S07.E22: Dead From New York

[WendyCR72]

When Sid Ross, the powerful creator of a long-running sketch comedy show is killed, Castle and Beckett are called to investigate. But as they delve into the victim's life and the colorful world of "Saturday Night Tonight," they uncover a shocking secret that may explain Sid's murder.

[McManda]

Was Danny Valentine supposed to be like, a Steve Martin character?

 

She wanted to be a cop but became a writer? Hmmm... that's an interesting combo ... right?

No Urkel in sight. I guess it's a good thing that Urkel was such a character because I was afraid that it would be more of an "Urkel in Castle". I was wrong about that, thankfully.

 

They got the old-Steve Martin guy to play Castle the "righter"? Is that supposed to be a dig on Castle's age? Also, Danny Valentine is creepy, hitting on Beckett. Minorly jealous Castle was kinda fun, though. I like that trope when it's not a big deal or the source of drama. (S2 throwback: did she just flip her hair? LOL)

Why is the 12th precinct work room presumably only lit by a the illumination from a computer screen? Can we please, please, please start a "turn on the damn lights!" campaign?

 

Castle and Martha are sweet. More family scenes, please.

Another throwback (to S3)? Beckett kicking in the door to a dressing room to "save" a TV star? Oh, and right before that, Beckett being copies by a wannabe actress?

 

Who is this Tory imposter? Tory isn't good enough now. Now we get an unnamed tech person?

Who did Carly Rae Jepsen bribe to have two nights on ABC? Tonight she's a guest star on Castle and tomorrow she's performing on the DWTS results show. I'd also bet that she's singing the same song tomorrow. Has she had another song since "Call Me Maybe"?

 

Last throwback of the night: simultaneous "I know who the killer is!"

I love that Ryan was as excited as Castle and Becketet were about Martha's success. He's definitely a daddy's boy.

 

I thought this was one of the better episodes, but for a 150th celebration is was a little ... underwhelming? It was no "Lives of Others" for sure.

 

As far as next week goes: a psudeo-Jigsaw mask? And clearly Beckett isn't hit by a truck. No way Castle would be that calm. And also, I was promised no Shonda-esque moves.

Edited May 5, 2015 by McManda

[merylinkid]

Awww.   Loved the celebration at the precinct at the end.   Yes, it could have been at the loft, but I loved that it included Ryan and Esposito.   They are family too.

 

Also loved the dancing.   Gee, you think they realized that folks would hate the stand in shower dancing?   

 

Mostly a light fluffy episode that Castle does best.   "Let him go."   "No, no."  Castle looking appalled at how what he said could have gone horribly wrong, even if he didn't like the guy for flirting with his wife.

 

But, geez, can they get more than one tiny piece evidence before they haul someone in?  Instead of "oh hey, first person we heard of that doesn't like dead person" let's make them suspect #1 instead of seeing how plausible that is by other evidence.   And good grief, that poor woman.   It took forever for them to figure out a kidnapping was involved.   Less hauling in every one and their great aunt and more searching for solid evidence, please.

 

Not looking forward to next week where they do DRAMA! again.

[TV Anonymous]

So police officers in the New York Police Department are allowed to openly drink alcohol while on duty, in working hours, in the workplace? I guess then NYPD is more even casual than private companies as in most of those companies drinking on duty is a fireable offense.

[benteen]

Hey, Mr. Walsh was the killer!  Along with Urkel, this was a fun guest cast and a fun story.  Liked the Castle/Martha stuff too.

[McManda]

So police officers in the New York Police Department are allowed to openly drink alcohol while on duty, in working hours, in the workplace? I guess then NYPD is more even casual than private companies as in most of those companies drinking on duty is a fireable offense.

 

Well, suspend disbelief, but haven't they drank in/around the precinct before? Didn't they sneak champagne after one of the Ryan-centric cases? (edit: yes, it was at the end of Kick the Ballistics). and the 100 year old whiskey. and probably at the holiday party(ies).

 

But non-alcoholic champagne is a thing. Probably not something Martha would drink, but still a thing.

Edited May 5, 2015 by McManda

[FlickerToAFlame]

Cute episode. How did they "know who the killer is" (jinx)?

[Cyranetta]

I was tickled by Ryan's constantly popping up with just the right additional bit of information, and overall it was charming (especially any scene involving Martha).

 

As cute as the dancing was, would they really take time out from a murder investigation like that?

 

Liked the concept of the Castle "SNL-ish" skit, but I just wish they had acknowledged the previous experience with Natalie Rhodes when Beckett caught on to the actress trying to capture her character (like, "It was annoying enough when Natalie did it"). 

[KaveDweller]

Who did Carly Rae Jepsen bribe to have two nights on ABC? Tonight she's a guest star on Castle and tomorrow she's performing on the DWTS results show. I'd also bet that she's singing the same song tomorrow. Has she had another song since "Call Me Maybe"?

 

Is Disney her record label? That would explain it.  I certainly haven't heard her do anything else, but this new song is kind of cute.

 

So police officers in the New York Police Department are allowed to openly drink alcohol while on duty, in working hours, in the workplace?

 

Probably not, but they have done that before.  In the season 2 finale they were drinking, and in Number One Fan Beckett and Gates were drinking something in her office.  You could argue that they weren't technically on duty anymore, since it must have been pretty late (assuming fake SNL is on at the same time as the real one).  Or that it's a TV thing.

 

I thought this was cute, even though the take down at the end was kind of silly.  But I like any episode that has Beckett and Castle saying "I know who the killer is" at the same time.

 

I thought the writer who admired Beckett was going to be the killer.  But maybe because the actress just looked so familiar to me.

[FlickerToAFlame]

Another question: were the Marlowe and Amann puppets in the episode and I missed them? Besides in the "cast" photo: http://t.co/y2Pf03CnMl

[KaveDweller]

As cute as the dancing was, would they really take time out from a murder investigation like that?

 

I thought that based on the sneak peak, but in the episode that costume guy said that if they gave him 5 minutes he could help answer questions.  So they were just standing around waiting.

 

Another question: were the Marlowe and Amann puppets in the episode and I missed them? Besides in the "cast" photo: http://t.co/y2Pf03CnMl

 

Is that all the writers?  Ha, that's a fun joke.

[McManda]

Is Disney her record label? That would explain it.  I certainly haven't heard her do anything else, but this new song is kind of cute.

 

Looks like no, she's represented by Interscope, which is part of Universal Music Group.

 

Probably not, but they have done that before.  In the season 2 finale they were drinking, and in Number One Fan Beckett and Gates were drinking something in her office.

 

Oh yes, and Montgomery kept a flask in his desk that he shared with Beckett a couple times ... and they keep beer in the deep freezer in ... Knockout? It freaked Castle out, but the condensation ring on one of the old reports they were going through was what made him notice that they had been altered.

[FlickerToAFlame]

@AJCattapan: How many times do you think poor @seamusdever has to say "Hey, guys, you're going to want to see this" in a season of #Castle ?

@seamusdever: TMFT https://t.co/gNR5Z989UN

Edited May 5, 2015 by FlickerToAFlame

[Nadine]

They had the drinking in Season Two finale before Gina popped up - because if I remember correctly Montgomery said he'd let that one pass or did he make that comment in a different ep?

 

The takedown on national TV cracked me up and Martha's B storyline made the episode even better.

 

Only thing for me was at the end the look between Beckett/Espo when they were toasting in the precinct. Not sure if it was the editing in the scene or what but it did bring up a bit of a WTF for me in that moment (but that could be my cold-ridden mind).

 

Typical good writing by TPW!

Edited May 5, 2015 by Nadine

[FlickerToAFlame]

I noticed some weird editing too. Like Castle does a sort of double take look at one of the guys in the precinct but there's no reason to.

ETA: Seamus is getting a little Heigl against the writing on Twitter. Unless I'm missing a joke?

Edited May 5, 2015 by FlickerToAFlame

[Nadine]

I noticed some weird editing too. Like Castle does a sort of double take look at one of the guys in the precinct but there's no reason to.

 

Glad it wasn't just me then - because first Beckett was looking at Martha except a few frames too late and vice versa with as you mentioned Castle. I was like is it the cold and flu tablets affecting me?

 

Weird part is Orlando who did the editing is probably my favourite editor on the show (since usually his episodes don't have the out of sync frames, etc).

Edited May 5, 2015 by Nadine

[pcta]

Alexis last week. Martha this week. Love when the family is included/show cased. Something seemed off with Espo tonight - look? But couldn't pin point it.

[KaveDweller]

Oh yes, and Montgomery kept a flask in his desk that he shared with Beckett a couple times ... and they keep beer in the deep freezer in ... Knockout?

Man, now that I think about it, I know some people who would love to work at the 12th Precinct.

 

I noticed some weird editing too. Like Castle does a sort of double take look at one of the guys in the precinct but there's no reason to.

 

I thought Beckett's voice sounded weird at times, like it was obviously dubbed over.

 

They missed an opportunity for a meta joke when talking about the guy with a private car taking the subway.

Castle: Why would he use public transportation when he could drive?

Beckett: To go green?

Edited May 5, 2015 by KaveDweller

[verdana]

Martha for the win. Amazeballs. This made up for the last two weeks, it was such a light fun (silly at times) episode. No boring mythology, no enforced separations, Nathan and Stana seemed more energised and perky plus a nice nice little touching side story for Martha . It's all about balance and this time they got it right. Not sure there was anything that special though in terms of this being a celebration of 150 episodes but TPW is the most consistent and reliable performer they've got and he usually produces solid, enjoyable episodes.

 

Highlight for me was the poignant mother and son moment and any time Susan was on screen. Nathan and Susan are so great together, it feels like an age since we last got an emotional scene like that. Castle has shown his great qualities as a serious, loving, supportive, tender man in the past and this made a nice change from the focus on the sillier side of his persona.  The show lacks genuine heart these days but this story with Martha gave some of that back, showing her fear and vulnerability and there's her son to reassure her in the best way. I also loved how Beckett was so concerned with Martha's behaviour and went to Castle, she's not passive when it comes to what she considers HER family too. 

 

This it what Castle time at the loft should be about, exploring personal things, rather than by now repetitive scenes of them sharing a glass of wine at the end of a case which come over as superficial boring filler. In her all too infrequent scenes where she's given something more to do Susan always manages to shine.  She's a class act and whoever is in charge next season I hope they see sense and utilise her more because more scenes like this are sorely needed.  

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[tankgirl73]

Was Danny Valentine supposed to be like, a Steve Martin character?

No Urkel in sight. I guess it's a good thing that Urkel was such a character because I was afraid that it would be more of an "Urkel in Castle". I was wrong about that, thankfully.

Who is this Tory imposter? Tory isn't good enough now. Now we get an unnamed tech person?

 

1. Like most of the characters, I think he was a mash-up rather than one specific character reference.  Certainly Steve Martin would be the main inspiration, but I think it was also supposed to have some Bill Shatner.  When he listed off the shows he'd been in, he said Starfleet and Family Practice, and some TV ads, and then Beckett mentioned a cop show.  This totally sounds like Star Trek, Boston Legal, his Priceline ads, and TJ Hooker. 

 

2. I didn't even realize that was Urkel.  I never watched that show and didn't know the actor was going to be on this week.  I guffawed at the 'ow my pancreas' line and I appreciated when he dropped the act and got real.

 

3. I was by turns bemused and perturbed by the pseudo-Tory.  I guess she's busy over on Agents of SHIELD, but it was weird how they tried to make this actress LOOK like Tory and ACT like Tory (ie wooden and dull) but she doesn't look a thing like Tory.

Edited May 5, 2015 by tankgirl73

[betsyboo]

Loved Martha. Loved Castle and Martha. Loved Beckett being worried about Martha. Loved AMAZEBALLS Martha (how could she be anything else?)

 

"I know who the killer is!"  <beat> "To be fair, I led you all the way there."

 

Kate twirling her hair for Gregory Harrison. TEE!

 

I did not love the plaid ties on Rysposito.

3. I was by turns bemused and perturbed by the pseudo-Tory.  I guess she's busy over on Agents of SHIELD, but it was weird how they tried to make this actress LOOK like Tory and ACT like Tory (ie wooden and dull) but she doesn't look a thing like Tory.

stringy dark hair: check. wooden delivery: check. British accent: ch...wha?

[verdana]

Enjoyable moments:

 

- Castle and Beckett dancing. I really really really liked it. Adorable. Cute. Spontaneous. Fun. Wish we could see more of this. Castle and Beckett interaction that seems happy, genuine and loving, why ration it out writers?  

 

- “Oh Model-cop down!” heh liked them making fun of Model!Beckett and the comment about her hair, they needed to spoof it at some point and I especially liked the fact the girl was wearing a thigh holster too because that always gets fans going.

- “I know who the killer is!” moment, they should be doing more of this kind of thing not less now they're together.

 

- "Let him go!" "Nooooo!" Oh Castle. And Nathan's reaction oops! 

 

- The ending with them all together having a drink, it's little moments like that (again with Martha blending in) that make the show enjoyable and yeah I can totally hand wave the fact they shouldn't be drinking on the job. The idea that Martha brought non alcoholic champagne cracks me up. No way come on this is Martha we're talking about!  It's when they have something like Jim on the booze I'll bitch about it. 

 

Although like Beckett I didn't find Urkel quite as hysterically funny as Castle did but it could have been much worse based on what I'd seen of the guy already. Jepsen didn't unbalance things by having too many lines which is what I dread when they have RL singers on and at least she was singing her own song.

 

There were a few odd things like where the hell is Tori? And what really freaked me out they tried to make her look like Tori so I had to rewind and check again just to make sure. I can't believe it they have TWO tech girls now taking up valuable screen time. Yeesh.

 

As for Castle being that excited meeting Carly Rae Jepsen. Nah. How many famous people has this guy met over the years? Quite a few I imagine. Yet I'm meant to buy into the idea he going to gush in the presence of Jepsen? Seems the writers let him fangirl over anyone remotely famous these days for comedic purposes but it doesn't make sense given he's shown in the past he can be composed meeting famous people, especially over celebs I doubt he would he'd be remotely interested in meeting.

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[Bringonthedrama]

Awww.   Loved the celebration at the precinct at the end.   Yes, it could have been at the loft, but I loved that it included Ryan and Esposito.   They are family too.

That was a sweet scene, although I was surprised that Alexis didn't come into the precinct with Martha, and have a line/beam with pride at her grandmother's positive reviews being read aloud. Did I miss a line about Alexis going away with friends for spring break or some other excuse? 

Edited May 5, 2015 by Bringonthedrama

[verdana]

 

Liked the concept of the Castle "SNL-ish" skit, but I just wish they had acknowledged the previous experience with Natalie Rhodes when Beckett caught on to the actress trying to capture her character (like, "It was annoying enough when Natalie did it"). 

I was disappointed too they didn't reference it because it's the first thing that came to mind.

 

I loved the hair twirling Beckett did when she being hit on and Castle pushing the guy off, too often the jealousy angle can often frustrate me in how it's written but not this time.  TPW is a safe pair of hands in that writers room.

 

I can't remember there being any excuse given for Alexis being absent, I suppose Molly had done her stint last week and they don't need her again until the finale. I didn't miss her I have to say. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[turnitwayup]

Who did Carly Rae Jepsen bribe to have two nights on ABC? Tonight she's a guest star on Castle and tomorrow she's performing on the DWTS results show. I'd also bet that she's singing the same song tomorrow. Has she had another song since "Call Me Maybe"?

 

Is Disney her record label? That would explain it.  I certainly haven't heard her do anything else, but this new song is kind of cute.

 

Nope, she's on Bieber's manager's label School Boy Records with Interscope distribution deal. Call Me Maybe was a hit because Bieber and Selena Gomez tweeted about the song. The only other song that seemed to get radio play here was Good Time with Owl City. I Really Like You is doing ok on CHR and it's not getting an itunes bump tonight with all of the voice contestants tracks. Hey I'm just glad she stop dressing like a 14/15 yr old since she's turning 30 this yr especially since an 16 yr old voice contestant couple seasons ago was basically dressed like her. She marketed toward the under 35 crowd so it's kinda ridiculous to have Castle be all fan boy around her. Now Castle trying to get an autograph for Alexis would be cuter and made more sense.

 

Maya must have been filming over at Shield so I don't know why they just didn't have Ryan do all of the video work instead of bringing in Tori 2.0 for one scene.

 

I loved all of the loft scenes and that Castle/Martha talk. I'm fine with Alexis no where to be found since we got Martha and the broadway play storyline. A couple episode ago I was thinking they totally gonna drop it since last we heard about it was during the 2 parter. I did loled at Castle's story of the most awkward parent/teacher conference ever cause of the last time's Martha's 1st line was.

 

The writer/model cop skit was entertaining and I think on the background screen I might've seen skit!Beckett pinch the ear of skit!Castle. It was hard to tell since I was trying to listen to Mr. Walsh and the Beckett fan girl writer. I'm surprised that Jaleel got so little screen time but there were so many suspects and 3 well known tv actors as guest stars. At least we only got 2 in the box interrogation scenes. The interactions with Danny Valentine were fun.

 

One of the sequences looked a little off. When Beckett saves Danny, it looked like Castle didn't catch a ride back to the precinct cause he was gone for a couple of scenes before reappeared next to the whiteboard. Between Beckett's solo interrogation, Espo knocking down the door with his vest while Ryan was at the SNT studio doing something else made it felt like everyone was off doing something on their own while who the hell knows where Castle was.

Edited May 5, 2015 by turnitwayup

[verdana]

Kate disarming Urkel using a sword didn't do much for me, felt like a scene inserted just to show off Badass!Beckett.

 

Can we please, please, please start a "turn on the damn lights!" campaign?

 

Hasn't that been going for a while now? No signs of anyone listening though. That's a common complaint I hear constantly not just here but everywhere. 

 

Castle and Martha are sweet. More family scenes, please.

 

Amen. Need a petition for this too along with the lighting. 

 

Maya must have been filming over at Shield so I don't know why they just didn't have Ryan do all of the video work instead of bringing in Tori 2.0 for one scene.

 

That's what bugged me about seeing this new girl, if they had a show conflict, why not get Ryan to do this stuff like he's been doing for YEARS. I'm sure Seamus would be happy with the extra screen time. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

Castle Recap: Not Ready for Crimetime — Plus, Did Martha Move You? at TV Line

 

What was also a pleasant surprise not even a sniff of angst filled trauma for our dynamic duo with only one episode left, everything seemed fine and dandy, no anvils dropped, mythology appears dead and buried. Castle and Beckett appear in a happy, settled place. Lets hope it stays that way and this is not the calm before the storm. Can Marlowe resist the temptation to gleefully throw a spanner in the works?  I hope he can but I'm still not reassured by his comments they they're planning a "satisfying" conclusion to the season.  It may be satisfying for MilMar but will it be the same for the fans?

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

Terence Paul Winter @OldManWinter14  ·  1 hr 1 hour ago

Beckett twirling her hair is a callback to a bit I wrote in a 2nd season ep called The Third Man. Anyone remember that one? #Castle150

 

 

Yeah remember that with the bland looking fireman Brad who was her hot date, good episode. 

 

Terence Paul Winter @OldManWinter14  ·  1 hr 1 hour ago

#Castle fun fact: the network execs are named after our real ABC execs -- Karin & Patrick!

Terence Paul Winter @OldManWinter14  ·  33 mins 33 minutes ago

@namu7 I wrote: "As Carly reaches the climax of her song, Castle takes Beckett by the hand and starts to dance." Nathan & Stana did the rest

 

 

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

Not a standout episode, but a solid effort one from TPW.  Much preferred this light-hearted, fun episode as the penultimate episode to one filled with manufactured angst as setup for a melodramatic finale that often made characters unlikeable and behave out of character, as in previous seasons.  Even TPW can't really make me care about the COTW anymore though, but he does inject the personal interactions in between the boring COTW bits with more flair and fun than many of the other writers, and he does write the all important scenes with 'heart' well like the one with Castle/Martha.  

 

I love Martha and Susan Sullivan.  I hope she's not retiring after Castle because she more than deserves another act.  I love Castle and Martha together, especially their serious heart to heart scenes.  Their talk after Chet's death is still one of my favourites.  And that scene where Martha gave Castle advice about Beckett, and told him as someone more than halfway through the movie to not waste another second of it packed a real emotional punch.  So glad we got another heartfelt, meaningful scene here.  There's just something that's so good to watch when a character shows real vulnerability as Martha did here, and the other person's just strong and comforting and there for the other.  Those kinds of scenes be they between mother/son, father/daughter, or Caskett are my favourites.  And you really need them to balance the show with heart and meaning when most of the time it's just shallow hijinks and superficial banter.

 

I liked hearing that Martha's advice to Castle has always been that he has to earn things in life.  I hope that comes through next week in the finale.  Other characters like to mock Castle's writing or make it sound like his career is something easy to come by that doesn't involve a lot of hard work, but the reality is that Castle's had to put up with his share of rejection and competition to get to where he is and he's had to work hard for it.  The Ferrari didn't just fall into his lap and those who keep demanding freebies off him should remember that.

 

Model cop down.  "Righter".  Heh.  Beckett has actually worn those kinds of insane heels to work which distracted me, not in a good way.  I thought the writer who wanted to be a cop (lol at Castle's reaction to her 'pathetic, right?') fangirling over Beckett was funnier than the skit actor/Nathalie Rhodes the 2nd copying her gait. But the spoofy and meta bits were quite funny overall.  Nice callback to Beckett's hair twirling.  Would be nice if we see her hair twirl again for Castle once even as an old married couple heh.  "Let him go" bit was also funny.

 

Beginning to think Ryan's a saint for putting up with Esposito's killjoy attitude all the time.  That's really gotten old.  Not a fan of them in matching plaid ties courtesy of Luke. Then again I'm mostly not a fan of Luke's plaid.  And I don't think Esposito is the kind of guy who would be wearing a plaid tie.  He's the guy who would be mocking Ryan, Castle or anyone who wore a plaid tie.

 

Not a fan of Esposito referring to Beckett as sexy in any context.  Just no.  Of course he has to follow it up with another diss to Castle.

 

Terence Paul Winter @OldManWinter14  ·  33 mins 33 minutes ago

@namu7 I wrote: "As Carly reaches the climax of her song, Castle takes Beckett by the hand and starts to dance." Nathan & Stana did the rest

 

 

The dancing was still one of the cutest and funnest bit of the episode for me.  Don't know whether they came up with the moves themselves or how many times they rehearsed, but the final result was sweet and smooth and adorably dorky at the same time.  Loved all of Caskett's different dances over the years.

 

As for Castle being that excited meeting Carly Rae Jepsen. Nah. How many famous people has this guy met over the years? Quite a few I imagine. Yet I'm meant to buy into the idea he going to gush in the presence of Jepsen? Seems the writers let him fangirl over anyone remotely famous these days for comedic purposes but it doesn't make sense given he's shown in the past he can be composed meeting famous people, especially over celebs I doubt he would he'd be remotely interested in meeting.

 

I think Castle fangirling over CRJ was so they could namecheck her for those watching who didn't know her more than anything else.  But the writers do seem to enjoy having Castle and Beckett (and even Ryan and Esposito) get fannish over all sorts of unexpected things for comedic purposes over the years that it's hard to discern any kind of consistent taste.  I think that comedic well has been tapped a bit too much.  
 

Kate disarming Urkel using a sword didn't do much for me, felt like a scene inserted just to show off Badass!Beckett.

 

 

Same.  The final 'live' takedown was a bit over the top for me too, but I guess that was the intention.  

 

The promo for the finale looks a bit underwhelming.  But I'll take it over the wtf of Beckett being married before that we got last season.

Edited May 5, 2015 by madmaverick

[S55]

This episode wasn't awful, but wasn't memorable for me. Definitely better than others as of late. Like many others mentioned, I did really enjoy Castle & Martha and their scenes together. I feel like there's so much to that relationship to be explored (but probably never will be), so when I get a peek into it, I'm pleased.

 

As for the callbacks...honestly, it just made me wistful for the episode where it was better the first time (the hair twirl in season 2, Natalie Rhodes mimicking Beckett in season 3). It just didn't have the same appeal here as it did back then. It felt like TPW (& the entire writing team) was trying too hard to recapture those moments and it was too obvious while also falling flat. Sigh.

 

I found Castle & Beckett's bow at the end of the arrest scene somewhat interesting...and symbolic. Especially considering when this was being written/filmed, the future of the show was unknown. That stood out to me the most from that scene. Except for how disappointed Brenda & Brandon would be in their dad. ;) Knowing how much the writers follow a creator or showrunner's vision, I cracked up at Puppet!TPW too. Terence's sense of humor is one of the things I enjoy about him as a writer sometimes. 

 

I find stunt casting as tiresome as product placement. But I did laugh at the juxtaposition of the joke that SNT!Castle is an old man (a nod to the show's older audience? lol) while trying to appeal to a younger TV crowd by having Carly Rae Jepsen guest star. And I guess Jaleel White is for adults like me who were tweens in the late 80's/early 90's and remember Family Matters as part of ABC's TGIF lineup? Haha. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by S55

[readster]

This was a nice episode and I love how they were making fun on Kate's look and how she can do police work in high heels and still manage great hair. Oh Martha, we love you. I figured that Espo didn't like sketch comedy since he is a huge spanish soap opera fan. Ryan was doing great.

[smiley13]

For me, this episode was just okay.  It was not one of the better ones this season.    I did like the part with Martha and her good reviews though, except that Alexis should have been there.

 

I am not sure what it was about this one that did not click with me, but it just was a little boring.  And why drag up Carly Rae Jepson?  I thought her 15 minutes were up a while ago.

[zen415]

They got the old-Steve Martin guy to play Castle the "righter"? Is that supposed to be a dig on Castle's age? Also, Danny Valentine is creepy, hitting on Beckett. Minorly jealous Castle was kinda fun, though. I like that trope when it's not a big deal or the source of drama. (S2 throwback: did she just flip her hair? LOL)

Another throwback (to S3)? Beckett kicking in the door to a dressing room to "save" a TV star? Oh, and right before that, Beckett being copies by a wannabe actress?

Last throwback of the night: simultaneous "I know who the killer is!"

I love that Ryan was as excited as Castle and Becketet were about Martha's success. He's definitely a daddy's boy.

 

I thought this was one of the better episodes, but for a 150th celebration is was a little ... underwhelming? It was no "Lives of Others" for sure.

 

I loved all these sweet moments! Add me tot he list of people who like the minor jealousy when it's obviously not too dramatic, just for fun and it's just based on some smitten behaviour.

 

I try to stay away from spoilers so I did not see the dance until the episode and I thought it was adorably sweet. I also loved the interaction between Ryan and Esposito. "No" vs "Yes and". I like that much better than the case. I think that's what I found underwhelming: 5 different suspects, 5 different interrogations, etc. I'd rather see them build theory and inject little tidbits of information as they did in previous seasons. However, the "I know who the killer is!" was a nice touch.

 

It's all about balance and this time they got it right. Not sure there was anything that special though in terms of this being a celebration of 150 episodes but TPW is the most consistent and reliable performer they've got and he usually produces solid, enjoyable episodes.

 

Highlight for me was the poignant mother and son moment and any time Susan was on screen.

 

This it what Castle time at the loft should be about, exploring personal things, rather than by now repetitive scenes of them sharing a glass of wine at the end of a case which come over as superficial boring filler. In her all too infrequent scenes where she's given something more to do Susan always manages to shine.  She's a class act and whoever is in charge next season I hope they see sense and utilise her more because more scenes like this are sorely needed.

 

That was such a perfect moment! I loved Castle reassuring Martha and seeing Martha vulnerable. It just felt right, not plot-driven or forced in character development. I also loved how effortlessly Kate fitted in the family dynamics. I loved how she was the one who pointed out Martha's uneasiness to Castle but how he is the one who got to calm her down. It shows Kate has been living there for awhile and that she is part of the family and that loves Martha. And we never get to see Martha vulnerable and I like to see that side of the tough and sassy woman! Castle was perfect in first listening to her, then the pep-talk and then making her practice her first line! Also, Martha's first reaction after the show was to go find her son to celebrate at the 12th! Such a fitting end! That's the B-storyline that I want!

 

I didn't even realize that was Urkel.  I never watched that show and didn't know the actor was going to be on this week.  I guffawed at the 'ow my pancreas' line and I appreciated when he dropped the act and got real.

 

Me too! I didn't realize who it was! I liked the sword fight though! I liked the episode in general even if I found it a little underwhelming, probably because of the beginning: "5 suspects in the preccinct" and a little too much exposition. That part was a little underwhelming. However, all the other personal interaction was on point. The other characters were in character, were relatable and were in sync. The self-derision with the SNL clip was great! "I don't really do that, do I?" "What answer will not get me sleeping on the couch?" The final takedown was all kind of ridiculous but I loved it because I wasn't supposed to take it seriously. More of that please.  

 

[femmefan1946]

As for Castle being that excited meeting Carly Rae Jepsen. Nah. How many famous people has this guy met over the years?

 

In Real Life, Janis Ian, who sang (I Learned the Truth at) Seventeen, wrote a totally fangirl blog on attending her first Science Fiction World Convention and being introduced to all the writers. She was especially nervous and embarrassed about meeting Connie Willis (whose Doomesday Book is absolutely wonderful, btw. If you like Outlander you will love it.) Ian is not a Big Name Writer, but she certainly already travels in celebrity circles.  So I'd give it a pass.

[Lamb18]

Esposito looked younger in the show last night. I was wondering if he colored some gray hair or something.

[verdana]

The promo for the finale looks a bit underwhelming.  But I'll take it over the wtf of Beckett being married before that we got last season.

I was instantly transported back to this time last year when the sneak peek came out with Beckett at the clerk's office and the furore that resulted, so yeah I'll take what I saw over that travesty. 

 

I also loved how effortlessly Kate fitted in the family dynamics. I loved how she was the one who pointed out Martha's uneasiness to Castle but how he is the one who got to calm her down. It shows Kate has been living there for awhile and that she is part of the family and that loves Martha.

 

That's what they should have been doing when Beckett first moved in, let them deal with matters that have all the family members involved in some small way that feels natural and emphasizes their growing bond.  It shouldn't be difficult, I don't understand why they're at such a loss creating B stories when it comes to Castle's family, there are many things the writers could touch upon, they don't need to be big dramatic arcs to make fans happy. 

 

As for the callbacks...honestly, it just made me wistful for the episode where it was better the first time (the hair twirl in season 2, Natalie Rhodes mimicking Beckett in season 3). It just didn't have the same appeal here as it did back then. It felt like TPW (& the entire writing team) was trying too hard to recapture those moments and it was too obvious while also falling flat. Sigh. 

 

An increased reliance on callbacks could be another sign that the creative well is running dry in the writers room, it's easy to fall back into the habit of using them rather than have to spend time creating something fresh. 

Maya Stojan ‏@MayaStojan  11 hrs11 hours ago

Love you #Castle fans!Thank you for your lovely tweets and for missing me in this Ep!I missed u too!See u at the Finale..I'm very excited❤

 

Maya obviously has a growing fan club, although I couldn't see any difference between her acting and the spooky lookalike.

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[oberon55]

I enjoyed this episode. I especially liked Martha in this one.  I even got some laughs where they may not have been intentional.

 

While watching the video of an obviously masked man with a gun run out of the alley.

 

Beckett: Who's that? (like Ryan had x-ray vision & could see through the mask)
Ryan (stating the obvious but with feeling & authority): I don't know but he's got a gun & he's wearing a mask!

[FlickerToAFlame]

One of my biggest annoyances of the series was really prevalent last night, where the detectives (especially Beckett) qualify a comment with "maybe that will help us find our killer." As if it's not enough to just say "let's check the security footage" and assume the audience understands this is part of the process of detecting for the murder that is the basis of the entire episode. I don't think the audience is wondering "why check the footage? I do not have basic skills in my head brain to figure this out."

[Gant]

Any episode that makes a good use of Martha earns additional points from me. And it was pretty fun overall, especially by the last two seasons' standards. 8 out of 10 from me (the plane one was 6 and the one before that was 2, if anyone's interested:) ).

 

Maya obviously has a growing fan club, although I couldn't see any difference between her acting and the spooky lookalike.

Yeah, what's with that? I have poor facial recognition skills, but my suspicion about the wooden data girl being not as Tory as she usually is, was confirmed on social media. This seems like a strange cast spot that TPTB for some reason feel the need to fill with random people, or it looks this way to me. Like, the part itself is totally unnecessary, and they find a wooden actress to play it, and when she can't make it they find another random wooden person to fill in this unnecessary spot. If they ever did a charity auction with "being a regular on the show" as the main prize, this is the kind of stuff I imagine they'd come up with.

[Cyranetta]

 

An increased reliance on callbacks could be another sign that the creative well is running dry in the writers room, it's easy to fall back into the habit of using them rather than have to spend time creating something fresh.

I'm giving TPW a pass to using callbacks on this one since it was a landmark 150th, so in that respect it was probably more deliberate than lazy.

[verdana]

Heh, I can't get over how teeny tiny Carly Rae looks alongside Nathan.

https://twitter.com/Castle_ABC/status/595373100453203968

 

Castle: Dead from New York – A Good Cop/Bad Cop Review

Edited May 5, 2015 by verdana

[KaveDweller]

One of my biggest annoyances of the series was really prevalent last night, where the detectives (especially Beckett) qualify a comment with "maybe that will help us find our killer." As if it's not enough to just say "let's check the security footage" and assume the audience understands this is part of the process of detecting for the murder that is the basis of the entire episode. I don't think the audience is wondering "why check the footage? I do not have basic skills in my head brain to figure this out."

 

Yeah, this show is really bad at that.  I don't know why they think the audience is so clueless.  I also remember an episode last season where Castle referred to "Alexis's boyfriend Pi" when he was talking to either Beckett or Martha.  As if they wouldn't have known his name. But this is ABC, and ABC ruined Alias by forcing the producers to make that show less complicated.

 

Yeah, what's with that? I have poor facial recognition skills, but my suspicion about the wooden data girl being not as Tory as she usually is, was confirmed on social media. This seems like a strange cast spot that TPTB for some reason feel the need to fill with random people, or it looks this way to me. Like, the part itself is totally unnecessary, and they find a wooden actress to play it, and when she can't make it they find another random wooden person to fill in this unnecessary spot. If they ever did a charity auction with "being a regular on the show" as the main prize, this is the kind of stuff I imagine they'd come up with.

 

One reason I like Tory is that she makes the precinct seem like more of a team with other people.  When it's just Caskett, Ryan, and Esposito they feel so isolated, it makes sense that they have regular tech specialists and things like that.  If the actress wasn't available why not get someone totally different and just act like it is another tech person.  I'm sure the NYPD has more than one.

[oberon55]

One of my biggest annoyances of the series was really prevalent last night, where the detectives (especially Beckett) qualify a comment with "maybe that will help us find our killer." As if it's not enough to just say "let's check the security footage" and assume the audience understands this is part of the process of detecting for the murder that is the basis of the entire episode. I don't think the audience is wondering "why check the footage? I do not have basic skills in my head brain to figure this out."

 

It's not just the audience that gets treated like they are stupid. You can go all the way back to "Vampire Weekend" in season 2 when Laine pulls the stake from the guy's chest. Beckett tells Laine to have CSU check the stake. Lucky she was there at that exact time otherwise Laine might have just pitched it instead of having the possible murder weapon checked for prints & such.

[verdana]

One reason I like Tory is that she makes the precinct seem like more of a team with other people.  When it's just Caskett, Ryan, and Esposito they feel so isolated, it makes sense that they have regular tech specialists and things like that.  If the actress wasn't available why not get someone totally different and just act like it is another tech person.  I'm sure the NYPD has more than one.

 

I would be fine with Tory if  (a) she wasn't such a wooden actress (sorry Maya) may be on Shield she's good but on Castle I find her lack of emotive abilities an issue and based on comments I've seen I'm not alone in that and (b) they had fleshed her role out more to spark some interest in the character, have her interacting with the others not just about tech stuff.

 

One reason her presence has generated negative comment is that she seems to be doing Ryan's job, even if that's not technically accurate I don't think the specifics of her role v Ryan's abilities in that department matter one bit to the vast majority of fans.  All they see is her standing there like Ryan used to do dishing out information and they wonder why Seamus can't do it unless BTS he's demanded less screen time which would seem odd. It doesn't help that sometimes she disappears completely (presumably for Shield commitments?) and Ryan goes back to doing the "tech" talk which then only serves to highlight how pointless the character is (for some). I'm baffled why she's on the show, other new guest characters that have come in (like Pi) served a specific purpose then gone but she seems more permanent now then Martha these days and I care way more about Martha than Tory. 

FlickerToAFlame. Yeah I've noticed the writers assume their audience is lacking IQ points and can't process (or remember) that much and need to have their memory jogged or have the bleeding obvious pointed out to them. Its insulting and makes the dialogue clunky when they have the actors say things to each other that they should already know but then I realise they're only doing it to remind the audience.

Edited May 6, 2015 by verdana

[smiley13]

Tory does not bother me and it was odd for her to be gone this week.  They need some supporting people at the precinct IMO.  Beckett, Ryan and Espo can't be the only three working the crimes, nor should they be.  I like the support they get from Lainie, Tory and Gates.

[axj73]

I think my love affair with Castle is sadly coming to an end. I was distinctly underwhelmed by this episode. It kept my attention but I just found some of it embarrassing. Scenes like the one near the end when Kate tackles the killer and then Castle makes them take a bow, that was just cringeworthy. Also, in the middle of the episode the scene where Kate tells Castle to talk to his mother and she kisses him goodbye on the cheek! How many married couples do you know who kiss on the cheek? I greet my friends with more warmth than that. I've notice that in past episodes too where Kate is saying goodbye and gives him a peck on the cheek. There's just no passion there anymore. I don't put much stock in the rumours that they can't stand eachother but there is definitely an issue of some sort. To limit the characters' intimate physical interaction to the state that it's in now is ridiculous. I think I'd rather they end the show after next week than to have another 23 episodes of lacklustre and, let's be honest here, boring installments doesn't do the show or the actors any justice.

[verdana]

Gregory Harrison

28 April at 13:40 ·

Here's the promo for next Monday's CASTLE episode. I had a ball filming this, playing the host of "Saturday Night Tonight" (AKA "SNL"), and one of several suspects for the murder of Sid Ross, the producer (AKA Lorne Michaels). CASTLE is a fun show to watch...and even better to shoot. Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic were wonderfully hospitable and generous.

Lots of laughs in this one, so I hope you can catch it.

 

From GH's facebook page. 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Loved Martha working on her line:  "Is he dead?"  "Is he dead!"  "Is he dead?"  Who knew there could be so many variations in delivering a 3-word question.

 

It was ironic how the show writer, or was it the actress, asked Kate how her hair is always so fabulous, when in reality, it was one of the plainer styles we've seen. I do like it when Kate's hair is long and wavy and flowing, just like a super-model at a photo shoot.  I can't even imagine how long it takes to get it that way.

[madmaverick]

Did we ever learn from previous episodes the name of Martha's Broadway play?  Because now I want to know if he's dead! :P

 

Oh, forgot to comment on Tory 2.0.  She was that forgettable, and yet not, for the wrong reasons.  I already wasn't paying full attention during that screen scene because you know how boring those tend to be and my brain zones out accordingly, but even i was like, wait a minute... is that Tory or not Tory?  Did Tory do something to her face? Lol.  Yep, weird and creepy that they cast an actress with hairstyle and wardrobe eerily similar to Tory but was another person altogether. Sorry, still see no value to Tory 1.0 or Tory 2.0.

 

The show has definitely been dumbed down from what it was in the beginning.  It's either the writers getting lazier and wanting unnecessary lines of exposition to pad out their episodes or they really think their audience has gotten dumber. ;)  I've commented on this phenomenon of 'stating the obvious' before on Castle.  In more boring episodes, it's even more obvious.  Other dramas I watch don't appear to have the same problem to this extent.  The dialogue flows more naturally and it's like people are having a real conversation with the audience trusted to pick up clues therein rather than a stilted exposition of facts for the audience's benefit.  

 

I don't understand how they can write lovely scenes like the one with Castle/Martha which feel natural and go deeper into the characters, and then revert back to shallow and superficial interaction for the rest of the episode, and another round of 5 interrogations + 5 suspects, which is never made interesting.  Sure, there's got to be some exposition of the plot, but ideally, characters should come first and it's their interactions that should provide the meat of the drama.  At least that's what's interests me.   The show loses me when it's pure exposition and it's just noise to me from the characters.  That's when I start noticing the (usually ugly bits of ) wardrobe because the dialogue is less than captivating. ;)

 

Seamus was getting a bit snippy on twitter with how many times he had to repeat a certain line of dialogue in Castle episodes (I still think Tamala would have him beat with 'lividity' and she's a sport to never complain about that!).  But he does have a case in wondering why the writers can't be more inventive with their exposition, if they must have it.

 

As for the callbacks...honestly, it just made me wistful for the episode where it was better the first time (the hair twirl in season 2, Natalie Rhodes mimicking Beckett in season 3). It just didn't have the same appeal here as it did back then. It felt like TPW (& the entire writing team) was trying too hard to recapture those moments and it was too obvious while also falling flat. Sigh.

 

 

I'm going to give TPW a bit of a pass on the callbacks for this episode, but I do agree that it seems to be a case of diminishing returns with a lot of the callbacks. Maybe because the stuff surrounding the callbacks just isn't crafted as well.  You can't just throw in an 'Always' and expect it to be magic absent a good well crafted emotional setting.  Definitely believe that the writers need to mix it up a lot more and look to fresher pastures, and mix in old favourites with the new to give them new life.  Maybe it's becoming stale because we're not discovering any new anymore about the characters and the relationships as the writers have kept them in the same place for ages, and there's no real dramatic (or sexual) tension or drive to the relationships anymore.

 

Random observation: Beckett's messenger bag (gym bag?) makes another appearance.  Always thought it a bit odd that for a woman who was so fashionable with her work wardrobe and her shoes (as Luke would have us believe) would use such a plain, practical bag.  Not saying Beckett has to start using Martha's handbags heh, but you'd think Luke would have given her a million other fashion forward bags to use by now as part of her ensemble. ;) 

[KaveDweller]

One reason her presence has generated negative comment is that she seems to be doing Ryan's job, even if that's not technically accurate I don't think the specifics of her role v Ryan's abilities in that department matter one bit to the vast majority of fans.  All they see is her standing there like Ryan used to do dishing out information and they wonder why Seamus can't do it unless BTS he's demanded less screen time which would seem odd. It doesn't help that sometimes she disappears completely (presumably for Shield commitments?) and Ryan goes back to doing the "tech" talk which then only serves to highlight how pointless the character is (for some). I'm baffled why she's on the show, other new guest characters that have come in (like Pi) served a specific purpose then gone but she seems more permanent now then Martha these days and I care way more about Martha.

  

Everyone's role is to dish out information, that is what Lanie, Espo, and Gates do too. The show is very case and exposition driven. They just added another person to make things more interesting, or possibly give the actors a break. I've actually seen mostly positive reactions to her, it is just this board where it's negative.

I think my love affair with Castle is sadly coming to an end. I was distinctly underwhelmed by this episode. It kept my attention but I just found some of it embarrassing. Scenes like the one near the end when Kate tackles the killer and then Castle makes them take a bow, that was just cringeworthy. Also, in the middle of the episode the scene where Kate tells Castle to talk to his mother and she kisses him goodbye on the cheek! How many married couples do you know who kiss on the cheek? I greet my friends with more warmth than that. I've notice that in past episodes too where Kate is saying goodbye and gives him a peck on the cheek. There's just no passion there anymore. I don't put much stock in the rumours that they can't stand eachother but there is definitely an issue of some sort. To limit the characters' intimate physical interaction to the state that it's in now is ridiculous. I think I'd rather they end the show after next week than to have another 23 episodes of lacklustre and, let's be honest here, boring installments doesn't do the show or the actors any justice.

I'm sure I've seen married couples kiss on the cheek before, especially when they are in public. I actually really like some of their more chaste moments, I think they show more closeness/sweetness between the two of them. Passionate moments are great too, but they can't happen in every scene.