S08.E01: XY (1)

[WendyCR72]

After passing the Captain's exam last season, Beckett was surprised with an offer to run for State Senate. In the action packed season premiere, Castle and Beckett are adjusting to Beckett's career change, when a call from a mysterious stranger sets off an explosive chain of events. There are two sides to every story, and this unique two-parter will explore the same story from each of their perspectives, first from Castle's side as he searches for Beckett.

[MaryM47]

Wow! After such a long Summer and so much angst about what may be coming our way tonight, it is awesome to see the thread for this episode finally here!

[mbutterfly]

And we have a football game and Castle is delayed until 12:15 AM (and DWTS until 3:00 PM tomorrow). Dang it!

[irisheyes]

Didn't love it. I'm kinda tired of the whole "one of them is in grave danger." Can we be a little more creative?

[McManda]

Well ... color me confused. (Which was sort of the point, when we're only getting Castle's view of things, I guess.)

 

Not gonna lie, it was very bittersweet watching Beckett move up. I expected it, but to see Beckett's desk empty and having people call her Captain Beckett ... I get it, I respect it, and I understand it, but it does make my heart hurt a little bit. Change and I are not friends. Did I miss them mention what sort of promotion Gates got? I think I read that she was at 1PP?

Knife, gun, kevlar vest. ... I kind of love that.

 

There were 4 cases Alexis solved? Outside of the idea that Alexis is the one solving them, it sounds like his PI business is doing well. That's good, right? (I mean, he's gotta pay for the bat cave somehow.)

... are we supposed to think Beckett is a contract killer now? That's ... an interesting angle. In what world would a newly appointed NYPD captain be recruited (even by the CIA) to go on the run and kill people? It's gotta be a good story if she wants it to not impact her career. But geez ... I would like a story where Castle/Beckett (or Alexis ... Espo ... Ryan ...) aren't in mortal danger. I mean, how many times can one person be abducted. Or hunted? Or ... if we must have a target, can't we make it Martha (that would be dramatic). Or Lanie. Or Tory. Or ... Gates? LT?

I don't know how I feel about Haley as a character yet, but she does get some bonus points because I really do like Toks. The plus is that I thought they did a pretty good job steering Haley away from being a potential love interest, though.

"Late 20s, East Indian" ... totally Vikrum. Random question, I know, but are they setting him up to be diabetic? "Might be sick, dizzy, headaches, says he needs to eat..." ... except what purpose does that serve? (Oh ... Alexis caught on, too. I was there first, swear!)

 

Except ... unopened insulin needs to be kept refrigerated. For what it's worth, that didn't look like a refrigerated compartment. Also for what it's worth, why would the ambulance have ... 10? bottles of the same kind of insulin? That's a crap ton of insulin for an emergency response. But a better question is why did Vikrum need two vials? He's apparently goes through a lot of insulin ... or Beckett expects to be on the run for a decent amount of time.

I definitely don't agree with Haley's advice that Castle not play the good guy. I think the NYPD is an asset for him as a PI. but I get that we're supposed to get that's not how she operates.

 

Tonight was the first time that I thought Bracken was really a bad guy. Putting those thoughts in the back of Castle's head, that felt vaguely like Tyson, and I think that's what made Tyson so creepy.

 

So ... the big bad this season is someone Beckett ran into/ran with at the AG's office? Not Jocko Sims! (Unless that was another member of her team that was killed in the car crash?) I'm a little bummed McCord was killed, though, even though I can't explain why. Were we supposed to know the other member of the team that was stabbed at the beginning, though? I don't think I did.

 

Also, not going to lie, I want fun, light, fluffy, Castle back, so I can't really be sad that they're getting the "high stakes" stuff out of the way for now. I mean, clearly Beckett lives (she's around for 8x03, after all), but I like the low-stakes high stakes stuff. Like Tick/Boom.

When LT was shot all I could think was "no!!! not LT!!". Glad he's okay.

 

Oh ... random, but I want to hear Nathan's version of shooting with the spiders. Does he hate spideres like he hates sharks?

Edited September 22, 2015 by McManda

[FlickerToAFlame]

That was a great hour of TV. Not sure yet if it was a great hour of my favorite show though.

Nice to see both NF and SK with their producer title cards at the beginning.

[Guest]

Hated it.

I don't like these long, complex stories involving tons of drama. They don't do it well. Castle's sweet spot is fun, offbeat mysteries. All this nonsense just drags it down.

[ZingerCaskett]

For what this was supposed to be ( An intense, action packed introduction to Castle under Winter/Hawley)....it was fantastic.    So what that this is Kate in danger yet again?   This is Castle, not House Hunters.      I'll be truly happy when we get what's supposed to be that light hearted funny episode (two weeks from now my guess) and it's truly funny.   

[KaveDweller]

I liked it.  I was kind of expecting to hate it based on some of what I had read, so maybe the low expectations were a good thing.  But I thought it was an interesting plot and am intrigued about what is going on.  And I didn't hate adult Alexis as much as I thought.

 

It seems like Kate got that phone call giving her some info about an old AG case and asked her to meet him.  The telemarketer thing was probably part of a code.  If they try and set it up that she has secretly still been working with them for a long time it will really annoy me.  But if it is just them reaching out because Rachel and everyone else was killed I don't mind it.

 

However, it's kind of weird that a new captain could just not show up on her first day of work, kill some assassins (even if it was self-defense), which both lead to having her precinct get totally shot up, and still get a second day of work.

 

Also, Bracken's speech to Castle would have been more interesting if Hawley hadn't been repeating it word for word in all his interviews.  I guess we know who wrote that line....

 

 

 

Except ... unopened insulin needs to be kept refrigerated. For what it's worth, that didn't look like a refrigerated compartment. Also for what it's worth, why would the ambulance have ... 10? bottles of the same kind of insulin? That's a crap ton of insulin for an emergency response. But a better question is why did Vikrum need two vials? He's apparently goes through a lot of insulin ... or Beckett expects to be on the run for a decent amount of time.

 

Not only that, but they didn't really pay attention to what insulin does.  Alexis said how sugar wouldn't have been enough and he needed insulin.  Except eating sugar makes your blood sugar go up and insulin makes it go down.  If you have low blood sugar and need to eat you do not want to take insulin.

Edited September 22, 2015 by KaveDweller

[Tim]

I liked most of it, Hated the feeble Telemarketing BS for KB call and also that she is a Chronic Liar, even after repeatedly being caught in the past.  In real life, how many times does a husband turn the other cheek, not long ago she had some VOWS she said, which apparently were only words to her,  IMO this damages KB to me even more than Marlowe making her a drunken Vegas Bride to Rogan,   Liked Toks, and Molly, Thought Nathan and the editing was superb Stana's shots were after they had filmed, and. Trust takes a lifetime to earn, and a moment to loose, well she's lost mine.  Alexis was in her corner what a turn around from a few seasons ago.  This is going to take some work on the writers parts for me

[McManda]

It seems like Kate got that phone call giving her some info about an old AG case and asked her to meet him.

 

I'm going to guess that the phone call had something to do with McCord and three team members being killed in a crash and a fourth stabbed in NYC. Or the fact that her life was in danger because everyone she worked with in DC was now dead.

 

 

Not only that, but they didn't really pay attention to what insulin does.  Alexis said how sugar wouldn't have been enough and he needed insulin.  Except eating sugar makes your blood sugar go up and insulin makes it go down.  If you have low blood sugar and need to eat you do not want to take insulin.

 

Oh, duh! He'd have needed a Glucagon or something similar. I was so caught up on the mass amounts of improperly stored and stolen insulin. Looks like Beckett took syringes, too though, so ... bonus points there?

Edited September 22, 2015 by McManda

[moodyblue]

For a seasoning opener, it was good but my expectations were really low. I can't say I'm too excited for this new mysterious arc that is starting, and I hope it ends sooner rather than later. As has been said many times before, anytime there is a lack of Castle and Beckett together, no matter the reason, the episode always loses something. I also missed the fearsome four of Castle, Beckett, Espo, and Ryan working together.

 

Alexis was tolerable, and I say that as someone who has no use for her. I do often think they should have named her Mary Sue in stead of Alexis.

 

I'm not sure about Haley yet. I think at times they were trying too hard with her but other times her character felt right. I don't know how they are going to continue to fit the character into the story once we get past the first two episodes. I was impressed with how quickly she was able to find a lab to get her jacket tested. I also thought it was weird that she was surprised that Castle really loved his wife and how far he was willing to go to find her.

[KaveDweller]

I liked most of it, Hated the feeble Telemarketing BS for KB call and also that she is a Chronic Liar, even after repeatedly being caught in the past.  In real life, how many times does a husband turn the other cheek, not long ago she had some VOWS she said, which apparently were only words to her,  IMO this damages KB to me even more than Marlowe making her a drunken Vegas Bride to Rogan,

 

But if this is related to a case she worked when at the AG's office, it was a classified case.  So, I don't necessarily have a huge issue with her not telling Castle about that.  It depends on what it is and how much she knew after the phone call.  Obviously they want the viewers to be expecting the worst, but I'm guessing that's not the case.

 

And actually, has Beckett lied to him besides this since Watershed?  The only thing I can think of that comes close is the time in S6 when she told Castle she didn't want to take the early wedding schedule because there wasn't enough time to plan, when really she'd had a panic attack about missing her mom.  But she told him that right away.  And was blinded by the ugly dress she was wearing.  Either way, I don't really think chronic liar is a really accurate label for her.

Edited September 22, 2015 by KaveDweller

[McManda]

I think Beckett is guarded more than anything. But I'd agree that I don't think Beckett has outright lied, even by omission since the AG job offer. Other than that ... maybe lying to him about hearing his initial ILY? But I think that falls into the same category as this lie will/does, as explained below.

 

Beckett tends to take it upon herself to protect and fight for the people that she loves, so it doesn't really surprise me that she'd lie to Castle if she thought it was to keep him safe. Especially if she thinks it's on her to make things right.

 

I would agree that tptb walk a fine line in causing people to question her character and her ethics, though. There's only so much Castle should have to take, even if everyone thinks it's for his own good. We'll see how that plays out.

[oberon55]

Just some observations & questions.

I guess breaking & entering is not a crime since it was impossible to keep her in jail because she did not commit murder.

 

Why did Castle & Bracken bother to pick up the phones when they could hear each other perfectly without them?

 

After Castle withstood the horrible torture of having bugs on his face (much worse than having your fingers cut off) why pull the bag off to keep him from smothering so you could then kill him?

 

Haley seems like a fine upstanding person. Just the sort any father would want to mentor his child.

 

If Beckett is doing this to protect Castle then she is doing a piss poor job of it so far.

 

What will Beckett's new nemesis be called? Has to be bigger than a dragon. Godzilla maybe.

 

One more. Where in the hell did the guy get the spiders? Does he just carry them around in case he needs them?

Edited September 22, 2015 by oberon55

[Lamb18]

I just read the new Castle book this past weekend, so when they entered the building where the bodies were, I expected to see a smashed car and body against the wall (since the book starts with Nikki's first day as Captain).

 

Can Alexis solve Castle's cases if she doesn't have a PI license?

 

I guess I didn't like the episode too well. It was so dark, Beckett's rogue, under a cloud; Castle's kept in the dark and in danger, plus all that gunfire. Can't they have fun again? (This reaction is more about my subjective stuff than about the quality of the show.)

Edited September 22, 2015 by Lamb18

[Chado]

Not a big fan of the episode, the promo for 8x02 makes the whole lying angle seem much much worse. As for when was the last time Beckett properly lied, she is lying now, so it's a moot point to me. She has a history of it.

 

In saying all that, I don't think we are meant to defend Beckett's actions here. I just hope that from 8x03 onwards, she is shown in a better light.

[McManda]

Not a big fan of the episode, the promo for 8x02 makes the whole lying angle seem much much worse.

 

Well, then the promo did a job. (I just don't know if that's the job they wanted.) The promos are always good at making mountains of molehills.

 

I'm not willing to discredit this two-parter yet, but I do know regardless of what happens next week, I'll be glad to get back to light and fluff.

[KaveDweller]

Not a big fan of the episode, the promo for 8x02 makes the whole lying angle seem much much worse. As for when was the last time Beckett properly lied, she is lying now, so it's a moot point to me. She has a history of it.

 

In saying all that, I don't think we are meant to defend Beckett's actions here. I just hope that from 8x03 onwards, she is shown in a better light.

 

I don't mind if characters do things I don't like, if I can understand why they did them. People aren't perfect so TV characters shouldn't be either (take note people who write Alexis's storylines).  Hopefully next week will give us some understanding of what's going on in Beckett's head.  Otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to take the rest of the season.

 

You could argue that everyone on the show has a history of lying though.  Everyone lies sometimes.

 

What will Beckett's new nemesis be called? Has to be bigger than a dragon. Godzilla maybe.

 

They should name him after the genetically engineered hybrid dinosaur from the newest Jurassic Park movie.  I forget what they called him but he was huge and deadly and could crush a little dragon.

 

I'm not willing to discredit this two-parter yet, but I do know regardless of what happens next week, I'll be glad to get back to light and fluff.

 

Yeah, I want to get back to fluff too.  Hopefully the more serialized approach they are taking this season won't ruin that.

[turnitwayup]

Glad to see the elevator hallway area looks the same as last season but since the PI office is gonna be a permanent set, I guess Alfred really wanted to make it completely different from when he worked on Veronica Mars which was lit warmly most of the time. Alexis wasn't as annoying as I thought she would be but I still hate that she's being turned into Veronica Mars so Molly can have some thing to do. At least she was good with the worry looks.

 

Not feeling Haley's mentoring Alexis as a PI since she's all about breaking rules and such. Haley as a consultant or bodyguard for Castle PI business doesn't sound that bad. I did like she was fighting with someone her own size instead someone twice her size.

 

Did like the snarky scholarship fund for kids of the first inmate to shank Bracken line. It reminded me of the sweet gesture from Lucky Stiff. That still a better present than random jewelry that is used for plot devices. Also like the dialog with the assassins. It's always nice they remember his books and his coping mechanisms is usually a bit snarky. I did lol at Ryan's snarky line to Espo about all the women in his life ignoring him, but I wonder if Espo is getting course correction characteristics cause he's back to calling Castle "one of us".

 

I figure LT was gonna get shot from one of the screener reviews since he's like the only background actor that anyone remembers.

 

I guess we'll find out next week if this have to do with a case Beckett worked on for the 3 months at the AG office, whether she stumbled onto it cause everyone she worked at the AG office is dead or someone higher than Bracken is after her.

[betsyboo]

I am terrified of spiders and had to cover my eyes through both of those scenes. #vomitemoji

 

I wondered about Alexis needing a PI license, too, but am thinking if she solved them from a desk using a computer, maybe she didn't need one....? I *did love the PI double secret probation room. Tee!

 

The first scene with Beckett looking in the mirror - did it look funny to anyone else? Stana's face looked different to me. Maybe just the angle.

 

I *did love the bracelet gift. Their interaction in the beginning was lovely. And I have been avoiding spoilers, so him finding the bracelet at the crime scene was a surprise to me.

 

Captain Gates - a Deputy Chief! good for her. While I can handwave with the best of them, I wished for a little more exposition or at least acknowledgement that Gates' promotion was "so timely" so Kate could slide right in as Captain.

 

ETA: LT! Not LT!!!

Edited September 22, 2015 by betsyboo

[david gideon]

With Alexis as Castle's uninvited associate, and solving cases to boot, it made me think of Castle becoming Remington Steele.

[betsyboo]

TVLine recap:  Castle Premiere Recap: Gone Girl

[verdana]

Can we go back to fun and fluff please? This didn't really feel like Castle to me but something new but may be that's a good thing? *shrug*

 

Too much super sleuth Alexis (she's a total Mary Sue) and too much Hayley and very little Beckett but I was expecting that due to Katic's filming commitments.

 

I lose interest when Castle and Beckett aren't on screen and the OTT action sequences didn't cover for that. 

 

After the first ten minutes or so my interest waned when I realised we were heading back into big bad conspiracy territory (yawn).

 

If there is a even bigger bad behind Bracken then it's yet another tired TV trope I can do without.

 

As for Beckett for once I wasn't that bothered about her actions given we don't have a fucking clue what's happened to make any solid judgement calls. Okay I admit Beckett doesn't look too good shutting Castle out like she did and lying about what she's up to but I'll wait and see before castigating her. This was a mirror image of the S7 premiere but this time it's Castle doubting Beckett's motives, it was annoying back then doubly so now.

 

However, the promo looked bad in terms of the direction they might be taking. If this is the new showrunners getting back to the "foundations" of the show with secrets, lies, trust issues playing out between them then, its going to be a long season.

[oberon55]

 

As for Beckett for once I wasn't that bothered about her actions given we don't have a fucking clue what's happened to make any solid judgement calls. Okay I admit Beckett doesn't look too good shutting Castle out like she did and lying about what she's up to but I'll wait and see before castigating her. This was a mirror image of the S7 premiere but this time it's Castle doubting Beckett's motives, it was annoying back then doubly so now.

 

I agree. This is much the same as last year when we were supposed to doubt Castle. With one big difference. Alexis defended Beckett. Not one person stepped up last year to defend Castle (maybe they learned something from last years mess after all). Hopefully they will handle it better than last time. So far I don't hate it or like it. I'm mostly indifferent which is probably worse.

Edited September 22, 2015 by oberon55

[verdana]

No Martha boo! Why can't she team up with Castle playing mother-son detectives? It would be much more fun.

 

"Your a writer, dad. And you and Beckett are magic together, but you don’t have her training or her skill set." Does Alexis not realise he was saving the world last season? 

 

Jury is out on Hayley, her performance felt a little forced in places, the glib sarcastic remarks could start to wear thin with repetition. Presumably she's been brought in to inject more energy/physicality into the show since Beckett's going to be increasingly based in the precinct and she certainly did that.

 

She had decent chemistry with Fillion but that's not hard most people do on this show, lets see how she fares over the next few weeks. She ticks all the predictable boxes. You can never have enough free spirited, smart, fit, no nonsense, sassy, badass, gal with-a-troubled-mysterious-past, on TV shows these days oh and how could I forget her hard cold dead heart is instantly melted under interrogation by Alexis - that relationship feels seriously forced already. I don't see any "magic" there frankly not like Fillion/Katic have together - as I said elsewhere you can't manufacture it.

 

I winced at her "manipulating men" advice to Alexis which then she promptly tries out, I found the ambulance scene embarrassing, Molly's acting wasn't that great there. Hayley's "talents" are numerous, what with her disdain for authority, love of kicking ass, her breaking and entering skills, looking out for number one, screwing over your friends if need be I can see why the showrunners thought she's the perfect role model any dad would want for his beloved daughter.

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[FlickerToAFlame]

I get what they're going for with this two parter, but thank goodness Stana signed her contract or tonight would be the whole season.

[verdana]

"You're great at fetching!" love that line delivery by Stana. Pity that warm, happy bubble they were in had to burst.

 

Rick telling Kate "awww sweetie we talked about this" *applause* finally they're behaving like a proper married couple discussing life changing decisions with each other before taking further action. I hope this doesn't become one shining moment in a season of secrets and lies bullshit.

 

Castle/Bracken face off - Meh. I found their confrontation cliched and predictable with Bracken spouting metaphors and doing the whole "make em doubt!" routine by a super villain down on his luck. Bringing Bracken back into the equation was predictable, can't say I'm enthralled. I learnt nothing new or intriguing about him, he's become a caricature these days. As for McCord popping her clogs. *shrug*  

 

Luke earns his first black mark of the new season for that Beckett tie travesty.  Castle is his usual boring sartorial self, his wardrobe is obviously the last thing that will ever be subject to a shake up on this show.

 

"Knife, Gun, Kevlar"/Ryan and Espo - I see Ryan is going to become a daddy again, can't say I care that much since we never saw the first kid. They're back to worrying about money maybe a promotion will help but given recent spoilers he may have to wait. I hope they continue to make more of the transition between their old positions as part of Beckett's team to working for the Captain and don't just drop the subject.  Having them fighting over Beckett's desk provided some comic light relief from the "where's Beckett?" ongoing  drama that played out most of the episode.

 

I hope the precinct has good insurance in place. Beckett sure is having a shit first day as Captain. 

[VinceW]

Can we go back to fun and fluff please? This didn't really feel like Castle to me but something new but may be that's a good thing? *shrug* ..........................

After the first ten minutes or so my interest waned when I realized we were heading back into big bad conspiracy territory (yawn).

If there is a even bigger bad behind Bracken then it's yet another tired TV trope I can do without...................This was a mirror image of the S7 premiere but this time it's Castle doubting Beckett's motives, it was annoying back then doubly so now.

However, the promo looked bad in terms of the direction they might be taking. If this is the new show runners getting back to the "foundations" of the show with secrets, lies, trust issues playing out between them then, its going to be a long season.

The best scene was the shootout at the precinct else it was just a rerun of 'Driven' with Castle the one now looking for answers. It was odd that none of the other officers drew their guns except Espo and Ryan during the shootout. The DC connection suggests something related to classified information. She reacted too quickly to the phone call at the loft to not still be connected to the feds. In 'Need to Know', the gun runners were all foreign, but the bad guys did not look foreign in this episode. It was foolish for her to not call the precinct for help and just go rogue without contacting her superiors unless that is somehow explained next week. I wonder if the feds come to rescue her at the warehouse seen in the 8x2 promo.  I knew the reason for the "breakup" would be weak, but I fear it will be worse than I could have imagined. I will hang in there and watch until episode 5 to see what happens, but I am not interested in watching another version of season 4 with the secrets, lies and ongoing high tension between them for an entire season.

Edited September 22, 2015 by VinceW

[turnitwayup]

I hope the precinct has good insurance in place. Beckett sure is having a shit first day as Captain. 

 

Ikr? Castle held hostage by Coonan, Tyson sneaking in, Tyson's evidence stolen and now a shooting. Why would anyone want to be assigned to this precinct? Gates is probably relieved that she doesn't have to deal with the precinct's events like this. I wonder how the 12th precinct over on Blue Bloods is faring. I'm guessing better since I've only seen like a total of 15 eps in ION reruns.

 

 

DocFarly: @ToksOlagundoye Look at Hayley, giving @MollyQuinn93 PI mentoring! ATTENTION ABC: SPIN HAYLEY & ALEXIS OFF INTO THEIR OWN FEMALE PI SERIES!

 

ToksOlagundoye: Um.... Ok twitter.com/docfaryl/statu…

 

No thank you. A driven hs student to supposedly driven college student who was working a tutoring job to pay for rent is now regressed into forging Castle's name to get internship credit to do PI work. Martha still manages to have more of a life now days compared to Alexis since she has her acting studio, Broadway roles, her skills used for certain cases and now lives in her own apt.

 

 

WilliamShatner: #Castle Sen Bracken! Hmmmm

 

nomdeplume4me: @WilliamShatner Bracken is played out - we need a new villain #Castle

 

WilliamShatner: Wait, I'm sure 3XK will be here soon. twitter.com/nomdeplume4me/…

 

LOL tho I'm sure Shatner will enjoy the Espo storylines since he's not a fan of Ryan.

Edited September 22, 2015 by turnitwayup

[verdana]

Alexis playing PI without daddy's knowledge, she's already solved FOUR cases everybody! ughh.. Less please of Nancy Drew. Leave the cases to the real detectives and adults. Why must we see her interacting with Castle and Beckett through the cases?  I get her importance family wise but not this way. Is there nothing she can't do these days? She's got medical experience, has her college work all sorted, she's a brilliant detective and she's now practised in the art of seduction, she's also got Hayley under her spell too. Jesus 

 

Seems from everything I've heard they want to showcase Alexis in her new "grown up" role. However, she's a secondary character who should be used judiciously by the writers.  Since when did this become such a great joint family career move any way? I also don't understand why Castle is so laissez-faire about watching his daughter so full of promise join him in this dead end job. Castle was once happy to be a famous and successful author in his spare time tagging along with Beckett offering his unique insights into the criminal mind. Alexis was a smart, serious college student, now they're both involved in this seedy business full time. It's hardly as if it pays well either.

 

I don't like the way Alexis at 21 is instantly better at case solving than dad when he has so much more experience than she does, why would clients even go to her for advice or help? That's silly. Has she got a licence to practice as his "associate" which she would require? No idea. WHERE ARE HER FRIENDS?  What happened to her wanting her independence and to live her own life that we saw back in S6 with her boyfriend?  Alexis being tied to daddy's apron strings constantly with no life outside his world is NOT my idea of showing her new found maturity and growth.

 

The only scene with Alexis I enjoyed was when she stood up for Beckett when her father was at a low ebb - Castle gets a chance to lean on her emotionally (which he can do now she's no longer a child) and she offers him a dash of common sense, hope and support - that's a much better way to incorporate her into the show. This scene made me wish the writers hadn't wasted so many golden opportunities to develop the Alexis/Beckett relationship over the years which looks even less likely to happen in s8 with Hayley's introduction.

[Chado]

I don't mind if characters do things I don't like, if I can understand why they did them. People aren't perfect so TV characters shouldn't be either (take note people who write Alexis's storylines).  Hopefully next week will give us some understanding of what's going on in Beckett's head.  Otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to take the rest of the season.

 

You could argue that everyone on the show has a history of lying though.  Everyone lies sometimes.

I get what you're saying but to me It's not about being perfect, it isn't about who has lied how many times, or how 'bad' that lie is. My stance is that at the end of the day they are married, the situation has changed once they get married. It feels flimsy and in my opinion makes Beckett look 'bad' when they try to force a separation to tell a story. Maybe 8x02 will be better than I'm dreading, but if the end result is them breaking up, I struggle to see how.

 

As others have said, I'm essentially just waiting for 8x03 to see what actual effect it has on the show.

 

 

This was a mirror image of the S7 premiere but this time it's Castle doubting Beckett's motives, it was annoying back then doubly so now.

 

However, the promo looked bad in terms of the direction they might be taking. If this is the new showrunners getting back to the "foundations" of the show with secrets, lies, trust issues playing out between them then, its going to be a long season.

The Castle situation is a little different in my eyes, only because the time away happened off-screen and the storyline was brought up and forgotten fairly quickly. This feels like an ongoing theme for an entire season. The comparisons are clear, but I just have a bad feeling this is going to be much worse when we look back at it.

 

100x agree with your bit about the shows foundations. Fingers crossed that isn't what this is.

[femmefan1946]

Buy a fucking lightbulb guys!!!!

[verdana]

Castle PI and the panic room - I love the idea of it on paper and Alfred Sole and the Castle Art Department can do no wrong in my eyes but there was too much going on here to take in all at once, I'll need a few more episodes to decide whether I like it or not. The hidden gun springing up felt a bit silly which of course Castle failed to catch,  oh for the days when he was allowed to be smooth and cool.
 
I liked Castle, Beckett and the cake - a suitably sugary sweet confection. It was a welcome reminder of their cute and adorable chemistry. I missed them didn't realise how much until now.  The 'always' bangle unfortunately looked like cheap bling however it proved super convenient for plot purposes later. Heh
 

100x agree with your bit about the shows foundations. Fingers crossed that isn't what this is.

 

 
The big question, has XY set up some potentially good storytelling for the rest of the season or is this the dodgy foundations of yet another half baked Castle "mythology" debacle looming? I don't know. I have to try to be patient and wait and see. Hopefully by next week I'll have a few answers but if this was still Marlowe I have to say I'd be fearing the worst. 
 

However, it's kind of weird that a new captain could just not show up on her first day of work, kill some assassins (even if it was self-defense), which both lead to having her precinct get totally shot up, and still get a second day of work.

That made me smile too at least it's a damn good excuse when does get back though for not turning up she's being chased by a bunch of mercenaries and had to kill some people and any way they should be used to people getting shot in there. Will she have any explaining to do at 1PP when all this is done and dusted? Probably get all sorted out in a one liner.

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[Phantomizer]

Intense episode. I liked it. We haven't had such an intense starter episode since season 4 after Beckett was shot. I'm glad they're going back to the roots of the main Castle story and adding onto the Bracken story line. I was kinda wondering what story line they would follow now after finishing Bracken and 3XK but I feel like this Becket story line will be halted until midway into the season like last year.

I do kinda feel like this is out of Becket's character. She's usually not one to be secretive about this stuff and after getting promoted to Captain. Talk about setting a good example.

This is only the first episode though. Can't really make my judgment on how I like this season just yet.

[femmefan1946]

I was impressed with how quickly she was able to find a lab to get her jacket tested.

 

I was impressed that she flew in from the UK at 9 am, made it into the city and had a gun and ammunition already by what? Noon?

That and the phone call about the stain indicate she has a sophisticated and well organized group behind her. Insurance companies I would guess. Maybe she was calling Flo.

 

Geez, poor LT. Last season he actually got a couple of lines, this season a couple of bullets.

 

I liked that they made it plain how sordid the PI cases would be. And it didn't bother me that Alexis doesn't have a license. I just assume that in a larger PI firm there would be all sorts of administrative staff around doing the same sort of work that paralegals and legal secretaries do for lawyers.

And in any case, Alexis was pretending her father was around.

 

Who else noticed that Alexis has been watching Agent Carter? The con she pulled on the paramedic was almost exactly the same as Peggy used last winter.

[verdana]

Alexis is still in college but she can go part time and do the PI work too is that how it works? Confused.

And in any case, Alexis was pretending her father was around.

 

 

In that case and I was a client willing to spend money coming to "Richard Castle Investigations" I'd be keen on seeing Richard Castle at some point not his 21 year old kid.

[verdana]

I liked that they made it plain how sordid the PI cases would be.

 

I don't have a problem with the sordid nature of it just that he's letting his only daughter get involved on her own when he's in the past been shown to be super protective of her. I realise she's supposedly an adult but she's still his only child and parents remain protective.I would have liked a bit more than what we got when she brushed him off so easily at the start and she's getting info left, right and centre and he's not asking questions as to how she's doing this. It felt kind of forced when they had her turn up all the time to every incident during the episode, I also think they're trying too hard with her wardrobe, to make her look sophisticated. 

 

Buy a fucking lightbulb guys!!!!

 

I've had enough of Bowman's crappy lighting it's not 'artistic'  if I can't see things properly especially people's faces which are usually encased in shadow. His schtick will never change though, he brought it from the X files. 

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

Regarding the spiders in the bag torture routine I can't fucking stand them so for me yeah it would be hell on earth but to others who aren't so terrified is it really that horrific? I thought it was a bit silly having this guy suddenly produce a box of spiders out of nowhere like he carries them around just like a gun. 

[madmaverick]

I liked it.  For the type of suspense thriller high stakes episode they like to do on Castle from time to time, I thought it turned out well.  Just as a comparison, I thought this was way better than Amann's premiere episode last season and sure was better than that terrible Blindspot pilot.  The momentum here kept my interest at least.  I'm with those who love the light and the fluffy, or alternatively prefer the low stakes high stakes type of show, but since the writers are determined to go big with the overarching story arc, it is what it is.

 

That spider scene!!!  Argh.  Looks like it wasn't a stunt double, so props to Nathan.  I would not have cared to be in his place.  I thought they were just going to do the one spider crawling on his face kind of shot, which I thought yeah okay, but when they did multiple spiders and dumped the whole bag of spiders on his head, that was when I was kind of grossed out.  Highly doubtful any assassin would carry a box of spiders around for torture at will, but I'll handwave for the scene that we got.

 

And nice that Castle got a badass moment for once when he used his skills to get out of the zip tie/cuffs and escape.

 

I really did feel for the poor guy when he saw Beckett again in the warehouse because he wasn't lashing out at being lied to, just so puzzled and confused at being shut out by his dearest wife.

 

LT's still alive, right?  Right???  Couldn't tell who was shot at first and I thought that person would be dead at such close range.  Espo's move would probably have gotten him killed in real life.

 

Of course, in real life, Beckett's phone would already have been ringing off the hook from her superiors first to get an update on the multiple murders, then when she went MIA, and then unavoidably when the precinct gets a big repairs bill heh.  But yeah, doubt we're going to see Beckett's superior at all or that she's going to get reprimanded for going off the grid later on.  Handwave.

 

The usual unlimited resources and arsenal and band of mercenaries and "you don't know what you've gotten into" talk was all cliche and a bit much, but that kind of come with the territory for every show when they do this kind of story.  Meh. 

 

I liked Hayley.  She was cliched in some ways but her personality was coming through strong in the episode and they humanised her.  There's room for some interesting conflict down the road with their different approaches to being a PI and/or life.  I was fine with the amount of Alexis we had and thought Molly did a pretty good job in her scenes, especially expressing concern for her Dad and Beckett. I do think father and daughter definitely need to revisit the conversation about her being engaged in such a dangerous line of work, as this episode proved!  Maybe if she mostly was an analyst and did a desk job.  But you just know she's going to be in the field.  Alexis' almost nonplussed reaction to the dead body at the end was a reminder that she's not a little girl anymore.

 

The boys were OK.  Glad to see Espo wasn't a jackass to Castle for now.

 

Beckett's tie was atrocious and just a choking hazard waiting to happen since she always lands in fights with bad guys.  Castle's sportscoat looked too big as usual and a boring look for him as usual.  Their opening scene was sweet, if not terribly hot, but they probably weren't going for hot.  Their kisses do feel kind of perfunctory.  

 

LOL at Castle chucking the paper into the wastebasket and missing and then sneaking over to chuck it in while Beckett wasn't looking.  Probably an adlib by Nathan  but it was funny. Very Castle.

 

Caskett kiss at the beginning was in shadow.  As expected.  Rest of the episode was mostly too dark too.  Yes, I did get the cinematic feel that Bowman was going for at times, but still, too dark a lot of the time.

 

The dialogue wasn't bad throughout.  Don't remember anything hugely clunky and there were a few good sassy lines.  The emotional tone throughout didn't feel off unlike last year's opener.  

[verdana]

Why did Castle & Bracken bother to pick up the phones when they could hear each other perfectly without them?

 

LOL I was scratching my head on that one too, but it's a standard thing they always seem to do no matter what in those type of prison scenes, they have to pick up a phone to talk. 

 

If Beckett is doing this to protect Castle then she is doing a piss poor job of it so far.

 

 

Hee! Yeah not a good day for her on the "lets protect Castle from harm front" although to be fair to Beckett the guy can't keep his nose out of her business and has to interfere which should tell her something don't you think about the kind of man she married....he got hurt in any case. 

 

The usual unlimited resources and arsenal and band of mercenaries and "you don't know what you've gotten into" talk was all cliche and a bit much, but that kind of come with the territory for every show when they do this kind of story.  Meh.

 

That was my first eye roll of the season when they said that line, it's so cliched and unlike certain cliches which I thoroughly enjoy this isn't one of them. 

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

I also thought it was weird that she was surprised that Castle really loved his wife and how far he was willing to go to find her.

 

I thought that line was odd but his response was even stranger, to me I would say that I get on with someone "like a house on fire" if I immediately met a person and they became a friend but I've never heard it used in a romantic way to describe how much you care about a lover or spouse (at least not over here) they were may be trying to make Hayley look less cold and businesslike but it didn't really work for me. Is that a term people use in the States? 

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

I see Castle lost another phone. 

 

I thought the opening scene was quite graphic (for Castle) and when she's first all over him in the chair I thought why can't we see Castle and Beckett doing this? I know I should stop wishing for something that's never going to happen but I can't help it. They can obviously show these kind of scenes if they want to given the time slot and inclination. 

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[verdana]

TVLine recap:  Castle Premiere Recap: Gone Girl

Thanks for the link. It's always amusing reading down the various reactions on there after an episode, especially one like this. 

Edited September 22, 2015 by verdana

[BellyLaughter]

Aww phooey!! Wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't pointed out!

Good opener!! Will never really like Alexis...esp this version but I can deal with that!

I do wonder if they are deliberately trying to make fans dislike Beckett?! Or are some fans just overreacting?! For me Beckett not sharing is hardly out of character so to see so many questioning her loyalty/devotion to Castle before the second episode is a little premature??

Edited September 22, 2015 by BellyLaughter

[Chado]

I do wonder if they are deliberately trying to make fans dislike Beckett?! Or are some fans just overreacting?! For me Beckett not sharing is hardly out of character so to see so many questioning her loyalty/devotion to Castle before the second episode is a little premature??

I think they wanted to separate Castle and Beckett, I think they wanted to reduce the amount of time they share together on-screen (different fans have different opinions as to why). I think this is just the excuse/storyline we are given to how they go about achieving that.

 

Some fans will overreact to what she did, some will defend Beckett and think she can do no wrong. Some will wait for 8x02 before making a conclusion. You can't really plan an episode or storyline on how 'fans' will receive it, fans are filled with numerous groups/individuals with different opinions. If anything, Castle has sets of fans that are so extreme on the Castle v Beckett scale that I'm sure the response is extremely varied.

 

It's hard to really answer whether it is premature since there is so many different reactions from people (even in this thread). I know personally I think there shouldn't be any lying, there's no question she did lie. There's also no doubt as to the end result of her actions (she decides to break up with him). So I view it as completely unnecessary, unfortunately it is the result of Beckett's actions. So I'm looking for her to 'fix' things. That's just my view going forward.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Chado

[BellyLaughter]

 

It's hard to really answer whether it is premature since there is so many different reactions from people (even in this thread). I know personally I think there shouldn't be any lying, there's no question she did lie. There's also no doubt as to the end result of her actions (she decides to break up with him). So I view it as completely unnecessary, unfortunately it is the result of Beckett's actions. So I'm looking for her to 'fix' things. That's just my view going forward.

 

See that's where I'm a bit undecided.  Yes, she lied but surely it is not the intention of the writers for people to hang, draw and quarter her just yet??  But quite a few are and that's what I'm wondering.....do writers ever know they are alienating portions of their audience and do it anyway -- or do they naively assume people will stick with Beckett no matter what??  I'm just a bit taken back that they would actively chose to have one of their main protagonists piss off a good number of the fanbase?  Sure the drama will create the break up but haven't we been told the break up is all about their journey and how they truly do belong together??  If a number of fans are upset that Beckett is once again keeping secrets that's kind of defeating the purpose of creating the drama to keep the audience tuning in every week?  

 

I think I may be starting to confuse myself now..... ;)  Blerg.

[Brit Babe]

It was an okay episode, but I'm struggling to find the positives. It's like when of those random episodes of a show you don't usually watch which you thought was good but you have no intention or desire to tune in next week, except for the fact that for me Castle and I'll be watching until the end.

 

The first Caskett scene, which was 95% shot with doubles -  I heard about this on tumblr before the episode aired and it was pretty obvious once you know. I hope that from 8x02, when Stana came back to film, that we get no more of that but I have a sneaky feeling that may not be case. Positive side - Nathan has more chemistry nowadays with Stana's double.

 

Beckett goes missing on her first day of the job? 1PP don't seem over concerned and I doubt she'll have her captaincy removed.

 

Hayley - Thank goodness no omni-accent, like Colin Hunt. The jury is still out on her, she seemed okay but if they continue to write her character like that I can see it starting to grate quickly.

 

Alexis - what do you do with a problem like Alexis? How old is she now - 21/22? Has she not graduated yet? Has she got her PI license? Why is she so smug? Why is she dressing like a 40 year old? Please don't film Molly running to the camera again - twice in one episode, it just looked awful.

 

I'm not even really concerned at this point as to why Beckett is doing what she's doing, that's for next week.

[Chado]

See that's where I'm a bit undecided.  Yes, she lied but surely it is not the intention of the writers for people to hang, draw and quarter her just yet??  But quite a few are and that's what I'm wondering.....do writers ever know they are alienating portions of their audience and do it anyway -- or do they naively assume people will stick with Beckett no matter what??  I'm just a bit taken back that they would actively chose to have one of their main protagonists piss off a good number of the fanbase?  Sure the drama will create the break up but haven't we been told the break up is all about their journey and how they truly do belong together??  If a number of fans are upset that Beckett is once again keeping secrets that's kind of defeating the purpose of creating the drama to keep the audience tuning in every week?  

 

I think I may be starting to confuse myself now..... ;)  Blerg.

People will suggest that she lied/is lying (is breaking up with him) for his own protection. To keep him safe. That's where the debate will come from. Not that she lied, but her reason for doing so. People will be divided on whether her decision is the correct one. The reaction from some is just their opinion on her decision I guess, most of which is an initial reaction from an incomplete story.... Maybe some will change their minds once they see the 2nd episode of this two-partner?....but my guess is that this anger will be an ongoing theme while they are broken up, at least as far as some people are concerned.

 

After watching 8x01, I'm guessing that she breaks up with him because this group/threat is still out there (at the end of 8x02) and Beckett believes that Castle is safer if he isn't associated with her because she has seen what has happened to him in 8x01. I completely disagree with it (if that's the "reason" why) but here we are..

Edited September 22, 2015 by Chado

[cappuccino]

Sooooooooooooooooooo how the hell is Beckett going to be a "normal" day to day Captain at the 12th after THIS !!! Are they seriously allowing Beckett to stay in that position after she turns out to be on some kind of secret mission, hunt for the FBI or on someone elses death wish list ? I mean they were shooting down the precinct and hurting the police force on HER watch.

 

I still don't get the "I need to break up with you so you won't become another target" since those guys already demonstrated they don't care if they have to kill him or not. They went after him even though he had no information and like he himself stated: I don't know where she is and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. - sure with enough torture he would cave eventually but come on. He is a target no matter what Beckett does.

 

It was an entertaining hour and I'm interested in seeing what part II will hold and how they are going to work that out or well not since the season just started but so far I'm not buying how she can go back to being captain.

 

Missed Martha !!