Goob

As far as worst episodes of the series wondering what your guys are. Mine are: Suicide Squeeze(case was strangely flat compared to other S2 cases which were pretty strong) Almost Famous(again same reasons for Suicide Squeeze) Pretty Dead(forgettable filler case that didn’t have memorable moments) Heartbreak Hotel(very boring episode imo and Castle with the boys never really works on this show without Beckett) Linchpin/Pandora(While some may have liked the 2-parter, I didn’t like the OTT plot of how one small event would trigger WW3 also thought Castle having another muse didn’t work for me, the car sequence was disappointing never got to see how Castle and Beckett managed to escape the car) The Limey(awkward interaction between Castle and Beckett also Castle with Jacinda just sucked the life out of the episode, Caskett was at its low point here) Swan Song(documentary-like camera was disorienting to watch throughout got huge headaches from this one) Death Gone Crazy(Boring boring case, Espo flirting with some bodyguard was weird, and Caskett was rather flat) Get a Clue(While the case was ok, the Pi debacle really tainted this episode and Alexis slamming the front door on his apologetic father Castle at the end yeah definitely made Alexis too bratty there) Murder is Forever(forgettable case(like some S6 cases are) and wasn’t interested in the Linus in the bedroom conversations Caskett was talking about) Law and Boarder(nothing substantial happened here, episode itself flat and Caskett playing Scrabble and strip poker was flatter than I anticipated) For Better or Worse(terrible writing in this one, 15 year Rogan marriage that Beckett doesn’t know(also how does that go unnoticed by the NYPD), ruining the one and done she was before, all the cliche obstacles for Caskett to get a wedding, and to top it off a car crash delaying the wedding and kickstarting Castle’s disappearance sigh, shame cause there were great moments in this episode thanks to the actors but the juvenile storytelling that insulted my intelligence was too much) Driven(worst season premiere, Espo (hated when he jumped the gun and thought he orchestrated his disappearance right away) and Beckett doubting Castle was hard to watch given they knew Castle for 6 years(one of many OOC things in that episode), episode was not emotionally connecting(Martha and Alexis were disappointing thought they’d show more emotion knowing Castle was missing) too uneven and unsettling, Beckett snapping the suspect’s fingers was overkill especially when he requested a lawyer, Castle’s behaviour was strange as he was nonchalant about his own disappearance, too much whiplash from the team trying to investigate Castle’s disappearance to Castle drinking champagne with the family) Kill Switch(incredibly flat episode with hostages compared to Cops and Robbers, nothing substantial other than just exposition in the precinct, couldn’t quite feel the danger of the passengers in the subway(Marisa and Espo though had good chemistry in this episode), case involving the person using flu virus didn’t really work as a twist, reunion at the end wasn’t as good as I thought and Castle’s joke at the end really killed the mood) Bad Santa(mobsters and Christmas didn’t go well together I was hoping for something lighter and a little more joyful, Espo and Lanie subplot was contrived shame they wasted Lanie’s parents for nothing other than fake marriage, Castle looking at the strippers was distracting, case was typical Romeo Juliet crap I didn’t care for, sad at the end Castle was kicked out of the precinct) Hong Kong Hustle(Beckett’s insecurity was too OTT here, Hong Kong cop was written poorly here as a more perfect Beckett(thought Jordan Shaw would’ve worked better in this episode to help with the plot of Beckett’s next career move), case was rather weak didn’t really buy into the sobbing of the murderer(felt OTT)) Sleeper(imo one of the worst episodes on Castle, whole explanation of disappearance added more questions than answers also didn’t add up with the events from the first 2 S7 episodes, Al-Qaeda, Thailand, Chuck Norris(LOL), and one of Castle’s friends being associated with CIA(couldn’t writers come up with better ideas with Castle’s friends who influenced him????), head scratching that Castle could somehow recall his events in Thailand off looking at someone’s face lol, Espo doubting Castle again was on par with his S7 attitude I didn’t love, Beckett’s “you were saving the world!” line sigh why must writers intend on trying to make everything about saving the world, pathetic that writers thought this would dive into Castle’s background more in S7, should’ve perhaps included more episodes of why he became a writer like Hollander’s Woods or episodes involving murder mysteries that connected with his Storm books) XX(so disappointing and frustrating because the S8 2-parter wasn’t bad(a little too much action for a lighthearted show like Castle but it worked ok I guess in this case) until the frickin ending with Beckett walking away from Castle for no reason, Vikram for some reason was irritating I couldn’t stand him with Beckett, Rita being a sound board for what Beckett needs to do sigh wish Beckett understood what she meant but she instead does the opposite, shame the writers really had Beckett go through a Locksat conspiracy on her first days of captaincy while separating from her husband not even telling him what’s going on) The Nose(terrible use of humor in this one from Castle farting, Ryan shooting Espo in the arse with Ryan telling Espo to shoot him back in the arse(I mean really this is embarassing for NYPD detectives to act this OOC), Assposito Jesus are we really that low on nicknames??, Castle relying on the nose lady to know how hot she is yeah he’s an idiot, end scene sigh it made me sad and not in a good way that Beckett is nuking her marriage for some Locksat conspiracy while sobbing and smelling Castle’s shirt) Tone Death(the fake cheating from Caskett taints their marriage, sucks that Ryan and Espo are devastated that Caskett ain’t together, the Beckett slap on Castle just NO!(can the writers show some damn respect for Captain Beckett and stop having her acting OOC and unprofessionally)) The GDS(also a contender for worst Castle episode, no mention of Beckett of all(even though S8 Beckett was irritating to watch) just disrespectful to not even explain when Beckett was, Castle PI going to LA with just Hayley and Alexis feels wrong(didn’t help Stana wasn’t available for filming at that time), case I didn’t care for and GDS was too cheesy of a name, Hayley and Frost kissing ew, Hayley all of a sudden connecting with Alexis and Castle doesn’t make sense(why are the writers forcing Hayley to connect well with Castle’s family anyway) given she was an MI6 Agent, terrible tie up to disappearance from S7(writers should’ve left this alone), connecting Castle to Locksat to protect Beckett just added to the convoluted mess) Backstabber(Fitting episode title as it backstabbed fans who loved the show, Hayley-centric episode sums up what was wrong with S8 and what they would’ve done to Beckett if Castle renewed(thank god it was cancelled), Beckett willingly letting Hayley into the investigation despite a warrant for Hayley’s arrest on the case was a big WTF moment(shame cause it was one of many moments that degraded Beckett as a captain in S8 she was unprofessional and lousy at times and didn’t command well in the precinct like Gates and Montgomery), fitting that Castle, Alexis, and Hayley have drinks in the PI office with the boys and Beckett going out for drinks separately would represent what fans missed about Castle in S8(having Beckett, Castle, Ryan, Espo together didn’t happen too much), Beckett blaming Castle for a dream seriously writers??? there was no need for that) Crossfire(terrible end and payoff to fans watching the show for 8 years, such a shame the series finale was an action thriller and not the lighthearted drama it once was in the pilot, evil music played at the start was hard to listen, Caskett was separated too much in a series finale knowing Castle was about a writer and muse solving crimes, ridiculous shoot out(seriously when did the show even have this much gunfire) that somehow Beckett and Castle managed to survive, Caskett moments sadly were flat(the hug though was ok) that didn’t pack the emotional punch and love that previous moments did, Beckett not telling Ryan and Espo about Locksat with Vikram having to tell Ryan and Espo about it sums up Beckett’s increasing liar behaviour in S8 that sadly damaged her character, the GDS guy Mason Wood being Locksat yeah sorry but that was a disappointing reveal towards the end that felt anticlimactic and wasn’t satisfying for this convoluted S8 mess, reunion scene at the precinct was ok but Beckett strangely being separated from Castle’s family was jarring, Caleb shooting Beckett and Castle at the loft was sooooo unnecessary(and seriously why did the show runners not take this shooting scene out for the series finale knowing the show could’ve be cancelled) that inflicted additional damage to an already terrible episode, tacked on ending with Caskett and 3 kids 7 years later doesn’t work as Caskett had to have miraculously been healed, sad the only positives in this was Castle revealing names from being out on truth serum which packed an emotional punch) Anyways, I do have others I hated from S8 especially but it would probably be too much to add on. Shame in later seasons soap opera storylines were used and the foundations of a lighthearted drama with a writer and a muse was long gone in S8.

This, I cannot emphasize how much I loved the mature humour on this show(from S1 to I guess S5). In earlier seasons, it felt like the characters had a natural vibe going with their conversations using the humour so it really made Caskett’s scenes and to some extent Ryan and Esposito’s scenes more energetic and lively. The humour imo added more spark to Caskett as Fillion and Katic had a knack of playing that witty humour off each other and it was entertaining and fun to watch. I agree with you in later seasons I didn’t love the humour they chose which was more slapstick hence why most comedic moments I loved on this show are mostly from earlier seasons compared to later seasons(also the humour gave me some memorable quotes in earlier seasons). Still have no idea why the writers abandoned the witty humour(probably due to laziness and exhaustion imo)because once they switched to slapstick the characters kinda lost substance when having conversations and the characters looked more idiotic than anything. Ngl watching some of the slapstick humour in later seasons was really cringeworthy at times and immature like you said like when Ryan shoots Espo in the arse(that totally made no sense) and the argument preceding that was embarrassing, Castle stumbling in the Webmerical(thought also writers developed a crutch of having Castle being laughed at too much), and Castle kissing Gates(I mean cmon in front of Beckett). Also ngl Castle was too immature in S7 at times with the humour he used like when he joked to Beckett when he woke up from the hospital in the S7 premiere, the insensitive comment he made about the Old Haunt after Espo reunited with the team in the 12th, and his sarcastic remarks of Beckett’s loft in Last Action Hero. This didn’t resemble the witty humour Castle possessed in earlier seasons and I just didn’t quite understand why S7 Castle would make these kinda jokes in serious moments where I felt the writers were trying to force the comedy rather than letting it flow naturally.

Interesting what channel/network is it on? Never thought Castle would be good enough that its episodes are aired now where the show ended 6 years ago. Still kind of disappointed how the show ended, probably would've helped if they had all the main cast back for a final shortened S9 which would've ended Castle on a high note.

Ah now I see what you’re saying, I do gotta admit though, while I don’t really find these things significant compared to the ones in S5 cause you’re right I fondly remember those things in S5 really meant something I think Beckett telling Castle about her mom was really heartfelt(I’ll be it, it was also hung in with the dress talk so maybe if this was isolated it wouldn’t be a problem). However I see what you mean but tbh I blame the wedding preparations on the writers not the actors and actually now that you bring it up even though it’s meaningless I do give props to the actors for trying to be enthusiastic about it and be emotionally connected with it. I think clearly the writers thought it had some depth to their relationship but to many viewers’ eyes including me it doesn’t really add anything to their relationship. And I do agree with you 100% on the over reliance of kisses I think even though S5 probably didn’t have as much kisses as S6 I thought their S5 moments were more sweet and romantic compared to S6. Take in Murder He Wrote(personally one of my favourite episodes of the series) we see Beckett and Castle going on vacation. I don’t know what it was but from my gut Castle and Beckett felt like a genuine couple the moment Beckett was feeling extremely shy and unsure of herself but Castle reassures that she doesn’t need to feel insecure and he holds her hand to reassure everything is fine and Beckett responds with a bit of a smile(well not really but if you watch the scene I’m referring to they show true love off their looks). Even though there were some interrupted/lack of kisses in the Murder He Wrote episode outside of the kiss at the end scene(and the one with Beckett kissing him in bed with Castle distracted on the case tbh I don’t count this one), I thought most of their non-kissing moments really depicted their love/chemistry off each other and was more reflective of how Caskett was adjusting into their relationship. But yeah imo if I were to rank the sweet and romantic moments of Caskett from S5-7, I’d say S5 > S7 > S6. Honestly S7 had some moments where I thought the writers did a better job of not making Caskett look scripted(kinda like the wedding prep scenes and I guess that scrabble scene which many found odd and stilted), like the kiss in I, Witness felt natural between the 2(although I probably think this was a 100% stana improv but ymmv) and the loving looks they throw in the end of Resurrection with Beckett cuddling Castle at the end now that really showed love without looking awkward. Also thought episodes Time of Our Lives and Once Upon a Time in the West really solidified their love and I was impressed by Nathan and Stana’s acting there. I think(btw jmo) why some people think S6 the 2 leads started having friction was when there was a 10 episode stretch where Caskett didn’t kiss on the lips from Time Will Tell(Episode 5)until Dressed to Kill(Episode 14). Many fans on other sites commented(I btw was curious and saw comments on TvFanatic and Tvline so I’m basing my assumptions off this) something is wrong and weird here because Caskett is not being accurately portrayed as a loving couple. This didn’t bother me tbh because I don’t have the Caskett romance be the end all be all in this show. But in a way I can see what you’re thinking here as once Caskett start kissing in Dressed to Kill, many of the kisses didn’t come off as natural(outside of Smells Like Teen Spirit and a deleted scene from Veritas where Beckett puts the ring away then Castle comes in and gives Beckett a kiss after a brief convo) like in The Way of the Ninja where Beckett tries to convince Castle they weren’t boring and the kisses were yeah lacklustre from what people saw(heh guess Caskett really felt boring to fans after all). Then I think here people saw the Caskett kisses were more forced and awkward than yk natural and sweet so likely they thought the 2 leads had some BTS problem going on. Honestly imo, Marlowe just doesn’t want Caskett to be hot/sexy(which I’m ok with cause honestly if I wanted hot/sexy couples I’d watch something else) which I think fans prefer so when Caskett is more tame then fans attribute a BTS problem between the leads. I think it also didn’t help the quality of writing really started to decline from S6 and onwards on so fans naturally tried to hope the Caskett romance would deliver to save the episode from being bad. But yeah I think overall the romance wasn’t meant to be mature/adult like based on what the writers do serve up but rather PG level so in a way it makes fans angry that way so they try to find a reason why Caskett scenes aren’t them making out without their clothes all the time or the passionate kisses and they attribute it to the 2 leads not getting along. Hence it feels the kisses/romantic scenes are more scripted than anything and not done like a loved up couple so it’s understandable why perhaps people gravitate towards the actors hatred of each other. I think this is very true in S8 on what you said above especially where the writers tried to appease the fans by giving Caskett kisses at the start/end of episodes but really not addressing the big elephant of the room which is that Caskett is broken up and their marriage is nearing divorce so they need to discuss their issues and not kiss to fix everything. If I’m getting that correctly it’s probably that the Caskett scenes feel like more of a fan pleaser than perhaps something more natural that a married/loving couple would do. I think your issues of relationship development make sense as in they don’t really write Caskett in other ways other than just kissing and boom that’s it(or the annoying sex talk in S8 which really turned me off because it just was to cover up the terrible plots of writing and excuse fans of not writing Caskett as a happily married couple) no loving looks like before or the sexual tension/banter displayed in the earlier seasons. Or even just normal couples talking like moving Beckett’s stuff to Castle’s loft, previous Castle marriage with Meredith which they should’ve discussed in Significant Others(missed opportunity but whatever), perhaps integrating Beckett with Castle’s family with some conversations with Alexis and Martha(tbf it doesn’t bother me too much but I could see what you mean as in Caskett wasn’t a natural couple anymore but more like a scripted couple lol). In ways the Caskett scenes just weren’t indicative of a loving couple anymore but rather scenes written on a script that actors can act without the need to use their chemistry(which imo theirs was really good compared to other shows) as opposed to scenes in earlier scenes where their chemistry would play along with the script which elevated the scene into something fans enjoyed as opposed to something fans are like meh/ok/awkward without the chemistry. Anyways long post here but thanks for responding about why you think the 2 leads had friction, it’s not really easy for me to see these things so hearing an explanation was nice to know so now I kinda understand how fans were really thinking that the 2 leads had problems offscreen.

Gotta say, I 100% agree with this. Even though some on this forum prefer the lighthearted fluff all the time, I think these JB episodes are nice ways to challenge the characters and add more emotion and human flaws to the characters that may not be present in lighter episodes(although I think earlier seasons did a better job balancing each episode with some drama and lightheartedness). I think this also explains why I was extremely disappointed with Castle’s disappearance and the separation/Locksat arc. Compared to the JB arc where at times ok characters made some bad mistakes but I never doubted their intentions and understood where it came from, these 2 arcs were too plot driven in that the writers forced the characters to act OOC so the plot was dictated their way so I couldn’t quite sympathize with the characters. Now I couldn’t understand why the characters would act like this(not that I’m saying they have to act a certain way) but at times it was glaring like where Espo immediately thinks Castle orchestrated his abduction without maybe trying to question if something is off(that was where I was like WTF) or when Beckett separated from Castle without telling him anything because she was trying to protect Castle from Locksat supposedly yet at the same she’s touching and flirting with him without any concern that Locksat may catch on to them. This was where they lost me in S8 it was like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too as in they want me to believe Beckett loves Castle so much and can’t resist getting off him yet at the same time make me think she’s separating from her husband for good intentions. Similarly the fake cheating in Tone Death(Season 8 Episode 9) by Castle and Beckett just to pretend they are broken up so Locksat doesn’t find out made no sense character wise and it really was beyond distracting and Beckett slapping Castle in the face in the precinct just wasn’t what I’d imagine Beckett doing for good intentions especially as Captain it just looks unprofessional. Sad that Ryan and Espo were heartbroken that Castle and Beckett were cheating but yeah much of S8 made me really frustrated the writers would undermine Castle and Beckett’s marriage to pull off that kind of plot. Sigh I really wished S8 was just all lighthearted because I think the writers tried to bring the spark and lightheartedness from earlier seasons back onto Castle and were trying to inject some drama but it was a massive failure that I wished they didn’t even attempt to go dramatic as dramatic episodes got progressively worse(outside of 3XK and Hollander’s Woods)after the JB case was solved. Btw I’ve enjoyed this conversation so far nice to know of the fond memories of the show.

Yes this, I think that’s why I liked this show because it wasn’t some typical crime procedural like others but it had cases that connected with characters, some cases were fun and I enjoyed some of the dialogue Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Espo shared with each other. Relationship wise yeah Caskett was the driving force but Ryan/Espo had a nice bromance that added a little more comedy/lightheartedness to the episodes.

@tessaray @CheshireCat Just wanted to ask what examples of scenes(based on here S6 and later) on the show exhibited friction between the 2 leads(apart from the obvious less screen time together) because tbf I’m not the best of observers when watching TV shows so I miss this stuff. Plus there were some good Caskett moments from S6 and later(at least for me but YMMV) that sometimes I didn’t notice the odd body language/friction between the 2 leads at times.

This is probably one of the reasons I did enjoy the show especially from S1-5 and S6 to an extent despite some flaws. It wasn’t necessarily the same episode each week like one episode could be about the mombatross, one about castle and Beckett’s romantic weekend, one where we find out about Beckett’s past(aka Under the Gun), a 2-parter dealing with Castle’s past, one about some crazy sci-fi case, one about Ryan(I for the most part liked the Ryan-centric episodes) and etc. In a way though some people had issues with this structure especially in later seasons considering the continuity issues it presented and some missed opportunities characters could talk about but in fairness it’s a classic TV show that’s well balanced so I usually didn’t have issues with it. Although I think towards the end once the JB case was over the structure got more confusing and more unbalanced ala S7 with castle’s disappearance where this structure wasn’t working anymore(or completely changed but I’m not 100% sure) although it didn’t affect my viewing too much the pacing of S7 felt off compared to previous seasons so the way Castle’s disappearance was tied up was very confusing and S8 with the separation and Locksat(god I hated that name) the S8 episodes were confusing and I wasn’t quite sure what the show runners were aiming for which also didn’t help that most characters were way OOC in S8. IMO the last 2 seasons the structure was very disjointed that really affected my enjoyment on the last season(S7 was watchable for me and there were good episodes still).

Yep it was that one, I felt for the victim and was hoping he’d be able to find his footing again with his life despite the memory loss but yeah was a cool case. Luckily, he managed to happily be back with his his ex-wife or ex-girlfriend so that was nice to see.

I think you might be referring to the Third Man which was Season 2 Episode 14 where Castle was going on some date(he was the #9 bachelor from the newspaper so yes I believe it’s this episode) with some #3 bachelorette then Beckett becomes jealous and in return goes on a date with some fireman and somehow Castle and Beckett end up at the same restaurant. Then Castle and Beckett build theory on top of it while at the restaurant to solve the case or find the Third Man as said on the episode title.

As far as favourite episodes of Castle was wondering what your guys’ favourites are, here are mine by season: Season 1 Flowers For Your Grave(Great pilot episode imo, love the “you have no idea” quote by Beckett with the Stop and Stare song playing in the background it’s one of my favourite moments of the show) A Chill Goes Through Her Veins(Liked the mysterious old fashioned murder and laughed at Castle and Beckett pretending to be married scene😂) Home is Where the Heart Stops(The scene with Caskett at the gun range was sexy, loved how Beckett tried to connect with the victim’s daughter and giving advice to her on how to grieve through her mother’s death, liked the idea of undercover work for Beckett and Caskett to find the donors for the case, laughed at Castle singing pananana… in the car then the criminal falling at the front and Castle turning the windshield wipers to knock him off the car LOL) Season 2 Double Down(Hilarious betting duel between Castle/Beckett and Ryan/Espo and case was fun with the trade off murders) When the Bough Breaks(Baby case was great definite kudos to the person who sacrificed herself just to understand the truth, laughed at the Beckett “I’m gonna kill you” line to Castle after Beckett found out about Castle’s new book deal, and loved the book party which we don’t see often especially the scene where Castle tells Beckett’s she’s extraordinary after Beckett marvels to Castle about the dedication of his book) The Fifth Bullet(memorable case, loved Marc Blucas who played Jeremy Preswick) Sucker Punch(Great moment of Beckett admitting how much fun it was fun having Castle around after Castle tried to make it up to her by bringing her food, thought Castle was really sweet and caring in this episode as he tried to pay off the ransom to find who killed Beckett’s mom, overall solid JB episode) Tick Tick Tick/Boom(Interesting case with a killer who wanted to get revenge on Nikki Heat aka Beckett, was slightly amused with Beckett’s jealousy of Castle adoring the FBI gadgets and the FBI agent Jordan Shaw, nice little taunting message by the killer that Nikki Will Burn heh, liked the little twist where Castle realized the killer was left handed and fooled the FBI that the case was closed and promptly managed to warn Beckett before the apartment exploded, nice cliffhanger at the end of Tick Tick Tick of Beckett’s apartment going boom, enjoyed the killer’s MO of obsessively trying to beat Nikki Heat in Boom by capturing Jordan Shaw, loved Castle’s thoughtfulness in bringing in Beckett to his apartment along with Castle using his outside the box thinking to detect where the killer is with Shaw, fitting that Beckett aka Nikki Heat manages to defeat the killer Scott Dunn in a one on one duel with some help from Castle shooting the gun out of the killer’s hand, loved at the end where Shaw credits Beckett for the case with Beckett exchanging back she learned a lot from Shaw with Shaw pointing out Castle’s usefulness and Castle’s care for her, also so sweet for Castle to give Beckett her dad’s fixed watch, Dana Delany was fantastic as Jordan Shaw in this 2-parter and had great chemistry with Fillion and Katic) Wrapped in Death(Laughed too many times in this episode especially where Beckett, Espo, and Ryan pranked Castle with the coffee machine making Castle believe in the Mummy Curse) A Deadly Game(Thought the case was really interesting in that the case involves a spy game but also involved an affair(ironically the next episode is A Deadly Affair lol), nice to see Castle playing poker with his fellow writers and talk about the case, Beckett and Castle working his last case was a little sad for Beckett knowing how much she enjoyed having him around, loved the reflective nature of Beckett in that she reconsidered if she really wanted to be with Demming at the cost of not working with Castle anymore, appreciated the little drinks Castle had with Lanie, Ryan, Espo, and Montgomery as you could tell the growing bond was there between Castle and the 12th, was heartbroken for Beckett that she couldn’t continue talking further with Castle about her appreciation working with him but was glad Beckett understood how much she cares about Castle) Season 3 3XK(Nice intro episode of Jerry Tyson with the start of the Castle vs 3XK battle, loved the Caskett holding hands at the end) Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind(Interesting sci-fi case involving aliens) Last Call(Liked the historical callbacks in this one and loved the end scene of the crew singing Piano Man together that showed great camaraderie) Nikki Heat(Hilarious episode with someone intimating Beckett, laughed a few times(I.e. Beckett’s I need to go over there, Ryan’s remark of a nickname for a Beckett clone, Beckett’s venting about the actress taking her coffee), Laura Prepon made a good impression in this episode) Poof You’re Dead(The Caskett moment where they built theory on the guy who faked this death and looked at each other with glee was probably one of my favourites) Knockdown(Fantastic JB episode, Beckett and Castle start to develop more trust in one another, nice sweet moments between Caskett in Beckett’s loft trying to tie in Raglan with another mobster’s case 7 years ago from JB’s murder, loved the Ryan/Espo bromance displayed in seeing them trying to protect each other from torture by jerking with Lockwood, that fake Caskett kiss was hot, nice that Castle saves Beckett from getting shot by Lockwood and Beckett thanks Castle in the ambulance for having his back, end scene of Beckett’s speech to Lockwood of who hired him was powerful with that background music) Final Nail(Liked the fact we got to see someone of Castle’s past who contributed to Castle being a writer, seeing Beckett try to trust Castle with his friend was reassuring, end scene with Castle and Beckett was another great scene that exhibited their developing friendship) Setup/Countdown(My favourite 2-parter, had nice Caskett moments(in spite of Josh being there) especially the one in the freezer with the 2 holding each other for warmth and the Caskett hug after Castle pulled the wires out the bomb, had thrilling and exciting moments that makes me want to rewatch) To Live and Die in LA(Great to see Beckett in non-detective mode as well as Caskett outside the precinct and Caskett in the hotel with Castle sharing his articulate words to Beckett and the Caskett looks were wow, nice note at the end of the Royce letter to remind Beckett of risking her heart for the job) Knockout(IMO easily the best cliffhanger on Castle with Beckett getting shot with Castle saying ILU and seeing those Caskett moments here were some the best emotional moments of the series such as the Caskett argument in Beckett’s loft and Castle dramatically pulling Beckett away from the hangar and attempting to calm Beckett down, also salute to Montgomery who sacrificed himself to protect Beckett and his family) Season 4 Rise(Great scene with the team watching the doctors rescue Beckett outside of Josh getting in the way, nice to see Castle help out Beckett on her first days back as detective given the circumstances she dealt with, I understood the lie given Beckett really wasn’t ready to enter a relationship since she was dealing with the emotional aftermath of her shooting) Kick the Ballistics(Thought it was a nice Ryan-centric episode, I truly appreciated how much more I got to learn about Ryan as a person who always wants to do the right thing, Beckett and Ryan had some good moments as well, liked Castle’s contribution in trying to find the connection to the Triads and the murder case, was slightly amused with Espo’s undercover clothing of some hipster friend, nice that Ryan was able to help Ben Lee(part of the Triads initially) to find new life in Los Angeles after his supposedly girlfriend was murdered, loved the toast Ryan brought up at the end about the murder victim with Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Espo) Cops and Robbers(Loved how Beckett and Castle worked together even in a hostage situation, fantastic to see Martha involved as well, also that Beckett smile to Castle really sticks out in this episode) Kill Shot(Stana did a nice job portraying Beckett’s PTSD and I loved the vulnerability she displayed with Espo and Espo’s make the weakness a strength quote was fantastic, also nice to see Castle let Beckett try to figure it out while helping out the case at the same time) Cuffed(Thought it was a nicely trapped Caskett episode with some humorous moments, thoroughly enjoyed Caskett working it out in handcuffs to find a way out in spite of snarky and sarcastic remarks they made at each other, nice to see the Caskett teamwork make the dream work on full display in spite of the limitations of the cuffs, slight note I enjoyed the tiger and the creepy lady as both were unexpected and made the episode more exciting to watch) The Blue Butterfly(Loved the 1940s noir case and the main cast playing 1940s characters, had a fun time listening to Castle continuously do his noir narration and Beckett being so into the love story of the noir case) 47 Seconds(Nice remainder of how life can’t be taken for granted, loved the emotional scenes in this one I definitely felt for the victims, especially liked the Castle/Alexis moment where Castle tries to comfort her daughter from the trauma of the bombing) Undead Again(Loved the Caskett reunion at the end with Beckett acknowledging to Castle she was seeking therapy to tear her walls down and feel where she wants to be, the zombie case was not too unrealistic, nicely done by Castle who with zombie makeup acted like a zombie to force a confession off a suspect) Always(Best episode of the series with the Caskett argument at Beckett’s loft(great acting by Stana and Nathan) with them spilling the lies that showed great emotion and the scene from Alexis’ speech to Caskett’s passionate kiss in the loft remains the best moment on Castle, seeing Beckett and Castle release those frustrations of each other turning it into passion was satisfying to watch) Season 5 After the Storm(Great bed scene of Caskett talking with honesty and warmth with kiss hilariously interrupted by Martha, loved the detective team working the JB case and Castle’s hug with Beckett showed honest vulnerability from her, also kudos to Stana showing Beckett’s anger at Bracken which packed a punch emotionally) Murder He Wrote(One of my all time favourites, that Hamptons house was breathtaking, Caskett had lots of great moments in this one(especially Beckett being overly blushed with Castle reassuring she wasn’t like the other girls visiting the Hamptons, the Caskett theory building scene, the end scene with Beckett and Castle in bed), Ryan’s interrogation of the suspect was funny) The Final Frontier(Fun geeky sci-fi case, nice to see Beckett be a fan of Nebula 9, for some reason Castle’s “oh my god” girly scream to Alexis’ outfit made me laugh, loved Beckett explaining to Castle how Nebula 9 was about identity change was a nice way of her opening up to Castle, end scene was cute with Beckett teasing Castle with the Creaver suit and the rawr) Target/Hunt(loved seeing Castle’s dark side in this one involving his daughter, great to see Beckett support Castle, loved Castle and his dad having that conversation which was heartfelt, shoutout to Nathan who really shined in this 2-parter) The Lives of Others(great Rear Window murder mystery Beckett and co. set up for Castle to open up as birthday present, lots of great lighthearted moments which are a fitting tribute to the 100th episode) Still(all the flashbacks played in this one remind me all the fun, dramatic, emotional, romantic, and comedic moments Caskett had during their journey, heartfelt scene of Caskett saying ILU to each other made me cry a little, Beckett stepping off the bomb and falling into Castle’s arms for a hug made me grateful that Castle would stand behind her even in the worst moments) Season 6 Valkyrie(Beckett’s surprised reaction made up for a meh proposal by Castle and I appreciated Castle and Beckett willing to make the relationship work, some funny and sweet Caskett moments I liked as well, also Castle had a hilarious vent with Ryan/Espo) Number 1 Fan(Shoutout to Alicia Logano who played Emma Riggs, case was similar to Cops and Robbers but this time Castle showed excellent composure with the suspect, some nice Caskett moments like Beckett venting to Castle about getting fired and Beckett holding the engagement ring while waiting for Castle, was good to see the suspect meet her father and Beckett back at the 12th) The Good, the Bad & the Baby(Nice to see Caskett take care of a baby that wasn’t their own, liked the lottery ball twist in the case as I didn’t see that coming, laughed at Espo pranking Ryan with throwing away his lotto ticket, thought it was cute seeing everyone’s reactions trying to hold the baby) Under Fire(This one made me cry knowing how much I’ve cared about the Ryan/Espo bromance, incredible heartfelt scene with Jenny and Ryan on the phone as you could see her clinging on hope Ryan could see the baby, Caskett and the rest of the 12th precinct did a great job working together to save Ryan/Espo, end scene with Lanie & Espo, Castle & Beckett with Ryan, Jenny and the baby was a memorable emotional moment) Smells Like Teen Spirit(Case reminded Caskett of their high school days missing prom, interesting telekinesis theories here, loved the Caskett kiss at the end with the In My Veins song and Castle’s quote to Beckett of how every terrible little thing led to her and he had no regrets of missing his prom) Room 147(Clever case with 3 confessors of the same crime, the dialogue between Castle and Beckett reminded me of the earlier seasons, nice Alexis and Beckett moment which we don’t see often, laughed a few times in this one (like when Beckett said “If I hear that confession one more time I’m gonna shoot somebody.”)) Veritas(Satisfying conclusion to the JB arc, great that Caskett worked together on this one with assistance from Ryan/Espo and Gates, nice to see Beckett surviving Bracken’s hit men from being drugged showing her ability to get out of tough situations, Beckett arresting Bracken was a great milestone for Beckett as she got justice and the Caskett hug at the end was heartfelt that I was proud of how Caskett came together to solve her mom’s murder) Season 7 Clear and Present Danger(Throwback to earlier season banter between Caskett, a cool idea of a cloaking suit to make someone invisible, also Caskett was hot and sexy at the bed and at the end where Beckett stripped herself in front of Castle wearing thermal goggles) Meme is Murder(Interesting case and I liked that it wasn’t the usual red herring like it was before, good to see how social media can be a problem especially when it relates to cyber bullying, murder suspect(Adam Lane) was a creepy yet arrogant character who I found interesting knowing he used social media as a way to vent and gain popularity for being a victim of bullying) Time of Our Lives(Loved the AU aspect of this episode seeing what Castle, Beckett and others would’ve been without Caskett meeting each other, great to see Castle find a way to connect with AU Beckett who wasn’t as determined and gave up on herself to be the best version of what she could be, wedding was amazing minus the green screen as the vows were romantic and reflective of what Castle and Beckett have brought to each other in their relationship and the wedding included only family members making it more intimate, fitting Caskett dances to In My Veins during their wedding in their end scene, shoutout to Terri Miller who wrote the vows along with Nathan and Stana who delivered those vows with genuineness and heartfelt emotion) Once Upon a Time in the West(Fun wild west episode with lots of sweet and romantic Caskett moments, Caskett felt like elated newlyweds in this one and I enjoyed them outside the precinct once again, nice to see Lanie, Ryan, and Espo’s reactions to not being invited to the wedding, Beckett with the black corset and Western dress good lord she was smoking hot, appreciated Castle’s enthusiasm in finding the gold lol he definitely had a fun time up west, loved the end scene with Beckett lassoing Castle and the Caskett kiss) Castle, PI(Caskett was amazing in this one despite being separated at times, laughed at Perlmutter chasing Castle in the morgue with Perlmutter’s ringtone playing after and Ryan trying to come up with crazy theories like Castle lol, Caskett theorizing scene followed with a kiss that followed with a cute bed scene the morning after now that was hot and fun, nice to see Beckett smile every time she was with Castle as she sorely misses having him around, nice change up to see Castle investigating alone without NYPD resources, appreciated the competitive angle in this one, dialogue and banter had great energy and humour like earlier seasons) I, Witness(Good follow up serious episode in the PI arc, case was intriguing with some Hitchcock twists similar to TLOO, was fond of Beckett supporting Castle and trusting him with his judgements throughout the episode, appreciated that Castle admits being a PI can be challenging and ambiguous, sweet Caskett kiss at the end and loved Beckett trying to assure Castle before that it wasn’t his fault for one of his clients being murdered) Resurrection/Reckoning(Incredible 2-parter to conclude the 3XK arc, Dr Kelly Nieman played be Annie Wersching was just as creepy as Jerry Tyson and also was a perfect psychological antagonist to Beckett, Michael Mosley did an outstanding job of making me ambiguously guess if the fake or the real Jerry Tyson was in the precinct and providing the psychological battle between Castle and 3XK, Castle’s desperation in finding her wife was well documented and I felt his emotions every step of the way(shoutout to Nathan as he shined in this 2-parter), nice use of Marcus Gates in an attempt to get revenge on Tyson, great fakeout by Castle(kudos to the camera work on that one) to outsmart Tyson using Ryan/Espo assistance where Tyson lured Castle to see his wife die in the hands of Nieman, nice touching scene where Castle gently hugs Beckett after Beckett battles herself to kill Nieman, heartfelt scene in bed with Beckett comfortably cuddling on Castle’s chest after a sweet kiss provides a satisfying end to the episode) Hollander’s Woods(My preferred series finale imo as it delves into Castle’s past at 11 years old, great to see a psychological killer involved in Dr. Holtzman and how it ends with Castle’s speech about a writer’s award he earned acknowledging his family, the 12th precinct, and Beckett where Castle points out Beckett’s quote “you have no idea” which inspired Castle to be a better man and writer) Season 8 The Last Seduction(While Caskett are separated atm, this episode felt more like typical Castle as Ryan and Espo were working with Castle and Beckett more often in this one compared to previous Season 8 episodes, was nice to see Castle surprise Beckett on their wedding anniversary with a dinner invite, also relieved that Ryan and Espo managed to reconcile after a heated conflict 2 episodes ago, Caskett scene at the end in bed and with their kisses reminded me of how much they love each other and how much I missed their interaction for much of Season 8) Death Wish(Rare episode in season 8 where Caskett have many sweet moments and Caskett work together on the case with Ryan and Esposito, good to see Beckett and Castle talk about the 3 wishes he’s using considering the case relates to a genie, episode was not dragged down by a convoluted Locksat conspiracy also the end scene with Lanie, Espo, Ryan, Castle, and Beckett checking on Jenny’s baby at the hospital was a touching social moment that was sorely missing throughout Season 8, Castle’s conversation with Beckett about how he already has what he wished for was another lighthearted moment that made this episode one of the only few positives in a disastrous season 8) Excuse me for that long list with the episode explanations but from seasons 1-7 there were highlights that definitely made my Castle viewing experience an enjoyable one. I appreciated all the lighthearted, serious, humorous, dramatic, and reflective moments Castle brought and do think in spite of some missteps and questionable writing choices that Caskett’s relationship seemed stable and was improving each season up until S8.

Yeah agreed, did feel like the repetitive and constant criticism at times about Castle in the forum was a little sad to see from some users as I did find enjoyment watching Castle(outside S8) in spite of its flaws. Plus Castle is really just mindless TV so all in all if you don’t like what’s going on Castle better to watch something else than vent about the problems with the show.

Just wanted to chime in and say I started watching Castle since December of last year. Great series(up until S8 where things really fell apart, IMO show started to decline around S6 with the wedding planning and themed episodes, show was in its prime from S3 to S4) with a different take on crime mysteries/police procedurals. Do have to admit the binge watching helped with not seeing the obvious issues that arose in later seasons(strained relationship between the 2 leads, continuity errors, lack of secondary character development, absurd soap opera storylines, at times bumbling fool Castle and supercop Beckett, bizarre clothing choices for Castle and at times Beckett). Nathan and Stana imo definitely were a lightning in the bottle pairing that managed to give us great Caskett moments(reflective, emotional, personal, humorous, dramatic, romantic as in sweet not hot/sexy) from S1-S7(S8 both characters were not themselves). Shame the show ended with BTS issues/drama and a tacked on ending that didn't do justice for the fans. Primetimer forum I recently checked out last month and I'm glad I didn't watch this live seeing as how in later seasons Castle became harder to watch with the declining writing, increased reliance on OTT arcs that didn't make sense, missed opportunities(more Caskett hot/sexy moments, Beckett/Alexis interaction, more scenes outside the precinct, knowing more about Castle's writing), and plot driven moments that didn't add up to the characters. Can't imagine how hard it was to watch Castle given all the contrived things the writers did and the deviation from the writer and muse story from the start. Nice to hear about the episode discussion(for S7-S8) along with the Spoilers and Speculation in this forum there was good to great discussion I missed out I was too young back then lol. Definitely agree with some points made on the forum regarding the episodes themselves and what could've been done to the show to make it better.