Castle Season 8 Episode 4 is well-titled. On the surface of things, “What Lies Beneath” is a fun, light episode. Of the four Castle Season 8 episodes that have aired thus far I found it to be the least annoying. It works especially well when you block out the structural plot cheats that have set up the current situation in the first place. The question is: how many viewers will do that?
Let’s Talk Caskett
Nathan Fillion, who plays writer Richard Castle, recently did an interview with TVLine that reiterated the idea that the new showrunners Alexi Hayley and Terence Winter are trying to bring the show back to what it used to be. You can see evidence of that in “What Lies Beneath.” The episode hits many of the old Castle signature charms. For instance, over the years, the importance of coffee to Captain Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) – and to the Caskett relationship – has been well-documented. The coffee theme is played with a lot in this episode, starting with the first scene after the murder. (Remember when we’d just get the shots of the dead body and not the actual killings? I miss that.) Beckett is at the 12th precinct trying to make a latte – but it doesn’t taste right. Near the end of “What Lies Beneath” Castle makes her one with a little heart on top.
Castle fans know that move! (I think it’s the most epic in the Season 5 episode “Still.”) The coffee is perfect and Beckett lights up while drinking it. She sadly admits she “can’t make it” the way he does – even though he’s shown her how to. Castle then admits he didn’t tell her the “secret ingredient.” Furthermore, he’s not going to tell her.
Castle: “Well, now, if I told you that, you might not need me anymore”
Beckett: “Then don’t tell me.”
There are all kinds of emotional sparks and looks of longing going back and forth between Castle and Beckett and it’s nice to see – until what lies beneath the situation comes to mind. That’s really the big pink elephant in this episode – and Castle Season 8 in general. The entire situation is built on a foundation of sand. This split between Castle and Beckett reminds me of a daytime soap-opera trick. A young child is sent away – to camp, boarding school, or to live with relatives. Two years later that “child” comes back having graduated from college and is the new love interest for some character or another. In the story’s actual arc and timeline it makes absolutely no sense. In fact it’s impossible. However, it’s a soap-opera, so viewers go along with it. The love story between the two soars. That’s how this entire “Beckett’s left Castle and he’s trying to win her back” story feels. It doesn’t track at all with the last seven seasons of Castle – if anything it’s like a reset of Season 4 – yet, here we are.
Castle, the great mystery writer who figures out people’s motives the way MAcGyver figured a way out of every sticky situation he found himself in, is completely focused on winning his wife back without giving a single thought as to why she might have left. He has a right to display more anger and hurt, but maybe he did learn something back in Season 4 – when it comes to Beckett things aren’t always what they seem. I could go with that, except the Castle we know would not then be taking this situation at face value. Beckett leaves him right after her entire team from D.C. was killed. Sure, the case is “closed,” but this is Castle we’re talking about – a man who supposedly knows Beckett better than anyone. He has no questions about this? Nope. He just wants his wife back. Regardless of how adorable it is when Fillion’s Castle flashes those baby blues and plays the ruggedly handsome card mugging for Beckett, the story beneath the situation makes it more infuriating than endearing.
Meanwhile, Beckett, who actually doesn’t have a plausible reason to have left in the first place, is shown to be upset and sad about the fact that she can’t be with him. One way the show is trying to make this reset fly in terms of Beckett’s actions is using to great advantage what Fillion once described as his co-star’s ability to “act chemistry with a wet paper bag.” Katic has Beckett’s feelings about her husband out in full force. Even when she’s trying to be stern you can see love, admiration and raw desire on her face.
In an early scene with Castle’s mother Martha Rogers (the always fabulous Susan Sullivan) Martha wants to know why Beckett has left and reminds Beckett that Castle is someone she can always count on. This is not news to Beckett. Beckett assures Martha (and the audience) that she doesn’t want to divorce Castle, and Beckett’s guilt and sorrow about what she’s putting Castle through is obvious. If there was an overall direction given to Katic about this scene (and this episode) it might have been, “Make sure the audience knows Beckett loves Castle every time his name comes up to her.”
As lovely as that Martha and Beckett scene is, it highlights one of the huge flaws in this elaborate lie the show has created for Beckett. Supposedly Beckett is doing this to keep Castle safe, not because she thinks she can’t count on him. She can count on him, but she’s working with some guy she just met to figure out who the person or persons are responsible for murdering her former colleagues in D.C. and were trying to kill her? This is about as logical as the notorious premise that took down the 1980’s show Moonlighting: Maddie falls for some guy she met on a train on the way home and marries him before getting there. Why? The showrunners said they were trying to bring back that spark from the earlier seasons….
About the Overall Episode
Far less impressive than Katic’s performance as the distraught woman in love is the blatant sexism in having Beckett draped across a couch in her office wearing short dress with the door open. Adding insult to injury is her having conversations with her subordinates while in that position. It’s one thing to acknowledge that Beckett (Katic) is sexy and gorgeous. I have no problem with Beckett at times using her sex appeal while undercover and it’s great when they use it in scenes that involve Castle and Beckett. However, there is no way in hell a police captain lies down in her office like that after summoning a person she supervises to her her office for some information -never mind she staying like that while listening to the report! This completely undermines Beckett’s new role as an authority and reduces her character to the equivalent of one of Charlie’s Angels.
Digital Spy article
This is one of the huge ways Castle Season 8 is nothing like the show viewers have come to love over the years. Bada** Beckett was a detective – the best at the 12th – and that was before Castle ever showed up. In this episode I watched Beckett do…not much. This episode was all about Castle, detectives Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever), Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Castle’s daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn) getting to do all the action. Before getting into all of that, I want to talk about the one storyline that 100 percent worked in “What Lies Beneath”
The Bromance – Ryan and Esposito
This so-called “B” storyline is the most organic and authentic story that’s come out of Castle Season 8. Ryan and wife Jenny (Juliana Dever) are expecting their second child, and it has Ryan even more concerned about money than before. Ryan’s been worrying about money since Season 6. Last season, he actually did and those forays into security provided both amusement and heartache. Esposito listens to Ryan’s concerns and suggests than instead of getting a second job he think of making more money in his first:
Esposito: “Promotion. The sergeant’s exam is in a week. Let’s take it.”
The scene rings true in terms of the friendship between these guys. However, it also serves as a reminder that Beckett jumped from detective to captain while the way these things normally occur are promotions up the ranks. I suppose one could say that Beckett’s duties before this were those of a sergeant, but she still skipped over lieutenant (U.S. police ranks). Truthfully the show’s been vague about the idea of Beckett’s rank for a while, probably because the story was built around her as a detective and Castle following her around on cases. That’s partly why this new story turn about her being captain is wobbly.
Getting back to the bromance, Ryan thinks this is a great idea and says he’ll call in to get them both signed up. The problem that arises is this: when Ryan calls their is only slot left to take the exam. Ryan takes it and then tries to hide it from Esposito – who of course finds out. The time and place Esposito finds out is at a ridiculous party Castle is having to convince them to pass along information about the case – behind Beckett’s back. Castle overhears that Ryan is strapped for cash and offers him 500 dollars a week to do this – and Ryan accepts. There are huge issues with this. Yes Ryan’s always been Castle’s boy, but he’s also the guy who believes in the rules and doing what’s right. In Season 4, it’s Ryan that Captain Victoria Gates (Penny Johnson Jerald) about Beckett and Javier running off without backup. Although both he and Esposito have done favors for Castle before in return for some kind of confrontation, doing so to go against Beckett’s orders seems odd. However, this bit is actually part of a larger problem. We’ll come back to it.
At first Ryan tries making up for lying to Esposito while still trying to justify why he did it. In his mind he “has the responsibility of a family and Esposito doesn’t.” Esposito feels Ryan should have been “looking out” for his partner’s back. The truth is, neither guy is completely right or wrong. Ryan wouldn’t have even known or thought about the sergeant’s exam if not for Esposito, but Ryan also needs the money more. I’m sure the hope is that viewers take away a subtext that the situation between Castle and Beckett is a similar Catch 22. Being that two guys wanting to the exam is a more plausible scenario than the Caskett mess the hoped for congruency doesn’t hold up well.
What does hold up is Ryan deciding to give his slot to Esposito. It’s not until Ryan admits that he “did wrong” by Esposito that Javier is willing to listen. He’s truly touched by the offer. Luckily Beckett – who earlier had seen that things weren’t quite right between the two detectives – figured out what was wrong and “pulled some strings” to get them both into the exam.
I’d say those strings Beckett pulled were connected to deputy chief Victoria Gates. Although Penny Johnson Jerald is no longer on Castle I would love to see her back in a recurring role! She and Beckett had built a strong relationship of deserved mutual respect it would be natural for Beckett to pick up the phone and call Gates about something like this,
Beckett and Nancy Drew
The thruline of the Ryan & Esposito dilemma was good, other areas around the case were less so. This scene was released as a sneak peek, but it highlights everything that’s wrong about the state of things on Castle
[vimeo 141965844 w=500 h=281]
First of all, with all the people Beckett knows – like Victoria Gates, why is stymied by this? Secondly, note that Castle’s list glaring leaves out the mayor as having access to the “entire budget.” Despite Castle’s long history of leaving his friends out of a pool of suspects, no one even blinks. Didn’t Gates warn Beckett about this kind of thing back in Season 4 Episode 12, “Dial M for Mayor”?
In the Castle season 8 episode 4 scene we just saw, Beckett basically just sits looking at Castle with longing as he breaks things down for her and the detectives- although apparently Esposito already knew to check on the comptroller’s alibi before they even called Castle. This is likely because the information Castle is giving them is something all of them -the detectives and Beckett – would have worked with before. It’s certainly not the first case where an issue of money missing from the city government has come up.
When Beckett isn’t getting all emotional about Castle she’s making phone calls on a normal phone to track down information about the “who killed my colleagues” case. There’s a folder she’s got on her desk regarding the Vulcan Simmons case, and she’s asking questions about the cocaine they had from the drug bust of Simmons back in Season 6. So, let’s assume that person who was smart enough to send more than one team out to kill Beckett did not take any precautions like phone taps to make sure Beckett wasn’t still looking into things, nor have they taken note of the fact that right after the case was “solved” Beckett separated from Castle. (Yes, this is sarcasm.)
Basically we’re to believe that Beckett is being smart about things and that no one – in the precinct or out – will notice she’s doing things other than her job. Maybe that’s why she can notice that Ryan and Esposito are arguing over the sergeant’s exam, but doesn’t notice when they start working with Castle behind her back.
Then there is the problem with Alexis. Watching Alexis being as smug as her father and playing the supportive partner is nauseating. The way she’s standing behind him, the hand on shoulder like she’s his Rock of Gibraltar makes her look like his wife. Earlier she had to stop him from telling her how he kisses Beckett! What kind of father is this? Remember when Castle was actually a good parent? The dynamic is worse than watching her play Nancy Drew with him – although there’s plenty of that in this episode as well. Really guys? You’re gonna bring Alexis along to a sting operation – and Castle is going to use his daughter to help pull something off without warning Ryan or Esposito? (Not to mention, who tries to do surveillance work from a bright red sports sports car? Guess it goes to show how worthless a 100 hour online P.I. course is.) I wonder how he managed that fancy computer virus? Someone had to have programmed it for him…at least they didn’t say it was Alexis.
The Castle Comedy
Supposedly the goal of the showrunners was to make this season of Castle like the show viewers fell in love with. Aside from Fillion and Katic being allowed to generate enough electricity to light up Times Square during the now rare times they’re onscreen together this is nothing like the show people fell in love with. Not. Even. Close. In that show Castle and Beckett actually worked together as true partners, not with Beckett in one place looking moony-eyed while Castle smugly gives not-that-hard to find information. Beckett was savvy and bad-a**ed – not laying down on the job. Plus, in no way, shape or form did we have to deal with super detective Alexis Castle. These issues alone make the show a zombie of its former self – and they’re just for starters.
This quote from that same TVline interview with Fillion explains a trend that carries over from Season 7, the long drawn out comedy scenes that feature Fillion.
“One of the things that Terence and Alexi are really big on, and I agree, is they don’t consider Castle to be a drama,” Fillion said. “It’s never been much of a drama; it’s far more a comedy with dramatic and heartfelt moments. And they wanted to bring it back to a time when it was funny, when it was great, when it was the lighthearted show that everybody fell in love with.”
What? Castle is now a comedy? (It’s become a joke, but that’s something entirely different.) The show has always been billed as a dramedy with a equal mix of comedy and drama. The fact that Fillion is saying Castle is actually a “comedy with dramatic and heartfelt moments” shows how they are trying to make the show over into something it never was never intended as.
This idea of it being a comedy with a few dramatic moments certainly explains the long strings of comedy sketches and endless one liners and sight gags. The hammering home of Ryan and Esposito being in sync all the time gets old quickly. There’s that elaborate set up for jokes about a 12-step program for “pathological liars.” That bit drags on and on through through two scenes. We get Castle throwing a Mexican themed party so that Castle can wear that silly giant sombrero. Ryan and Esposito completely miss the obvious move of Castle placing a tracker on Esposito’s back. So much for Esposito’s special forces training. Even that icky scene between Alexis and Molly is there because someone thought it’d be funny. It serves no purpose otherwise. They’ve already established Alexis gets too much information about her father’s marriage.
The fact that Fillion agrees with idea certainly explains a few things that happened in Castle season seven. The first half was filled with similar long-drawn out comedy sketches. For example: the endless gunslinger showdown in “Once Upon a Time in the West.” How about in “The Last Action Hero” – that’s the one where Castle goes off with his movie idols to go steal a toy model car. The P.I. arc during that season was also full of the sight gags and too long comedy bits. In fact the first P.I. episode gave Season 7 the lowest live rating not only of that season but of the series – at that time (Castle season 7 ratings). Castle this season has since gone lower. With this new showrunner direction apparently one of the complaints about last season – that Richard Castle was being overly silly – is going to become a permanent fixture – ratings be damned.
The Wrap Up
Despite all of the problems this episode holds, it’s not the worse of the season (see my review from last week!). That’s because the actual case in the episode works well. It’s full of typical Castle twists and turns: a “nice” mobster, a corrupt priest, a victim who turns out not to be who he says he is – the usual Scooby-doo stuff. The Ryan and Esposito bromance story really carried its weight, funny, heartfelt and well played by the actors. It’s also hard to resist a good Martha and Beckett scene, or sweet moments between Castle and Beckett. Everyone brought their A-game to those scenes – even when the context beneath them were all lies created by this smoke and mirrors soap-opera of a storyline.
However, at the top of this article I wondered how many viewers would be willing to ignore the context and just enjoy the moments. The early ratings report has Castle second in the demo and third in viewers with a 1.2 demo and 7.31 million viewers. That may seem higher than last week’s ratings – which were a 1.2 demo and had 6.76 million viewers. However, because of a football game that aired in a major market, last week’s final ratings were adjusted down from the 1.3 demo and 7.33 early ratings report. Castle has the same situation this week. Expect the final ratings to show as being lower than last week. Regardless of how you felt about the episode, this is not a good sign for how this new formula is being recieved.
How did you feel about this episode? Leave your thoughts about it in the comments. I’m really curious to see how it impacted other viewers!
Want more Castle Season 8 news and reviews? You can follow me on Twitter for that and other TV tidbits.
[Photos via ABC & Getty Images]
So agree and the episode felt more depressing then funny and the couch scene was odd castle winning her back still is annoying
I hate the whole idea that Castle should be trying to “win her back.” Frankly, I think he should be talking to his lawyer about the best way to get out of this marriage without having to give her half of his fortune. This storyline – yet another freaking conspiracy – sucks. The writers obviously have a much higher opinion of criminals than I do. How in the world are you going to keep that many people quiet and working together. That just wouldn’t happen. The whole thing with bracken was ridiculous in that respect. The way the media dig into a candidate’s life for the least little thing – yet he was able to hide the fact that he was running a drug world? Would Not Happen. I can sit and suspend my sense of reality to enjoy a TV show. There have been plenty of episodes of Castle and other shows I’ve loved in which there would be a little voice in my head saying, “That could never happen.” However, I could ignore that little voice because it was NOT so unbelievable that I couldn’t continue to enjoy the show. This whole conspiracy business with Beckett trying to chase down a mole in the CIA with a guy she just met and leaving her husband to protect him even though the bad guys know they are still married and Castle ignoring why she left and just trying to win her back even though she has lied to him over and over and over for years is stretching my ability to suspend belief way beyond the point of no return. I have loved Castle but last night I almost forgot it was on. I had planned to go to bed early but decided – when I remembered – to go ahead and stay up and watch. Next week, I’m going to just go to bed and watch it on my DVR …….. at some point.
Hi Julia, thanks for commenting. I am more in the middle on Castle’s behavior now. During the first for years while on one level he was assertive going after Beckett, on another level he did in fact spend four years “just waiting” for her to notice him. A lot of wires got crossed in seasons two and three. I dislike that he went to the worse case scenario in “47 Seconds” and though Beckett wasn’t into him – despite what she’d told him on the swings. I wanted him to confront her with it, not just assume.
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That’s why this “winning her back” thing is so annoying. He is assuming this is somehow his fault and that Beckett isn’t in to him? This makes no sense because Castle isn’t stupid. Yet we’re supposed to believe he has no idea of why she’s doing this and believes he has to make her fall in love with him again. It’s so obvious that it’s not the case. Rather than trying to “win her back” the Castle that has spent the last seven years getting to know Beckett would be looking into figuring out what’s going on. That’s what he does – he tries to figure things out.
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The heart wants what the heart wants – and it’s a given that Castle wants Beckett. It’s the idea that Castle thinks he has to “win her back” that drives me nuts because it’s so clear that he actually hasn’t lost her heart and something else is up.
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Of course, this entire scenario is so convoluted and unbelievable that trying to use logic and reason to wade through it is pointless. Beckett’s choices don’t make any sense in the first place. She’s completely out of her character’s arc with this storyline. So…here we are.
I like the review,I agree with 90%of it.
I pray they can address some of the problems and get Caskett back on track.
Even if they do not wrap up the problem bring Caskett back and together they are magic,they have proved they can solve anything together,it was good to have the team getting down to business even in this smaller way.
In the alternate universe episode she did not like being captain,I am not sure this Kate will like it either.
I agree with the review also, they need to get back together at the precinct Castle still has connections with the mayor he should fight his way back in like the original story . But really the concept is very concocted.
Joy, I agree with your review. Looking around social media, the new formula is not well received, and seems to be hated by many (including me). I agree with you, Castle is a dramady, not a comedy, I wonder if this “new” direction was forced upon it by NF, as a condition for him renewing. I dont have any insider information, but it seems to correspond to how he would want the show, etc. And I base that on how he behaves at interviews, etc. But the “new” show , does not work on any level. The break up arc, over shadows all the “comedy”, and the “comedy” is RC acting like a teenager or a buffoon. I have been a fan since the start, but I hope something happens soon, or ABC just cancels it to put us all out of our misery.
And great point with Moonlighting, and breaking up Maddy, etc. Didnt work then, not working now.
All the changes that are being made: Silly Castle, Super PI
Alexis, Bad-parent Castle, Castle & Alexis being smug and knowing more than
the homicide detectives and their Captain (except for why his wife left him), the
dumbing down/little to do and ridding of the bada$$ part of Beckett — all if it points to
one thing, that this season is all about what Nathan Fillion wants, fans be
damned. The showrunners are gleefully
helping him with his goal to make this all about his character and Alexis, and the
fact that they are dragging down the show to the bottom of the ratings pile doesn’t
matter. And for those of you still
hoping that things will change, forget about it. Ratings are bad, they’ve lost
a lot of viewers, but as long as the ratings stay as level as they are, they’ll
continue to do what they’re doing, and that includes keeping Beckett/Stana and
Castle/Fillion separate — at work and at “home”.
I have to disagree with you. The whole first episodes of S8 have been Beckett and more Beckett. Don’t know why you think that is what Nathan Fillion would want. These showrunners are just like Marlowe and Miller – they think the sun rises and sets between Beckett’s toes and they are going to make the episodes ALL ABOUT HER. Yuck. Frankly, I’m getting more than a little sick of her and her obsessions! If they wanted to make this fan happy, they actually would make the episodes a little bit more about Castle.
I agree with the review. Fillion and Katic are magic on screen. To get the ratings up get them together asap. TV isn’t about the destination, its about the journey and the first four episodes of the season haven’t been enjoyable because Caskett aren’t together. Ryan, Espo, Lanie, and Martha are great but nothing works like Rick and Kate when they are working together.
I agree. Another terrible episode with this separation that makes no sense. Having Castle “win her back” and him not figuring things out by this point just doesnt fit with the character we know. I think its just going to get worse and fans are going to be disappointed with this “payoff” everyone is counting on. So disappointing from this once great show.
Another take of Beckett lying on her couch in her office while talking to a subordinate is that it is a very strong power position. I’m the boss and I can lay down any time I please. Would the subject have come up if Beckett was a man? Probably not.
If the man were in a short dress it would. There’s no way laying down in that little dress puts her in a position of authoritative power. Your argument would fly if she were in a pantsuit – but it doesn’t hold up in a short dress. Lying down in the dress is the issue – not so much the lying down.
The new show is destroying all the characters. Beckett being unreasonable, definitely not mature, rather stupid, awkward, no longer badass, and the limits to which they are destroying Castle is even more unbelievable.
With Beckett lying down and pulling the chair back, I am starting to think pregnancy can be a story with her being more careful now.
Though, I disagree on what you say about Nathan’s comment on the show. Yes, it is a dramedy and that is pretty much what I think Nathan was trying to say. Comedy has always been Castle’s main suit, of course full drama episodes came but except very few, most of the season were filled with comedy generated episodes, so it is far more of comedy, or in other words humor, with drama and heartfelt moments added. That is what the show is. Though I guess the reason for disliking his comment is that now it seems to be silly comedy and not humorous.
I’m hoping the couch scene was forshadowing something along the lines of Kate getting sick or becoming overly stressed and realizing she needs Castle. I’m not happy with their break up at all HOWEVER this is almost a repeat of season 4 so you know they’ll make up soon. I’ll continue to watch because I have faith in the whole Castle crew. As long as we get Caskett scenes, the light comedy and everything Castle should be then I’m okay with it. But we need Caskett scenes of them alone and not at the preceint maybe she goes to him or he goes to her at their places.
Great review Joy but I have to say I did not see the longing from KB that you did. I saw more of her being annoyed by him. This episode made no sense to me. It seemed to be all over the place but the powerful opener with Martha and Beckett did not go far enough. KB “Its complicated” was a cop out answer and complete dis- respect to Martha. Martha is a brilliant actress and played the hurting mom who wants to understand but found herself confused and near tears as she reminded Kate of RC’s loyalty. I think the writers over reached how the fandom would take the break-up. Its the dark cloud that hangs over all the “fun” and “lighter” shows and will continue to do so. Now we have fans attempting to blame BTS issues for this. Either NF or SK–NF did that interview but he began it by saying his first response was “are you guys high?” Either way I do not think either lead has anything to do with the general story line–that falls on the show runners imo. I agree the Castle we know would be asking “what is she up to”? That would be in keeping with what he said when she left–that he had seen this before! Yes Rick you have seen her go down this rabbit hole before! But the writer will not let him explore that avenue just yet. sad
I liked your review! I’ve had similar ideas about Castle not being angry because he has actually learnt something from that season 4 fiasco: things aren’t always what they seem with Beckett. But then again, he isn’t really trying to figure out the real reason behind Beckett’s actions so hmm… That bothers me a bit since Castle is supposed to be the only person who reads Beckett like an open book. But I think he’s going to realize what’s going on and they’re probably going to be working on Beckett’s ”case” together or something. I don’t really see any other way since Castle is about Castle and Beckett’s lovestory. Hopefully, the wait won’t be too long. I need my Caskett fix. :D
The lying on the couch scene was so out of character for Beckett that I started thinking, and I’m probably totally wrong, but in that scene and in the interrogation scene with the priest Beckett’s behaviour seemed pretty much like early stages of pregnancy. She didn’t act like herself in either of those scenes but actually looked tired and nauseous. I didn’t think that anything the priest said could have made her look the way she did. And of course, when I started thinking about this, I thought about that first coffee scene and some other bits and pieces in the episode. Well, speculations. And once again, I’ll just have to wait and see if these scenes are actually foreshadowing some big changes or not.
Thanks for commenting. I’ll be very annoyed if she’s pregnant. Like really, that’s going to be the explanation for all of her illogical thinking and make what they’ve done all better? I would like a Caskett baby at some point, but not like that. That would be another sexist trope.
Thanks for the review. I agree with the most of it but not all of it. I for once belong to the minority who understands why Beckett is doing what she’s doing. Is it then the right thing to do from the case point of view, time will show, but the only thing that matters at this point of time is that she believes herself she’s doing the right thing and this is the only way to keep Castle out of the investigation and hence out of danger, even if it kills her mentally and can cost her her marriage. To me she is also behaving fully inside her character. Does it make a the show good is then another story. One interesting point is that with the fact that Beckett cannot reveal the true reasons behind her leaving to anyone the writers didn’t put only Beckett to a tough spot but also the writers themselves. You can only say “I need space” or “it’s complicated” few times before it becomes really boring from the story telling point of view. So I see the writers having two options. Either Backett starts revealing something to someone soon or other people think the separation is given and stop asking. I so hope it’s the former, because it would mean progress in the story and take it to a new more interesting path. For some reason I fear they will choose the latter option, though.
So, Beckett’s actions understood, but what I don’t understand is Castle’s winning her back nonsense. You can’t win back something you haven’t lost in the first place. Beckett also makes it very clear to him all the time. From the story telling point of view this creates now similar kind of a problem as described above with Beckett. If Castle doesn’t start a process trying to figure out the real reasons very soon, the story becomes boring and even more ridiculous as well as is very much out of character behaviour for him. But I remember TPW&AH saying finding new ways for Castle to weasel himself to Beckett’s cases was good fun for the writers, so I fear we have to watch the nonsense longer than is healthy. What I do like about is that he has matured enough from S4 to put his efforts in saving his relationship with Beckett instead of flying to Vegas and parading bimbos in front of her.
I find this dramedy vs. comedy debate to be a bit semantics, because people see these things differently. For me it has always been drama with comedy elements the most dramatic episodes being the real gems. But what’s important and what Mr Fillion clearly doesn’t seem to understand is that the comedy in the show people fell in love with was based on witty well timed dialog between intelligent and likable characters when now the dialog seem to have been given the second chair and the so called comedy comes from physical slap stick type of action. That may be found funny by adolescent boys, and Nathan Fillion, but hardly by anyone else. The change started gradually in S5 already, but happened big time only last season. That along the fact that Fillion was incapable of acting any emotions towards Beckett last season ruined Richard Castle as a character for me and too often I don’t even like the character any more. Some improvements in him showing emotions this season, which of course is a positive thing, but the difference between the loveable, intelligent, witty, sometimes child-like but still clearly grown-up Richard Castle who threw longing and loving looks towards Beckett in S3 and the current not so intelligent clown is huge.
Anyway, for me the season started strong, but the last two episodes have been a disappointment, still watchable with some great moments but as a whole not as enjoyable as they used to be, mainly because of the lack of Caskett interaction and Alexis’s too prominent, and badly written, role. I haven’t given up yet, though, it’s still early days and so far S8 is not worse than S7, although the departure of Terri Miller and Dara Creasey and some other women in the producer team appears to have increased sexism, whether it’s Beckett on a sofa or slutty Alexis, which is a bit worrying, because Castle hasn’t been a sexist show before, quite an opposite actually. On a positive side is that unlike S7 S8 has a storyline that works as a backbone for the season and they touch that story, as it seems now, in every episode. Interesting to see what happens with the ratings and will they use the long hiatus for any adjustments based on the feedback, like sending Alexis back to college (or anywhere else but the PI office) for example and most importantly bringing Caskett back together faster than maybe originally planned. Also looking forward to seeing what that shift in the dynamics in the fall finale is.
Thank’s for your thoughtful comment. I think everything you said about the change in the type of comedy and Fillion’s take on things is spot on. Ditto to the lack of women writers and the things going on with Alexis and Beckett in terms of display. Also, in the ideas of what it means for a young woman to be now “grown up.” (Gee Hayley’s a great mentor because she’s teaching Alexis to use her sexuality to get what she wants and lie to her father – woo hoo! NOT)
Here’s the part I don’t follow: I understood Beckett’s initial response in not telling him. When she first got the phone call it made absolute sense. I don’t fault her there at all. What I don’t get is how her keeping him in the dark and leaving him after the fact makes any sense casewise.
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If anyone was watching her to see if she actually bought that the AG woman who killed herself was the mastermind it is a huge red flag that Beckett didn’t buy it. They saw Beckett rescue Castle, they know the history of the relationship. Her suddenly leaving telegraphs Beckett’s disbelief because it’s an abrupt change and if they were tapping her phone (and really how could anyone think they aren’t – another huge fail in this story) they would hear in the conversations that Beckett isn’t angry with Castle. It makes him a sitting duck. The way to keep Castle safe would have been to act that she thinks everything is now fine. That’s the way Bracken didn’t come immediately after her.
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Because of Beckett’s experience with Bracken it’s very difficult for me to understand why it’s being written that she doesn’t see any of the above. The stepmom’s Jedi mind trick doesn’t fit in Beckett’s experience of things. She’s the one who pistol-whipped Bracken and made remade that deal with him that Smith had, so she knows that the most important thing is that the other side thinks you’re complacent. She also knows that she couldn’t have taken down Bracken without Castle’s help and insights. He is much more of a liability when out of the loop than in it. The way this story is going is as though none of Beckett’s past has happened.
That’s what’s infuriating to me as a viewer. It’s asking me and viewers to pretend the last 7 seasons of character development didn’t happen. Since most viewers do know Beckett’s history all this storyline doesn’t make sense. Or if you try to make sense of it the result is Beckett is just a crazy & obsessed woman. At this point she’s giving up more for the murder of her colleagues than she did for the murder of her mother. How does that remotely fit with the Beckett from the episode “Always” and what’s happened since then through the end of season 7?
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I’m serious about that question: how do you see the current situation as being inside of her character arc? You may be a minority, but you aren’t alone. There are two sides to everything. Even if I don’t agree with the other side of an argument I like to be able to see the argument being made. Right now I can’t even see that. I would like someone who does see it that way to walk me through the logic.