Spoilers, Speculation & All Things Media!

[verdana]

Wow, that speaks volumes about how Seamus felt about the past couple of seasons.

 

 

That remark didn't surprise me, he's been clearly hinting at his dissatisfaction for a good while. I think the secondary cast weren't sad to see the back of the old regime, finally they get something more substantial to do all except Tamala lol. 

Edited September 19, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

Castle Season 8 Premiere Spoilers: Castle and Beckett’s Point of View at ABC

 

BellyLaughter. I don't usually pay attention to the ABC Castle main page but checking today it's got a two pictures of Castle and Beckett alongside the one of Alexis/Castle.

http://abc.go.com/shows/castle

Edited September 19, 2015 by verdana

[BellyLaughter]

That's a change from last week...interesting. Thanks for pointing that out!

[madmaverick]

I'm not a baseball fan and didn't know Stana was one either, but that's pretty cool.

 

I wonder if the Becketts being baseball fans had anything to do with Stana being into baseball.  Would be nice to see Caskett at a baseball game, or you know, on a date anywhere outside the loft and the precinct. ;)

[madmaverick]

I assumed Alexis would be doing the PI job part time while she's at college.  Tend to think the pre season reaction to Alexis thus far is a bit disproportionate to the actual impact/change she'll be having, but we'll see, and then again I dislike Alexis less that many here and she can still be a likable character to me when written well.

 

Dever: We’re happy because Espo and Ryan are in the forefront now, which is something we’ve been asking for years now. It’s actually happening now, which is a great thing for us. It feels fun to go to work every day now.

 

A bit too honest? ;)  And spare a thought for poor Tamala or even PJJ and SS who survived on far, far less.

 

I remember a previous interview where Seamus said something about plateauing for several years on Castle, and thought that was a frank remark that probably indicated a lack of creative satisfaction on the job.  And yet, it appears to me that none of the supporting characters are eager to get off this gravy train either. ;)  I mean, Jon's already talking of a S9.

 

Understandably, they're excited about Espo and Ryan being in the forefront but I haven't and never will feel the same draw to them as I do Caskett.  Not even a close contest.  Caskett at times couldn't save dull crime investigation scenes and if Espo and Ryan take on the bulk of those, my interest will likely decrease further unless there's a massive improvement in the mysteries and the dialogue, and even then, I doubt I could get invested in the boys that much. 

 

And I don't know if I'm alone in this opinion or not, but I have no particular desire to see Espo and Ryan sing and dance on the show again this season.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about Castle Season 8?
Dever: I know we’re gonna get a lot of fans that want it to be the same old same old as we have in the past. But I am going to encourage the fans to have some patience, because I think they’re going to like where we end up. I think they’re going to be challenged a little bit by where we go but that in the end they’re gonna feel like it’s worth the journey.

Huertas: I think the fans are going to feel reinvigorated with the show. If any of the fans kind of thought, I don’t know if this show still working,” I think after this season they’re gonna see that it’s working even better. Maybe at the end of this season, there won’t be such a lingering question on whether or not we would be able to do a Season 9. So we’re excited, and we want the fans to be excited.

 

I think Seamus nailed it with a lot of fans being resistant to change, and I think we saw some of that with the PI arc, which only lasted 3 episodes then, same as the DC arc!  We are probably going to feel challenged and I'm not averse to that.  Problem is, in the past when Marlowe's sought to 'challenge' the audience, his way of doing it was clumsy, often misguided, and left a rather bad taste in my mouth.  I am hoping the new team does much better at that since they did seek to bite off a big challenge with a break up of all things!

 

Confident words from Jon.  Bravado or he's truly impressed by the quality of the scripts so far (or just the added screentime he's got? ;)) or an early negotiation tactic for S9 even?

[S55]

Since Stana isn't in 801 that much, I wouldn't expect to hear from her in the press until the week between 801 and 802 or after 802 airs. And even then, the press could still focus on the new tech guy who's working with Beckett in 802, who I think I saw was being trotted out for interviews right now. 

[oberon55]

 

But I am going to encourage the fans to have some patience, because I think they’re going to like where we end up. I think they’re going to be challenged a little bit by where we go but that in the end they’re gonna feel like it’s worth the journey.

 

As a longtime sports fan when people start saying things like "just hang in there things are going to get better" I get suspicious that the bottom is fixing to fall out. This sounds a lot like preemptive damage control to me.

[verdana]

Steph Hicks ‏@Sticks919  19 hrs19 hours ago

Behind the scenes with our new writer @nancysan !!! #CastleSeason8

https://twitter.com/Sticks919/status/644980182277734400

 

[verdana]

Regarding the tech guy here's what Matt had to say to someone asking why we hadn't heard anything from him yet.

 

Matt Webb Mitovich says:
September 19, 2015 at 6:33 AM
You have nothing from Sunkrish because he doesn’t (really) show up until Part 2, whereas Toks is a major element in Part 1.

http://tvline.com/2015/09/18/castle-season-8-toks-olagundoye-hayley-rick-alexis/

[verdana]

Taken by Seamus Dever

Molly Quinn on the set of Castle last night

#molly quinn #castle #bts #8x06

Nice shot, I like the way he's taken it with the light coming through the window. I prefer her outfit too, more relaxed and informal than the black dress she had on in that sneak peek. 

Edited September 19, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

Sandra knows best © ‏@Sandraxf  2h2 hours ago

Friendly reminder that affiliate CTV-H201 (Canada) continues to air #Castle at 7pm ET on Mondays. Be careful, spoiler-free people!

 

[VinceW]

As a longtime sports fan when people start saying things like "just hang in there things are going to get better" I get suspicious that the bottom is fixing to fall out. This sounds a lot like preemptive damage control to me.

The last time Seamus told fans that they would be challenged was in 6x23. That along with TMI forthcoming in the early spoilers about the secondary characters and nothing specific about Caskett except that some incident will affect the relationship means a lot of unhappy fans for awhile. The only question now seems to be how long will the angst last or what will ABC accept in lost viewer numbers. The network can't possibly think that viewers will stick around long if the writers actually have them living apart in order to start over again some kind of WTWT scenario after such a short period of marriage. You would like to give the new show runners a chance, but then I am reminded that Hawley wrote "Headhunters" which was such a mess because the premise by itself made little sense at that point in the relationship. However, he might deserve a pass on that script because it was written after Marlowe had taken over full control of the show. I still look upon 2x12 "A Rose for Everafter" as one of my favorite early episodes which both Hawley and TPWinter did together.

Edited September 20, 2015 by VinceW

[Chado]

As a longtime sports fan when people start saying things like "just hang in there things are going to get better" I get suspicious that the bottom is fixing to fall out. This sounds a lot like preemptive damage control to me.

He's clearly talking about Caskett breaking up and fans not going to have patience with it. There is also the added change in how the show is being structured, I think a lot of people are going to be surprised with how little Caskett there is once they break up.

 

As for their positive words, I don't view it as it meaning anything other than the two of them getting more focus and screentime. They would be happy regardless of the storyline.

[KaveDweller]

I assumed Alexis would be doing the PI job part time while she's at college.  Tend to think the pre season reaction to Alexis thus far is a bit disproportionate to the actual impact/change she'll be having, but we'll see, and then again I dislike Alexis less that many here and she can still be a likable character to me when written well.

 

You're probably right that she won't have as big an impact.  But these interviews sure are playing up her "adulthood," which is getting a bit annoying (for me anyway). But I'm still planning to wait and see before judging how all the changes will work this season.  I think a lot of things may not be as bad as some are speculating.  We'll see soon enough though.

 

I remember a previous interview where Seamus said something about plateauing for several years on Castle, and thought that was a frank remark that probably indicated a lack of creative satisfaction on the job.  And yet, it appears to me that none of the supporting characters are eager to get off this gravy train either. ;)  I mean, Jon's already talking of a S9.

 

Actually I think Seamus was giving a bunch of interviews at the end of last season about how he really wanted to have another season, and he kept waiting for them to approach him with contract talk.  So he wasn't miserable enough to want to leave, he just wanted more to do.  Which is understandable, but he and Jon get way more to do than the rest of the supporting cast, so he should have been grateful for that.

Edited September 19, 2015 by KaveDweller

[verdana]

Irsaju @irsaju1

Nathan and Molly BTS Season 1  #NathanFillion

https://twitter.com/irsaju1/status/644919690335232000

 

Trawling twitter, I found this BTS picture of when Alexis was going to the prom with Ashley? Not sure who it was a long time ago but any way she had that lovely ice blue silk dress on and I saw this and smiled...until I saw that creepy bloody doll on the sofa!

 

Please let it be gone.

[verdana]

As for their positive words, I don't view it as it meaning anything other than the two of them getting more focus and screentime. They would be happy regardless of the storyline.

Actors are selfish by nature in terms of their work, they want to be seen and heard, that's the essence of their job. I admit I'm cynical and I doubt Toks would have turned down the part of Hayley even if she had been pencilled in as the "love interest", it's a job, it pays and (with luck) it highlights her acting skills and she's not at the level yet where she can afford to be choosy.

[371012]

hal, I know you aren't pro-actors (an understatement!) but really?  Seamus too?

[KaveDweller]

If you can swallow the break up, you can focus on it being a Caskett driven emotional story that will have everything the show had when it first started. It's what Season 6 should have been, instead of jumping to getting married and planning a wedding all season long that didn't happen. 

 

When you mention season 6 is it because you think they should have had them break up then, or just that you think season 6 sucked and could have used a better storyline?

[KaveDweller]

Good question. I don't think it sucked completely. But 6 was the weakest of all of them, especially on the Caskett front. (Although the highest rated) I'm not saying a break up was the only answer, but now that you mention it, it would have been one option. I thought it started fine and I like the DC dynamic, but it was solved so quickly by getting her fired.

Then all they did was a plan a wedding, now while I didn't hate 623 the way a lot of people did, you don't plan something all season and then not do it. That's a little bit asinine. Even if I defended at the time, I was probably just trying to be positive. 

 

So all in all I think if they had gotten married, then it would have been worth it. 

 

But now you are going to get to see what Castle and Beckett do when facing a real conflict while in love and married. It's a trope but I think its a new way to play the best of the two of them. 

 

I think they have been kind of superficial when Castle and Beckett conflicted in the past, since being together anyway.  So, if the writers can do a better job it now could be a decent storyline.  As long as they really are the main storyline, because I just don't care enough about any other characters.  I'll be watching no matter what, but it will be much more fun if I'm watching Caskett.

 

But I still don't like the idea of them being apart for too long.

[archer]

Right but it's been superficial because it's never been a real conflict. (In respect to when they have been together). I mean, she lies about DC, they get engaged and she moves away. He is upset that it's not working so he rents/buys an apartment and then she gets fired.

 

He gets kicked out of the precinct and they jump time to him becoming a PI and they don't really talk about the effects of them not being able to work together. 

Instead they go right to the fun stuff which I don't object to, but ya know, no real conflict again.

 

This is completely different. This is big and heavy. However that doesn't mean there won't be light moments. Anyway it does remind me of how the show used to be. 

 

Right. But I'm not making a case for people to LIKE them being apart. I don't think anyone is. What I'm saying is that I think the risk of breaking them out could pay off from what I have seen so far in terms of telling a really good emotional character driven story for this couple. Something that hasn't been done since season 4. 

Maybe I'm reading to much into your comments but are you implying the break-up is going to last a long time.  ----  20 episodes ????

[verdana]

I agree with Hal they've never really done proper relationship conflict, they don't seriously talk about what happens or deal with the emotional repercussions like normal couples should. It's all superficial and they quickly move on, I hate the idea of a split at this point with them barely married a year but if they can write this aspect better than Marlowe did that's a bonus.  

The problem with making comparisons with Season 4 is they dragged out something that shouldn't have been (I always they should have got together after Cops & Robbers) and never gave the story any genuine emotional continuity it was dropped for large portions of the season and didn't seriously get going until five episodes from the end. This sounds like its going to play out all season long too and whilst the writing might improve and be consistent if it's not with too much emphasis on the supporting cast to pad out episodes whilst they tread water waiting for Feb/May sweeps then I can see fans getting fed up by Christmas and voting with their remotes and they won't return. 

 

The writers made fans wait four years for them to finally get their act together as a couple and facing another season of them being professionally (and physically?) apart - even with some fun moments thrown in an attempt to lighten the mood - feels like a big gamble to take with their love story which is the bedrock of the show.

 

Hal. Just for future reference if needed I enjoy a good Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot. 

Edited September 20, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

I'm just ready to see what someone other than Marlowe can bring to the show.  Of course I could be crying for him to call back in a few episodes... just kidding.  In my opinion, Marlowe's been treading water with story for the past few seasons.  He kept on talking about how he had a lot of stories to tell once Caskett were together, but I didn't really see it.  Sure, we hit the usual milestones of proposal and engagement and wedding, but there wasn't a lot that was fun and interesting in between intrinsic to a meaningful exploration of this supposedly 'epic love story', as Marlowe termed it.  Not to mention, his utter ruination of the proposal and the (first) wedding.  So I'm keeping an open mind about what the new team has in store, because it seem like they're trying to tell a real story rather than treading water.

 

Good writers can make me believe a lot and stay invested in characters even when they're doing very questionable things.  Castle writers haven't accomplished that for me in the past as almost every time Caskett have been in conflict, I thought they did a bad job of both writing conflict scenes as well as handling characterisation.  If Marlowe had been in charge of this break up arc, I would have been much more pessimistic.  But with someone like TPW doing the writing, maybe much better conflict scenes and characterisation can be crafted.

 

However long the break up lasts for, what I need to believe is why a character believed that was the best/only way, and to believe that both are trying their hardest to be back together again.  I need emotional characterisations to make sense for me to stick with the arc and not feel like it's badly manufactured angst like in the past.

 

Actors are selfish by nature in terms of their work, they want to be seen and heard, that's the essence of their job. I admit I'm cynical and I doubt Toks would have turned down the part of Hayley even if she had been pencilled in as the "love interest", it's a job, it pays and (with luck) it highlights her acting skills and she's not at the level yet where she can afford to be choosy.

 

Didn't she say that she had been in like 70 auditions last year?  She auditioned for the Castle role rather than producers coming to her with it.  Just shows that you can't afford to be choosy even if you're coming off an ABC show as a regular.  Even if the actors are creatively unfulfilled on Castle, it's no wonder that they're reluctant to go back out into the harsh audition cycle again with no guarantees.  They've gotten a bit too comfortable on Castle.  The leads might have firmer options out there if they decide to quit, but again there's no guarantee of more rewarding roles coming quickly.

 

The problem with making comparisons with Season 4 is they dragged out something that shouldn't have been (I always they should have got together after Cops & Robbers) and never gave the story any genuine emotional continuity it was dropped for large portions of the season and didn't seriously get going until five episodes from the end. 

Agreed.  Genuine emotional continuity and progression was sacrificed for the sake of delaying the conclusion as much as possible.  This m.o. of treading water was very damaging to the story, and the whole idea of a secrets arc which I thought was quite manufactured in the first place.  It was very frustrating to see no real emotional movement after a series of life threatening experiences with C&R and Cuffed, which was mostly a premise for fun and games rather than anything more meaningful.

 

Caskett have been good communicators and good joint decision makers for the most part since they've been married, so if there's a sudden break down in that, that needs to be explained.  If they don't address the ongoing arc throughout until the very end of the season as was the case before, that will be very frustrating and no way to tell a good story.

Edited September 20, 2015 by madmaverick

[Chado]

Right. But I'm not making a case for people to LIKE them being apart. I don't think anyone is. What I'm saying is that I think the risk of breaking them out could pay off from what I have seen so far in terms of telling a really good emotional character driven story for this couple. Something that hasn't been done since season 4. 

My biggest issue is the writers explaining/selling why they need to break up and yet are still able to be in the same location more often than not. It sounds like to me that he isn't at the 12th at all, but will intersect with them often through linked cases? Ignoring the complete lack of realism in that happening over and over again, I just don't see how we buy into that idea. Maybe they've worked out a great way to explain it, but I struggle to understand why they'd break up and then the audience sees Castle and Beckett around the same cases constantly. It seems to nullify the initial conflict to begin with. I don't really think Castle's "persistence" is an adequate way to play it off either.

 

I agree with you 100% about the lack of conflict in the past, I think the whole DC arc was a perfect way to break them up and actually get them on the same page. The whole proposal and separation of partnership should have been what they are trying to show us now. Better late than never I guess?

 

Anyway thank the stars that this break is almost over, it will be nice to talk about something else soon :)

Edited September 20, 2015 by Chado

[oberon55]

I suspect this conflict will go about the same way as most of them have. It will have some or all of the familiar pieces.

 

1. There will be lies or secrets. There will be some melodramatic & high stakes reason they can't be up front with each other.
2. One of them has to doubt the other. I expect a mirror image of last seasons premier with Castle doubting something about Beckett.
3. No talking. They can't discuss things like adults or they would both realize just how stupid this shit is.
4. Lot's of sad & longing looks from both of them.
5. Plenty of badassness from driven Beckett & too much buffoonery from patient & waiting Castle.
6. It will look all dark & hopeless when some over the top event will push them back together.

 

I would be pleasantly surprised if they went a different & new route but I really don't expect them to.

[ZingerCaskett]

I'm certainly willing to watch to see if the new showrunners follow the Marlowe/Annan script too well ( where they manufacture a crisis and either sweep it under the rug or resolve it in a ridiculous manner),  or if they will actually shake things up without pissing us off too much.   Bring on Season 8 and bring on the popcorn!

[FormerCastleFan]

I am not interested in seeing Caskett split up, especially Castle working with Alexis and Haley (I never have liked Alexis and from I've seen in the promos that won't change and I do not like Hayley in the promos either. ..).

Since the majority of viewers will be taken by surprise when Caskett separate, and I suspect they will not like it and won't have read any requests for "patience" I supect TPTB will be in for a rude awakening, especially because salt will be added to the wound with Halexey.

[VinceW]

You only have very little to go on so I don't think it's fair to say it doesn't work yet. You have to see it to understand that it actually doesn't need to be explained why they are still around each other. 

This is what seems so puzzling about a "breakup". The new producers know that they can't keep the audience watching unless the two of them are working together on screen in some capacity so, why the need for a marriage "breakup" to further the love story. How will the writers explain away no home life, but together professionally for more than a few episodes at most. They could accomplish the same thing having Beckett as captain while working on a task force with Castle consulting and generate plenty of drama. It just presents as a risky way to recapture the great vibes from earlier seasons with a good chance that viewers will drop off quickly. IMO.

[verdana]

In this day and age there so many new shows out there to watch and it's such a competitive environment with everyone vying to capture an audience and keep them hooked. I assume people watch TV because they want to be entertained and in the case of Castle have some light hearted fun for an hour. When anyone connected with a show tells fans to have patience or that they're going be "challenged" by a story that sets alarm bells ringing with me and I wonder if TPTB have really thought about the consequences if fans don't want to face a challenge every Monday night in order to enjoy it.

Edited September 20, 2015 by verdana

[cappuccino]

I am not interested in seeing Caskett split up, especially Castle working with Alexis and Haley (I never have liked Alexis and from I've seen in the promos that won't change and I do not like Hayley in the promos either. ..).

Since the majority of viewers will be taken by surprise when Caskett separate, and I suspect they will not like it and won't have read any requests for "patience" I supect TPTB will be in for a rude awakening, especially because salt will be added to the wound with Halexey.

I can live or deal with Caskett breaking up if they give me some good old banter and tension back from season 1-4. I doubt that'll happen though and it's a little too late. They lost me during season 6 and the wedding storyline. What I can't deal with or better don't wanna deal with is Alexis. She just gets my blood pressure up and not in a good way. So if they don't do the Caskett stuff right and I have to sit through snotty, brat-y, know it all annoying Alexis for more than 10 minutes every week, I'll probably ditch the show. Normally I stick around and torture myself no matter how bad a show gets....

[verdana]

This is what seems so puzzling about a "breakup". The new producers know that they can't keep the audience watching unless the two of them are working together on screen in some capacity so, why the need for a marriage "breakup" to further the love story. How will the writers explain away no home life, but together professionally for more than a few episodes at most. They could accomplish the same thing having Beckett as captain while working on a task force with Castle consulting and generate plenty of drama. It just presents as a risky way to recapture the great vibes from earlier seasons with a good chance that viewers will drop off quickly. IMO.

Hawley left after S4, it therefore seems appropriate that he's going to pretend as if the subsequent 3 seasons never happened as he recreates the WTWT only this time they're already in love. 

 

As for your other point about how they could have gone about this in a different way, may be the answer is that unfortunately none of the Castle showrunners know how to write them as a proper couple so they find other stories instead and hope whatever they produce is good enough to maintain the loyalty of their general viewing audience. 

Edited September 20, 2015 by verdana

[metaphor]

The official WriteRCastle twitter account has been pretty active with sending out funny/sweet Beckett-related tweets this past month. His latest:

 

@WriteRCastle: Picnic and a screening of When Harry Met Sally with Beckett in the park! What are you doing for your wives today? #WifeAppreciationDay

 

I wonder if/how the tenor will change as the season progresses. 

[KaveDweller]

There was a Castle reference on the Emmy's tonight, including a quick appearance of Nathan.  It was an opening video at the start of the show where the host spent a year in a bunker watching TV and came out singing about seeing "all the shows."  Then Nathan pops up and asks if he's watched Castle and the guy goes back to the bunker for 151 hours.  It seemed to get a laugh.

[verdana]

I wonder if/how the tenor will change as the season progresses.

If they're apart think of all the yearning sad and loving tweets they could send out complete with appropriate hashtags to get the fans stirred up.

[verdana]

Thanks KaveDweller here it is:
 

Sandra knows best © ‏@Sandraxf  5h5 hours ago
"Have you seen #Castle? #Emmys
https://twitter.com/Sandraxf/status/645765810376560644

Molly C. Quinn ‏@MollyQuinn93  1 hr1 hour ago
#Castle gets a little shout out
During Emmy opening. :)

Edited September 21, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

Cool to see Nathan in yet another Emmy cameo and an unexpected Castle shoutout too.  Castle's known for its longevity by now, even if it'll never win any awards.  But maybe industry people like it more than they let on seeing it did rate in that recent poll.  That was a pretty funny bit.  Jon Hamm's throw up face cracked me up and Samberg looked cute in Nathan's arms heh.  Andy Samberg's show Brooklyn Nine Nine is a funny show with a talented ensemble and showrunner.  Surprised they didn't go with a Bones shoutout seeing that the Emmy were on Fox.

 

Looks like Nathan, Molly and Toks will be live tweeting the premiere.  Hope they're ready for the barrage of violent reactions that will likely be heading their way. ;)

[verdana]

Looks like Nathan, Molly and Toks will be live tweeting the premiere.  Hope they're ready for the barrage of violent reactions that will likely be heading their way. ;)

 

 

I'm so glad I'm not on Twitter, I can avoid any possible hysteria, tumblr is bad enough. I'm sure Nathan and Toks can survive anything not so sure about Molly...get that flak jacket out girl. 

Edited September 21, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

Ha, if Alexis gets a "P.I." flak jacket, no doubt there'll be plenty of eye rolling heh.

 

Oh, I think Molly's seen her fair share of rudeness directed towards her over the years.  But she's chosen to mute or ignore it publicly.  Dear Susan may be the only one who's not received any hate.  Or wait, she may have done during that all too stupid drama over the 'family' scooter pic.  They've all probably acquired a level of 'tolerance' due to the well known 'intensity' of fans over the years. ;)

 

Castle writers will be tweeting too.  Will be interesting to see if they respond to hysteria, anger and criticism or adopt Marlowe & Miller's school of retweeting only praise.  Just thinking of poor TPW who would probably be happy to stick to the writing and be as far away as possible from twitter!

[madmaverick]

A few new spoilery tidbits from Jon:

http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2015/09/21/life/doc55fc159914c0e969617823.txt?viewmode=fullstory

“We’ve got a lot of cool things going on. We have a couple of new writers and a different approach to storytelling. We’re going to have a thru-line throughout the show where (Esposito) may get a promotion pretty quickly. Esposito may get hurt this way. He may take a bullet. That’s exclusive – you’re the first one to hear that. It’s a possibility, but I think that may happen,” hinted Huertas.

Esposito gets a new love interest, too, which complicates his already complicated on-again/off-again relationship with Dr. Lanie Parish (Tamala Jones). Huertas stated that Esposito’s love-life isn’t on steady ground because Castle and Beckett have their relationship as does Ryan and his wife Jenny (Juliana Dever), who got married in the fourth season.

 

If it's only between Esposito and Ryan, I'd vote for Ryan to get a promotion actually.  He proved himself to be the only one thinking straight during 423 and I think his relative patience and open mindedness compared to Esposito make him a better leader.

 

I sense that we're going to have another two episodes revolving around these two characters, including spoiler alert, Esposito taking a bullet. Which probably makes him reevaluate his life blah blah blah.  Not too keen on these sorts of episodes to be honest.  I'd rather Martha and Tamala get a turn.  And Esposito's "ever roving eye" as some article put it, is going to make it very hard for me to care at all about his love life.  And didn't they already clarify that Esplanie was off for good?  Ugh.

[FlickerToAFlame]

Slightly longer cupcake scene

@Castle_ABC: There have always been SPARKS between Castle and Beckett! #Castle Season 8 premieres TONIGHT at 10|9c on ABC.

https://t.co/F50eQ0KKRj

[madmaverick]

Count me in as underwhelmed by Castle's (prop guy's) taste in jewellery again.  I know they want us to swoon like Beckett, but I'm not really feeling it.  Maybe it's 'cause I'm one of those people who don't care for jewellery.  Do the writers just assume all women like jewellery or they're just lazy in writing gifts?  Maybe I've been spoiled by all the far more creative and personal gifts in fanfic.  And I would have liked Always to have already been inscribed in their wedding rings.

 

OK, if I'm being less picky, it's still sweet that Castle made a romantic gesture for her first day as Capt.

 

To those who have held out thus far and refrained from watching, hold on a little longer and you might swoon more than I did.

[S55]

It's not just you, madmaverick. I'm pretty "meh" on this gift for Beckett. But I suppose they're keeping in line with her preference for jewelry that she expressed in season five.

 

For being a self-proclaimed "gift ninja," I've been pretty unimpressed with what Castle's given her so far as her boyfriend/husband. I still think the best thing he did was surprising her by finding and fixing her father's watch in season two. 

[verdana]

To those who have held out thus far and refrained from watching, hold on a little longer and you might swoon more than I did.

 

Argh! So close! I didn't hold out. *hangs head in shame*

 

That bangle didn't do much for me either, the diamonds on the side made it look like cheap bling lol (I'm sure it was expensive, given the engagement ring cost about a hundred grand or something).

 

I was more transfixed by that bizarre tie arrangement she's wearing TBH. It's distracting, all she needs is to get her spiel organised for airplane safety instructions on take off ("please read carefully the special instructions card located in your seat pocket..") and she'd be well away. 

 

S55. Awww when he fixed her dad's watch that was perfect. 

Edited September 21, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

And I suppose the jewellery is conveniently there to serve the plot later on. ;)

 

For me personally, I would have liked it just as much if not more, if Castle had concocted all of Beckett's favourite breakfast foods or something to give her energy for her first day.  Or got her a new lucky charm for luck, like sexy, lucky Nebula 9 underpants :P or lucky cuff links (didn't Castle also have a pair back in S1 or 2?) since her old lucky charm (Castle) isn't there anymore.  Something less generic and personal would be more to my taste.

 

I still like 'Always' and I still like the swings, but I think they need to create out some new romantic touchstones for a nice element of surprise and creativity, and not just press the default 'Always' button and expect us to swoon.

 

Read some conspiracy theories about how Nathan and Stana did not film this scene together.  I see that their faces aren't captured in the same shot, but it still appears to me that it's their real selves filming together and not their doubles.  As long as the scene comes across as authentic to me, I don't want to overanalyse.  I don't think we have a The Good Wife situation on our hands here.

 

Verdana, don't worry, there's always next week's sneak peeks to stay away from. :P

the diamonds on the side made it look like cheap bling lol

 

Lol, that's what I thought too when they went in for the close up.  So Beckett's reaction didn't really work with me.

 

Is Luke in charge of selecting the jewellery or the prop guy Rob?  Or someone else?
 

I was more transfixed by that bizarre tie arrangement she's wearing TBH. It's distracting, all she needs is to get her spiel organised for airplane safety instructions on take off

 

 

Right?  Luke likes to go for unique or... something ;), but it's never a good idea when it ends up being distracting.  I think one of those blouses with a bolded stripe down the middle would have looked a lot better than that bizarre tie.

Edited September 21, 2015 by madmaverick

[misstwpherecool]

.......

 

So, they're taking the sergeants exam but Beckett jumped right to Captain?  Sure, why n

 

.........

THIS is just one example of why I haven't watched with any regularity for several seasons now.

 

The first several seasons this was a guilty pleasure I guess. If I missed some shows no big deal especially when it went to syndication. There were enough story arcs, characters and nemis's/villans etc. It was mostly light fare. The occassional supernatural aspect added a little ie time travel for example.

 

But both lead characters are way over played. And they made a good course correction with the PI license. But promoting Beckett to captain???-I happen to catch the promotion interview scene channel surfing and basically they are trying to rationalize the promotion by showing they acknowledge the characters issues by berating her. So they acknowledge the issue but don't do anything about it. This is one example of how the show seems to frequently fall short .

 

And I'm one if you have a really strong charismatic super villan characters you keep them coming back. The triple killer doc or the bank robber trapper john are examples. You can inject humor or have stories that get over the top with falling over.

 

But captain????????

[KaveDweller]

Maybe it's 'cause I'm one of those people who don't care for jewellery. Do the writers just assume all women like jewellery or they're just lazy in writing gifts?

I think it's both. They make general assumptions about women AND are lazy writers.

[verdana]

Read some conspiracy theories about how Nathan and Stana did not film this scene together.  I see that their faces aren't captured in the same shot, but it still appears to me that it's their real selves filming together and not their doubles.  As long as the scene comes across as authentic to me, I don't want to overanalyse.  I don't think we have a The Good Wife situation on our hands here.

 

I've heard those theories doing the rounds since the sneaks came out but honestly I haven't a clue how you would know for certain, looks fine to me that's all I care about. I never watched the scene in The Good Wife where the two actresses supposedly filmed their scenes completely separately, didn't TV Line actually out them and say it was obvious?  That caused a bit of a fuss. The shower scene was obviously filmed with doubles and sometimes during stunt work (especially with Nathan) or when they're filming them at a distance I can tell they're using doubles, but it's not a big deal I get why in those instances they would do that to save costs/safeguard the actor, it's normal. 

 

Is Luke in charge of selecting the jewellery or the prop guy Rob?  Or someone else?

 

Luke selected the jewellery for her (non) wedding and he did it again for the 100th because Stana mentioned something about it (one of the pieces belonged to his mother I believe) so he must make the ultimate decision on what they need and I guess Rob goes and finds it. 

 

Verdana, don't worry, there's always next week's sneak peeks to stay away from. :P

 

Fat chance, it'll be even worse for the second part lol, they're bound to be tempt me with a Caskett reunion scene or something. 

Edited September 21, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

I think it's both. They make general assumptions about women AND are lazy writers.

You're probably right.  I've mentioned The Mindy Project before, and while the comedy may not hit everyone's sweet spot, it's clear to me that they put a lot of thought into crafting romance on the show.  Mindy Kaling has said that she's basically a massive fan of the rom com genre and is well versed in all the films and books and such, and that sensibility comes through in her writing.  There are twists and homages to everything rom com in the show.  Marlowe never struck me as having that rom com sensibility; Terri Miller maybe.  Jury's out on the new writers.  Marlowe always seemed more into the Air Force One kind of genre. ;)  He never struck me as being into the mystery whodunit genre either.  So the show became lacking both on the romance and the mystery front.  Yes, they liked to talk about how Castle was rooted in The Thin Man, but I feel they've moved away from that quite a lot in recent years.  Some of us, maybe many of us, would prefer Castle to stay as purely light hearted fare, a dessert after dinner kind of comfort tv show, but Marlowe and now the new writers clearly don't want the show to be just that and want to infuse it with big drama and high stakes, like every other tv show out there. ;)

 

Anyway, I really hope the new writers have more romantic sensibilities and can really infuse some much needed romance and spark and sex and sexiness back into the show.  Don't just give us cliche stuff and don't coast on the chemistry.

Edited September 21, 2015 by madmaverick

[verdana]

TPW obvious reluctance to interact with the fans on Twitter and his at times rather grouchy responses to certain idiotic tweets earns him extra brownie points with me.

Poor Molly, it's sad in a way because she's clearly excited and enthusiastic right now because she's been given a bit more to do by these writers.

[madmaverick]

A prediction in that they know something we don't know?  I find it a bit ridiculous that even TV Line's using a manip.  Motorcycle, Ferraris, James Bond type office.  Are they trying to sex up the show without the actual sex?  Or they have some budget to play with after not renewing PJJ's contract?

http://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-predictions-greys-anatomy-meredith-romance/#!6/castle/

 

Radio interviews with Toks:

 

Nice one with that Gina morning show host who was on set recently with Nathan.  Toks' has some nice things to say about the cast, and has good taste in naming Susan as her favourite.  Smart move too, heh. ;)

http://www.mix1077.com/onair/jeff-gina-and-dave-17707/gina-chats-with-an-abc-castle-13962208/

 

Another one:

http://wgnradio.com/2015/09/21/castles-new-star-toks-olagundoye-hayley-uses-people-to-get-where-she-wants-to-go/

What's with the host assuming male costars would want to flirt with her at work?  They're there to work. ;)

[FlickerToAFlame]

I'm looking forward to finally finding out why the word "breakup" keeps being used when they aren't divorcing. Like is the word even used on the show or is it just the blind item that put it in our minds.