Tag: Castle

‘Castle’ Part II: At Least The Women Aren’t So Bad

Castle’s Season 3 promo.

Written by Janyce Denise Glasper

I do like Castle‘s peculiar whodunnits and admire Andrew Marlowe’s diverse cast, especially the women characters who frequently provide humorous banter to their male counterparts. Yet as the series progressed more toward the Caskett pairing, putting their romance as a pivotal forefront of the show, it lost a certain integrity and edgy charm.

“You put yourself into these relationships with men you don’t love,” Castle says to Beckett in the season three finale.
How does Castle even know that Beckett doesn’t love these boyfriends or have feelings for them? Because they’re not him? Viewers barely get an opportunity to know who they are.

Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) put on a kissing act.

I am a fan of Caskett’s affable, easy going camaraderie. By the third season, Castle and Beckett finish each other’s sentences and even have a signature “I know who the killer is” line, but working together simply hasn’t been enough for them. Castle gives Beckett sentimental gifts at times, compliments her inner attributes–not her looks, as he previously did so often–and occasionally saves her life. Their tender, endearing friendship is wonderful to watch, but by the end of season four it fully turns into a muddied Castle/Beckett melodramatic mess. I love my soap operas, preferably in the afternoon, and desire to have mysteries and comedic mayhem at night. Bones used to be sheer entertainment, but everyone at the Smithsonian is hooked up with each other–the two leads included! Apparently this seems to be all the rage at every network.

We never see Beckett with her boyfriends beyond the precinct. Every time she’s playing “sexy” undercover work (because she always has to seduce male bad guys and never the other way around), Castle is always there to stare her down like a starving man needing a cop’s jelly doughnut. (These scenes usually give me squeamish shivers.) Despite her role as a muse’s eye candy, Beckett’s strengths, flaws, and challenges are admirable. She has faced so much tragedy and adversity (including being shot in season three’s explosive finale) but continues to be a powerful, heroic woman who can throw a mean punch. Her private tears don’t always blur judgment, and her quips are sharper than razor tips.
However, my favorite relationship happens to be Castle/Alexis. They have sweet father/daughter moments that are genuinely touching to watch. Alexis is the bright, intelligent Penny to Castle’s quirky Inspector Gadget–sort of an adoring mother hen to her sometimes childish father. It became slightly tampered because of Gina. His ex-wife makes quite an eye-opening speech that sheds light on their marriage and her desire to have a relationship with Alexis:
“Even when we were married you built a wall around Alexis like you didn’t want anyone to be close to her. When it came to the two of you I was always on the outside looking in.”

Castle did make the ultimate commitment to this woman. She may not have been Alexis’s biological mother, but he should have at least given her an opportunity to try to play that role.

Season three Castle cast: top- Molly Quinn (Alexis), Susan Sulllivan (Martha), Stana Katic (Beckett), Tamala Jones (Lanie), bottom- Dever (Ryan), Nathan Fillion (Castle), and Jon Huertes (Esposito). 

Season three has milestones. Detective Ryan proposes to his longtime girlfriend Jenny. Castle and Beckett have their first kiss- -a ruse for an undercover assignment (bound to happen). Captain Roy Montgomery dies tragically. And Beckett is shot in the very somber finale. And then there’s …
“Esplanie!”
This season also introduces another coupling at work–Esposito (Jon Huertes) and Lanie (Tamala Jones). Now this pairing doesn’t receive the special treatment of a strong build up, “hot” tension, and those over-sentimental fluffy moments that Castle and Beckett continue having, or even the sweet sincerity of Ryan and Jenny. No. No. No. In Poof! You’re Dead, episode 12 of season three, they’re in bed together (okay a floor, but still). Marlowe and company gave no hints, no signs that these two were even going to be in this “bam bam thank you ma’am” situation. Prior to this affair, they barely speak or flash eyes at crime scenes. So what gives? On one hand, I’m happy to see Lanie have more to do than giving the cause of death in difficult medical terminology or telling Beckett to chase Castle, but I want to know who she is. Lanie is funny (who can forget her hilarious British accent?), smart (those words aren’t easy to pronounce!), and caring (riding the gurney whilst desperately trying to save Beckett’s life is so endearingly emotional). Why not see her presence around more?
Castle‘s season four promo with Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion). 

Season four also introduces a new character–Captain Victoria “Iron” Gates (Penny Johnson Herald). She’s ruthless, kind of mean, and likes to be called “Sir.” There’s something badass about wanting to be called “Sir.” It’s not that “I’m the man around here” attitude; it’s “I’m the boss, I mean business, and don’t take crap from anyone”–including Castle, mayor’s buddy or not! She’s not as lenient as Roy, but she isn’t all hard. There’s softness in her steel posture. I love that she despises Castle because that’s one person on the show who will not feed Beckett that “Castle loves you” tune that everyone keeps singing. Plus, she’s a minority woman (as is Lanie) and to place her in a strong leadership position is worth applause. Women of color could benefit from less stereotyping in television.
Season four highs and lows: Alexis finally tells Castle that he isn’t a bloody cop! (Finally!) Esplanie breaks up. Ryan and Jenny get married. Caskett confesses their feelings in the finale with, of course, cheesy Beckett all soaked from rain (what else is new?) and apologizing to Castle … and succumbing to the writer’s question of “will they or won’t they?” against the door.

No longer fun & witty, sex is selling Castle‘s season five promo.
The above poster tells viewers exactly what season five is about.
Well, Mr. Marlowe, the charm of Castle, started dwindling in season five–especially with Beckett whining every other episode about not knowing where their relationship is going (insert Lanie’s primary usage here). Now getting right into the season finale which included a proposal–an ultimatum disguised as romance–Castle feels pissed that Beckett didn’t want to tell him about her impressive new job offer. It’s become another villain, another crook to “put to bed.” Beckett seems pretty stoked–why else would she secretly fly out to D.C., have recommendations, and all her other little peas in a podded nicely? She really wants that job. I doubt that she wants to continue life with morning coffee and NYC crime. If she chooses Castle, she would have to stay and forever be the Nikki Heat to his Jameson Rook. How long can she stand being that person?

Penny Johnson Herald as Captain “Iron” Gates in Castle.

Season six is this mysterious mist that fogs up summer. It is a mist that is both anticipative and detrimental for all of these characters, but the last thing needed is another shocking cast death. Beckett is leg shackled to Castle and Tamala Jones and Penny Johnson Herald have too many credit-only appearances. They’ve never had stories featured on them, no accidental involvements in murders or connections to victims. Alexis may be in college too, but I miss her her warmth and intelligence; it’s rare to see a young woman in television using her brains and not her body to get attention (another stereotype bullet dodged!). The Save Alexis kidnapping two-parter episode showed that familiar Castle I had grown to love–a definite highlight of the season.
Castle‘s cherished spontaneity has quickly turned into rehashed predictability. I hope that these women remain strong against the tides that continue to either make or break them. The show should get back to focusing on enigmatic mysteries, Beckett’s reliable strength (the heart of everything), and let that romantic drama linger in the background–not kill the show’s balance like an unseen murderer.

‘Castle’ Part 1: Why Can’t We Just Be Friends?

Castle in on ABC.


Written by Janyce Denise Glasper

An avid fan of most Whedonverse alums, I started watching Castle in the middle of the fourth season to see the charming charismatic Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Buffy, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing- Along Blog) play the title role. Stana Katic–although a new actress to me, is a fantastic choice to play Detective Kate Beckett, a strong, independent, and very smart cop with a ferocious attitude and deliverer of humorous quips and handcuffs to the bad guys.

After Castle’s season five finale in which Beckett has to choose between a great promotion to D.C. and a marriage proposal, it raised a lot of questions about the summer hiatus. Why should she risk an opportunity to enhance her talented skills on a chance to become wife number three? Why are fans outraged and painting her selfish if she chose the power move over love? Most importantly, how did her relationship with Castle get to this point of wedding bells?

In television, there are far too many serials where the two leads get together–often at the workplace. This simply showcases that men and women cannot work in close quarters without “love” getting in the way. It leaves writers to play too much on the “will they or won’t they?” device which can muddle an entire episode. More often than not, they get the answer wrong (Mulder and Scully still comes to mind). Chemistry is a good thing to have, but why must it always be addressed as a sexual one? Why can’t men and women be friends at the workplace? Kate has beers with her male colleagues before and after Castle shows up. Why can’t he just be one more face across the bar?

Now I’ve finished watching the first two seasons of Castle–all 34 episodes over the course of a weekend and can honestly say that I’m not quite buying a passage on the “Caskett” train yet. Banter between the leads is fun to watch, and Fillion has an intriguing engagement with Katic.
And the opening premise isn’t hard to swallow.

Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a little too enthused over being interrogated by Kate (Stana Katic).

Famed crime novelist Richard Castle is a man surrounded by women. He lives with Alexis, his teenage genius daughter, and Martha, his mother–a Broadway actress who has to stay at his humble abode because an ex spent her entire savings. One of Castle’s former wives (he has two) happens to be his publicist and Alexis’s mother. He is at a point in his life where things are coming to a mundane standstill. Until Detective Kate Beckett, a secret Castle book fan, has a few questions for him. After getting a taste of helping the police aide in a case, thanks to a friendship with the mayor, he gets to stick around much to Beckett’s displeasure and announces that he plans to pen a book starring his new inspiration–Detective Kate Beckett.
That’s already two strikes in many of Castle’s interferences. 

Kate (Stana Katic) flashes her badge of honor.

While Castle is surrounded by women, emotionally guarded Kate is nestled in a man’s world. Her boss is Captain Roy Montgomery, and her two buddies are partners Detective Kevin Ryan and Detective Javier Esposito. She decided to become a cop because her mother was violently murdered, and for years she had run her own private investigation but ultimately decided to stop. She is drawn to strange cases, gets them solved in a matter of forty minutes with help from her friends and even Castle, who frequently spins his writer fictions yet shows off an incredible knack for crime resolution.

Castle does, however, add innuendo to conversations and is often too suggestive, but Kate doesn’t seem to mind lighting his fuses. Still not seeing the “love” here. Maybe it’s too early. Just a humorous camaraderie between a cop and a man that annoys her for fun. He brings charming wit and coffee into her gritty life, but it doesn’t change who he is at the end of the day–a big kid. He plays games with his daughter and sleeps around frequently, but every time a man shows interest in Kate, his bear claws come out. “No one touches my muse,” his expression says to these men who then always ask Kate–“Is there something going on between you two?”

At the end of season one, Castle coordinates his own investigation into Beckett’s mom’s murder (which she strictly forbade), and it angers her so much that she wants him gone.
Strike three.

Everyone wants Beckett (Stana Katic) to date Castle (Nathan Fillion) because he follows her around like a puppy.

However, Beckett’s friends just want her to be with Castle (because she’s beautiful, young, and lonely yadda yadda yadda!), and he gets compliments aplenty all around the precinct. Medical examiner Lanie Parish often tells Kate to give Castle a chance although it’s not clear why she does, having barely shared a few scenes with him. Also, I don’t think I would ever advise a friend to date a man staring hard at my cleavage and having conversations with them. Plus, why is it so wrong for Beckett to stay single? Lanie is too!

“Why do you think he keeps following you around? I’m sure it’s not to watch you be with another man.” –Detective Javier Esposito

Yet Beckett should continue seeing Castle flock to his women? Ugh!
From A Deadly Game, season two’s finale, Detective Javier Esposito says the above statement. It’s insensitive considering the fact that Kate has started dating a nice someone–a former co-worker and friend of his, Demming. It gets nastier when Castle keeps asking Kate to spend the summer at his Hamptons home knowing this. By the end of the episode she dumps Demming (who sadly doesn’t understand why) and is shyly on the verge of asking Castle out, but bam! He springs out his ex-wife, saying that she is his Hamptons last-minute companion. Kate is left embarrassed, and her nosy friends are watching through the glass.

This irksome moment defined Castle’s selfishness and vanity. Prior to the finale, in the episode Overkill, his ego wanted to win a case and went to battle with Demming in a disgusting showing of oversized macho testosterone. The finale further revealed just how vile his intentions were and made him pretty much unlikable for a strong woman like Kate.

Use us all: Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Roy),  Susan Sullivan (Martha), Molly Quinn (Alexis), Nathan Fillion (Castle), Stana Katic (Kate), Tamala Jones (Lanie), Jon Huertas (Esposito), and Seamus Dever (Ryan).
Castle has such a diverse cast, but creator Andrew Marlowe barely uses them all in one episode because he’s spending too much time building up Caskett. Yes. It’s a difficult challenge dealing with a large amount of actors, but each character is important in every aspect of the story–from the murder scene to the morgue to the precinct to Castle’s house (weird fit but this is his point of view). Here’s hoping that in the next three seasons of catch up that stories utilize characters outside of Castle and Beckett and, of course, answer the big question of whether I hop on the Caskett train or the casket bus. Male and female friends can work together. It’s just in the television world they seem to always want more.