Tag Archives: recaps and reactions

TV Time: Castle 5.18

Posted on by
5

Title The Wild Rover

Two-Sentence Summary When a baker with connections to the Staten Island mob is found dead, Ryan returns to the undercover life he left behind in order to become a homicide detective. While he works to bring down the mob from the inside and protect a former love, his struggle to start a family with his wife, Jenny, is brought to the forefront.

Favorite Line “Don’t let the looks fool you, boys. You don’t want to mess with her either.” (Ryan, about Beckett)

My Thoughts It took this episode to prove something to me once and for all: My name is Katie, and I am a Kevin Ryan fangirl. I always thought I was more of an “Esposito girl” (because, let’s be honest, you’re usually one or the other), but my taste in Castle episodes says otherwise. Earlier this season, I found myself surprisingly disinterested in the Esposito-centric “Under the Influence,” but I have to admit; both Ryan-centric episodes in the series so far (this one and Season Four’s “Kick the Ballistics”) have been among my favorites in their respective seasons. I’m not sure if it’s the way he’s written or the way Seamus Dever plays him (or, more likely, a combination of those two factors), but Ryan makes a really solid centerpiece for an episode.

I think so much of what makes Ryan appealing to me and to many in the audience is his courage of conviction. If there’s been one consistent thing about this character from the beginning, it’s his desire to do the right thing. Ryan does the right thing even when it’s not the popular choice; he does the right thing even when it could cost him friendships he’s spent years building (see last season’s finale for the perfect example of that). That profoundly moral center was at the heart of this episode on so many levels. Ryan wanted to do the right thing for Jenny in giving her a baby. He wanted to do the right thing for Siobhan in protecting her. And he wanted to do the right thing for the victim by getting justice by going undercover once more, no matter the danger it would put him in. What I loved most about the plot of this episode was that it made sense for what we already know about Ryan.

We know that Ryan trusts authority figures more than any other character on this show, and that makes even more sense after learning that he was undercover for such a long time. If he didn’t follow orders and trust the people he was working for, he would have been in even greater danger than he already was. We know that Ryan always tries to be an upstanding cop, and now we know that some of that probably comes from his guilt over leaving Siobhan the way he did. We know that Ryan is probably the most loyal character on this show, and that made his relationship with Siobhan even more realistically painful. As I’m writing this, I’m starting to realize just how well-developed Kevin Ryan is as a character. Bravo, Castle writers (and Dever) for creating a secondary character on a procedural as rich and nuanced as Ryan has become.

I do think that so much of this episode’s success at building a strong and believable backstory came from Dever’s performance. Throughout the course of the show, Ryan has been a steadfast champion of doing things by-the-book, but he’s never come across as preachy or condescending. So much of that has to do with the earnest way Dever plays him. In this episode especially, you could see the internal struggle Ryan faced between doing the right thing as a husband and doing the right thing as a detective. Dever made you feel the stakes for his character without overacting, which isn’t an easy task. There was a certain gravitas he carried with him in his undercover scenes that had me holding my breath because I understood how much pressure Ryan was under to succeed.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.18

Posted on by
4

Title Selfless, Brave and True

Two-Sentence Summary While attempting to work through her guilt over Cora’s death and the newly-discovered “dark spot” on her heart, Snow finds a wooden August hiding outside Storybrooke. Flashbacks show us how August’s selfish, hedonistic lifestyle led to his turning back into wood, and they reveal a connection between August and Neal’s fiancée Tamara, who is far more evil (and far less interested in Neal) than she appears.

Favorite Line “And I know it better than anyone.” (Charming, talking about Snow’s heart)

My Thoughts This episode proved something that I hope the Once Upon a Time writers take to heart, if not for this season than hopefully for the seasons to come: This show works when it focuses on emotional beats between characters we have come to care about over the course of the show. It doesn’t work when it becomes too plot-heavy or asks us to care about the motivations of characters we barely know. The best moments of this episode focused on characters we as an audience have deep emotional ties to, but those moments were so few and far between that it’s hard to count this episode among the show’s better efforts.

Overall, I didn’t hate this episode with the passion that many in the fandom seem to be feeling today. However, my biggest issue with this episode is my issue with this season as a whole, and it’s getting harder and harder for me to ignore. There are simply too many characters already to justify introducing new ones into the cast. There are so many loose ends for existing characters that need to be tied up, so many unanswered questions that I have, such as: Did Kathryn and Frederick ever find each other? Will Red and Victor ever pursue a relationship? What are Mulan and Aurora doing right now? Where’s Cinderella, and how’s motherhood treating her? What is Jefferson up to?

I understand that some of these questions have to remain unanswered because of casting/scheduling conflicts, but it bothers me that moments of development for characters we already care about are being pushed aside in favor of introducing more and more characters who, frankly, I just don’t care about.

I was drawn to Once Upon a Time because of the Charming Family: Snow, David, Emma, and Henry. Last season, there were so many beautiful moments between these characters, but this season—when there should be even more reason for them to have meaningful, emotional conversations—their relationships are watered down for the sake of the increasingly complex plot. I know that this is a personal preference, but I don’t watch this show for the plot twists; I watch it for the relationships. And this episode left me feeling disappointed with some missed opportunities: When are Emma and Charming going to have a real father/daughter-type scene? Will Charming ever find out that either he or Snow could have gone through the wardrobe with Emma? Will Emma ever find out that her mother tried to commit suicide by begging Regina to rip out her heart?

Continue reading →

TV Time: New Girl 2.19

Posted on by
6

Title Quick Hardening Caulk

Two Sentence Summary Nick’s newfound sense of responsibility makes Jess more attracted to him than ever, leading to a pain-pills-induced confession of lust after a trip to the hardware store goes awry. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Cece’s engagement, Schmidt becomes obsessed with acquiring a rare tropical fish, and Winston helps him on his quest.

Favorite Line “I know this is a dumb question—but will a number two help?” (Winston to Schmidt, after he’s unable to pee on Schmidt’s jellyfish-stung face)

Episode M.V.P. This was an incredibly hard choice this week. Every member of the cast turned in solid performances, and every character had their chance (or chances) to shine. Schmidt’s storyline was full of laugh-out-loud moments (his temper tantrum at the aquarium and his reaction to getting stung—“IT BURNS!”—were two of my favorites), but, once again, Max Greenfield was able to ground the moments of broad comedy with a feeling that Schmidt’s antics were coming from a place of really genuine (and therefore really heartbreaking) pain. Schmidt’s fish quest also showcased the friendship between him and Winston in a way we haven’t seen before. Winston’s scene with Cece was a standout moment for me because it felt so real, and that’s a credit to the poignantly direct writing and honest performances.

Zooey Deschanel perfectly played Jess’s growing attraction to Nick spilling over into unbearable sexual frustration (I was especially fond of her bolting from the room when Nick complimented her dress and her yelling at him to leave when he started to talk about wanting to iron his shirts). From her medication-induced Judy Garland impression to her priceless reading of Nick’s hardware store shopping list, Deschanel’s performance was a true highlight.

However, this episode belonged to Nick. In order for this episode to work, Nick Miller had to be more attractive than ever, and that was accomplished on so many levels. Jake Johnson is on fire this season, and his balance of adorable enthusiasm for self-improvement, genuine confusion over how to handle Jess’s high-as-a-kite proposition, and raw desire finally set free was nothing short of perfect. Nick may be a terminal adolescent in a lot of ways, but there’s no question that he’s a man when it comes to his relationship with Jess. The way Nick refused to do anything with Jess while she was on her pain meds was both surprising and not surprising at all. Like their first kiss, Nick wants their relationship—every bit of it—to be real. You could almost see an echo of his “Not like this” confession on his face as Jess told him she wanted to sleep with him. That facial expression was beautifully contrasted with the hope and happiness on his face when Jess finally tells him that she wants him for real. Johnson is so good at using his facial expressions to both make the audience laugh and make us forget how to breathe. That last scene, with him running the gamut from longing to passion (I might just be a little obsessed with the vein in his neck popping out as they’re kissing and fighting) to comedy, was some of his best work in a season that has mentions of Emmy nominations being thrown his way (as they should be).

Also, the man is just really attractive…I dare anyone to disagree after watching this episode.

Favorite Moment The final scene between Nick and Jess demonstrated what New Girl does better than any show on TV: mixing the broadly comedic with the genuinely emotional. Everything about that scene felt true to the characters and their relationship as we’ve seen it develop. There was something so deliciously exciting about watching the two of them playfully argue about Jess being a gold-digger as she stepped closer to Nick, and I actually held my breath when Nick told her to prove that she wasn’t. (Like I said, I’m finding Jake Johnson incredibly attractive right now.) And I loved that what followed was like a powder keg of sexual tension exploding. It was messy, it was full of arguing over random annoyances (Nick’s anger over Jess’s shorts was my favorite), and it was the only way a scene like that between Nick and Jess should be at this point. New Girl is special because it manages to find moments of realism amid comedy, and that’s exactly what happened in this scene. The comedy that was there was perfect, and the realism was…Well there’s no other word to describe it except HOT. I can’t be the only girl who finally understood what it means to swoon when Nick told Jess to take off her damn clothes (His voice!) and when he kissed her “like a man” (Now that is a “damn fairytale” kiss, Nick Miller.) I don’t know how this show has been able to hit every beat between Nick and Jess in a way that is both creative and simply right for the show and the characters. But they’re doing it. And I can’t wait to see where it leads.

A New Girl GIF* For My New Girl Feelings

i want him bad jess

I agree, Jess. Everything about this episode worked: the jokes, the friendships, the tension, and the payoff. But the thing that worked most of all is Jake Johnson. Who would have thought that Nick Miller would be known as the best kisser and one of the most swoon-worthy characters on TV back when this show started? Things have certainly changed…and it’s definitely a change for the better.

*I have no talent for GIF-making. Thankfully, I am highly skilled at searching Tumblr for the best GIFs. I take no credit for this beauty. 

TV Time: Castle 5.17

Posted on by
6

Title Scared to Death

Two-Sentence Summary The death of a young woman leads Castle and Beckett to a mysterious DVD that promises to bring death at midnight of the third day after its viewing. While Beckett attempts to solve the case with reason by tying it to a serial killer and his brother, Castle begins to work his way through his bucket list, believing his death is imminent.

Favorite Line “You’re a cop. And I’m a cop…helper.” (Castle)

My Thoughts After the intense drama of the last two episodes of Castle, it was nice to shift gears and return to a lighter take on the procedural genre. I’ll admit that my expectations for this episode weren’t sky high, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had watching this episode. I think I’d even go so far as to say it was some of the most fun I’ve had watching Castle this season, and this has been a pretty great season to be a Castle fan.

My favorite Castle cases are the quirky, somewhat nerdy cases: the zombies, the sci-fi convention, the vampires, the ghost hunters, the soap opera writer, etc. So this case was incredibly enjoyable for me. I loved the callbacks to the best of the horror genre because they were integrated perfectly into the plot: the cabin in the woods, the creepy video, the meeting in the mental hospital. Even Castle rejecting Beckett’s propositions made sense within the context of the episode and Castle’s character as we know him: Sex is never a good thing in a horror movie, and it’s definitely in Rick Castle’s personality to buy into that superstition 150%.

The horror plot also gave us that deliciously fun phone call with Wes Craven. I adore reminders that Castle is rich, famous, and well-connected, so this was like a surprise gift in the middle of an already-fun episode.

So much of the “fun factor” in “Scared to Death” came from the interactions between Castle, Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Perlmutter’s presence as well. I love Lanie, but Castle and Perlmutter’s continuing antagonistic relationship is a beautiful thing to behold. One of my favorite moments in the entire episode was Perlmutter calling him “Defective Castle.”

The entire group in the 12th precinct was firing on all cylinders this week in terms of their comedic timing and chemistry. I’ve always loved the natural divide between the skeptics (Beckett and Esposito) and the “believers” (Castle and Ryan), but this episode edged Esposito just a little bit closer to the believers. And it was hilarious to watch. The scene where Beckett tried to get the two detectives to watch the DVD was perfect, with Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas showing off their own comedic chops. I also laughed out loud when Esposito had his “startled…not scared” reaction to the creepy hotel owner sneaking up on them.

Beckett’s logic clashing with Castle’s wild theories has always been a source of great comedy for Castle, and it worked to great effect again this week. Just because they’re in a relationship doesn’t mean Beckett is going to stop being annoyed by Castle’s theories, and that’s a good thing. For as fantastic as character growth is—and for as rich as Beckett’s growth has been—this episode was a nice reminder that she’s still the same logical cop we met in the pilot episode and that her relationship with Castle is always going to be that mixture of oil and water that keeps the banter alive. Character consistency is just as important as character development.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.17

Posted on by
4

Title Welcome to Storybrooke

Two-Sentence Summary Flashbacks to the first days of Storybrooke reveal Regina’s isolation and boredom as she watches its cursed inhabitants relive the same day over and over again—until a man and his son who were camping in the woods when the curse created the town enter its limits, and Regina discovers that a child might be the way to fill the emptiness in her heart. In present-day Storybrooke, Regina embarks on a quest to cast a spell on Henry that would make him believe he really loved her, Snow’s guilt turns suicidal, and the boy who entered Storybrooke in 1983 is revealed to be Greg, the hospital patient.

Favorite Line “You know what my problem is? I never learn from my mistakes.” (Regina)

My Thoughts I know this episode is a divisive one, and I’m not even sure how I really feel about what the writers are trying to say and what direction the rest of this season is going to go in. But I think there’s one thing we all can agree on: That last scene between Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla was nothing short of brilliant. No matter what you feel about this episode, it gave us that brutally powerful moment between two actresses who are both masters of genuine emotion—perhaps one of the strongest scenes of the entire season.

I’ll talk more about the combined brilliance of Goodwin and Parrilla later, but first I think there’s one more thing the entire Once Upon a Time fandom can agree on: It’s always good to see Sheriff Graham again. It’s been too long since that beautifully scruffy face and swoon-worthy accent were on my television screen. The only bad thing about seeing Graham again was the reminder that I loved him and Emma together so much more than any other option we have now. (Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of both Emma/Hook and Emma/Neal for different reasons, but Emma and Graham’s second kiss will be difficult if not impossible to top, in my opinion.)

I love all of the flashback portions of this episode. I know it’s weird to say, but I kind of missed cursed Storybrooke and its inhabitants. There was something reassuringly simple about the Storybrooke of Season One, before the chaos that this season has brought descended on the town. I loved the unsettling take on Groundhog Day, and I loved the way Parrilla played Regina’s initial glee and then growing restlessness over the results of the curse. I especially liked her interactions with Mary Margaret. Regina’s glee over Snow not recognizing her husband was only bested in my opinion by her frustration with Snow’s fighting spirit being taken from her. Regina wants Snow to suffer—not this little mouse who barely resembles the strong woman she was challenged by back home.

Regina is a woman who wants to have everything because she was a girl who grew up with nothing—no love from her mother, no support from her father, no hope of love after her mother killed Daniel…So even the curse isn’t enough for her; she wants her subjects to love her because they choose to, not because she’s forcing them to. This is the reason she clings to Owen—because he genuinely seemed to care about her and wanted to bond with her. But Regina is so broken, so damaged by growing up with a (literally) heartless mother and spineless father that she has no idea how to show Owen that she cares about him. She’s so desperate for love that she becomes blind to logic and the feelings/needs of the person whose love she desires, which is something we see again and again from Regina. It’s a tragic flaw, and Parrilla does such a wonderful job of allowing you to see the tragedy inherent in the incompatibility between Regina’s twisted obsession with love and her inability to show love properly.

That dichotomy between wanting love and being unable to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy means of obtaining it is beautifully paralleled in Regina’s relationship with Henry. For a woman who was so desperate to find someone to love her out of their own free will, she seemed frighteningly quick to take away her son’s free will in this episode. That spell showed me just how broken Regina is. While I may not sympathize with her as much as some do, it’s hard not to understand why she is the way she is. Regina has never been irredeemably evil, and so much of her complexity comes from Parrilla’s tortured performance. I wanted Henry as far away from Regina as possible at the start of this episode, but after she destroyed the spell, I actually found myself angry that he ran to hug Emma rather than Regina. If that’s not a sign of a truly complex relationship between villain and audience, then I don’t know what is.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Parks and Rec 5.16

Posted on by
4

Title Bailout

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie’s attempts to get the Pawnee government to help a struggling “cultural institution” (aka video rental store) bring her into conflict with Ron and his staunchly anti-bailout views. Meanwhile, Ann and Chris both look for ways to cope with his impending decision about being her sperm donor—with Ann choosing to blackmail April into a week of friendship and Chris testing his parenting skills with Tom.

Favorite Line “I’m sorry, guys. No one ever lets me talk this long, I just got lost.” (Jerry)

My Thoughts While this wasn’t my favorite episode, it did contain at least one (possibly two) moments that would be sure to make my list of All-Time Favorite Things to Ever Happen on Parks and Rec. (Maybe I should actually write that list down sometime…Possible summer hiatus project?) I didn’t care as much about the Leslie/Ron A-plot as I wanted to, but I was okay with that because the secondary plots were so strong.

While I loved Jason Schwartzman cinema-snob video store owner (I almost cried laughing at his reaction to having Michael Bay movies in his store), something about that whole plot fell a little flat to me. I usually like episodes that feature Ron and Leslie butting heads over conflicting ideologies (“Pawnee Rangers” did this the best, in my opinion), but for some reason I just didn’t care about the political satire in this episode. Maybe it’s because it didn’t really move either character forward at the episode’s end. However, I understand that not every episode can be a huge episode for every character, so I’ll take the little gems that this plot provided and enjoy them.

And there were plenty of little gems in this A-plot: Andy’s story about the hornet’s nest, Leslie’s love for Finding Nemo (excellent taste, Ms. Knope), Brandi Maxxxx’s existence in general and her adorably awkward one-sided friendship with Leslie, Ron ordering a party platter of meat for only himself, and Perd Hapley’s 1.5 star review of E.T.

I think some of my disinterest with the bailout story was because I wanted more of April and Ann’s story. In the same way that I said I would have watched a whole movie featuring the rotating bachelor party shenanigans from “Two Parties,” I would gladly sit through hours of watching Ann and April dance around on the edges of friendship. I am absolutely loving the way Ann is being written right now. Rashida Jones plays enthusiastic awkwardness so well, and I’m so happy the writers seem to be running with that this season. I laughed way too hard at all of the clichéd “BFF!” things she was making April do—from their matching braids to making White Russians in their pajamas. But what I liked most about all of those over-the-top actions was that they came from a genuine place of desperation to take her mind off of Chris’s lack of a decision about donating his sperm. And when she finally revealed that to April, we got what is probably one of the highlights of the entire season.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.16

Posted on by
9

Title The Miller’s Daughter

Two-Sentence Summary As Cora plots to stab the dying Rumplestiltskin and become the Dark One herself, we uncover the twisted history between them during flashbacks to Cora’s life as the miller’s daughter who was taught dark magic by Rumplestiltskin before betraying him, ripping out her own heart to allow herself to do so. That heart becomes the means by which Cora ultimately meets her demise at Snow’s hand.

Favorite Line “You are a hero who helped your people. You are a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man—really, really, loved me. You find goodness in others, and when it’s not there, you create it. You make me want to go back—back to the best version of me… And that’s never happened before. So when you look in the mirror, and you don’t know who you are—that’s who you are. Thank you.” (Rumplestiltskin, to Belle)

My Thoughts Ever since I started watching Once Upon a Time, I’ve loved it for two reasons: its unashamed optimism in an age of television cynicism and its ability to create a world in which fairytales are no longer black-and-white but much more morally complex. It wasn’t until this episode that I realized having morally complex characters means that their actions won’t always inspire optimism. If I love Once Upon a Time because the villains aren’t 100% evil, then I also have to accept that the heroes aren’t always going to be 100% good—not even my favorite hero of them all.

“The Miller’s Daughter” was all about the choices we make and the reasons we make them—and what that ultimately says about who we are. No one in this episode was pure good or pure evil, and that’s how I like my Once Upon a Time. This episode was one of the richest, most well-written episodes the show has ever had, which should surprise no one after learning that Jane Espenson wrote it. This woman has a talent for character development and adding layers to the Once Upon a Time mythology that I’ve yet to see matched by any other writer for this show.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.15

Posted on by
3

As I attempt to get through a hectic (to say the least) workweek, the lovely Leah has volunteered to share her talents with us once again as this week’s Once Upon a Time reviewer! 

Hi, everyone! Once again I am back to talk with you all about Once Upon A Time, and this week was crazy as usual. So let’s get started!

Title The Queen Is Dead

What Happened? In New York, bonding time for Emma, Henry, Neal, and Mr. Gold is interrupted by Hook, who stabs Gold with his recently reacquired and poisoned hook and forces them to figure out a plan to get Gold back to Storybrooke before he dies from the magical poison. In Storybrooke, Snow White deals with the simultaneous anniversary of her mother’s death and her own birthday, and she and Charming discover Cora and Regina’s plans to cause havoc and control the town. In the flashbacks to Fairytale Land, we see the circumstances that surround the death of Snow’s mother.

Favorite Lines
Charming: And we keep beating them.
Snow: At what cost? All I want is our happy ending.

My Thoughts To be completely honest, this episode mostly left me sad. There was not a lot of humor, and as you can see by my favorite lines there were not many snappy one-liners to break up the dramatic tension, as the whole episode was mostly drama-filled. While I immensely admire and enjoy the way that the Once Upon a Time writers are able to tie everyone’s backstory together so well and create all these connections that have great continuity with the series as a whole, this episode left me feeling depressed. Which, to be fair, was probably the point, as it has to spark the catalyst for Snow White’s next story arc as well as truly set up the big clash of good and evil that is likely on its way.

First, let’s talk about Regina and Cora. The end of this episode left me wanting very badly for them to just disappear and leave Storybrooke alone, because they apparently only create despair for my favorite characters. I do, however, find them to be interesting and complex characters even though I hate them at the moment. (Bravo, Once writers; this is how you write good villains.)

Continue reading →

TV Time: New Girl 2.18

Posted on by
2

Title TinFinity

Two-Sentence Summary Nick and Schmidt celebrate their 10th anniversary as roommates with an elaborate party that goes anything but according to plan when Shivrang uses to occasion to propose to Cece. Jess tries to push her feeling for Nick away by dating a professional football player who’s open with his feelings…but he might be a little too open.

Favorite Lines
Schmidt: It’s just really disappointing when things don’t work out the way you thought they would, you know?
Nick: I do.

Episode M.V.P. Schmidt and Nick. This was an episode about their friendship, and it resonated so strongly because both Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield were so good at balancing the comedy and the drama of this episode. I love any flashbacks to college Nick and Schmidt, and the end of this episode featured what might be my favorite flashback yet. Johnson and Greenfield have great comedic chemistry; they banter with a speed and ease that’s not usually seen between two male characters. I loved both of their moments of sheer ridiculousness in this episode (especially with the porta potty), but what I loved most were their quieter, more emotional moments. Both actors really sold their respective heartbreaks, making them “Equals!” again, but not in the kind of way either of them would want. Greenfield was especially devastating in the seconds after Cece accepted Shivrang’s proposal. Their scenes alone after the proposal were the strongest in this episode in terms of their depth. I genuinely believe their friendship; it’s flawed and dysfunctional, but it’s real and full of a kind of love that’s not flowery or overly sentimental but is strong enough to last for 10 years.

Favorite Moment: I know New Girl is a comedy, but I think the dramatic talents of these actors should be recognized. My favorite moment this week was less of a singular moment and more of a pattern throughout the episode of broad comedy being balanced with heartfelt emotional beats. That has become one of New Girl‘s calling cards—its ability to make you laugh and then stop you in your tracks with a moment of genuine emotion. In this episode, I was especially struck by Greenfield’s delivery of Schmidt’s line about things not going according to plan. Gone was the overly confident mask and instead we see him show Nick the vulnerable, broken side of himself. I was also floored by Johnson’s face when Jess tells Nick that she likes men who are open about their feelings. You can feel the whole mood of the scene shift with one heartbroken look.

A New Girl GIF* For My New Girl Feelings

new girl cry

I thought this was supposed to be a fun, fluffy sitcom! How dare it suddenly make me have so many feelings! I just want the couples I root for to be happy, but I do love the storytelling and acting this angst is bringing out of the cast. While this was probably my least favorite episode since before “Cooler,” it was still a surprisingly emotional examination of most of the central relationships on this show, especially one that always deserves more screen time: Schmidt and Nick.

*I have no talent for GIF-making. Thankfully, I am highly skilled at searching Tumblr for the best GIFs. I take no credit for this beauty. 

TV Time: Castle 5.16

Posted on by
10

Title Hunt

Two-Sentence Summary With Castle in Paris after going rogue in his quest to get Alexis back from her kidnappers, Beckett and the team back in New York City make the chilling discovery that Alexis was deliberately targeted by her kidnapper. As pieces to a puzzle long left unfinished are revealed, it’s discovered that Alexis was kidnapped as bait to lure an elusive intelligence asset—her grandfather (aka Castle’s dad).

Favorite Line
“I just want you to know, son, I’ve always been proud of you. Always.” (Jackson Hunt)

My Thoughts It’s official: Castle has grown up. Who would have thought five seasons ago that the show which began as a quirky take on the procedural genre would be capable of producing something as intense, complex, and riveting as these last two episodes have been? I’m not ashamed to say I never saw it coming. I’ve always loved Castle’s more dramatic efforts, but “Target” and “Hunt” surpassed even my high expectations for what this show is capable of. I think it’s safe to say I have a new favorite two-parter.

“Hunt” took all the best things about “Target” and added another powerful ingredient to the mix with the introduction of Castle’s father. This was the first episode to separate Castle and Beckett for nearly the entire thing and have me walk away impressed, which is a testament to both Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic’s great standalone performances as well as the impressive work done by the supporting cast, especially James Brolin and Molly Quinn.

The episode began with another quietly powerful moment between Castle and Beckett, building on the shift in their dynamic that we saw last week. Once again, it’s Beckett’s turn to bring Castle a cup of coffee as well as the reassurance and stability that comes along with it. The whole scene was a beautiful parallel to the moment Castle held her hand in the precinct in last season’s finale. This time, it’s Beckett’s job to remind Castle that he’s not alone. She’s not giving up on this case, on Alexis, on him. Because she loves him. It wasn’t the time for her to make that big confession, but it’s been there in all of the little things she’s done for Castle in the last two episodes.

I was especially happy to see Castle accept Beckett’s hand and hold it. To be honest, it wouldn’t have bothered me if he didn’t; the man has a lot on his mind that he has to face down on his own. But he held onto her hand; he let himself lean on her if only for a brief moment. This episode was Castle’s time to make a stand for Alexis, the person he loves more than anything on Earth—even more than Beckett. And this moment was Beckett’s way of showing that she’ll stand with him for as long as it takes. He’s done that so many times for her. It’s her turn now.

Throughout both of these episodes, I loved watching Beckett work to stay strong for Castle and help him in the only way she really could—by being a good cop. But we were able to see the strain it put on her in this episode. Katic made Beckett’s helplessness tangible. The scene between Beckett and Esposito in the precinct was heartbreaking because you could tell she was so torn between wanting to be with Castle and wanting to stay in the precinct for as long as it took to get Alexis safely home.

The relationship between Beckett and Esposito is one of my favorites on the show. From early on, he’s been her voice of reason, her guiding light when she’s searching for answers or the right path to follow. Esposito has always helped her see who she really is and what she really wants. I have such a soft spot for moments when he nudges her towards the man she loves, so I thought it was a great touch to include the scene between them where he basically tells her it’s okay to leave the case behind for the night to comfort the man she loves (him calling her “Kate” for the first time was a beautiful little detail to show how serious and personal the situation is for all of them).

From the moment Beckett and Martha discover that Castle is in Paris (I’m just going to try to forget how bad the backdrop of Paris was in that shot of him on the phone with them), the plot starts running and never looks back. There were so many twists, turns, and betrayals that it left me breathless. “Hunt” was a spy-family thriller in the same vein as the greatest spy-family thriller of them all, Alias.

Continue reading →