S08.E14: The GDS

[KaveDweller]

At first it seemed like we weren't going to find out anything about the missing time other than that he was in LA doing unknown things and met Haley then, which would have been really cheap.  But of course they are going down the route of Castle finding out about Locksat then. I think that was predicted months ago. I just wonder if he will tell Beckett.

 

Castle telling Alexis they could trust Haley after knowing she lied about knowing him from his missing time reminded me of when Beckett insisted they could trust Vikram in XX. I don't agree with either assessment, they are both super-shady.

 

For a second I really thought Haley was going to hurt Alexis in that car, she looked fierce. But as annoying as I find Alexis I'm glad she wasn't hurt (Castle would never recover). And I was glad to see Castle remembering he's her father and trying to keep her safe. However, Haley being really evil would have been an excellent twist.

 

I can't believe they didn't even bother to mention Beckett in the first 55 minutes of the episode. At least in the Slaughter episode they explained where she was. But when Castle told the LAPD he worked with detectives in NY and then just mentioned Ryan and Espo I got really annoyed. But him turning down the GDS for her made up for it just a little. However, I hope this is the last Beckett-less episode of Castle.

 

I felt bad for Ryan, Espo, and Lanie having to deal with such a childish sub-plot. Especially when they did most of the work on the case and didn't get any credit.  

 

Do you think the "This is stupid" note on the script was inspired by any actual ABC network executive? I can see that comment getting made on some Castle scripts. Or on scripts for several other shows (Quantico, Scandal, etc.....).

Edited March 8, 2016 by KaveDweller

[WendyCR72]

Crap! Sorry I forgot about the thread. Bad mod! But thanks for taking the initiative, KaveDweller. Looks like you didn't need me! But for posterity, the description:

 

 

Castle returns to the City of Angels in search of answers about his missing time. But things take a deadly turn when he's recruited by the legendary Greatest Detective Society to help solve a murder.

 

[FlickerToAFlame]

Top 3 contender for worst Castle episode ever.

[KaveDweller]

Crap! Sorry I forgot about the thread. Bad mod! But thanks for taking the initiative, KaveDweller. Looks like you didn't need me! But for posterity, the description:

 

Oh, good, I wasn't sure it was okay to start the thread, but I just had to get some of that out.

[WendyCR72]

Oh, good, I wasn't sure it was okay to start the thread, but I just had to get some of that out.

 

No, it's fine! For anyone reading here, if this ever happens again (and I'll try to make sure it doesn't!), anyone can start an episode thread. Just please be sure to check the little box that says something like "use episode format".

 

Thanks, again!

[371012]

Building up to the season finale where Beckett might be dead. Or might be vanished. And it is all Castle's fault. And then the network decides about the show, then contract negotiations, then as needed, a one sentence explanation, a time jump, fast forward a year so Castle can be all happy and in LA. On the bright side, he REALLY might need a couple lighter weight suits or coats.

Verdana, you are probably never coming back. The anvils were THAT heavy.

Thank God at least Hawley only had Castle say, "I know who the killer is," it could have been in unison with either Haley or Alexis. The only throwback was that and a partial reuse of the set from To Live and Die in LA. Travesties.

[CastleSeason8]

There were more throwbacks - trying to give the cop the bottle of booze like he tried to give away the robe...there were others, but i was too brain dead by that point i cant remember now.

I hated it. I cant stand Hayley and her new bff role in Castle's life. Beckett not even mentioned until the last 2 minutes - i think Hawley has a real problem with her.

We all know what S9 looks like now, and it stinks

[turnitwayup]

Nice to see Summer and Doug but this was like a super bad redux of TLADILA with the addition of Haley and Alexis. It felt like a backdoor pilot for a spinoff of either GDS or a Beckettless Castle PI season. Really weird that Castle mentions Ryan and Espo but Beckett doesn't get a mention until the last GDS scene.

 

Lanie finally gets a subplot of her own and the execution of it was so stupid. She would've gone to Beckett instead of Ryan if she really wanted an honest background check.

 

Not really feeling Haley as Castle's current bff. Now that we know she's a bit shady and the whole LokSat nonsense is connected to Castle's disappearance, the whole resolution is probably gonna be a mess. If the show gets and a Beckettless s9 with Haley still sticking around, I wouldn't be surprised if a widow!Castle moves on with Haley after a couple yrs time jump. It's like Hawley is seriously trying to destroy the Caskett love story. I hope he doesn't have another solo written ep cause 2 Beckettless ones and a minimal premier ep are enough from him. Sad thing is the Slaughter ep is the best of the 4 eps he has done this season.

 

Nathan seems so excited to do a live tweet like almost every ep now. IA with Nathan that Alfred does amazing sets since that's usually the best part of an ep lately. Too bad Seamus couldn't make it cause his tweets ends up being the best.

Edited March 8, 2016 by turnitwayup

[oberon55]

All I can say is LokSat is one scary bastard. So far the FBI lady killed herself, Castle had himself lobotomized & Beckett was willing to lose her marriage all to escape his terrible wrath. Nothing but a bunch of unbelievable melodramatic nonsense.

[newyawk]

An episode that starts off with perky Alexis, or Alexis in any shape or form in the opening scenes, asking unnecessary questions that would be answered anyway if she'd only shut up,does not bode well for me. Good to see Lainie again, and in her job capacity, no less!  Randomly: 

 

This episode really didn't grab me. There was a point where Castle said, " I'm sorry, repeat everything you said after 'not enough' ": and I thought, "Exactly.except wind it back about ten minutes"

 

Apparently Alexis is now a surveillance/security expert this week on top of her other sudden mastery of other highly skilled professions. Perfect. Summer Glau , imo, is a remarkably lifeless actress. She was one of the reasons I couldn't even finish the first episode of Firefly. Wasn't thrilled to see her turn up here.

 

For someone so supposedly good at what she does, Hayley wasn't very subtle about getting Alexis to dump the research on the Special Forces guy. Nor was she very diligent in ensuring Alexis actually deleted it.

 

I think the writers should bear in mind that convoluted does not always equate to "interesting". Sometimes it equates to "contrived and hard to get into".

[femmefan1946]

I shouldn't read the other comments before commenting myself.

I LIKED the episode.

I liked the Lanie story.

I liked that Haley turned out to be shady--  don't trust her but this does give a reason for her hanging about.

I liked Summer Glau-- wish they had found a way for her to remark on blood loss or to say "nothing can stop me" (It's a Browncoat thing, you wouldn't understand).

I liked that MQ is letting her hair go back to a more natural shade.

Wish we got a better idea of who the killers were - kinda straw men as it stood-- but they were crowding a lot in there.

[westwingfan]

Didn't bother watching after the SPs and other hype, only the second episode I've skipped after Cool Boys, seems I made the right decision. Watched the clips of the ending and Hayley's coming clean scene on Youtube so I'm up to speed for 8x15.

[verdana]

Our (and, you know, Rick’s) long Castle nightmare is over.

Oh Matt.

I decided to head off to see what poor put upon Matt had to say over at TV Line and had a good chortle at his various comments, even he's given up the ghost on this one.

 

Castle Recap: Serenity Now? What Was Really Behind Rick's 'Missing Time'?

 

How he ended up on a boat? We don’t know.

Regardless, just like that, we learn that Rick’s missing time actually ties into the ongoing LokSat mystery, in that he was close to solving it 18 months ago but got spooked (and thus now feels guilt over Kate’s AG buddies getting snuffed). But now he and Hayley have a clue — the airport flights on the night Rick recorded that video to himself — to help Beckett crack this nut once… and… for… all!

Elsewhere, in the seemingly 57 minutes leading up to all of that….

 

So let me get this straight(ish) Hayley was tasked by spydaddy to keep an eye on his wayward son (after he'd got back saving the world in Thailand) over a year ago, she lost him then found him again and Locksat is all linked in with his disappearance and this was all info dumped to the audience close to the end? Meh. Hawley is nothing if not completely predictable when it comes to formulating big bad conspiracies, he just tied two completely crappy plot lines together regardless of whether it makes any sense - the fall out from this is only going to get worse.

 

He wasn’t “looking for” LokSat. Sounds like he “stumbled across” new Bracken information………..? PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME REWIND.

 

Oh Matt you're on a roll.

 

Chad Gomez Creasey ‏@chadgcreasey  12m12 minutes ago

#Castle 814 twist! @AlexiHawley brings it all together in an awesome way.

Hawley also promised "twists and turns" in a pre episode tweet and I guess you guys got them right?

I'm no longer surprised to discover that Beckett didn't get a mention until very late on.

 

Verdana, you are probably never coming back. The anvils were THAT heavy.

Heh, probably by the looks of it. I saved myself a sore head then thank God, reading the comments here is proving more enjoyable.

 

I think the writers should bear in mind that convoluted does not always equate to "interesting". Sometimes it equates to "contrived and hard to get into".

This should be framed in large letters and hung high in the Castle writers room on a wall as a permanent reminder, they never seem to get this and it's their downfall.

Alfred Sole is amazing I don't need to watch this episode to know the sets would have been great, he continues to produce consistent quality work, I wish I could say the same about the writers on this show, good on Nathan for giving the guy a shout out.

Edited March 8, 2016 by verdana

[verdana]

I hope this is the last Beckett-less episode of Castle.

 

 

Didn't the promo last week advertising this episode have her in it? Hmmmm that was naughty of them they need to stop doing that.

[westwingfan]

 

Didn't the promo last week advertising this episode have her in it? Hmmmm that was naughty of them they need to stop doing that.

They did it for Cool Boys too, so someone realises the importance of Beckett to the show. A bit devious really, the drop out rate at 10.30pm might be significant this week

 

And Winter told TV Line on Sept 28

 

WINTER | In every single episode, they do end up working together. They end up building theory together.

 

And I doubt Stana just asked for time off after they'd started filming the season, more likely he knew she had negotiated that when her contract was renewed, and they were filming Cool Boys when that interview came out so he knew that statement wasn't true as he said it.

Edited March 8, 2016 by westwingfan

[BellyLaughter]

I still don't think this episode makes all the sense it needed too and I'm not really game for a rewatch. Dilemma.

[TWP]

They did it for Cool Boys too, so someone realises the importance of Beckett to the show. A bit devious really, the drop out rate at 10.30pm might be significant this week

 

And Winter told TV Line on Sept 28

 

WINTER | In every single episode, they do end up working together. They end up building theory together.

 

And I doubt Stana just asked for time off after they'd started filming the season, more likely he knew she had negotiated that when her contract was renewed, and they were filming Cool Boys when that interview came out so he knew that statement wasn't true as he said it.

Maybe he forgot, or simply didn't know. That old ivory tower tends to sometimes mute people's perception of their own jobs.

My MIL suffered a severe stroke yesterday, may still pass. I watched the episode end scene tonight and it was my first respite from harsh reality all day. I actually chuckled at that Loksat mess, so silly, so shark jumpey it's almost comical. I was so thankful for the mental break. Gosh I love having a show like this. For better or worse. For escape. Thanks, PTB.

[KaveDweller]

So let me get this straight(ish) Hayley was tasked by spydaddy to keep an eye on his wayward son (after he'd got back saving the world in Thailand) over a year ago, she lost him then found him again and Locksat is all linked in with his disappearance and this was all info dumped to the audience close to the end? Meh. Hawley is nothing if not completely predictable when it comes to formulating big bad conspiracies, he just tied two completely crappy plot lines together regardless of whether it makes any sense - the fall out from this is only going to get worse.

Yeah, that about covers it.

My other thoughts about this episode.....I'm not familiar with Summer Galua but I thought she showed no spark or charisma and certainly had no chemistry with Nathan. Just bad writing maybe?

It was obvious the guy from Desperate Housewives was the killer.

[oberon55]

My other thoughts about this episode.....I'm not familiar with Summer Galua but I thought she showed no spark or charisma and certainly had no chemistry with Nathan. Just bad writing maybe?

 

In Firefly she played River Tam who had her mind almost destroyed when the Alliance turned her into basically a killing machine. She also played the terminator (robot) on The Sarah Connor Chronicles. She's pretty good in roles where she is damaged or a machine but as a normal human not so much.

[Cyranetta]

 

 

Castle telling Alexis they could trust Haley after knowing she lied about knowing him from his missing time reminded me of when Beckett insisted they could trust Vikram in XX. I don't agree with either assessment, they are both super-shady.

 

If ever there was a case of "show,don't tell, this was it.  When Castle said that about Hayley, my first reaction was, "um, why, exactly?"

 

 

I can't believe they didn't even bother to mention Beckett in the first 55 minutes of the episode. At least in the Slaughter episode they explained where she was. But when Castle told the LAPD he worked with detectives in NY and then just mentioned Ryan and Espo I got really annoyed. But him turning down the GDS for her made up for it just a little. However, I hope this is the last Beckett-less episode of Castle.

 

I wasn't particularly bothered by the lack of a Beckett physical presence, but the utter lack of a mere mention of her until the very very end was bizarre. If they had only had a few name-checks back at the 12th ("Captain Beckett phoned in from 1PP...:" or Lanie to Ryan - "I didn't want to bother Kate with this..." - it would have seemed an organic (remember that one?) way to maintain a Beckett through-line.

[scenicbyway]

First off, why are they dressing Alexis like a middle aged lawyer?  She's what, 21?  LA should have been a chance to dress down, instead she's in all black and stilletos?  I feel like Alexis used to have emotions and facial expressions but now it seems like they can't get past the day-glo orange hair color.  Let Alexis be young again.

 

I liked the twist with Haley, but what an opportunity wasted for her to either be evil and working for Loksat or suddenly helpful.  Why has she stuck around?  Because she likes Alexis and thinks Rick is cool? She obviously knows more than what she's saying, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if she was Loksat.

 

I don't get making the episode with strong calls back to Live and Die in La with no mention of Beckett until the last 5 minutes.  That was a pivotal episode for them and they basically even recreated a hotel room so similar it could've been in the same hotel! Dumb!

 

I guess atleast Lanie had a story, I kinda had forgotten she was on the show.  Why wouldn't Lanie have had Beckett run the background check?  Probably because Beckett was also on vacation, in the hospital, or trapped somewhere?  Who knows, because no one thought to ask all episode!  Even if Stana wanted time off, I can't believe the schedule is so tight they couldn't have worked in a 30 second phone call somewhere in there.  Come ON.

 

Lastly, the writers and showrunners must really think we are stupid and somehow Nathan has bought (or been well paid) to sell this drivel.  Castle disappears before his wedding, ends up in Thailand, sorts that out, some how, instead of drifting in the boat, he now made his way to LA, didn't call Beckett or his mother, hung out there for a while, discovered LoKsat (something that wasn't even created on the show until a year later, but never mind), erases his memory, ends up on boat on other side of the country?  Yet, eventhough he erased his memory, he still knew he was Castle and who everyone in his world is.  But now he's supposed to leave it alone again.  Seriously?  This is their resolution?  Just cancel the show already. Things could have been so different,  Bracken was in jail,  they could've had the wedding cliffhanger, but have him kidnapped by mob bosses as a joke and then have the wedding at the end of the season premiere.  Where they are taking things now is just stupid.

[oberon55]

I can picture the conversation between Castle & Jenkins.

Castle: Hey man I can't tell you why but do you mind selectivly erasing my memory.

 

Jenkins: I guess after you saved the world it's the least I could do.

 

Castle: Thanks dude.

 

Jenkins: De nada. Of course I'll have to set up a fake pup tent & then stick you in a boat & maroon you 80 miles offshore.

 

Castle: That makes sense. Let's do it.

[westwingfan]

I can picture the conversation between Castle & Jenkins.

Castle: Hey man I can't tell you why but do you mind selectivly erasing my memory.

 

Jenkins: I guess after you saved the world it's the least I could do.

 

Castle: Thanks dude.

 

Jenkins: De nada. Of course I'll have to set up a fake pup tent & then stick you in a boat & maroon you 80 miles offshore.

 

Castle: That makes sense. Let's do it.

You're wasted here, if you sent that to ABC they'd sign you up no problem  LOL

[readster]

All I can say is LokSat is one scary bastard. So far the FBI lady killed herself, Castle had himself lobotomized & Beckett was willing to lose her marriage all to escape his terrible wrath. Nothing but a bunch of unbelievable melodramatic nonsense.

Yeah, just like with Tyson telling people: "You're evil, obey me!" Canon Fodder: "Yes, master and I'll magically make you be able to hack into government systems too." I'm so happy the show tried to fix a plot hole everyone wanted to forget from the previous show runner and made it even worst. Well done! Few people outside of Chuck Lorre or Brenda Hampton. So, great way to know the current show runners have them beat. 

[roomtorome]

Just when you think this thing can't get any stupider - it gets stupider.  Boy, they have really tied themselves up in knots trying desperately to scare up some sort of story here out all the idiotic crap going on.  

 

I could barely watch and I agree with the poster re: why they are dressing Alexis like a middle-aged bank executive.  She has zero fun or life in her - her grandmother (when we actually get to see her on rare occasions) looks hipper and more interesting than this poor young woman.  And, is that a wig she is wearing?  Looks to be one - what the hell were they thinking?  

[371012]

OT, sorry.

TWP, hope your MIL is doing better today. And his last scene with Alexis WAS one of the brighter spots, he pointed out that he does continue to be the parent!

[basiltherat]

I knew we were in trouble when the video Castle accessed had a 'LOCK' on it (gettit, lock-sat, loksat) and, ta da, LokSat is behind everything. Everything including global warming and President Trump. And OF COURSE Castle dropped it back then because of Beckett and Beckett dropped it because of Castle. Meanwhile, the spectre of SpyDaddy hangs above the whole thing, now even including Hayley. (Hayley watches over Rick; Vikram watches over Kate . . . hmmm)

. .. shouldn't Alexis be in school? Or teaching ESL in school?

[turnitwayup]

LOL, so Molly rather look like she's wandered off the set of Suits than look like a typical college age student with a "part time office job". Even Haley's outfits looks more younger and casual than Alexis most of the time. Probably the one thing I can like about Haley is that she dresses comfortably and useful for her job. Both Kendell and Haley wore appropriate outfits all ep long whether it was everyday casual or undercover since they suppose to blend in with their surroundings on a case. Alexis just sticks out everywhere wearing her middle age executive outfit and should dress more like Rory Gilmore or Paris Geller undergrad years.
 

RedCarpetLuke: @MollyQuinn93 Looking Hot and shapely in #DolceandGabbana
makeitastrength: @RedCarpetLuke @MollyQuinn93 I wish you'd make her look like an actual 20ish year old sometime...
HerPegship: @makeitastrength @RedCarpetLuke @MollyQuinn93 She's a 20something with a Castle budget. #Castle #LukeReichle
makeitastrength: @HerPegship @RedCarpetLuke @MollyQuinn93 It doesn't have anything to do with budget. There are more casual clothes that are expensive too.
MollyQuinn93: Alexis isn't casual. She's professional and a bit high strung. @RedCarpetLuke has dressed me perfectly this season https://twitter.com/makeitastrength/status/707282844511502343

 

. .. shouldn't Alexis be in school? Or teaching ESL in school?

 

Ikr? She got that ESL job and she's already took off across the US. According to Columbia, midterm was on the 7th and spring break isn't until the following week. Just more fails from TPTB with what to do with Alexis. While all 3 of them are in LA, no one is at the PI office. Guessing any calls to the office goes straight to Alexis or Castle's phone? If TPTB really didn't want to incorporate Alexis's undergrad, they would've been better off having a couple years time jump from s7 finale to the s8.

[BellyLaughter]

I did do a rewatch (for the sake of my own sanity) and experienced a revelation I didn't expect. I really didn't like Hayley. It wasn't the story or reveal and I have - up until now - not been bothered by her addition to the cast but in this episode she just bugged me??

That line at the end about thinking Rick is a cool guy and how she adores Alexis was just weird??!! Am I alone in this??

[verdana]

Thanks KaveDweller, glad I'm up to speed.

 

That twitter exchange about Alexis and her clothing was class, I completely agree with the poster who said Susan in her get ups looks more with it than Molly does in her ageing outfits and the bright orange stiffly styled hair is so distracting. 

 

Castle: The G.D.S. – A Good Cop/Bad Cop Review

 

Give me a minute to stop shaking my head. For now, though, I’m hoping the rapid side-to-side movement will erase all memory of what I just watched.

Thumbs down from Lee and Melanie is fed up and would like things to get back to some kind of normality for Castle and Beckett, sorry but I don't see that happening, this is it you like it or lump it. 

 

That line at the end about thinking Rick is a cool guy and how she adores Alexis was just weird??!! Am I alone in this??

 

I watched that clip on youtube. I felt sorry for Toks having to give that info dump there, they can't seem to get the balance right, they either skim over/ignore things for months on end or they serve fans a dollop of stodgy big bad conspiracy fare to give you severe indigestion. But you're right it was weird, the line delivery felt forced and awkward. Her whole speech about leaving her selfish ways behind her and sticking around because she cared about them both felt off. I can't say it's convinced me any of her possible true motives, it was either an unfortunate case of bad acting trying to sell an emotional bond or they're leading up to having Hayley working for Locksat. 

Edited March 9, 2016 by verdana

[GoGiants]

I believe the announcer said something like “Castle and Beckett go to Hollywood” in the moment before the show started. Reminds me of the “Castle and Beckett will return” moment after 6.23. I only read about that but it was truly “fun” to experience a variation of that in person. So, either the promo people know what sells (Castle and Beckett together) or communication between departments at ABC is abysmal (or both!).

GDS joins Loksat and “babe you were saving the world” as some of the dumbest words I’ve ever heard uttered with straight and solemn faces on Castle. The GDS name felt last minute. There weren’t any better name options available? The show seems to be past trying to write anything creative or clever.

Hayley’s reveal was visible from miles away. Her appearance and decision to help and join Castle has never made sense. I agree with Kavedweller, it would’ve been interesting if Hayley was actually evil. Of course, she is private security sent by dear old dad. And now she’s “fond” of Castle and “adores” Alexis. Yep. Anvil, please meet my head.

I don’t consider myself a conspiracist but last night felt like we were watching the backdoor pilot for Castle PI. I truly hope not. I would have turned the channel and not looked back based on that episode. There was nothing to differentiate last night from a multitude of other mediocre cop shows (bad humor, weak plots, lame conspiracies, poor characterization etc). Way to lose sight of your strengths Castle writers/showrunners.

The disappearance/Beckett’s mom/Loksat linkage is stupid and just sad. From the minute they brought up the disappearance I have assumed they would attempt to tie it in to the S8 arc. Next they will tell us that 3XK was part of this mess as well before he gave up the ghost. The disappearance was in the past for me. Or maybe, it was behind a wall. Wherever it was, I had moved on. Nothing like dredging up an absurd plot line and making it even more ridiculous than it appeared on first viewing.

Little touches do go along way. A mention of Beckett before the last 10 minutes would have been nice. I thought his comment to the GDS was sweet, but show us don’t tell us how much you care for her (it can’t all happen in private!). Even a single phone call (and I hate the over reliance on calls and other tricks this year) or brief precinct appearance would have taken the rough edges off. Something to link the leads together and not have the episode feel so off.

The B plot with Lanie and the boys was silly (Bed wetting? Clown fetishes? Seriously?) but I kind of liked it. Maybe that’s a statement to how starved the show is for some lightness and humor this season or could be I am immature. I think they could have found a better story/prank but moments like this have been lacking for the secondary cast forever. More stories like this (with better subject matter) would have gone a long way towards developing the secondary cast past their roles as support staff for Castle and Beckett.

Was this Lanie’s longest appearance ever? Anyone out there with a stop watch who can tell me? Lol. Seriously though, I don’t ever remember her being this present throughout an entire episode.

That line at the end about thinking Rick is a cool guy and how she adores Alexis was just weird??!! Am I alone in this??

I watched that clip on youtube. I felt sorry for Toks having to give that info dump there, they can't seem to get the balance right, they either skim over/ignore things for months on end or they serve fans a dollop of stodgy big bad conspiracy fare to give you severe indigestion. But you're right it was weird, the line delivery felt forced and awkward. Her whole speech about leaving her selfish ways behind her and sticking around because she cared about them both felt off. I can't say it's convinced me any of her possible true motives, it was either an unfortunate case of bad acting trying to sell an emotional bond or they're leading up to having Hayley working for Locksat.

It was all kinds of weird to me. Do they really know each other that well? Talk about forcing emotion and connection. I know she and Alexis are best buds but still odd. Beckett and Alexis are family and I’m not sure I’ve heard either of them say anything like that about the other. It made a unfortunate parallel to 3.22 to have Castle and Hayley sharing an emotional moment together in an LA hotel room.

I hope they allow Castle to limp off into the sunset.

Edited March 9, 2016 by GoGiants

[BellyLaughter]

Some other suggestions from Twitter for what GDS could stand for have been quite entertaining.....unlike this episode.

I believe the announcer said something like “Castle and Beckett go to Hollywood” in the moment before the show started. Reminds me of the “Castle and Beckett will return” moment after 6.23. I only read about that but it was truly “fun” to experience a variation of that in person. So, either the promo people know what sells (Castle and Beckett together) or communication between departments at ABC is abysmal (or both!).

GDS joins Loksat and “babe you were saving the world” as some of the dumbest words I’ve ever heard uttered with straight and solemn faces on Castle. The GDS name felt last minute. There weren’t any better name options available? The show seems to be past trying to write anything creative or clever.

Hayley’s reveal was visible from miles away. Her appearance and decision to help and join Castle has never made sense. I agree with Kavedweller, it would’ve been interesting if Hayley was actually evil. Of course, she is private security sent by dear old dad. And now she’s “fond” of Castle and “adores” Alexis. Yep. Anvil, please meet my head.

I don’t consider myself a conspiracist but last night felt like we were watching the backdoor pilot for Castle PI. I truly hope not. I would have turned the channel and not looked back based on that episode. There was nothing to differentiate last night from a multitude of other mediocre cop shows (bad humor, weak plots, lame conspiracies, poor characterization etc). Way to lose sight of your strengths Castle writers/showrunners.

The disappearance/Beckett’s mom/Loksat linkage is stupid and just sad. From the minute they brought up the disappearance I have assumed they would attempt to tie it in to the S8 arc. Next they will tell us that 3XK was part of this mess as well before he gave up the ghost. The disappearance was in the past for me. Or maybe, it was behind a wall. Wherever it was, I had moved on. Nothing like dredging up an absurd plot line and making it even more ridiculous than it appeared on first viewing.

Little touches do go along way. A mention of Beckett before the last 10 minutes would have been nice. I thought his comment to the GDS was sweet, but show us don’t tell us how much you care for her (it can’t all happen in private!). Even a single phone call (and I hate the over reliance on calls and other tricks this year) or brief precinct appearance would have taken the rough edges off. Something to link the leads together and not have the episode feel so off.

The B plot with Lanie and the boys was silly (Bed wetting? Clown fetishes? Seriously?) but I kind of liked it. Maybe that’s a statement to how starved the show is for some lightness and humor this season or could be I am immature. I think they could have found a better story/prank but moments like this have been lacking for the secondary cast forever. More stories like this (with better subject matter) would have gone a long way towards developing the secondary cast past their roles as support staff for Castle and Beckett.

Was this Lanie’s longest appearance ever? Anyone out there with a stop watch who can tell me? Lol. Seriously though, I don’t ever remember her being this present throughout an entire episode.

It was all kinds of weird to me. Do they really know each other that well? Talk about forcing emotion and connection. I know she and Alexis are best buds but still odd. Beckett and Alexis are family and I’m not sure I’ve hear either of them say anything like that about the other. It made a unfortunate parallel to 3.22 to have Castle and Hayley sharing an emotional moment together in an LA hotel room.

I hope they allow Castle to limp off into the sunset.

Well they do fist pump every 5 minutes so you know.....homies ;)

[TWP]

The great thing about watching Castle a day or two late is that folks over here have hit the hi- and low-lights of the episode already.

I was entertained although I did miss Beckett. Did they even bother to say why she wasn't at the precinct? Directing other cast to use Beckett's expressions and mannerisms was not a replacement for actually having her there. But the ghost of Beckett lived in Hayley, Lanie and Summer Glau's character, which leads me to believe that much of what I enjoy about Beckett is directorial. It's not a huge surprise, since outside of Castle, I'm not a huge fan of characters Stana has played.

I was surprised at how little I liked Summer Glau in this episode. I don't know if directing was to blame, but she receded a bit in the part, too quiet for the role. McRaney will forever be one of my favorites.

Nobody mentioned the neck lighting. I was amused at all of the non-shadowy necks. Yes, people, we get that you only have one chin ;-).

I once again laughed uproarious at the Bracken - Loksat connection. Now there's some comedy for ya! Wow, talk about a hack job.

Something others HAVE mentioned was the Lanie focus. I enjoyed seeing her so much, but thought the premise was too flat.

For me, it was a generally a fun show, nice use of supporting cast.

Edited March 9, 2016 by TWP

[Brit Babe]

I’ve been meaning to the review the last couple of episodes but due to lack of time and repetitiveness of the reviews I haven’t - aren’t all the episodes the same nowadays?

 

Now to this episode which has sunk to new depths of crappy.

 

The first scene is a forewarning that this episode is going to bad; Castle, Alexis and Hayley walk into a bar and, oh wait.... . The expected exposition of Beckett’s absence is no where to be seen, hell I think they don’t even know she’s in the show anymore.

 

Note to Molly; acting lessons can help but I fear that she’s one of those actresses’ who could play a kid/teen but adult is where the career ends. So cringeworthy which leads me to..

 

Summer Glau - dead behind the eyes and until last night I had not realised how much of a bad actress she truly is.

 

The Lanie and boys storyline was so stupid - she would have used Beckett for that, another missed opportunity for saying where Beckett was.

And then the combining of two the worst storylines this show has ever had. What is happening in the writers room that they think “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!”

 

I’m really struggling to make it through recent episodes because they are boring, tedious, predictable and annoying. Can someone put this show out of it’s misery?

[LexieLily]

Wasn't the last Lanie/Javi breakup for good because they didn't love each other enough to marry each other, or some such reason? And that was two years ago, wasn't it, so why is Lanie all "Don't tell Javi!" to Ryan about the boyfriend background check at the beginning? Are they, like, exes that sleep together now whenever either of them is lonely, or what?

[Cyranetta]

The TV Overmind review of GDS was up, and I have to admit that Joy d'Angelo lays out with precision much of my distaste.

[oberon55]

Sometimes I wonder if the writers even know what happened on previous episodes. How does this line from Castle "I already work with the greatest detective in the world and I can not wait to get back home to her" fit in with the we're apart & I'm even dating Svetlana bullshit. I know continuity is not their strong suit but shouldn't they at least be able to remember the current main plot line (you know Castle will be killed if anyone even suspects Castle & Beckett are together). This seems like a new level of not giving a fuck.

[KaveDweller]

Sometimes I wonder if the writers even know what happened on previous episodes. How does this line from Castle "I already work with the greatest detective in the world and I can not wait to get back home to her" fit in with the we're apart & I'm even dating Svetlana bullshit. I know continuity is not their strong suit but shouldn't they at least be able to remember the current main plot line (you know Castle will be killed if anyone even suspects Castle & Beckett are together). This seems like a new level of not giving a fuck.

 

It doesn't make sense does it? I kind of told myself Castle didn't mention Beckett to the LA cops earlier because he wanted to play the part of being separated (even though everyone knows he's married to her and has worked with her). But saying that to the GDS people was way worse. I mean it was sweet, but it made no sense. And considering all the talk about this being a "spin off" set up, they seemed to pretty clearly make Castle give a statement about wanting to go back to his old life.

 

Also, the other thing that made no sense is that Castle got shot right before he left LA. But we know his bullet would in Driven was several weeks old. How long does it take to get memories erased? And if that's just a continuity error and it was supposed to be immediate, then was he really in LA tracking Locksat for 6 weeks without letting anyone know he was okay? With no saving the world as an excuse? 

[BellyLaughter]

Watch out for all the plotholes - wouldn't want you to get an injury navigating your way through this mess!! ;)

[KaveDweller]

Watch out for all the plotholes - wouldn't want you to get an injury navigating your way through this mess!! ;)

 

Maybe if I fall just right I can get amnesia about certain plot points.

[westwingfan]

Watch out for all the plotholes - wouldn't want you to get an injury navigating your way through this mess!! ;)

I think the show has always been plagued with plotholes but due to what else was going on, usually the distraction of the sparks between Castle and Beckett, you didn't seem to notice them or find them as irritating. Now that their shared screen time has been drastically reduced the flaws have become more noticeable.

[BellyLaughter]

I think the show has always been plagued with plotholes but due to what else was going on, usually the distraction of the sparks between Castle and Beckett, you didn't seem to notice them or find them as irritating. Now that their shared screen time has been drastically reduced the flaws have become more noticeable.

 

 

Yep the charm of the series in it's early to mid days allowed ridiculous plotholes to be either ignored or not noticed.  Now it's a charmless monster that isn't amusing or adorable and that (for me) is the big sinkhole that a show without Beckett (hence no Caskett) would become.  Castle (the show) was a cute toddler whose every move was adorable and recordable .... now it's just a moody teenager fighting itself on every level.

[webruce]

I wondered way back what was up with Hayley Shipton, then kind of figured she was ok. Still wonder what is so bad about that case? Maybe Jackson Hunt will show up to help Castle solve it. I always worry that with Alexia helping her dad that something more will happen to her. I thought Hayley would hurt her in the car.

Was nice to see Gerald McRaney(Simon & Simon,Major Dad) on here as the head of GDS. Last I saw of him he was an Admiral on NCIS:LA. I almost wondered if he had somethign to do with the killing of the PI Phillip Harris. But I also worried Detective Curt Menendez and Kendall Frost were crooked. My son liked her on Firefly, and I liked her on The Unit, and The Cape. But it was nice to see Richard give her the position in the group.

It was nice how Menendez let Ryan and Espo help on the case. Quite a coincidence that Mrs. Veronica Harris lived in NYC. Both Hayley and Kendall were hot when they went to Trevor Nigel's place. I figured Castle would get caught. I didn't think about both Trevor Nigel and Jordan Keegan being murderers.

[snarktini]

Agree that Alexis's wardrobe was all kinds of wrong. Very ladies-who-lunch.

 

There's always been something a little suspicious about Haley, so I was surprised Alexis was so slow on the uptake:

A: Can we trace the tracker?

H: Nope! Absolutely not! It's too common.

A: I traced the tracker. It was bought by this guy. Let's go see his aunt.

H: Nope! Absolutely not! It's too dangerous.

 

They wrote Haley to sound and act squirrely, and then Alexis pretended to delete the file so I thought they'd show she was suspicious. And even before that I expected her to say hey you said this couldn't be tracked but that was super easy...that's weird. But nope.

 

I've jettisoned a whole bunch of shows recently. I've been hanging on to this one -- I generally like the characters, or at least I have enough goodwill from the good years. But the plots have gotten so awful. Hmm.

[betsyboo]

Maybe he forgot, or simply didn't know. That old ivory tower tends to sometimes mute people's perception of their own jobs.

My MIL suffered a severe stroke yesterday, may still pass. I watched the episode end scene tonight and it was my first respite from harsh reality all day. I actually chuckled at that Loksat mess, so silly, so shark jumpey it's almost comical. I was so thankful for the mental break. Gosh I love having a show like this. For better or worse. For escape. Thanks, PTB.

all good thoughts, TWP.

It was obvious the guy from Desperate Housewives was the killer.

^ This is how old I am - I was confused for several moments because DS wasn't described as "the guy from Melrose Place." #getmemylapblanket

[S55]

^ This is how old I am - I was confused for several moments because DS wasn't described as "the guy from Melrose Place." #getmemylapblanket

 

Same here, lol. 

[TWP]

Same here, lol. 

Same here too, except that I like to forget that I watched Melrose Place.  Talk about hours of time I'll never get back ;-).

[betsyboo]

Same here too, except that I like to forget that I watched Melrose Place.  Talk about hours of time I'll never get back ;-).

it was a legit guilty pleasure in the beginning. don't hate yourself for the first few seasons. But once Alison hits on Billy OVER BROOKE'S DEAD BODY - well, then....

[RustbeltWriter]

LockSat better have a volcano lair and be stroking a white cat when we finally meet him, otherwise it's going to be a yuuuuge letdown.

 

By the way, when did Castle's lame detective agency become so profitable it can afford to hire Hayley and for that matter, when did he hire her?

[Annec]

There was a brief scene in the fifth or sixth episode (I don't rewatch episodes this season so I can't remember) in which Martha came to the office and said how glad she was that Hayley was working at the office, maybe she could turn around the money pit.

I'm so tired of Alexis and Hayley treating Castle like an idiot. If he wasn't a successful author you two would have to go out and find a job on your own rather than being his hangers on.