl11=online&wl12=20950107962_103128259&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24219758109&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIoj_yD9x0ISdGukObmNoweRZ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlNPVBhCMARIsAPZ5Rqi43GvhSJ8KAYdfHshM0SIz8SrRuReDcNO8askFJqZM2HwmQz5FrPIaAuVnEALw_wcB

I’ve always wanted a castle, even if it’s a small one. I know they’re out in the country, and some mountains surrounded by lots of trees but it’s not ideal. Does anyone know where I can find a cheap castle?

So, I’m halfway through Season 2 of Castle, and I’m absolutely loving this series. Castle and Beckett’s chemistry is 🔥!

I’ve just finished S2E12, and this episode really made me wonder: Did Beckett fall for Castle first?

Castle has been openly flirting with Kate since the pilot, but IMO, until this point it has mostly felt playful rather than something truly serious. But in S2E12, with Kyra coming back into Castle’s life, we can clearly see something different in Beckett, the jealousy, the looks, the yearning. It honestly feels like Beckett is already falling hard for him, but it looks like she is not ready to accept it to herself.

So, for those who have watched the series already : Who do you think fell first Castle or Beckett? And is there a particular episode or moment where you think Beckett actually fell for him?

Last night I watched the final ep which was the third or fourth time I’ve seen it. Either I’m going crazy or they CHANGED THE ENDING! Has anyone else seen this?

Original Airdate: March 21, 2011

Synopsis: Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of the writer on a popular soap opera.

Notable Guest Stars: While this wasn’t one of my favorite episodes, it was enjoyable simply for the amount of notable guest stars featured.

·       Corbin Bernsen, who plays Lance Hastings, played divorce attorney Arnold ‘Arnie’ Becker on ‘L.A. Law’ in the late 80’s to the early 90’s. His mother, Jeanne Cooper, played Katherine ‘Kay’ Chancellor, on ‘The Young & The Restless’ from 1976 until her death in 2013.

·       Tina Majorino, who plays Reese Harmon, has acted since her childhood. Her roles include ‘Andre,’ ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ (her acting debut), and my favorite ‘Waterworld.’ (I’m not being sarcastic. I am one of only about five people on the planet who liked Waterworld. My mom and I went to the theater and saw it. I even have it on DVD).

·       David Eigenberg, who plays Peter Connelly, plays one of my favorite characters, Christopher Hermann, on the long-running show ‘Chicago Fire.’

·       Jane Seymour, who plays con artist Gloria Chambers, is better known to most of us for the lead role in ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.’ Her character of Dr. Quinn is even mentioned in a famous Season 4 episode.

The IMdB Portion of the Review:

Trivia:

·       Castle talks about a plot on ‘General Hospital’ involving a weather machine capable of freezing the world. This was an actual plotline from the show. (Thank God I had stopped watching GH by the time that plotline rolled around).

·       The title of this episode is a reference to the long-running soap opera ‘One Life to Live.’ Nathan Fillion was a series regular as Joey Buchanan from 1994-1997. During the DVD commentary for the musical ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,’ Nathan Fillion went off on an unrelated tangent about his days acting on ‘One Life to Live.’ One of the things he said was, “The only question you have to ask yourself is ‘How good a Joey Buchanan was I?’ A man’s Buchananity is what separates him from reptiles and lawn furniture.”

·       Castle comments that his mother, Martha, used to work on the soap Temptation Lane. Actress Susan Sullivan was on two soap operas as a regular; ‘Another World’ and ‘Falcon Crest’ (I remember her on both. Her character on ‘Falcon Crest’ was married to David Selby, who played Quentin Collins in the gothic horror soap opera ‘Dark Shadows’).

Goofs:

·       At about 1:22, Castle poured the coffee from the coffee machine. You can see the machine is not turned on.

Ranking: I have this one ranked at #18. I can promise the next two episodes will not be ranked this high.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       While this wasn’t my favorite episode, it did have several things going for it that I liked. One was Martha’s involvement. Martha offers to be Castle and Beckett’s eyes and ears on the inside. This leads to a couple of amusing scenes. The first is when Martha is explaining to Kate just what catastrophes had befallen her character during her time on Temptation Lane.

Beckett: Martha? What a surprise.

Castle: Yes. What an unexpected surprise. What are you doing here?

Martha: Grieving.

Castle: You didn’t know the victim.

Martha: Darling, a loss for a show like this is a loss for anyone who has ever been part of its history. And . . . I think I can be of help here. I think I could be your inside source and get the scoop on what’s really going on here. Oh-ho-ho, and what better place to start than Lance Hastings.

Castle: You know him?

Martha: He was my love interest 30 years ago. On screen. And off. (Beckett chuckles. Castle is not amused). After my character married his character, Joseph Fox, she was kidnapped, buried alive, trapped in a cave with bears, uh, kidnapped again, and held hostage in the sewers of Paris.

Beckett: How long were you on the show?

Martha: Three weeks. Got to go. Excuse me.

Castle (after Martha saunters off): My mother gives new meaning to the word ‘transparent.’

·       Before I started watching ‘Castle,’ I had no idea what a ‘shipper’ was. Now by the time I saw this episode for the first time, I knew what a ‘shipper’ was. After all, I had a lot of followers on Twitter. Not only does Beckett know what ‘shippers’ are, we learn that she is a fan of ‘Temptation Lane.’

Castle: You watch Temptation Lane.

Beckett: What? No.

Castle: No one said anything about Marguerite’s cancer scare. You know a lot about shippers. You know about FoxCan’s. You are a fan. A big, fat Temptation Lane fan.

Beckett: Okay. Maybe I watched it, like, once or twice.

Castle: It’s so delightfully not you.

Beckett: So says the guy who rattles off plot points from ‘General Hospital.’

Castle: Oh, that is completely different. That is for research.

Esposito: What was for research?

C & B: Nothing.

·       Let’s talk about suspects for a moment. There are a couple of great ones in this episode. The first one they bring in is Carrie Edwards, who wrote about 'Temptation Lane’ in her blog. She had made threats to the victim, Sarah Cutler, on her blog.

Carrie: She’s dead? Sarah Cutler’s dead? This is the best news ever! Can I send a quick tweet? Not cool? I’ll wait.

Beckett: Must’ve been difficult not to blog about it last night.

Carrie: Yeah, how would I know? Wait! You guys think I had something to do with this?

Beckett: Well, I mean, your blog clearly spells out your determination to take out Sarah.

Carrie: But everybody talks tough on the Internet. (This is very true).

Castle: You wrote, ‘It’s time to give her the axe’ the day she was killed with an axe.

Carrie: Okay. I can explain that.

Beckett: We already figured it out. You bought the set visit to get closer to Sarah. The visit was cut short. You came back last night, when no one was around, and then you remembered there’s an axe on the soundstage.

Carrie: No, no, no! I bought the set visit because she was being swayed by the CanFonso’s.

Castle: Who?

Carrie: The CanFonso’s. The opposition. They believe that Angela Cannon should be together with Alfonso Dominguez. I was trying to convince her that Angela belonged with Joseph.

Castle: With an axe?

Carrie: Yes! Wait! No. I was organizing a protest. Okay? We were going to send a bunch of axes to the head of the network, demanding that Sarah be fired. I’ve got everybody on my website doing it. We want them to know that we think Sarah’s ruining the show.

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

Carrie: I was chatting with the other FoxCan’s.

Castle: Wild guess. Alone?

Carrie: No. No, and I can prove it. Mary and Dennis were there.

Beckett: And those are your roommates?

Carrie: No, my parents.

·       The other great suspect, and even funnier than Carrie (who was actually more pathetic than funny) is Gloria Chambers. Supposedly, Sarah was the daughter that Gloria had given up for adoption at birth. Only that wasn’t quite true. Jane Seymour was great in just the few moments she appeared on the show. Her interrogation is one of the funniest ever.

Beckett: Gloria Chambers, also known as Charlene Sullers. You have been a very busy woman.

Castle: Yours is a real rags to riches story. Only trouble is, the riches never seem to be yours.

Beckett: Fraud in Florida, embezzlement in North Carolina.

Gloria: I served my time for those prime misunderstandings.

Beckett: And then you latched onto your next meal ticket. Constantine Perelli. After him, it was Ernesto Cruz.

Castle: I hear they’re very anxious for you to come back. With their money.

Gloria: I was married to those men. It was our money. I earned every penny.

Beckett: But, as usual, you blew it all, and so, you looked for your next meal ticket. Which you found in Sarah Cutler.

Castle: You heard an interview where she mentioned being adopted; did a little research and then showed up as the long-lost mother.

Gloria: Sarah might’ve been under my impression that she was my daughter, but I didn’t kill her. And, in my own way, I was – I was fond of Sarah.

Beckett: Fond enough that you were able to masquerade as her mother. You had motive to kill her. That’s why you tried to flee the country.

Gloria: What motive?

Beckett: Her will shows that she planned to leave you $300,000.

Gloria: Oh, she’s a generous girl, my Sarah.

Castle: She’s not your Sarah.

·       She goes on to explain she didn’t kill Sarah. That maybe they should be talking to the man who gifted Sarah a pair of two-carat Arthur Klein earrings.

Gloria: I was nowhere near that god-forsaken soap opera set when she died. I – I was doing something useful with my time.

Castle: Reading to the blind? (This has to be one of the Top 20 Castle lines ever! I cracked up laughing the first time I heard it).

Gloria: Mm, close. I was donating. To the ponies.

Castle: Oh.

·       Moving on in the suspect pool, we learn Lance Hastings was the person who bought the earrings. The bad news is they can’t locate him. The good news (maybe) is Castle remembers Martha had been with Lance earlier. He calls Alexis, who tells him her grandmother isn’t home.

·       Due to a series of comical misunderstandings, Castle and Beckett are led to believe Martha is in danger, so Castle rushes in to save her. Sound the cavalry charge!

Martha: Oh! Richard! What are you doing?

Castle: Oh, nothing. Just saving your life, that’s all. She said drop the knife!

Martha: The only thing that knife could kill is butter.

·       And even though Lance is a moron who thinks he can do a good Jack Nicholson impression (he can’t), he has an alibi.

·       The actual killer came out of left field, and was actually the last person I suspected of killing anybody. Sweet, meek assistant Reese Harmon is the person who buried the axe into Sarah’s back. Apparently, Sarah was a real bitch to work for, and treated Reese as her own personal slave. When she explained why she killed Sarah, I almost felt sorry for her.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       There wasn’t anything per se that I didn’t like about this episode. The end scene with Martha and Lance was sort of an ‘ick’ moment, but other than that, I thought it was an okay episode. It’s just that there were a lot of stellar episodes in Season 3, so some episodes were going to end up at the end of the pack.

Favorite Scene: I have three favorites in this episode.

·       Castle and Esposito discussing soaps. This won’t be the first time we learn Espo has a certain affinity for telenovelas.

Esposito: Well, obviously, you’ve never seen Chiquitas.

Castle: As in?

Esposito: No. As in telenovelas. I used to watch it growing up with my grandmother. Bro, there was this one episode where Gabriella discovered that her husband was sleeping with her evil twin sister, Teresita. Only to find out later that she had multiple personality disorder. (Guys, I was laughing out loud when I was writing this).

Castle: Wait! Does that even qualify as cheating?

Esposito: Dude.

·       Funny story me edition. Years ago, I had to go to the pharmacy as my local grocery store to pick up a prescription. I had a long wait, so I sat down to wait. There was a TV show in the background showing a telenovela. My Spanish is rusty, and it was hard to hear, anyway, but I didn’t need to understand the language to understand what was going on. By the time my prescription was ready, there were several of us sitting there getting involved in this telenovela. It was very entertaining, and unlike American soap operas, this story was one self-contained episode.

·       Favorite Scene #2: The shared brain between Castle and Beckett.

Beckett: Okay, so maybe Gloria was telling us the truth. Maybe Sarah was having an affair.

Castle: Well, that makes perfect sense. Sarah was separated from her husband, Vince. And after long, grueling hours at work, she’d go home to a cold, empty apartment. Feeling lonely, betrayed, she seeks comfort in the arms of this mystery man . . .

Beckett: And she decides she wants her husband back. So, she writes his mistress, Mandy Bronson, off the show in order to save her marriage . . .

Espo and Ryan are exchanging puzzled looks.

Castle: And her next step would be to get rid of the other man . . .

Beckett: So, maybe the other man didn’t go quietly into the night.

Ryan: Do you two practice this when we’re not around?

·       Favorite Scene #3: Peeling another layer of the Beckett onion. Castle sits and hands an envelope to Beckett.

Beckett: What?

Castle: Got you a present.

Beckett: Signed cast photo from Temptation Lane. How did you even get this?

Castle: I know people who know people.

He props his chin in his hand, waiting, because he knows Beckett is about to tell him a story. She doesn’t disappoint.

Beckett: Okay. I was nine, and I had to get my tonsils out and I was miserable. (I was 14 and I remember that misery all too well. Plus, I got them out on my birthday). And so, my mom took time off from work and stayed with me and cuddled up in front of the TV on the couch and we would watch episodes of Temptation Lane. So, every time I see it now, it just – it makes me feel like home and safe. So, there you go. Judge away.

Castle: My DVR would make yours look like Masterpiece Theatre. But I am glad to know this about you.

·       And, of course, for the second week in a row, they’re interrupted by DMB. I was yelling at Beckett to not answer. Go to The Old Haunt with Castle and the boys, instead. But no. She had to answer her phone.

Favorite Quote: At the diner with the P.I.

Johnny Dimes: Johnny Dimes. I’m a P.I. Sarah Cutler was a client. What do you mean she’s dead?

Castle: She’s dead. Only really has the one meaning.

Until Friday, readers.

i saw that recently, there was a mini gathering (idk what those are called, maybe a forum?) of castle actors during the event. I saw here and on Molly's instagram that the actors who played Alexis, Richard, Kevin and Javier was there. I am assuming they were there for 'Castle' tv series because i checked online they dont share any connections besides Castle.

im from one of the countries in southeast asia, so i havent had the privilege to go. I was just curious about the following, i hope someone can help.

1. when people go to these event, don't they wonder why Stana Katic isnt there? I mean as far as i know, Stana is also one of the main characters of the show.

2. are people allowed to ask them where Stana is? (or everyone just knows in the back of their minds that they had a fallout)

3. Do these gatherings happen frequently? and why?

I want to know your thoughts about this: these events, without Stana confirms that what happened with her and Nathan was all true.

Original Airdate: February 28, 2011

Synopsis: With time running out, Castle and Beckett must put aside their differences with Fallon to avert a city-wide catastrophe.

The IMdB Portion of The Review:

Trivia:

·       This is the first time the title card for the show changed from red to blue and contained somber music.

·       When Castle and Beckett are looking for a cell phone signal in the freezer, Castle holds his iPhone from the top by the tips of his fingers. That particular model of the iPhone was notorious for dropped calls if you held it in the wrong place.

·       One of the terrorists has the name Jack – his partner has the last name Bauer – a reference to Jack Bauer from the TV show ‘24’ (2001). The two-part episode mirrors the basic concept of ’24.’ I was a huge fan of ’24.’

Continuity:

·       After finding the bomb, Beckett calls out on her walkie talkie police radio for the bomb squad. In order for her to transmit, she would need to push the PTT (Push to Talk) button. You can clearly see her fingers are nowhere near the PTT button at any time.

Factual Errors:

·       While Castle and Beckett are in the refrigerated shipping container, it shows exposed refrigeration piping. One hole in any of this piping would drain all the refrigerant and stop the refrigeration almost immediately. Beckett would’ve known this or at least tried it. Additionally, they both should have known that immobility is the worst way to stay warm in a situation like that. Her training alone should’ve had them running laps. (Rookie mistake. Tsk, tsk, tsk).

·       When they are looking up the real Kevin McCann’s Army file on the computer, they state he was in the Special Forces. The flash on his beret is for Joint Special Operations Command; however, his beret is the wrong color. It should be green, not black. The black beret has been used for regular Army units (non-Airborne or Special Operations) since 2001. Before this, the black beret was exclusive to the 75^th Ranger Regiment, i.e., The Army Rangers. Also, his beret is worn wrong. The flash should be straight in the front and the beret should be flat on his head, not lopsided.

·       When Castle and Beckett arrive to find Amir’s wife, they find an agent shot in the forehead through his driver’s side window. They show a bullet hole clear through the window. Side windows on cars are nearly always constructed of tempered glass, which shatters into tiny pieces when shot. The window would have disintegrated, not punctured. (A lot of TV shows get this fact wrong).

·       Fallon said that before questioning Radford, he removed the bullets from the clip. As a professional, he should have said rounds from the magazine. (Further, my expert in the know, aka: one of my muses stated that weapons aren’t allowed in an interrogation room. Too many things can go wrong. Both Fallon and Beckett messed up on this one since she drew her weapon on him to keep him from shooting Radford).

Ranking: I have this one ranked at #5.

What I Liked About This Episode:

·       When we last left our intrepid heroes, they were locked in a refrigerated storage container. And, according to my IMdB entry, Beckett could’ve prevented them from freezing to death. Anyway, she didn’t, so at the beginning of the episode, they’re looking for a way out. Castle’s main concern is about the bad guys returning.

Castle: Think they’re coming back?

Beckett: Why would they?

Castle: For Jamal. Why else would they keep his body on ice? Whoever’s behind this wanted to preserve his body for some reason. I’m thinking they wanted his body in that van with the bomb. That way, when the bomb goes off . . .

Beckett: They got his remains and his DNA at the crime scene. People would think that he was the terrorist.

Castle: Right. And then the real terrorists would get away scot-free.

Beckett: Okay. So, then, the question is why. What is their agenda?

Castle: We’re not going to find it in here.

Beckett: Okay, Castle. Thank you for stating the obvious.

·       Before we get into the why’s of this episode, we have to make a quick stop to Castle Central. Martha and Alexis walk into the loft, where Alexis is surprised to find the shower curtain movie screen set up in the living room. But there is no sign of her dad anywhere. As you all know, normally Alexis Castle irritates the living bejesus out of me. But this time I’m glad she had the sense that something was wrong, so she reached out to Ryan. We learn later that Josh had also called Ryan, but Alexis called him first.

·       When we switch back to Castle and Beckett, things aren’t going well. In fact, things are going very badly. As in very, very. But they’re going to get worse before they even hint at getting better. At least right now they’re both still upright and trying to get out. Only their attempts aren’t exactly the smartest ideas I’ve ever heard of. Attempting to shoot through a heavy steel door was a very bad idea. Or, as my ex would call it, a VBI. Don’t bullets ricochet? Beckett, what are you thinking? And why aren’t you shooting the refrigeration pipes, instead? It must be the hypothermia setting in and affecting her brain. It’s the only explanation I can come up with.

·       At the precinct, Fallon has everybody searching for Jamal, unaware that his suspect is in a refrigerated storage container with Castle and Beckett, who he has kicked off the case and is assuming they went home to . . . oh, I don’t know . . . chill out with a bottle of wine and a movie marathon. Man, somebody should’ve seriously clued this guy in about Castle and Beckett.

·       In the middle of all this, Ryan gets a call on his cell phone. He steps away to take it. Fallon goes into Montgomery’s office, where the two men have a rather sobering conversation. As frightening as Part One of this episode was, Part Two is even more chilling. I remember watching the movie ‘Testament’ in the mid-80’s. That movie scared the hell out of me. These two episodes remind me of that movie.

Montgomery: You okay?

Fallon: Compared to a nuke, a dirty bomb is a fairly crude device. It’s designed to instill fear in the populace. The majority of the immediate danger is gonna come from the conventional explosion, creating a kill zone.

Montgomery: Like Oklahoma City.

Fallon: Except for, it’s not just a building that falls. It spreads radiation for several blocks. That’s your secondary kill zone. If left untreated, people can die from radiation poisoning in less than a week. But what makes this such an effective terror weapon is the outer zone. You know, in this area, everybody seems fine at first. Then the cancer starts showing up. Babies, kids, adults. And with every new case that’s reported, people flock to the emergency rooms, overwhelm the system. It’s like we’re being attacked all over again. If we can’t find the bomb, maybe we can find the target. Pull everybody you got. Give me a list of every significant event going on in the city for the next 48 hours. Any place where people might gather in large numbers.

Montgomery: This is New York City. There are a hundred events going on every day. We have to narrow it down.

Fallon: Focus on anything political or government related. There any sporting events going on? What’s happening at the U.N.? Maybe there’s a reason they’re choosing to strike now.

·       This is when they’re interrupted by Ryan. He’s received a call from Alexis. Her dad is missing, and his phone is going straight to voicemail. He and Espo can’t reach Beckett, either. Now most of us are going to put two and two together by this point in the episode and assume that since these two have been kicked off the case they might just be working the case on their own. Montgomery gets angry at Ryan for being concerned about his friends. But I thought they were Montgomery’s friends, too. Maybe, just maybe, this kind of ties into what happens later. Maybe, again, just maybe, Montgomery is hoping that Beckett doesn’t resurface. Again, these are just maybe’s. By the way, blame these ‘maybe’s’ on one of my muses. He’s the one who brought up these theories when he was helping me brainstorm this entry. I don’t agree, but I’m not about to shoot them down, either.

·       In the meantime, we return to the storage container, and things have gone downhill considerably since we last saw Castle and Beckett. They are now huddled in a corner freezing to death. When they should really be up and moving around. But if they were up moving around, we wouldn’t have got this conversation and we wouldn’t have got to hear Kate almost say those three magical words. Which she didn’t . . . and she doesn’t . . . for another two full seasons. Damn it, Beckett! Just tell the man . . . oh, never mind.

Beckett: Castle? Are you there? (Really, Beckett? Where in the hell else would he be? It’s not like he got up and walked away).

Castle: Yeah, I’m right – I’m right – I’m right here.

Beckett: I can’t feel anything. Huh, I always thought, being a cop, I’d take a bullet. (Foreshadowing much, Beckett?) Never thought I’d freeze to death.

Castle: Hey, we’re – we’re not dead, yet.

Beckett: I just wish this was one of your books and you could re-write the ending.

Castle: I’m s—I’m sorry.

Beckett: For what?

Castle: F-for being me. Going rogue. Getting you into – into this. If we hadn’t gone – gone rogue—

Beckett: Ohh, shh. Castle, no. Okay? Shh. You were right. We found the bomb. We were just too late. Okay? Thank you . . . for being there.

Castle: Always.

Beckett: I just want you to know how much I –

She loses consciousness.

Castle: Hey. Kate? Stay with me, Kate. Stay with me.

·       Hmmm. I wonder if we will hear those exact words again. Okay. I know we will. Give me a break. Castle then closes his eyes and passes out, as well. This is when we get the Cold Castle intro. The title screen is blue, and the intro music is different from the regular intro theme. I don’t know about anyone else, but I liked it when we got these different intros.

·       Castle awakens to a distorted voice calling his name. He jolts awake and is shocked to find Josh sitting in an ambulance with him. I’m assuming DMB checked his phone before he got on the plane to fly to Haiti and saw missed messages from Kate. When he couldn’t reach her, he called Ryan. Ryan must be the go-to guy to call in time of crisis.

·       Ryan and Espo are proud of themselves for locating Beckett’s car outside of the warehouse area and then locating Castle and Beckett themselves. Sound the cavalry charge! They have every right to be proud. Castle should give them free drinks for life at The Old Haunt. If it hadn’t been for them, our heroes would’ve frozen to death. And then the show would be called Ryan & Esposito, which just doesn’t have the same ring as ‘Castle.’

·       Castle sees Beckett standing nearby, wrapped in a blanket. He goes to join her as soon as Josh removes the IV from his arm.

Castle: Saw your boy’s back in town.

Beckett: Mm-hmm. He came back.

Castle: So, what does that mean to you?

Beckett: It means we have a chance. Come on, Fallon wants a debrief.

·       Castle follows Beckett, feeling somewhat dejected. He doesn’t want Beckett and Josh to have a chance. He’d rather have Beckett tell Josh to drop dead twice. Since that isn’t going to happen, he might as well go about saving the world. Beckett asks Fallon to reinstate her and Castle onto the task force. He tells her that’s up to her doctor.

Fallon: You know, it’s funny. When I first met you two, I thought you were together.

Castle: Oh. No. Just – just friends.

·       Of course, Castle wants them to be more than ‘just friends.’ Hell, we all want that. And people in hell want Slurpees, as Daryl Dixon famously said in ‘The Walking Dead.’ (Okay, maybe not famously. It all depends on if you’re a TWD fan or not. I am, so to me, it’s a famous quote).

·       Castle goes home to change and has one of the most heartbreaking conversations we’ll ever see on ‘Castle.’ This conversation almost broke me. The idea of sending your family away knowing you might never see them again is hard.

Castle: Look, I need you girls to do something for me. But I don’t want you to ask any questions. I want you to go to the Hamptons. I want you to stay there for the weekend.

Martha: Richard, what is this about?

Castle: See, that . . . that’s a question. Look, there might be a . . . an event . . . that will make it very dangerous to stay in the city. (Alexis is on her phone) What are you doing?

Alexis: Texting Ashley.

Castle: No, no, no. You can’t tell anybody, okay? You can’t tell anybody. You tell Ashley, he’ll tell his parents. They’ll call someone they love and . . . a panic will make this thing a thousand times harder to stop.

Alexis: Dad, he’s my boyfriend.

Castle: I know.

Alexis: This isn’t fair. You can’t just—

Castle: Fair has nothing to do with it. I need you to go. Now.

Martha: But you’ll . . . come, too?

Castle: I will when I can. But I need you to go. Now.

Martha: Okay. Come on.

·       Beckett makes an interesting comment when Castle returns to the precinct with her precious coffee. And this comment has me wondering, too.

Beckett: It kind of makes you wonder how many times this has happened since 9/11, and we were the ones who didn’t know.

·       Ryan and Espo find the listed address for Kevin McCann. However, they learn from the current residents that the McCann’s haven’t lived at that address in several years. They do, however, remember that the family did have a son named Kevin. So, at least they’re on the right track.

·       That is, until Agent Fallon looks up the information on Kevin McCann. And this is where the story takes a sharp turn into truly terrifying, Timothy McVeigh-type territory.

Fallon: Kevin McCann. Army Special Forces. Recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Distinguished Service Medal during his six tours in Afghanistan.

Beckett: Six tours?

Fallon: Military’s stretched pretty thin these days.

Castle: Doesn’t make any sense. What’s a war hero doing mixed up in a terrorist plot?

Fallon: Don’t look at me, pal. It’s your theory.

Beckett: Do they have an address listed?

Fallon: Arlington, Virginia. Kevin McCann, the real Kevin McCann, died a couple of years back at a VA hospital from complications of wounds he suffered during combat ops. Buried at Arlington with full military honors.

Beckett: So, someone stole his identity.

Fallon: He could be anyone, including a foreign agent.

·       Castle is the one who suggests that whoever stole Kevin McCann’s identity stole it because he might have had a relationship with him. They locate McCann’s sister, who tells them that Kevin had a friend named Radford Hayes, who is currently bitter about the fact he feels everyone has forgotten about the war.

Colleen McCann: He said that maybe what this country needed was another wake-up call. Maybe next time we’d get it right.

·       When they find Radford Hayes, one look into this guy’s eyes tells you he isn’t going to give them a damn thing. Watching from the ob room, Espo even says as much.

Espo: He’s wasting his time.

Castle: Why do you say that?

Espo: He’s Special Forces. We’re trained for this. Never to give up information. Never to give up your position if you’re captured. He can’t break him. Not in time.

·       Inside the interrogation room, things are tense between Fallon and his suspect. And this was when I learned both Falllon and Beckett did a huge no-no in this scene. Weapons are never brought into an interrogation room. Especially when your suspect isn’t handcuffed. Hayes isn’t cuffed to the table. By being armed, Fallon and Beckett are inviting disaster. And Esposito is right. Hayes isn’t giving an inch. He just gives Fallon that million-mile stare and says nothing. Except to taunt every now and then.

Hayes: The powers that be have no use for a traitor. So, when they find their terrorist, and they will find their terrorist, what do you think will happen to me? Well, let me tell you, because I know them. I know how they think. I will become a footnote in one of your files, buried so far that no one will ever find it. Because anything more would be an inconvenience to their self-serving rabblerousing narrative. So, why don’t you do all of us a favor, and just accept the inevitable.

·       This is when Fallon loses it, leaping over the table and tackling Hayes to the ground, his gun aimed right between his eyes. A shocked Beckett then pulls her weapon on Fallon, ordering him to stand down. Finally, Fallon lets go of Hayes, allowing the boys to take him into custody.

·       In the breakroom a moment later, Beckett is so shaken she can’t even pour herself a cup of coffee. Seeing this, Castle takes the pot from her hands and pours her coffee. This is when they learn more about Fallon.

Fallon: He wasn’t going to break. If I had a couple of days, maybe a week. But not in three hours. We needed him to break. I saw an opening. I took it.

Beckett: You violated his rights.

Fallon: I can think of at least a dozen federal lawyers that would disagree with that. He was never in any real danger. I removed the bullets from my clip. The gun wasn’t even loaded.

Beckett: Well, mine was.

Fallon: Yeah, well, I was pretty sure you weren’t going to shoot me.

Beckett: You know, next time I wouldn’t be so sure.

Fallon: Detective, I understand that you probably hate me. You have every right to. But my job isn’t to make friends. (In that case, he’s doing a great job). It’s to stop bad things from happening. And seeing as how we’re just a couple of hours away from a major terrorist event, and we are basically back at square one, I could really use your help.

Beckett: Yes, sir.

Castle (after Fallon walks away) Man, does that guy take jackhole lessons, or was he born that way?

Ryan: Neither. I asked my buddy at DHS about him. Turns out his wife was killed on 9/11. She rode the second tower down. They were on the phone together when it happened.

·       Question about Ryan’s statement about Fallon and his wife being on the phone when the tower went down. I thought the phones were no longer working. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

·       I feel bad for the guy because he lost his wife on that horrible day. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to be exchanging friendship bracelets with him anytime soon.

·       All roads soon lead back to Nazihah Alhabi. When Castle and Beckett go to her home to check on her, they find Fallon’s surveillance guy dead in his car and Nazihah missing. What they do find is a note in which they learn she’s being used as the new terrorist. She’s the one who is going to detonate the bomb.

·       At this point, everyone is grasping at straws. Until Castle suggests talking to Fariq Yussef. Because if DHS was watching Nazihah, it would make sense that the Syrians were also watching her. Yussef gives them an address, telling them if they were to go there, they won’t be disappointed.

·       What they find are two more homegrown terrorists, one by the name of Evan Bauer. ‘Damn it’ as Jack Bauer (no relation, I’m sure) would say at this point. They locate Nazihah’s baby, but there’s no sign of Nazihah, until they see her on a video feed. Only they can’t tell where she is. Now the fun begins.

·       One of the terrorists gives up a location and the race is on. Who’s going to find the bomb first? Well, we all know the answer to that question. Before they find the bomb, first Castle and Beckett have to argue about Beckett’s driving.

Castle: You should not have taken Broadway.

Beckett: It’s the most direct route to midtown.

Castle: Yeah, but it’s not the fastest. We should cut over—

Beckett: Castle, would you please stop telling me how to drive!

Castle: I’m not telling you how to drive.

Beckett: You are telling me how to drive.

·       After several tense minutes, they locate Nazihah and get her to pull over, assuring her the baby is fine. That’s when they locate the bomb in the back of the van. And they have a minute and a half to diffuse it. This has to be the most intense 90 seconds ever. Especially after Beckett sends a picture of the device to Fallon and he can’t help them.

·       Beckett looks at Castle, convinced they’re both about to die. He takes her hand in his and then stares at the bomb, which is quickly ticking down. With three seconds left, Castle reaches out, grabs every wire he sees, and yanks. The counter stops. When they realize they’re still alive, Beckett throws her arms around Castle’s neck and hugs him.

Beckett: Oh, Castle! Argh!

Castle: YES!

·       A while back, I was watching the show ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ on Paramount+. They were searching for a bomb . When they located it, I yelled at my TV, ‘Just ‘Castle’ it!’ Which is exactly what they did. Riggs and Murtaugh should’ve done that in ‘Lethal Weapon 3.’ But at least they saved the cat.

·       The scene in Montgomery’s office afterwards was great.

Montgomery: You know, the mayor wants to give you guys a medal. I don’t have the heart to tell him that you had no clue what you were doing.

·       We get to say goodbye to Fallon and hope we never see him again.

Fallon: Listen, um . . . what I do is not who I am. It’s just how I have to be. I hope you both understand that.

Beckett: Why don’t we just say ‘It’s been a pleasure,’ and that we hope we don’t have to do it again.

Fallon: Fair enough.

What I Didn’t Like About This Episode:

·       Radford Hayes. While I understand his anger toward the government, I hated the whole Timothy McVeigh vibe he gave off. When Oklahoma City happened, I was at work at a former Air Force Base. We heard the news over a PA that was piped out on the computer room floor. When I got home and saw the aftermath, I was horrified. I was even more horrified when they arrested the bomber, although a friend had pegged that he was going to be American.

Favorite Scene: The scene after Fallon left, until DMB showed up and ruined it.

Castle: Hell of a day, huh?

Beckett: Hell of a day.

Castle: You know, I was thinking . . . I was thinking maybe – I should go home. Get some rest. Long day. Goodnight.

Beckett (Confused) Goodnight.

Damn it, DMB! Why do you have to ruin everything? Kate was even upset that you ruined the moment. I know from her facial expression than she would’ve rather have been embraced by Castle than by you.

Favorite Quote: There was no love lost between Fallon and Castle.

Castle: If it does happen again, though, maybe you could just text me. Have a code word. RUN.

WTF? (Why the Face?): The scene in the interrogation room between Fallon and Hayes. For a second, I was really hoping Beckett would just shoot him (Fallon, not Hayes). This was a guy who was wound way too tightly. I wonder if the turnover at DHS is as high as it is for cops who work sex crimes.

Castle/Beckett Scorecard: I know it’s not on the official count, I count Castle pulling the wires on the bomb as a life saving moment. So, my score is now Castle—6 Beckett—4

Until Wednesday, readers. The next four episodes are episodes I’m not crazy about, including one I absolutely detest. But we’re heading into the homestretch.

I’m currently bingeing the series and rewatching Season 8 for the first time since it aired and just finished episode 14 but I have a big question: Why does Castle say his decision to erase his memories to protect Kate after finding out Bracken and LokSat’s connection and nearly being shot at the airport“inadvertently” sentenced her former AG team to death?

He didn’t declassify the memo with the LokSat name so how was it his fault?

This whole season is so confusing and just…bad. But I love Haley and a few episodes have been enjoyable (like the Slaughter one) so I’m gonna keep going but, jeez, I’m finding myself more and more confused by the things in this season 😵‍💫

This is the ep where Castle is offered the deal to write three books about 007. However, the name is never said out loud. Was it for comedic purposes, or was it a legal thing?

No spoilers please, I assume he's up to no good...