Castle Season 5 (including Spoilers)

[Christopher]

ONLY bit that didn't work out of order was Beckett questioning "where they were going" in the relationship at the end of last week's, but everything's great and ends well in this one...

Well, there was the bit here where Castle tried to show off his hearts in the coffee foam trick but she didn't see it, and then in last week's episode she did see the heart and was suitably impressed. I think that would play better in the intended order, though it's not overtly inconsistent in the aired order.


I suppose as clip shows go, this one wasn't too bad. Clip shows are done to save money and shooting time, but another way of doing that is to make a bottle show -- a story limited to the standing sets, or at least a small number of sets, and/or with a minimal number of guest stars. And this episode was a bottle show to a large extent. The setup meant that the episode took place mostly on the standing sets and a couple of apartment sets (and I bet they have a standing apartment set that they redress for various episodes -- indeed, both apartments seen here may have been the same set redressed and shot on different days). And with Beckett standing in one place for most of the episode, that saved on the number of camera and lighting setups and would've allowed faster shooting. And since we knew who the bad guy was right away, they didn't need a bunch of guest stars. So since they were able to save time and money in those ways, they were able to get away with a higher ratio of new material to clips. And the clip segments were mitigated by being quick thematic montages rather than extended replays of entire scenes.

I suppose it also helps that I don't watch reruns of the show, so a lot of this was stuff I haven't seen or thought about in years. Thus it didn't feel too stale.

 

[FPAlpha]

I'm usually bored by clip shows as i know all the scenes and the episodes are boring "Remember when *cue clip*" arrays of scenes.

However this one was quite good.. yes, it contained clips from the past seasons (some of them amongst my favorites) but the story of the episode was also quit engaging. Castle was willing to die together with Beckett and if that ain't the ultimate proof of love i don't know (we'll conveniently forgot the pain he'll put Alexis and Martha in ).

I really loved how they used some musical cues for certain scenes especially when it's about them kissing that had the music from the season 4 finale where they finally kiss as a couple

Oh and Gates.. "Do you believe i'm an idiot?" That was equally brilliant as with Martha back in the beginning of the season where everyone wondered how she could miss naked Beckett in the closet (and she didn't). Gates really is a pro.. she knows that she has a very good team with Beckett and the gang but Castle adds that last ingredient that makes them unbeatable so she's looking conveniently away but there was no chance in hell she'd miss the more than good colleagues behaviour of Beckett and Castle.

All considered this was one of the better clip shows i have seen.

 

[Christopher]

Actually the Gates thing bugged me. I would've liked more justification -- onscreen, not in a viewer extrapolation on a BBS -- for why Gates was willing to look the other way when we know she doesn't like Castle. I mean, you may well be right, FPAlpha, but I'd prefer to hear it from Gates herself.

 

[Kirby]

I liked the Gates part because the whole 'keep the relationship hidden' thing has been done to death, and made her more like Mr. Roper than a professional Police Officer. Whatever Gates' reasoning is for being ok with it is fine with me. That character isn't really well locked down, so who knows what's going on in her head. I think it was done a well as a clip show can be done, and I was surprisingly moved by Capt. Montgomery's appearance in one of the clips. I miss that guy.

 

[Christopher]

I liked the Gates part because the whole 'keep the relationship hidden' thing has been done to death, and made her more like Mr. Roper than a professional Police Officer. Whatever Gates' reasoning is for being ok with it is fine with me. That character isn't really well locked down, so who knows what's going on in her head.

I liked the result, but I didn't like the arbitrary way it was brought about. I want to know her reasoning. I want to be able to believe it's a choice that arose naturally from who she is and what she thinks and feels, rather than just something the writers arbitrarily made her do because it was convenient.

I think it was done a well as a clip show can be done...

I've seen better clip shows, ones whose framing material was genuinely important to the series or the characters. Probably Andromeda's "The Unconquerable Man" was the most innovative and meaningful clip show ever, using the clips to create a whole alternate timeline that transformed our perspective on the series and one of its key supporting characters forever. So not only was the new material meaningful, but the old material was rendered new by the change in its context and significance.

There was also CSI's "Lab Rats," in which the supporting lab-tech characters got together to try to solve the season-long serial-killer mystery that had been stumping the leads, which did a great job fleshing out those characters and had lasting significance to the series, since those characters continued to be prominent thereafter and there were even attempts to replicate the formula (albeit with fantasy sequences rather than recap clips). And Stargate SG-1's "Inauguration" was pretty good and pretty important to the season arc; in fact, while SG1 did a lot of clip shows, they usually did a good job of making them relevant to the series, often the beginning of the season-ending arc. Oh, and Hercules and Xena often did insanely funny clip shows.

Compared to those and other good clip shows I remember, I'd call this one fairly middle-of-the-road. It was pretty well-done for what it was, but it didn't really tell us anything new or contribute anything meaningful to the arc (other than Gates admitting she knew about the romance), and it fell a bit too much into the standard clip-show formula of characters standing around and reminiscing about their past. So I'd amend your statement to say it was done about as well as a standard, formulaic clip show could be done, but it was still formulaic.

 

[Kirby]

Last night's episode was just ok, and felt like it really only existed to set up the finale next week. The government agent's odd facial expressions were very distracting, and once again our local station mistakenly went to a commercial right in the middle of a scene. This is the second time in three weeks that they've done this; last time we got about 5 minutes of Jimmy Kimmel's monologue.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Didn't like the episode too much. The setup for next week and the preview make Castle seem selfish and very unsupportive. I really hope they don't do a breakup story for the finale because that would be stupid and out of character.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Word came down on Friday that Castle was renewed for a sixth season. There had been a rumor floating that ABC would actually renew the show through Season 7, but considering how creatively weak the show was this past year, I don't think that would have been the brightest idea.

 

[Neroon]

Agreed. I am glad there is a 6th season, but this one overall has not been as strong to warrant a renewal for TWO seasons. Wouldn't want to run a risk of a Glee-like result.

 

[Jan]

I think the beginning of the season was stronger than more recent episodes. This one tonight was good, though. Have to admit I didn't expect the ending.

Jan

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Didn't expect the ending either. But it would've been nice to hear Castle clarify things better before he took the ring out. Something like "I will support you wherever you go, whether that's DC or here, I don't care. Because what's important is to have you in my life and make it work matter what, because I love you....." and THEN pop the question.

As it was written it seemed sudden and incomplete...kind of half-hearted.

 

[Pavonis]

Saw the marriage proposal coming a mile away. It's at least his third proposal, after all. And it's not like he's tied to New York by his job. Maybe DC would inspire Castle in new ways. And the position could give Beckett a way to really nail the Senator, which I would have expected Castle to support.

I expect, though, they'll just end up hunting murderers in NYC in season 6.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

It's not a show without the NYPD part, nor is it a show without the Castle/Beckett partnership. Of course she's not going to DC...or if she does, it won't be for long. So I think we have our answer as far as THAT is concerned. I was just let down by his lame proposal. The look on her face shows that she was NOT expecting it aht all, and probably not too pleased about it.

 

[TimmyWl]

I agree with the above posters. I thought the whole sitting on the swing would result in the 'letting her go' rather than bringing out the ring. I did like Castle's mother slapping some sense into him. The whole notion of the ring does bode trouble given the problem of trust on both sides.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Slightly morbid bit of trivia about this episode.

Tonight's case seemed to have been inspired by the death of Canadian student Elisa Lam in Los Angeles in February. Her body was found in the water tank above her hotel, and residents started noticing the water pressure was acting strange.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/22/us-usa-missingtourist-idUSBRE91I1BY20130222

She was also seen on security camera footage behaving strangely in the elevator, just like on the show.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/02/14/elisa-lam-missing-video-la-vancouver_n_2688168.html

Castle has actually filmed in the Hotel Cecil where she died.

http://castlefans.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:CecilHotel.jpg

As I was watching the show I recognized the similarities to the case from it being prominent in the news here in SoCal.

 

[FPAlpha]

Well.. as some might gather i'm a huge Castle fan and the season 4 finale just blew me away and i couldn't wait for season 5.

The first half of the season was amazing and everything i hope it would be.. them sneaking around, acting like some teenagers about to be caught, getting to know sides about each previously undiscovered (i especially loved the Hamptons and Sci Fi Convention episodes) but the latter half of the season lost much steam.

I had hoped they could keep up the fun of it but the show got dragged down in the typical procedural stuff with relationship sprinkles in the beginning and end (and maybe a little bit throughout).. somehow it wasn't that exciting anymore. The first four seasons were must see for me.. every day a new Castle episode was aired it was the first thing i did when i returned home.

Now it could have been days before i "bothered" to watch the episode and that's not a good sign (for any show). There's been talk about the gullible turn of character Castle has experienced this season and while i don't agree it's as bad as some made it out to be it was still at times annoying. Castle is a very intelligent man who just likes the supernatural and likes to get creeped out (and did it to annoy Beckett too) but they went too far with it this season for a few cheap laughs.. not their best moment.

Highlights still include the Kevin Ryan centric Irish Mob episode (once again an awesome performance by Dever) and the first few episodes of the season.

This finale left me kinda cold.. as i said earlier and in other threads i watch Castle for the characters and their relations.. the case rarely interests me and this time it was no different. It could have been any episode from sometime in the middle of the season.. nothing really spelt season finale at all. Apart from Kate considering DC and Castle popping the question (which i also saw coming a mile away) it was a pretty bland episode. A far cry from the brilliant season 3 and 4 finales.

Well.. the show obviously won't move to DC now that Castle has raised the stakes. There might be some things to sort out but Kate always wanted the relationship to progress and you can't progress much further than marriage. Chances are about 100% she'll say yes (maybe not in the first season 6 episode to keep the viewers on their toes) but i guess season 6 finale might revolve around the wedding.

I'll be definitely returning for season 6 (d'uh) but i also hope they return to some of the fun of early season 5 and before.

See ya in the fall!

 

[Whoa Nellie]

A season finale where the female lead is offered a fantastic career opportunity and male lead proposes marriage to hang onto her?

Sounds familiar - oh yeah, that was last season's finale of The Glades.

To the powers that be of Castle - please, please, please do not turn the wonderful, strong female character of Kate Beckett into a whining, sniveling Callie type character. I beg of you!

Even though it was a clip show, I found "Still" to be a much more enjoyable episode and would have preferred it over the last two episodes as a season finale.

Whoa Nellie

 

[Christopher]

This plot development doesn't work for me. For five years, Beckett's been defined as someone who cares passionately about speaking for the victims of crime and bringing their killers to justice. She's already doing the job she wants to do more than anything. So this idea that working for the federal government is her greatest ambition in life comes out of nowhere and is totally unconvincing. It's out of character and is just a way of setting up a forced and arbitrary conflict for the season finale.

I mean, the very least they could've done was have her say at some point that she wanted the job because it would give her more authority and access which she could use to work against the senator who had her mother killed. That would actually make some sense and fit her character. But they just ignored that angle, even though it would've clearly made the plot development far more justified. And that's damn sloppy writing.


Anyway, it's just as well that guy's political career was ended. He was far too bad a liar to get anywhere in politics.

 

[Pavonis]

Yes, I'm surprised the Bracken angle was not mentioned. It really does seem the only reason to take the job. A chance to take down a dirty senator really should have been at the forefront of both Beckett's and Castle's minds. I expected a season finale to deal with the larger story arc of the show. Who wrote this episode?

 

[IcecreamLtDan]

Honestly, IMHO, she's already decided not to take the job and it's her thinking in hindsight about Senator Bracken that's allowed her to make that decision. She realizes that if she were to take the job, it would allow her to pursue him and she's probably worried that it's the only reason to take it and it takes her a bit to realize that and that it's the wrong reason. She realizes that she's in the job she's always wanted to really be in, the fact that Castle has asked her to marry him is just another thing to confuse her and cause a reaction.

Honestly, looking at all the available options, I don't see her taking the job being the way the writers can continue to do the show. If she tells Castle yes, what then, do they go to DC together? Does she go and Castle stay in New York? How could that work? Probably not very well either way. Things wouldn't be the same if they both go and Castle would find himself staying at home a lot when she's traveling the country. Obviously, it would be hard for the show to go on if Castle stayed in New York while she went to DC.

If she tells Castle no, then regardless of her decision about the job, how do you write the show? Generally when a man asks a woman to marry him and she says no, that ends the relationship. If she says maybe, or I need to think about it, well then, will we have to suffer through a year of heart rending grief on her part while she tries to decide? What about the job offer then? Not really working.

Sorry about the giant wall of text, but the main thing that bugs me about this episode is not the cliffhanger itself, but what it may lead to as far as writing the show. In years past, I really cared to know what happened, does Beckett die after being shot, what happens now that they've broken through and slept together, things like that. Now I'm more curious about how the writers get themselves out of this corner than I am on what happens to our brave heroes. That in itself is kinda sad.