Here we go! The summer is over and we are back in business!
I'm c&p my posting from a dedicated Castle board about my thoughts:
Well.. this summer was hard TV wise after the season 4 finale.
This season opener.. perfection! I love everything about it from the first minute.. there was never a dull stretch and they solved so much and laid the groundwork for phase two.
I saw the sneak peak of the first scene (yeah.. i'm weak

but still seeing the full scene was so worth it and still so funny, sexy and above all romantic. I guess most of us were/are in an adult relationship so we all know how it feels and it takes me back to very fond memories. They joy and the fun and the urge to sweat all day is just so evident in this scene which i attribute to the writing and the acting of both of them.
This is written from life itself because everyone understands the feeling and this is why i believe the show is in very good and safe hands, no danger of any curse at all.
Maddox' death came as a surprise (thank god they didn't spoil that) but it served a greater purpose.. we now know the truth about the whole case but at the moment the power is on the other side and there's not much that can be done right now. However the way this plays out shows a fundamental change in Beckett.. honestly, for a second i really believed she'd shoot him.. that would have been Beckett 1.0 without a question but she has evolved. With any other similar case she'd have done the right thing and looked for evidence to put the guy behind bars for good but when it came to her mother's case she went into rage mode and it would have led to nowhere.. possibly putting him out of reach forever and her behind bars. The scene where the team is begging Ryan not to call Gates (well.. in Espo's case not so much begging as breaking of arms!) shows that others know it too and are concerned for her because they think they know her and that might have been true up until a day ago (no one save Castle know about her fundamental change the night before).
So definitely looking forward to Johana Beckett's case Phase Two.. taking down a Senator when you basically have nothing will not be easy but Beckett has a kickass team and she's in control now.
As to Beckett and Castle in general:
Wow.. they are so good together. Beckett was always so reserved and closed up.. we know she has a great sense of humor and as the show progressed through the years she opened up more and more but there was still this final line she never crossed publicly to show who she really is. I think her mother's murder also held her back from fully enjoying life but now that everything is gone we see the true her and boy does she like sex!

I mean everyone likes sex but to see Beckett in hungry, horny and insatiable mode was just so awesome it defies words. We know Castle llikes to do it but to see Beckett become his equal is just so awesome and i hope we will see quite a bit more of her playful side. We all know her wicked sense of humor and i'm just dying to see what the writers can come up with now that they have so much more to play with.
I'm definitely looking forward to the others finding out.. they are one big, extended family who care for each other and would put their lives and careers on the line for each other but a development so big is bound to lead to much excitement. I always liked the scenes when Beckett became part of Castle's family for a short while and how effortlessly Martha and Alexis included her.. can't wait for both of them to find out and then it becoming normal for all of them to have breakfast or dinner (and maybe even gross Alexis out by insinuating what goes on behind closed doors

).
Nicest scene? Beckett desperately needing a hug and falling into Castle's arms. Period. Beckett was always tough and this is her at her most vulnerable and she is scared but this time she has someone who cares about her so much that she now can show this "weakness" and not think about it. I also love the visuals of the scene.. Stana is not smalll (especially because she mostly wears heels) but Nathan is really tall and quite broad but now that Stana is without heels and with her "true" height the difference became quite apparent. I mention this because visually it made Castle appear that much more imposing.. tall and massive and protecting his woman when she needs it (even if in reality Beckett could kick his ass ten times to Sunday

) and it is just a beautiful picture.
Amazing episode and the promo for next week was just so funny.. it will be a good season!
Castle's back baby!