VinceW

Not sure the viewers will be patient enough to wait the whole season with so much ongoing angst. My hope is that something happens which forces Beckett to realize that both of them are in danger if kept apart regardless of the reason for his disappearance which seems more likely related to the CIA given the new stepmother involvement.

I think you are right. Something will be set in motion which balances out Beckett keeping secrets. That will allow Castle to take a lot of the viewer grief for her actions. Otherwise, some effort would be needed to explain away her irrational emotional behavior at the start of the season. Much like what happened with the proposal at the swings, where Castle spoke up and quickly asked her to marry him before Beckett said anything about the job offer which had resulted in her looking so selfish in Watershed by lying and keeping the job interview secret. Marlowe further explained away her behavior at the start of 6x1 by putting the onus on Castle to explain why he wanted to marry her no matter what before she could even tell him if she was going to take the job. Instead, she just said I "got the job". The Castle disappearance must be what the producers keep talking about as the new dynamic to explain away keeping them apart.

I enjoyed the Castle, Ryan, Espo interaction and comedic scenes, but all of the Caskett interaction at the precinct reminded me of the AU/wedding episode. Poor Castle seems so lost over what is happening to his marriage and he doesn’t know how to fix it except the annoying ‘win her back’ mentality. It presents that 3 episodes (8x3,8x4,8x5) of this kind of writing seems the limit for providing much of a reason for fans to keep watching. It is hard to imagine watching 18 more episodes with the writers keeping them from living together which means the separation lasted longer than their actual time period together as a married couple. I was glad to hear Martha mention Castle’s previous divorces to Beckett, but she just seemed to dismiss it with her assurance that there would be no divorce. After that confirmation in the script, why not just skip watching until May sweeps? A person in her kind of emotional state makes for a sad story, but I don’t sense that the facts presented allow for the audience rooting for them as a couple in any meaningful way rather just a lot of frustration with the poor story decision. The heroin connection tracking by Beckett must mean that the big bad is in NYC which suggests something might happen very soon that gets Castle involved with the case and Beckett finally realizes that both of them are in danger by keeping the case and the relationship apart. For myself, that is the only reason I would keep watching LIVE past the fall hiatus.

The way Beckett is acting so far would put her in a much darker light if she actually knew that Meredith cheated on him in his second marriage and she still chose to leave him without any explanation.

I don't really have any issue with the skype scene. Castle has own business now and he does consulting for the NYPD. In 8x2, Castle had the 5 murdered FBI agent profiles including Vikram's background data on his white board sharing info with the precinct. It raises his stature rather than having him hanging around her office. I suppose that is why the art department upgraded his work area with new equipment and gadgets. This method allows for the writers to get him involved in special cases much easier and it provides them with a better excuse for Castle to work with Beckett at the precinct. IMO

Another 'Sleeper' type episode is all that would fit into one episode and still keep the comedic tone going for entire season. IMO. Caskett living apart for an entire season and the producers expecting viewers to keep watching is a reach.

His comments are such BS and he knows it. The perfect ‘Don’t blame me for the upcoming big drop in ratings’ defense. Recall that NF told folks that 6x23 would be a light episode and fun as well. Everything done is always explained away in terms of light and comedic terms.

I expect that the Slaughter character will take on the same persona that Baldwin's character(Mike Slattery) played in the TNT summer series 'The Last Ship'. He was less the "Last Action Hero" type serving as the ExecO on the ship and he was supportive of the ship commander and the crew, but he would go rogue at times if his men were in danger. Until TSATQ, "Headhunters" was considered one of the worse Castle episodes besides "Heartbreak Hotel". The Slaughter character behavior was so extreme that his portrayal as an actual homicide detective was unreal. The episode itself was dark and the premise made no sense for Castle and Becket at that point in their relationship. You would hope that script was all Marlowe driven at the time.

By November sweeps, something must happen in 8x7 (Christine Roum withstanding) which causes Beckett to realize that keeping the case and the relationship separate puts both of them in danger. The audience needs something besides ongoing episodes that rewind to past Caskett banter in order to keep them watching past November. The Nov-Feb sweep periods are back-to-back this season. The producers told us no two-parter in rest of season. During Feb sweeps, I would guess the reunion happens which allows them to attack the case together moving forward. Otherwise, a separation lasting any longer just makes no sense for a hurried resolution to everything during May sweeps because many fans will have already stopped watching long before that time. IMHO.

It is not just fan comments, but some of the once objective TV critics in both the print and digital media are adding to the negativity in a big way. Some suggesting that the show is not worth watching any longer because it appears that the new producers are ignoring the show's history.

I expect that the fan backlash factor will show up in the viewership numbers quickly after the next few ‘fun’ episodes. If the separation lasts beyond the extended hiatus and into the February sweeps period, Castle and Beckett will have been separated for a longer period of time than they have actually been married which is pretty ridiculous. The story that seems to be unfolding is the strangest TV marriage in recent memory. Hawley’s comment “What can we do to make this thing feel new again? “ doesn’t justify what has been presented so far to viewers, but it is definitely a new approach . In 8x3, viewers discover that none of the precinct team members know why Kate walked out on her marriage besides “to take some space”. While Beckett knows that Castle is hurt by her actions, she refuses to talk about it. I doubt that fans will have much patience with this story line given what has been forthcoming from the upcoming promos. After three episodes, viewers still have not seen Beckett working from her new office which would exemplify her promotion.

I expect that the fan backlash factor will show up in the viewership numbers quickly after the next few ‘fun’ episodes. If the separation lasts beyond the extended hiatus and into the February sweeps period, Castle and Beckett will have been separated for a longer period of time than they have actually been married which is pretty ridiculous. The story that seems to be unfolding is the strangest TV marriage in recent memory. Hawley’s comment “What can we do to make this thing feel new again? “ doesn't justify what has been presented so far, but it is definitely a new approach for a love story. The precinct team members only know that Kate just walked out on her marriage to “take some space”. While Beckett knows that Castle is hurt over it, she won’t talk about it. I doubt that fans will have much patience with this story line given what has been forthcoming in the upcoming promos. After three episodes, viewers still have not seen Beckett working from her new office which would exemplify her promotion.

It is not unusual for a couple to be separated, but still perhaps work together or share the same work environment depending on the profession (doctors, lawyers, cops, etc) which regular viewers can accept for a time. However, in most cases, both parties know what issue(s) persists between them causing the disagreement, but in the latest sneak peek we see Castle trying to make the best of Kate leaving him for no apparent reason using comedy and Beckett showing annoyance which suggests more of her “this is my life” crap. Explaining away the separation to those at work (Ryan, Espo, Lanie,etc.) with ‘mommy and daddy fighting’ will just get the audience frustrated because it implies that viewers will just keep watching no matter illogical the story since the audience already knows the reason, but Castle has no clue. If he did, I doubt he would be comedic about it. In a real life situation, the husband would push her to talk about it . You hope that Beckett would not treat Castle this way if she knew that Meredith cheated on him and Castle ended his second marriage over it. It is disheartening to know from the new producers that Caskett will never be happy because happiness lacks drama. That admission alone, at the beginning of a new season, is enough for most long time fans to just stop watching the show no matter how invested in the characters. IMO.

Maybe Hawley wrote "Headhunters" under protest. TPW and AH together wrote "A Rose for Everafter".

One objective of the separation might be to get the viewers out of the mindset of Castle and Beckett having children anytime soon which might explain the sudden reoccurrence of her harmful emotional issues. The producers don’t want to explore normal married life (not dramatic) outside work in order to avoid the romantic scenes, but that is what the viewers expect now after waiting six years. The Hawley ongoing interviews explaining things just seems so out of touch with the place the writers put Caskett in their relationship before he took over especially after last season (when one partner has a problem, then both have a problem). His description of Kate's new path to keep Castle safe just makes no sense. Working other cases together, but living apart will not bring her back to an emotional normal by itself. It will be interesting to see the viewership numbers after the next 3 episodes if the writers actually follow this kind of crazy logic.

1. The stepmother told Beckett at the safe house that Locksat was someone high up in CIA that she had been tracking for years. The assistant AG phone number was on the assassin cell phone which Ryan revealed to the others and then suggested to the rest that she was the top person, but Kate told Espo to keep the murder for the NYPD and not pass to feds which doesn't sound like local interest will stop. Nobody else knows about the stepmother except Kate and Vikram. Just more secrets for Beckett to keep from Castle. 2. My sister was in town last Monday and we watched Castle together. She stopped watching Castle LIVE after Hong Kong Hustle, but she calls me for spoilers to keep up(she is a big Bones fan; she likes the way the couple story has been portrayed since their wedding). After the end scene, her comment was "she is just walking away? Why didn't Castle push her more for a reason? I don't like her lying to Castle. Not interested to watch further if they are going backwards on the relationship".

Where will Beckett be living during the separation? Sharing a cab with Vikram or reside in the precinct sleep room? So many ways to go with the separation, but Castle and Beckett working other cases together and LOCKSAT never discussed while at the precinct? At least five other people beside Kate and Vikram know about the code. Ryan and Espo know as much as Beckett now about what happened in DC, but not in danger? Will the assistant AG murder in NYC be resolved as part of Kate's investigation? Castle has an digital image of the redacted memo in his PI office. Hawley giving TVLine weekly updates to explain the story in order to keep viewers watching? What a tangled web to weave in order to keep Caskett apart and avoid any home life.

1. Getting justice for her old team and wanting to avenge them in a legal sense is the same thing, but going rogue to get that result is her issue. If the Bracken data search was part of the fed task force agenda, then she is not responsible just for doing her job. She is a police captain with NYPD resources to only investigate NYC murders, but the DC team member killings are out of her control. She was offered a security detail, but refused. She is too compulsive at times and refuses to follow law enforcement best practices. I am still not sure that she didn't put some of those bullets in Vulcan Simmons legs before he died. (She only told Castle that he was alive when she left the body shop). 2. Taken out of context. I was speaking to her walking away from her marriage without any explanation or discussion. Would she do the same thing again with children in the home?

VINCEW, ON 28 SEPT 2015 - 7:28 PM, SAID: From USA Today Critic’s Corner(LIFE section), Robert Bianco on 9/28/2015: “On the other hand, the best fans of Castle can hope for is that the season premiere was an anomaly, and that this concluding half of the two-parter will be less of a bloated mess. Granted, aging shows often feel the need for a reset, and viewers often need time to adjust. But a shift that sends Castle out of the squad and off to his own agency, where all the work seems to be done by his daughter and a possible new partner (Toks Olagundoye, whose debut was as inauspicious as the episode) may not be moving in a direction anyone wants to follow.” I wonder how he would feel if he knew about the “breakup”. Here's your answer! QUOTE Robert Bianco ‏@BiancoRobert 23 mins23 minutes ago On the downside, I hate everything about the turn #Castle has taken. Everything. On the upside, it may free up a TV hour I desperately need. Yeah you're not the only one Robert verdana. He pretty much had given up on Castle since 6x23, but I am still surprised with the harsh tone. His column has a big audience among regular TV viewers which the show runners will soon found out about after the next few episodes.

His explanation about what is forthcoming makes no sense at all. Fans wanted to feel some of the vibes from earlier seasons, but they are married now and a rewind is not needed to accomplish that. It presents that this whole mess is a ruse to avoid showing them with a home life because of BTS issues. Hal told us that her motive for leaving was to protect Castle, but I didn’t get that memo from watching the episode. Killing five federal agents never made sense to me without the affected federal agency executing an all out assault against the criminals. Not Beckett’s job. I expected a weak excuse for leaving, but getting justice for her old team is just about the worse idea because it is not plausible in the short term. With her decision to suddenly leave him that way, it is hard to imagine a man wanting to have children with a woman so compulsive and obsessed with job loyalty while struggling with recurring emotional issues.

Hal told us that her motive for leaving was to protect Castle, but I didn’t get that memo after watching the episode. Killing 5 federal agents never made sense to me without the affected federal agency executing an all out assault against the criminals. Not Beckett’s job. I expected a weak excuse for leaving, but justice for her old team is just about the worse idea because it is not plausible. She is not in the military. Can you imagine a man wanting to have children with a woman so obsessed with job loyalty and ongoing emotional issues? I just can't see how the show can keep regular viewership after such a contrived reason for her leaving and then in the near future, both of them working cases together.

From USA Today Critic’s Corner(LIFE section), Robert Bianco on 9/28/2015: “On the other hand, the best fans of Castle can hope for is that the season premiere was an anomaly, and that this concluding half of the two-parter will be less of a bloated mess. Granted, aging shows often feel the need for a reset, and viewers often need time to adjust. But a shift that sends Castle out of the squad and off to his own agency, where all the work seems to be done by his daughter and a possible new partner (Toks Olagundoye, whose debut was as inauspicious as the episode) may not be moving in a direction anyone wants to follow.” I wonder how he would feel if he knew about the “breakup”.

Another dreaded Watershed-like discussion in the works with plenty of Kate bashing. Not why I continue watching the show, but that is the risk the producers are taking with a separation arc if it lasts too long.

The intel was very weak on all the players involved. She should have listened to Gates and declined the assignment. My point was that she was acting a little out of character which always gets her in trouble.

Great point. 'It's My Life' might become 'No More Secrets', but hard to tell without knowing Beckett's side of the story yet. Hopefully, she won't embrace the same kind of unhealthy obsessions from the past.