Had you never seen an episode of the show before, Castle Season 8 Episode 6 likely would be amusing. Of course that’s been the problem with most of Castle Season 8 – a complete disregard of the show’s history. Writing an episode of a show in it’s eighth season but acting like it’s still in its first is annoying for a long-time viewer. Things that may have been funny for writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) to do in Seasons 1 or 2 end up making the character just look dumb. Unfortunately, that’s been the trend of plots for Castle Season 8. Captain Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) has been sent back to Seasons 3 and 4 in terms of her obsessiveness, while Castle has been turned into something he’s never been – a total fool.
At least viewers didn’t have to watch more of Beckett staying away from Castle because she’s being driven by an obsession more powerful than finding her mother’s killer. (Yes, given Beckett’s history the only conclusion to make is that, unlike the situation in getting Bracken, finding the killers of the colleagues she worked with for a few months means so much to her that she’d rather leave Castle than just leave it alone.) Beckett is not physically present in this episode at all. According to an updated TVLine article Katic had an “out” in her contract so that she could have a particular period of time off.
Had the production actually needed Katic in the episode they could have shot a scene or two before she left. Being that a different TVLine article notes “…the episodes were filmed somewhat out of order” a scene shot out of order doesn’t seem like a stretch. Back in Season 6 it was Fillion on vacation in Hawaii while Katic was filming Castle 6.17 “In The Belly of the Beast” – hence he wasn’t much in that in. With Castle 8.06 really being about the reunion of Castle & Detective Ethan Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) it wasn’t considered necessary to do – and let’s be clear, that’s the point of all this:
“The last time they were together in Season 4, Slaughter almost Castle killed a good half dozen times, so we thought we would revisit that dynamic because the two of them are obviously so great together and they have history that stretches way before this show.” Castle showrunner Alexi Hawley in an online Entertainment Weekly interview
Really, the problem with this, and the entire plot of Castle Season 8, is that the new showrunners get these whims of plot ideas and put together episodes that don’t connect to the history of the show or characters. Why is Beckett acting the way she is? Here’s one version of the explanation (also from an EW.com article)
We really wanted to focus on shaking things up and trying to give some new energy this year and also to their relationship. For us, their love affair is the heart of the show and relationships have issues, so we didn’t want to do a one-dimensional, everybody’s-happy-all-the-time kind of thing. But on a bigger front, it just felt like there were some unresolved psychological issues, Beckett more so possibly than Castle, as the fallout of being obsessed with her mother’s murder for 16 years. How do you just turn that off?
It’s their agenda that is driving this story – not the characters and the journey viewers have been following for seven-plus seasons. For example: we watched Beckett deal with her obsessiveness in therapy and come to choose Castle over that obsession. Then we saw that she still had contact with Dr. Burke if issues came up for her that triggered that. Once her mother’s murder was solved and Bracken put away Beckett became a happier character – still bad-assed, but also (as stated in Hong-Kong Hustle) very clear that she had no intention of losing sight of her priorities. “How do you just turn that off?” You do it over several seasons of character development.
Instead we’ve gotten various characters in Season 8 telling the audience that despite all they’ve seen happen Beckett is still this obsessive closed off person. Castle’s mother, Martha Rogers (Susan Sullivan) is the latest message deliverer.
“Katherine is at a crossroads. The loss she suffered when she was young has just…changed her in ways that she is just now beginning to realize.”
She goes on to tell Castle to just “have faith” because things between him and Beckett tend to work out.
While I love the idea of Martha writing a book called “Unsolicited Advice” the advice she’s giving here is total nonsense strung together to hammer in the writer’s’ ideas. After all, the story being told about Beckett’s leaving is that Castle doesn’t know why she’s left. How the heck would Martha know it had to do with Beckett being obsessive and driven to find these killers – which would warrant what she says to Castle? This is Martha being used as a mouthpiece for the writers to push their idea and tell viewers not to worry it will all eventually be okay. Last season similar tactics were used to explain why why Castle and Beckett weren’t getting married right away after he’d been found and why none of their friends were at the wedding when it happened. Those were lame plots as well, but at least they didn’t mess the core dynamic of Caskett. (Remember when the stalling of the wedding was the worst thing ever? Who dreamed things could go any lower?)
The writer’s idea that a relationship breakup was the only way to keep things from being “one-dimensional” is sad. Things occur that complicate relationships all the time – it doesn’t mean people break up. After all the time the show took to build a strong foundation for the Castle and Beckett marriage, this season acts like there’s been no work there at all.
This brings me to the point of Castle Season 8 Episode 6. The desire was to reunite the Firefly alums Fillion and Baldwin. In fact Hawley doesn’t even bother differentiating the actors from the characters. The problem is that the original character of Slaughter was written as a truly horrible character with no morals, no regard for safety, the law, or Castle in general. Why on earth would Castle trust or work with this guy again?
The answer is that while both Martha and daughter Alexis Castle (Molly Quinn) are quick to remind Castle of how dangerous Slaughter is, a promise by Slaughter to tell Castle some crazy story is enough for him to agree to work with him.
Now, if you hadn’t seen the first episode with Slaughter you might buy this. The problem is that it’s the idea of getting crazy stories from Slaughter that intrigued Castle the first time around. It nearly got him killed (several times), he learned just how much of a liar the guy was, and we saw Castle lose all respect for Slaughter. Yet, Castle jumps right back into working with Slaughter for the promise of a story? It makes Castle look like an idiot. Then again, so does this whole idea that Castle needs to win back his wife because he has no idea that her leaving might be connected to the case of her colleagues being killed. Maybe that’s because the move makes no sense? However, since the incidents occurred so close together it’s the kind of thing that Castle – prior to this season – would have put together.
So much of what happens in the episode is about finding ways to set up “fun” Baldwin and Fillion scenes. For instance, the final bit where they’re about to to be killed and break into the song “Cool” from West Side Story – hence the “official” point of the show title “Cool Boys.” I suggested a few others in my Castle Get Ready for November Sweeps article. The whole thing about saying he was a musical theatre major in college is part of that set up. Maybe Baldwin was one, but Slaughter? In that same article broke down why Castle stealing the car of detectives Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) is a real betrayal of Castle – by Castle. These guys saved his ass from Slaughter’s reckless schemes in season 4. Yet he’s taking Slaughter’s side over theirs and is willing to get them in major trouble. Sure, without any character history this little switch could be funny, but there is a history, so it’s not.
As for that whole Slaughter’s ex-wife story? Again, it’s all so that Slaughter can do this “meaning” talk with Castle that ends with Slaughter telling Castle that in Slaughter’s case the inability to be man enough put his wife’s needs ahead of his own is what cost him his marriage and that Castle shouldn’t make the same mistake. Furthermore Castle shouldn’t “ask permission” for Beckett to let him in. What the hell did any of that conversation had to do with what’s been happening with Castle and Beckett? Nothing, but somehow it’s supposedly going to give Castle great insight into what he needs to do to get his wife back.
Supposedly, we’re supposed to believe that the guy from Season 4, and who in this episode is giving the barely legal Alexis the once over and hitting on Hayley Shipton (Toks Olagundoye) is able to “understand” how to deal with a real relationship. (I can’t get into my thoughts about the fact that apparently Hayley now works for Castle. In this case Hayley was an easy way to cut down on having to show finding out procedural information, and it’s better her than having Alexis as the wonderkid do it.)
There’s so much about this Castle episode that, as a long-time, viewer was annoying. It was hard to focus on the things that worked. I think the actual case had some merit and I enjoyed the actor who played Louis, the sixteen-year-old genius. Plus, Martha is always amusing, even when her unsolicited advice is not.
I’m curious to see how other viewers found this episode. On top of all the things I’ve mentioned the general tone of Castle Season 8 Episode 6 wasn’t like an actual Castle episode at all. Did anyone else feel like it was a completely different show? Let me know in the comments.
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[Photo credit: Mitch Haaseth/ABC]
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Thank you Joy. I’m glad that somebody reviewing the show who doesn’t find “funny” when characters are sold for a cheap joke and don’t think basic behavioural logic neglectable.
Again, I agree!! Thanks for putting it so eloquently! PS – What did you make of the mention of divorce in the promo?!?
Thanks. Answered the promo question above. :)
Spot on Joy–I watched it and yes I admit I had a few laughs but I viewed it as a stand alone prime time show that was NOT Castle. Sad to say but I did not miss KB who right now is on my last nerve with her on again and off again wonder cop who is down right mean to her husband. Then there is RC who is a pathetic version of himself. The show is dead–gone and I see no way of the show runners being able to recover from their disastrous arc. I never expected that I would miss Marlow–while he too did damage I do not believe he would have broken them up.
I love to read your articles Joy,I so agree with every point.I did not even catch what Martha said and now it is so clear ,how did she know anything…..another hole in the story.Since the season started Ryan and Espo have been treated like clowns and nothing they do or any of them do,makes sense,it is not the cast I watched for seven seasons.It is sad and not funny at all.
I would also love to know how you feel about the divorce promo.
I’ll do a spoiler article on it, but in general I think that a divorce won’t happen. However, the fact that’s it’s even brought up is just more character damage for Beckett – which has been a driving point since 6 x 23. There is no way Beckett would do a divorce. It’s the same nonsense that drove 6 x 23. Marriage is a big deal for her. I’m just as concerned about Beckett being paired with Hayley undercover. One, why is a police captain going undercover? Two, why would she need someone outside of the NYPD to do it. This is all more of the same general problem: the plots have no connection to the characters that were developed over several seasons and make no sense in and of themselves.
I think the divorce promo was Beckett looking at an evidence video. However, it suggests a very poor decision on ABC marketing to put something like that in a promo which can be easily taken out of context and could further hurt the ratings.
Agreed. To be honest, I didn’t even notice the divorce thing – I was too flipped out over the idea that not only was Captain Beckett going undercover but that somehow the only other woman she could find to undercover with her was a disgraced former cop from London. Like, there was no one in the entire NYPD department that could do this?
You mean the PD Captain of a 35,000 member department with a multi-book/movies franchise of her life, married to a world-famous author, who took down a US Senator thinking of a Presidential run and saved NY from a dirty bomb? That the Police Captain who was going undercover but couldn’t find a competent female partner on the force? Irony in art…..
Actually she’s a captain of a precinct, not the entire force. The idea that she was going undercover was bad – but at least the obvious happens in that she gets recognized. What annoys me is the “irony” moving in the other direction. With all of the powerful things she’s been able to do she gets stuck with…Hayley.
LOL, yes, she’s “one of the Captains” of the force. Nobody said she’s the only one. She directly controls dozens of people and outranks 98% of the force but cannot find another officer was the point of the posts on the topic.
Thanks for your great review. This is not Castle – both the show, or the character. It saddens me that the two lead characters have regressed and disappeared from my screen. I had so enjoyed them for 7 years. I miss confident, strong, sauve, fun (not idiotic) Castle and what they have reduced him to is tragic. Kate is worse than the S1 cold detective we met. At least then you knew there was more – which we thought she had overcome thru love. Apparently not. There is no redemption that these showrunners can come up with that will satisfy.
Thanks for checking it out. :) There may be one way to fix this…. Make the entire first half Castle’s nightmare and start over from the day after Hollander’s Woods. Castle was dreaming about what would happen if Beckett became a Captain. ;) Then get Beckett assigned to a task force – it’s a promotion, but not Captain, and she’s not a senator. She brings Castle on board to “consult.” (Really as her partner, but you know, consultant would be the legalese.) Will it happen? …We can hope.
Great article Joy. The writers have shown so little regard for the audience. They seem to honestly believe that the audience will go along with anything they are told, regardless of history or character development. Sad to say that I’ve lost hope that Hawley and TPW can get the show back on track.
Joy, I really appreciate your intelligent reviews and this one wad spot on. Slaughter was an awful human being the first time he appeared so I don’t know why they felt the need to bring him back. Scratch that, he returned because the actor is Nathan’s bud and they probably wanted to please the browncoats (ugh! that show was awful IMO, and I’m a huge sci-fi fan).
It’s as if Hawley has willfully ignored all that has happened since he left after season 4. The show feels like it is being produced by a huge boys club and it has made the show virtually unwatchable.
My one quandary with the episode is that I feel it was inappropriate and just wrong that Beckett was not written into the episode, but I am very glad for Stana that she was not subjected to the idiocy.
Agree, doesn’t seem to a woman on the writing team with any meaningful input.
The show is melting down. Not even spectacularly, more like jello pudding left near a window during the late fall. What a sorry mess.
Hi Joy, Thanks for providing such great insight in your review. I agree with your comment about the Martha conversation and it was obvious that Hawley was talking directly to the fans trying to somehow explain away the ill-advised separation decision. That scene reminded me of the Alexis moment in 6×13 “Limelight” and her conversation with the pop star Mandy Sutton. The writers used her conversation with Mandy to explain away her behavior towards Castle up to that point including the bad decisions she made during the Pi arc. I wonder if the writers will use that same method in some upcoming episode to have Beckett hurriedly explain away her treatment of Castle during the separation in order to fix the mess that has been created by the new producers. I noticed that NCIS:LA which airs opposite Castle in the same time slot held most of its viewers for the hour. In that episode, Kensi and Deeks went undercover at a spa and both wore white robes at some point. Castle fans next week will get Hayley and Beckett undercover at a spa in white robes instead. After the “Cool Boys” downward ratings spiral, it is doubtful that even Castle and Beckett in robes whether at the loft or spa will help the show now. It is such a shame that the network let the new producers ruin the show history with the so-called timeout of a working marriage.
Oh wow. That happened on NCIS LA? That’s wild! Yes, the contrast is painful. Hadn’t thought about the role Alexis played in Limelight…probably because I didn’t want to think about scenes like that…Season six was when we first started getting Alexis as Nancy Drew and her character really became hard to follow.
Again I agree,they seem to hate the Beckett character and strong woman since the horrible “she was married before”6 23 episode.
All the negative response from their promo releases and blind items are just fuel to hate Kate.
It is so sad because this show in the past has been applauded for its strong female characters.Sad.
BTW: could anybody tell me why did they make Beckett a Captain? OK, she passed the exam – it didn’t mean there needed to have an empty position instantly. Her doing the usual detective job is just being forced now, while there are exactly zero importance of her captainship.
Hi Joy, always look forward to your reviews. This season, sadly is beyond words…tptb new definition of “fun” better known as “friverlous unadulterated nonsense” is destroying everything that was good about the show. It’s as if the writers truly believe “fans be damned, and full speed ahead with this storyline. The ratings are showing that most fans won’t watch their beloved characters and show be respun and spit out as some new comedy PI show. Really don’t see how the show is going to bounce back. The more I read, watch and remember, the more it makes sense why MilMar left. IMHO I think they wrote Veritas as the finale for the fans. That episode had it all, and brought our Caskett full circle. The show hasn’t been the same since. Too bad
Thanks for the review. As many others have already said, it was spot on. I didn’t actually watch the episode for all the reasons you described. It’s too late for me for it to be fixed.
So much of what I think has lready been said. I just want to emphasize how much this season insults mr! I feel I’m being treated as a fool who will fall for cheap commercial and manipulative gimmicks. The quotes I read from Hawley and Winter, and to some extent even Nathan Fillion sound so condescending. I feel I’m being told, I’m just not getting it; trust and I will be rewarded better than ever. In other word the showrunners know best! Wow! I’m not only stupid, but probably such a hopeless romantic, that I can’t see how fun and exciting the shows are. So my taste is also undeveloped, like I should really be more tuned ion by sophomoric frat or adolescent humor.
Anyway, I feel I gave this season a fair shot. I watched five episodes, through “The Nose”. I was not entertained for it to be with my time. I’ve now bought a season pass to “Blindspot”. As for Castle, I’ve watched more than once every episode from the first through season 8:05. I originally watched for Nathan Fillian, but quickly became a huge Stana Katic fan. As well as considering all the regular characters comprising a powerful ensemble cast.Silly me! I guess I thought that’s what an ongoing show was going for, like “Mad Men”. That’s lost, I’m done!
Hawley adn Winter are using that time tested approach to build the audience.
I think they shouldn’t be rewarded for this cheap condescending approach. I now WANT Castle to be CANCELLED! The shot callers shouldn’t benefit from such a strategy. I’m sure the actors will do fine. I like all the regulars. I think cancelling Castle, given its current degrading direction, will give the cast greater opportunity to entertain me in the future.
Joy, Great review as always. i have nothing to add that has not been said. Show is off the rails and something is so fundamentally wrong I dont know if it can come back. Really sad part, is from 99% of the comments, even the most angry and hurt, if the show were to get back to actually being Castle (that we loved, not harming characters,etc), I do think it would see a resurgence of viewers. it would take time, but lot of fans (including me) just cant stand to watch now, for all the aforementioned reasons.
Other than making Beckett a manic obsessive placing her latest obsession before her family and making Castle a castrated ,spineless whimp, not having the will to fight for his marriage, thus changing our dynamic duo into people you can’t admire much less want to associate with. It’ no wonder why the ratings have plumeted and Zap2it has now listed Castle into the category of being cancelled by May 2016.