Title Deep Cover

Two-Sentence Summary The murder of a young man with a history as a high-level hacker unexpectedly brings Castle back into contact with his father, whose identity is finally revealed to Beckett when he becomes a leading suspect in the murder investigation. Meanwhile, Castle and Beckett’s search for the ideal wedding date keeps hitting roadblocks.

Favorite Lines
Beckett: I just—I want to be flexible.
Castle: Oh, you are flexible…You see what I did there?

My Thoughts “Deep Cover” was as perfect a thematic follow-up as you could imagine to last week’s incredible “Under Fire.” Both episodes brought into sharp focus the concept that gives Castle its beating heart: family—the family we’re born into and the family we choose. In the world of Castle, a family isn’t defined by biology; it’s defined by selfless, unconditional love and support. The families that exist on the show are sources of strength and happiness. But the absence of family is also a topic that Castle has touched on over the years with great emotional resonance. Both Castle and Beckett are defined in many ways by the absence of a family member—his father and her mother. And while we’ve watched Beckett struggle with that absence, we’ve been given relatively little development concerning Castle’s feelings about living his whole life without a father. “Deep Cover” finally examined that aspect of Castle’s character, and it did so with the show’s characteristic warmth and sense of surprise.

Last season’s spectacular two-part episode “Target/Hunt” introduced us to Jackson Hunt, Castle’s father, but the suspenseful nature of the episode didn’t allow for much father/son bonding time. However, what we got was fascinating—an adult son trying to understand a father who was both completely absent from his life and also the force behind his entire life’s inciting incident (giving him Casino Royale, the book that made him want to be a writer). James Brolin and Nathan Fillion were such spectacular scene partners (and such believable father/son lookalikes) that I remember hoping that Hunt would make an appearance again. And I’m so happy to say his reappearance lived up to my expectations.

The actual spy plot of this episode wasn’t the show’s strongest case, but it didn’t have to be to drive the emotional arc forward. I found Hunt’s repeated disappearances and betrayals a bit overly predictable, but what felt trite in terms of the plot actually worked quite well on a thematic level. Jackson Hunt is a man who’s good at disappearing—it’s literally part of his job, but it’s also the defining aspect of his relationship with Castle and Martha.

The same could be said of his insistence on Castle keeping his identity secret from Beckett. At first, I was annoyed by another secret coming between them (but I did love that Beckett knew something was wrong as soon as Castle seemed indifferent to coming up with a crazy theory). However, it served as an excellent reminder of why Hunt could never really be family to Castle—he demands too much secrecy. Castle has shown time and again the price of keeping secrets—no matter the good intention. So for Hunt to ask Castle to keep such a huge secret from the woman he loves is asking him to violate something that family is built on in this show—trust.

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Title Under Fire

Two-Sentence Summary When the team at the 12th precinct investigates a murder tied to a string of arsons, Ryan and Esposito find themselves trapped in a burning building. Struggling to stay alive and to make contact with the people looking for them outside the crime scene, Ryan has additional motivation: His wife Jenny is about to have their first child.

Favorite Lines
Esposito: You’re gonna name a white, Irish kid Javier?
Ryan: What? You’re gonna bust on me now for being sentimental?
Esposito: I figure it’s my last chance.

My Thoughts It’s often said that what makes Castle different from others in its genre isn’t just its sense of humor or unique protagonist; it’s the fact that it is admittedly a love story first and a procedural second. “Under Fire” served as a brilliant reminder that Castle isn’t just telling one love story; it’s telling a bunch of love stories. Friends, partners, lovers; captains and detectives, husbands and wives, parents and children—these relationships are the heart and soul of Castle; they’re the reason we keep watching, the reason we keep caring.

Castle and Beckett’s love story may be what gives the show its spark, but it’s all the other little love stories highlighted in “Under Fire”—Gates and her team, Beckett and her boys, Ryan and Esposito, Lanie and Esposito, Ryan and Jenny, Castle and his “brothers”—that keep the fire burning throughout each episode. A show cannot live on one relationship alone, and, thankfully, Castle is a show built around a plethora of diverse, well-developed, and well-acted relationships.

As is the case with most Castle episodes, the actual procedural elements of this episode took a backseat to the emotional elements. I didn’t care very much about who set the fires or why, but that’s not why I watch Castle. I watch for the characters, and this episode was as good an ensemble piece as I can remember, giving each member of the 12th precinct team an emotional arc to rival any they’d been given before. Of course we knew Ryan and Esposito would make it out alive, but what was important was that the actors never played that like it was a certainty. It made each scene come alive with a kind of desperation that felt necessarily raw and painfully real.

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Title Disciple

Two-Sentence Summary The team at the 12th precinct investigates the murders of a man and woman who bear disturbing resemblances to Esposito and Lanie. The intimate connection to the precinct leads Castle to believe that Jerry Tyson—the infamous 3XK—is behind the murders, even though Tyson is supposed to be dead.

Favorite Line “Don’t chase ghosts, Castle, okay? It’s not worth it. Trust me.” (Beckett)

My Thoughts Raise your hand if you’re still a little scared to go anywhere alone after watching “Disciple.” (For the record, I am virtually raising both hands as high as they can go.)

“Disciple” was unlike any other episode of Castle I’ve ever seen. We’ve been given chilling episodes before, suspenseful episodes, even gruesome ones. But we’ve never been given an episode so deeply unsettling, so psychologically disturbing. It put the audience and the characters on the same level—one step behind the killer, frantically trying to put together clues until the realization crept up on us with an overbearing sense of dread. Of course it was 3XK. It made perfect sense and yet was perfectly shocking at the same time. That’s a hard balance to achieve, but writer David Amann seemed to strike that balance with ease.

I also liked that there was a balance between dread and levity throughout the episode. TV—much like life—can’t be overbearingly tense at all times. So we got to see Castle and Beckett bantering about honeymoon locations and Castle bristling at Dr. Nieman’s use of the word “potential” when it came to his looks. The small bits of light amid the darkness of the episode never felt like drastic tonal shifts; they felt like realistic breaks in the tension. Without them, the hour would have felt oppressive.

Even with the small moments of levity sprinkled throughout, there was no escaping the chill this episode put in your bones. It was there right from the first shot of Lanie’s doppelganger, standing still on the docks until we came to see that she was actually hanging there—her feet just inches from the ground but telling us all we need to know about her horrible fate. Rob Bowman’s direction and Robert Duncan’s score combined to make every nerve in my body feel like a live wire in that moment, and the feeling didn’t let up until the promo for next week’s episode started.

Every member of the 12th precinct family had their moment (or several) to shine in this episode. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: For as much as I love a lighthearted or nerdy episode of Castle, my favorite episodes are the more dramatic ones. I feel like this cast really rises to the occasion when they get to play with serious stakes, and this case had painfully high stakes for all involved.

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Title A Murder Is Forever

Two-Sentence Summary The murder of a relationship expert leads to discoveries about the secrets of elite power couples and one very large diamond. Meanwhile, Castle and Beckett struggle to find a balance between their individual stories and the story they’re telling together.

Favorite Line “I actually like those elephants. They obviously have family values, and this one’s good with money.” (Castle)

My Thoughts “A Murder Is Forever” was the big debut for Castle’s other husband-and-wife producing/writing team, Dara and Chad Creasey. And for a first outing as writers, I have to applaud them. Not only did they get the unique tone of the show right from start to finish, they did a great job of incorporating all of the characters from the 12th precinct and balancing the Castle/Beckett relationship with the plot. All in all, it was one of the most balanced episodes of the season, and it makes me excited for what’s to come from this pair.

The case itself was full of the twists and turns one expects from Castle. I honestly didn’t guess who the killer was until about a second before the show revealed it, and those are my favorite Castle cases—the ones that keep me guessing until the end. This twist made sense, and it provided for another of my favorite Castle viewing experiences: when the camera lingers on the real killer for just enough time for us to put the pieces together.

This episode was about dominance in relationships and what happens when there’s a shift in dominance. The killer lived her life as the less dominant half of a “power couple,” or so it seemed. But murder was her way of not just reasserting her husband’s dominance in the diamond game but asserting some sense of dominance in her marriage.

The discussion of dominance was reflected in a different way by all of the scenes in the interrogation room, the place that Beckett owns—her home, her territory. The episode ended with Castle stating that they’re both Alphas, and never is Beckett’s Alpha status more evident than when she’s in the interrogation room. Stana Katic absolutely killed those scenes in this episode; her controlled fire is always a great sight to behold.

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Title Like Father, Like Daughter

Two-Sentence Summary Despite their strained relationship, Alexis goes to Castle for help when her professor introduces her to a man on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. With only a few days before his execution, father and daughter must work together (along with some help from the 12th precinct team) to prove the man’s innocence and find the real killer.

Favorite Lines
Beckett: Yes, because when I was a little girl imagining my wedding day, being stuck in a small tin can with a thousands tons of rocket fuel strapped to my ass was exactly what I had in mind.
Castle: Then we agree!

My Thoughts I’m often torn when it comes to any question about whether the ends justify the means. That’s how I feel about this “Alexis arc” (or Pi-gate, as I call it in my head). “Like Father, Like Daughter” was an interesting Castle episode that featured an excellent ending, but I’m not sure it was worth all of the father-daughter angst that came before it. Surprisingly, the relationship I cared about most in this episode was the one we only got a brief glimpse of at the end. Because, while it may have been called “Like Father, Like Daughter,” this episode did an excellent job of showing me all the ways Beckett and Alexis are alike.

Sometimes I like when Castle deviates from its normal procedural format, and sometimes I don’t. This time, I was firmly in the middle of those two opinions; I liked the change of pace, but, after the D.C. arc kept us out of the precinct for a while, I still missed having everyone working at the 12th together. However, it was nice to see them all banding together to help Alexis—because she really is part of their precinct family. I especially loved the way this episode reminded us of her relationship with Lanie and her time spent working at the precinct.

My only nagging problem with the involvement of everyone at the precinct is this: Was it a slow few days at the 12th? How was Captain Gates okay with her top homicide detectives spending so much time working on a cold case that wasn’t theirs? But I suppose that’s what suspension of disbelief is all about.

The case itself moved along at a good pace, and I definitely didn’t see the last few twists coming. I wished we could have seen more of Alexis’s work on this case or similar cases before this episode, but a thirst for the true story is in her DNA. So even though her passion for this case seemed to come out of nowhere, it was grounded in some very traceable character traits. It also allowed Molly Quinn to break out of the passive-aggressive mold she’s been stuck in for the last few episodes and remind us that she can sell Alexis’s interesting brand of maturity and naiveté like nobody else could.

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Title Get a Clue

Two-Sentence Summary Conspiracy theories abound as Castle and Beckett work to solve a murder that appears to have come straight from the pages of The Da Vinci Code or the unrated version of National Treasure. Putting together the mysterious puzzle pieces is a good distraction for Castle, whose relationship with Alexis is falling apart following her decision to move in with Pi.

Favorite Line
Castle (before beginning a sword fight): I am really good at this.

My Thoughts Filler episodes are a fact of life for Castle fans—and really for fans of most television shows. These episodes aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re hardly a show’s finest hour. And that’s exactly what “Get a Clue” was—a perfectly acceptable filler episode. It had some strong moments, but it didn’t hook me the way the rest of this season has so far. Maybe that’s because the emotional arc of this episode is one I’m just not connecting with—no matter how hard I try.

With that in mind, here are my five biggest takeaways from last night’s episode:

1. Nathan Fillion owns my heart, and I will never get it back.
“Get a Clue” allowed Fillion to show many different facets of Richard Castle, and he balanced them all with the ease we’ve come to expect from him. Whether he was throwing a snarky remark in Pi’s direction, raising his hand to offer a theory, or building epic tales of conspiracies, Fillion made me laugh out loud multiple times during the hour. It’s been six seasons, but I will never get tired of Castle’s theories and his excitement over sharing them. And that’s a credit to Fillion’s ability to keep his reactions from becoming staid or stale. While Fillion really brought the humor this week, he also brought the heartbreak. His final scene at Alexis’s doorway was filled with so much subtle desperation to reconnect with the little girl he feels is slipping away, and it absolutely crushed me. Was Castle the perfect guest when he visited Pi and Alexis? Of course not. But do I think he deserved to be treated like he did at the end of the episode? No, and I think that shows just how much Fillion is able to make us care about Castle and feel every emotion that he feels each week.

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Title Time Will Tell

Two-Sentence Summary When a murder suspect reveals that he’s a time traveler sent to save billions of lives from destruction, Castle and Beckett find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy straight out of a sci-fi movie, and they’re given some interesting clues to their own futures, too. Castle’s present, however, isn’t looking quite as rosy as his future—Alexis is moving out of the loft and into an apartment with Pi.

Favorite Lines
Beckett: You’re trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?
Castle: Well, apparently I already do if we end up with three kids.
Simon: Would you like to know their names?
Castle: Yes!
Beckett: No!

My Thoughts Castle is in such a groove right now. For as much as I love the show and have always found things to love about each episode, it’s been a long time since there’s been a string of five consecutive episodes that I’ve enjoyed this much. The confidence this show has sparkled with all season was once again on full display in an episode penned by the show-running team affectionately known to Castle fans as “MilMar”—Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller.

Marlowe is the man responsible for creating the tone of this show, with its balancing act of comedy, character-driven drama, procedural elements, and romance. Therefore, it should have come as a surprise to no one that “Time Will Tell” was yet another example of just how good Castle can be at blending genres. The opening reveal of the murder victim was straight out of a thriller or even a horror movie. The plot itself was all sci-fi with a fair amount of comedy mixed in. The emotional beats came from family drama. And the whole episode crackled with the banter of the best romantic comedy duos.

I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again: Castle does episodes steeped in “nerd lore” better than any other television show. So much of that success comes from the fact that the show always treats its subjects with respect, whether that subject is sci-fi conventions, soap operas, vampires, alien hunters, or time travel. These episodes are often so much fun because they get the details right, and they never really poke fun at fans of whatever genre or topic they’re highlighting. For example, in “Time Will Tell,” we learn that Esposito is a Doctor Who fan who even references the use of sonic screwdrivers. Every character on Castle is allowed to be a little bit (or more than a little bit) nerdy, and that’s something the show celebrates rather than belittles. As someone who runs as website explicitly founded on the belief that we’re all nerds about something, I love seeing that idea reflected on Castle.

The time travel plot of this episode was incredibly entertaining. So much of that came from the excellent casting of Joshua Gomez as Simon. I will admit that I am completely biased when it comes to Gomez, though; I am a huge fan of Chuck, and I will always have a spot in my heart for Morgan Grimes, half of one of my all-time favorite TV friendships. Gomez is such an energetic actor, and his comedic timing is perfect. I loved the way this episode made use of those skills, as well as his gift for playing panicked and frantic like no one else in the business. Gomez and Nathan Fillion worked so well together, too.

Castle has featured more than a few Chuck actors in the last few seasons, and I can only hope that someday Zachary Levi himself shows up at the 12th precinct. Just thinking about the hijinks he and Fillion could get into in an episode makes me smile.

My favorite scenes in “Time Will Tell” featured Simon nonchalantly describing Castle and Beckett’s future. I may not love the idea of Senator Beckett (Washington wasn’t a good fit for her, remember?), but I couldn’t help but adore the way Castle smiled with pride at the idea of his future wife’s political career. It’s small moments like that one that remind me just how much Fillion makes this character come alive in small but incredibly effective physical details. And who didn’t love the mental image of Castle and Beckett living in New York with their three children?

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