S07.E18: At Close Range

[McManda]

I see Beckett didn't tell Castle about the exam, he only found out by spotting the reading material on her desk and had to ask her. Beckett told Castle when he got his PI licence "married people tell each other things". I agree with her they should share so why don't they?

I think married people should share when there's something to share. "Babe, I'm thinking of leaving my job for a different city ... by the way, I'm all the way through that interview process" and "Honey, I've been studying and accumulating hours for a professional license and pseudo career change" is not the same as "I might put my name an internal promotion at work".

I'm not saying Beckett shouldn't have said anything or asking why it didn't come up, but that news has waaay less implications than any of the other secrets they've kept.

And I think Castle responded appropriately - he was enthusiastic and supportive and not overbearing or hurt by it.

[KaveDweller]

I see Beckett didn't tell Castle about the exam, he only found out by spotting the reading material on her desk and had to ask her. Beckett told Castle when he got his PI licence "married people tell each other things". I agree with her they should share so why don't they?

But she did tell him she was interested in climbing new mountains. And they seemed to have discussed the possibility of the exam, because he said "you decided to go for it?" It wasn't like she was keeping secrets.

She throws her badge down at the end of S4 over her mother's case but is eventually reinstated, she then leaves in S5 for DC gets fired but gets her job back thanks to the mayor.

I don't really count S4 as a real resignation though, it was more of a heat of the moment thing. And that is one thing/change that didn't go away at the beginning of S5. That particular upheaval changed everything. In other seasons there has been a lasting impact for a few episodes and then it dies down, cause the show is bad at continuity. But in S4, everyone complained that they dragged out her walls for so long. So they need to strike a balance.

And in S6 she didn't get her job back because of the mayor, she got it back because Gates wanted her back and talked her up to that guy whose daughter she helped in Number One Fan. Which I actually liked much better than if she just got the job because the mayor pulled strings.

I agree they tend to get unnecessarily melodramatic at the end of the season though. But I don't think that reflects negatively on her character though, it's just part of being on TV. It's not like any of it is caused by her acting inappropriately or having unrealistic emotions.

[verdana]

Here's a set of gifs of the whole intro scene with the power point presentation. Heh

 

I just squandered three hours of my life

 

I don't much like Castle's jacket there either but Beckett's hair looked better which was a relief. 

[oberon55]

What they have done is make Beckett an emotional coward. Her go to behavior when faced with any unpleasant discussion is to lie. This goes all the way back to s2 when she lies to Castle about having to work the weekend all the while planning on going off with Demming. In season 5 she takes it a step further. She goes to Gates & asks to work then tells Castle that she has to work. All this just avoid saying that she does not like Christmas. Watershed speaks for itself. So I think the writers have absolutely mishandled & damaged her character for silly plot points.

[verdana]

Castle: At Close Range – A Good Cop/Bad Cop Review by Lee Lofland

 

Lee thought Seamus did very well. 

 

Hey, did you know that Seamus Dever is cousin to a well-known mystery writer, a writer who’s attended the Writers’ Police Academy a few times?

 

Everyone knows I’m not a fan of Castle when the writers go for “serious.” They just don’t do it well at all. However, this week had it’s good moments. And, of course, it had the typical Castle-esque mistakes. For example, when Ryan was in the alley preparing to arrest his brother-in-law. He pulled out his pistol and…what did he do? Yep, he racked the slide. NO!!!!!! Cops carry a round already loaded into the chamber. To rack the slide at this point would eject a round out onto the ground. He’d be a “bullet shy of a full magazine,” which is a great description of the writer who pens this sort of thing.

I hate when they keep doing this in movies and TV just to make it look and sound cool. 

Edited March 24, 2015 by verdana

[betsyboo]

I feel like they are setting up politics? There was the party chair guy knowing who she was and the talk about how she hates politicians (with Castle saying Washington needed more people like her).

 

That was my immediate first thought as well. So shoe-horned in.

[madmaverick]

The Montgomery stuff must already be public knowledge because he was on the tape that incriminated Bracken. But her dismissal from the FBI would definitely hurt her chances. If the writers remember that happened.

 

But is her cover up of Montgomery's crimes when she first found out about them public knowledge?  I wouldn't count on writers remembering pesky little details ;). Still can't get over the fact that they had Jim Beckett drinking at his daughter's wedding!  Yeah, sure, we can handwave that as sparkling cider or something, but I think the writers simply forgot he was a recovering alcoholic.

 

But it was *utterly* formulaic by every other definition, the 'detective has a case which gets personal' trope.

 

Yes. This!  I feel like this particular trope has really been overused on the show by now.  Along with 'character gets betrayed by someone close' amongst many others.  Castle writers do looooove their tropes.  Sigh.  The theme of every Ryan/Esposito centric episode has been one trope or another.  

 

The dialogue was utterly predictable.  Practically every single line was a cliche.  I could tell exactly what everyone was going to say most of the time - not merely the content, but the exact wording.  Really, truly, lazy writing by the numbers.

 

This is one of the biggest problems I have with the writing on Castle.  It's all so predictable (now I feel like quoting Castle from the pilot. ;)).  Especially the crime investigation dialogue.  The same old exposition is so heavy handed and samey.  I feel like I can tell the words coming out of the actors' mouths before they say it (Lividity, of course.  That's a given. ;))   Honestly, no other show I watch has this problem as much.

 

I mean, Ryan punching the mirror?  Ugh.

 

I am so over characters punching mirrors or kicking over tables to supposedly display badassness.  That's old cliched stuff.  I feel TV has evolved into newer landscapes of badassness.  

 

Sometimes I wish Castle was a bolder, less old-fashioned show.  One that could dump the cliches and the tropes and the cheap laughs.  But honestly, I'm not sure the writers could handle it, and the alternative of them throwing in weird character arcs and plots is more frightening. 

[merylinkid]

 

He’d be a “bullet shy of a full magazine,” which is a great description of the writer who pens this sort of thing.

 

I think I am in love.

[mbutterfly]

 They really should do Gates by now. I mean, the entire murder that involved her sister last season was pretty good and they keep dropping more and more with Gates' home life and career. I also feel that Penny has really gotten her character down and not as one note as she originally was written. I just think its time we see her husband and her family like they did with Montegamery. It shouldn't be the main focus but its time to show that work isn't her only life. Especially since they've pushed Martha and Alexis out more.

Has there ever been a story significantly around Martha because I can't tell you how much I want one?

[KaveDweller]

All this just avoid saying that she does not like Christmas. Watershed speaks for itself. So I think the writers have absolutely mishandled & damaged her character for silly plot points.

 

Except I don't think giving her flaws is the same is mishandling her character.  I agree that she has (in the past) had a tendency to lie to avoid difficult conversations.  I've certainly never claimed Beckett was perfect.  All I meant was that I don't blame the character for having dramatic things happen to her. Sometimes she's handled those things well and sometimes she doesn't, but the fact that the drama exists isn't her fault.

 

But is her cover up of Montgomery's crimes when she first found out about them public knowledge?  I wouldn't count on writers remembering pesky little details ;)

 

I wouldn't count on the writers to remember the main details, let alone the little ones.  Did she have evidence of Montgomery's crimes back then? If he hadn't (rather cowardly) gotten himself killed could she have sent him to jail without his confession?

[oberon55]

Has there ever been a story significantly around Martha because I can't tell you how much I want one?

Could not agree more. Martha's story could have added a new layer to the show. I thought she really shined in the small part she had in "Deep Cover". She is the best under used actor on the whole damn show.

[basiltherat]

God, yes, I've watched Susan Sullivan for more years than I (and she!) would care to count.  She was featured when Castle's daddy came in from the cold, and back when she was hostage at a bank.  And she's a mother-in-law that actually loved her daughter-in-law even before her doofus son figured out he did.

 

Why would Becks be interested in politics when her Nemesis #1 was a senator?  Becoming a captain also involves politics and paper-pushing.  She's too much a gal of action.  Politics is more for Gates.  Anyway, if this Show is to be fluff, let's not get too serious and throw politics into the mix.

 

Also, was there any mention of Jenny being worried about Ryan?  Or was I napping?  Why is she encouraging her husband to work not only one dangerous job, but two? 

[verdana]

Also, was there any mention of Jenny being worried about Ryan?  Or was I napping?  Why is she encouraging her husband to work not only one dangerous job, but two? 

If there was I can't recall but why couldn't they bring her back so we could watch a scene like that play out? She's someone in his life I am interested in and that would add something to the episode instead of it being a boring throwaway. 

 

The most significant story arc Martha has had revolved around her relationship with Chet which I thought brought out the best in her and Fillion in their scenes together especially when Chet died, that was back in S3 which tells you everything about how this showrunner feels about developing the secondary cast. 

 

I loved this interview that Susan did here back in 2014, she's a class act and she mentioned the Chet story and how she would love Martha to have a relationship again and what did she get served up? A scene with her new lover in her son's pj's to joke about. How times change.

[verdana]

I am so over characters punching mirrors or kicking over tables to supposedly display badassness.  That's old cliched stuff.  I feel TV has evolved into newer landscapes of badassness. 

Sometimes I wish Castle was a bolder, less old-fashioned show.  One that could dump the cliches and the tropes and the cheap laughs.  But honestly, I'm not sure the writers could handle it, and the alternative of them throwing in weird character arcs and plots is more frightening.

 

The badassery they have these characters doing especially by Beckett has never impressed, in fact it's detracted and distracted me from the story sometimes it's been that eye roll worthy.

 

But then Castle has been described by quite a few as traditional or "old fashioned" and in a way there's nothing wrong with that but yeah TV has evolved and the audience has become way more sophisticated in their viewing habits and more demanding of course. Whilst there are some aspects of being old fashioned I enjoy about Castle there are other things I wish they would take a fresh view on. It does get me curious, how do these writers adapt when they leave the show for new gigs? Does it take them a while to acclimatise? Is it difficult to start writing for multiple characters, have them remember past events and create genuinely meaningful character beats on a consistent basis? As for writing displays of intimacy I bet they're not talking about "naps" and "fonts" any more. Heh.

 

Have any of the Castle writers that have left gone on to bigger and better things? I know a few are writing for other shows but I don't know how they're doing. 

 

As for the predictably of the writing, it's getting worse each season, you can tell the writing team is not putting any real effort into it any more except n the odd "special" occasion. Complacency is the death of any show it just takes a while to percolate through but it's been clear to me for a while now that despite all the PR bluster from Amann and Marlowe about all the quality entertainment and "high stakes" storytelling they like to give us they're happy to coast along doing the bare minimum to survive. 

 

Andrew Bikichky on his twitter has various BTS shots of filming of 7.18 if any one wants to check them out. 

 

 

 

 

 

[verdana]

Except I don't think giving her flaws is the same is mishandling her character.  I agree that she has (in the past) had a tendency to lie to avoid difficult conversations.  I've certainly never claimed Beckett was perfect.  All I meant was that I don't blame the character for having dramatic things happen to her. Sometimes she's handled those things well and sometimes she doesn't, but the fact that the drama exists isn't her fault.

 

The drama may not always be her fault but I find it does hurt the character when they put her through certain stuff, it's still the character I'm having to watch do these various things and I can get fed up. I agree with oberon in that they have at times mishandled and hurt her character in pursuit of drama although on the flip side she has also benefited from it with some good stories. However, If they're planning on having her go through another career upheaval only to find she's happy being a detective yet again I'll have to resist the urge to throw something at my computer screen in sheer frustration.   

Edited March 25, 2015 by verdana

[oberon55]

I think the problem is having a character do the same thing over & over. These characters are rarely allowed to learn or grow from the mistakes they make. As soon as they need a little drama the writers put them right back in the same kind of situations & have them behaving the same way. It will be interesting (in a train wreck sort of way) to see how they generate their annual angst fest now that Beckett & Castle are married. We can hope that most of their old faithfuls ("it's my life", walls & hopefully lies) are off the table.

[Sonik Tooth]

 

As for the predictably of the writing, it's getting worse each season, you can tell the writing team is not putting any real effort into it any more except n the odd "special" occasion.

I think it comes mostly down to the How to write a Castle episode guidelines. Next to a certain structure (crime scene, interviews, murder board), the main rule seems to be topic of the COTW dictates character interaction. And didn’t Marlowe or Amann say something like that in an interview? I imagine this isn’t exactly easy and really doesn’t add to a consistent story or character behaviour.

 

I thought it was a good the episode, as in it definitely held my interest and I think Seamus did a great job.  Liked the mix of tense and funny stuff.

 

Beckett thinking about her personal future and career at this point (even if it is kind of a repeat) is pretty legitimate and I don’t see anything wrong with acquiring reading matter on the Captain’s exam without telling Castle. But, and this also goes back to the episode before, the way they are writing this new development makes me want to roll my eyes constantly.

 

It starts with commentary from strangers like “We’ve noticed your work”.  Then we have Castle’s mandatory encouragements on the career matter (absolutely and nothing wrong here with encouragement and I as a woman would tolerate nothing less from my partner (unless it’s really a bad idea for some reasons) ), but it’s not done to advance the couple or add new layers or even have a conversation. It’s just done to flatter the character they created, IMO, with no profound questions ask. Questions, that should definitely arise given the history of the show. And speaking of history, I don’t even know if it was supposed to be a joke in the previous episode when Beckett said that she quit the DC job or stated that she wasn’t this insecure since she had pimples.

[verdana]

It starts with commentary from strangers like “We’ve noticed your work”.  Then we have Castle’s mandatory encouragements on the career matter (absolutely and nothing wrong here with encouragement and I as a woman would tolerate nothing less from my partner (unless it’s really a bad idea for some reasons) ), but it’s not done to advance the couple or add new layers or even have a conversation. It’s just done to flatter the character they created, IMO, with no profound questions ask. Questions, that should definitely arise given the history of the show. And speaking of history, I don’t even know if it was supposed to be a joke in the previous episode when Beckett said that she quit the DC job or stated that she wasn’t this insecure since she had pimples.

Is this all Castle is going to do for the next five episodes? Smile a lot and offer bland, supportive encouragements? That's all well and good but I agree it doesn't delve into their relationship one bit, it's completely superficial. Doesn't he have any views on this given his life will be also be affected in certain ways? If she's not that enthused with the idea of being captain and just giving it a go may be he needs to talk it through with her a little more, that's what couples in serious loving relationships tend to do - talk. This isn't just her decision it's their decision and if all Castle is going to do is act like a nodding dog then it will get annoying. This was the guy who couldn't keep his trap shut before in the early days now he's got nothing to say on the very matters he should be interested in, like their future.  

Edited March 26, 2015 by verdana

[WendyCR72]

Is this all Castle is going to do for the next five episodes? Smile a lot and offer bland, supportive encouragements? That's all well and good but I agree it doesn't delve into their relationship one bit, it's completely superficial. Doesn't he have any views on this given his life will be also be affected in certain ways? If she's not that enthused with the idea of being captain and just giving it a go may be he needs to talk it through with her a little more, that's what couples in serious loving relationships tend to do - talk. This isn't just her decision it's their decision and if all Castle is going to do is act like a nodding dog then it will get annoying. This was the guy who couldn't trap shut before in the early days now he's got nothing to say on the very matters he should be interested in, like their future.  

 

Well, the formula is in play again: This writing staff can't have these characters on equal footing, so it's now Beckett's time in the spotlight and for Castle to be vanilla wallpaper.

[KaveDweller]

However, If they're planning on having her go through another career upheaval only to find she's happy being a detective yet again I'll have to resist the urge to throw something at my computer screen in sheer frustration.   

 

Except it wouldn't be her doing it yet again, because it hasn't happened before.  She got the DC job, seemed to really like it, and was upset when she got fired.  She fell back into her old job and was okay with that, but there was never a storyline about how she was happier being a detective and glad it didn't work out in DC.  If anything, showing her still thinking about her career and wanting to make a difference is good continuity.  A little late, of course.

 

Now that's not to say that the writers won't screw up whatever they are planning on doing, especially if they follow the political route they were hinting at her. But I think it's completely natural to show her thinking about it.  I mean awhile ago people here were complaining about how it didn't make sense that Beckett hadn't been promoted from detective or talked about taking exams for moving up the ladder.

 

The drama may not always be her fault but I find it does hurt the character when they put her through certain stuff, it's still the character I'm having to watch do these various things and I can get fed up

 

I guess we just see it differently because as long as the characters react to things in a relate-able way I don't mind them handling something crisis badly.  If they are generally likable then I like watching them go through the good and the bad and don't mind mistakes.  I'd get more annoyed at a character that never does anything wrong.

 

Unless we see characters that just keep causing horrible/annoying things to happen.

[verdana]

Except it wouldn't be her doing it yet again, because it hasn't happened before.  She got the DC job, seemed to really like it, and was upset when she got fired.  She fell back into her old job and was okay with that, but there was never a storyline about how she was happier being a detective and glad it didn't work out in DC.  If anything, showing her still thinking about her career and wanting to make a difference is good continuity.  A little late, of course.

 

 

When she can back from DC, she seemed thrilled getting her job back, didn't feel like some temporary stop gap measure and I assumed she realised this is where she belonged. The writers don't get me inside Beckett's head enough to know what she's thinking and so I take it when she doesn't say or do anything and acts happy then she is happy. If the writers had wanted to give the impression that she had simply fallen back into her old life and was restless they should have signalled that when she returned not over a season later - that delayed continuity doesn't work in my case.. 

 

Rather than constant wedding chatter they should have been sprinkling hints about her having doubts to Castle but I can't recall them planting any seeds.  If this was my office and Beckett was acting this way I'd be sorely tempted to ask maintenance for some of those line dividers they use to control crowds so I could get them to cordon off her desk to keep it free and clear awaiting her expected return. This time if she leaves because she's unfilled then I want the writers to make it stick, I don't see the point of giving her big career ambitions outside the 12th which they never plan to have her enjoy. This story about wanting a fresh challenge works much better if I pretend the DC arc never happened. 

 

I guess we just see it differently because as long as the characters react to things in a relate-able way I don't mind them handling something crisis badly.  If they are generally likable then I like watching them go through the good and the bad and don't mind mistakes.  I'd get more annoyed at a character that never does anything wrong.

 

The problem I have with characters (not just Beckett) is if the writers don't appear to have them learn from their screw ups. They often had them seemingly regress in order to create unnecessary drama and it ends up tainting the characters due to the writers own limitations in being unable to craft something that feels genuinely organic. Everyone makes mistakes or takes a bad decision sometimes but I want to see these individuals learn from them.   

Edited March 26, 2015 by verdana

[KaveDweller]

When she can back from DC, she seemed thrilled getting her job back, didn't feel like some temporary stop gap measure and I assumed she realised this is where she belonged. The writers don't get me inside Beckett's head enough to know what she's thinking and so I take it when she doesn't say or do anything and acts happy then she is happy. If the writers had wanted to give the impression that she had simply fallen back into her old life and was restless they should have signalled that when she returned not over a season later - that delayed continuity doesn't work in my case.. 

 

She seemed happy to get her job back because she'd felt lost without a job, she said as much in Number 1 Fan.  It never came across to me as her deciding working at the NYPD was better.  She always liked her job, so she is still going to enjoy it after DC, but that doesn't mean she lost that hunger for something more. A person can love their job and still want more.  I actually worked with someone who had quit because he didn't see himself in the field forever and wanted to "find himself," returned because he ran out of money, but then eventually left again because he was originally right about it not being the right job.  But he did like the job when he was there.  So it's not a matter of being miserable and wanting more vs. loving a job and not wanting change.  You can be happy but still shoot for even more happiness.  I don't have an issue with it taking awhile to come up again, she needed time to lick her wounds from DC and then was distracted with weddings, a kidnapped fiance, serial killers stalking her, etc.

 

The problem is how they can do this and still keep the structure of the show working.  I'm hoping they give her some kind of promotion inside the NYPD so that they can show her doing more but also keep the show going.  Because I agree having her quit and return again would be hard to make realistic.  However, showing her interested in more is not something I have a problem with (and that's all we've seen happen so far).  I'd be more annoyed if they never had her talking about career advancement.

Edited March 26, 2015 by KaveDweller

[sinkwriter]

Count me in as one who'd love to see a story for Susan. 

 

Also, because I'm a fan of Seamus, I enjoyed this episode, but what I'd really love is to see a story that involves his partnership with Esposito. Not something that tests their friendship -- I want to see something that highlights it. I'm reminded of that episode when they were both taken and Ryan was tortured while Esposito was forced to watch. Their bond as partners was so tight, how they both laughed in the face of danger (to their own detriment, in order to keep things light), how Esposito held it together when they used water to torture Ryan but panicked when they almost shot his partner in the kneecaps... I just really liked seeing their camaraderie and closeness, how well they read one another and play off one another. I'd love another episode that brings them closer like that. It's good stuff.