istana, castle Recap: Smells Like a Winner 

I’m going to lead off with an opinion that undoubtedly will be shot down by many, yet perhaps be supported by a few.

‘s break-up episodes were as wall-to-wall entertaining as this week’s, there would be 73 percent less carping.

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For one, just looking at my notes for Quotes of the Week, this was far and away the most quotable episode of the season, a very clever and at times LOL-funny script from Nancy Kiu.

alum Stephnie Weir, as Mia “The Nose” Laszlo, who when we first meet her has a top note of snarky prickliness, but by episode’s end had mellowed into something complex. Mia’s arc also brought us some quality Susan Sullivan time, while Toks Olagundoye returned in a measured capacity as Hayley. Oh, and Aubrey Plaza was back as “Lucy”!

The Case of the Week was one of the season’s better ones — though I “called it” the moment we first met the courier’s brother — if only because it had some nice

logical zags, and what’s more the motive for murder ($65 frickin’ million) made a lot more sense than, say, whatever drove the college prison girl from weeks ago.

If you enjoy Ryan and Espo, there was a little runner for them as well, one that was equal parts bittersweet (Javy made sergeant, while Kevin didn’t) and slapstick (once “Crack-Shot” accidentally shot “Assposito”).

But more to what has been driving the conversation here as of late… there was a significant amount of “Caskett” this week, starting, yes, with the sad scene in which she announced her intention to move out the rest of her things, but ultimately pairing them up — by themselves — for a final bit of investigating, in the parking garage. Afterward, Kate did go to collect her things, but not before stopping to reach for one of Rick’s shirts and breathing it in. Rick later did same, with one of Kate’s NYPD tees, after he came home, as Mia delivered a sweet voiceover about copycat fragrances whereas Rick/Kate are “the genuine article.”

“She still loves you with a passion,” Mia assured Rick — as evidenced by the light of day, if not pheromones.

history shall forever deride as “The Farting Scene.”

It was. I think it is the first time I laughed all season.

The thing is, some of these eps could be genuinely entertaining. But the underlying aftertaste of every episode is still bitter because no amount of cutesy stuff can really make me forget how dumb this whole plot is. It’s not just the separation that’s the issue here, but rather the reasons behind it and the way it affects the lead character’s likability. I might have even bought the separation if it didn’t feel so forced and self-inflicted.

This. I can’t enjoy any of this because it’s so forced and OOC. They ran out of ideas and just hit the reset button. No thanks. If I want another will-they-won’t-they, I’ll watch the first 4 seasons. This is so, so lazy.

Yep, not watching either. Just reading the reviews. If or when this stupid storyline of seperation is over and Caskett is back together I may start watching again.

Same for me! I have read the recaps all season but not watched. It just doesn’t sound fun to watch with this breakup nonsense and the faulty logic behind it. Makes no sense.

Which means little since the ratings in general did take a rather large hit. Plus, as pointed out, some people have stopped watching until the arc is resolved and are just reading these recaps.

Why is that a defense? Secondly, I’m not watching. I am just reading the recaps.

Exactly. They keep talking about how much Beckett loves Castle…as she lies to him, chooses a quest that she DOES NOT have to go on over him and continually hurts him Then they have this Bizarro Rick who has no real normal feelings about a wife who walks out the door only months after they get married for absolutely no good reason that he knows about. No anger. No resentment. He just blames himself 100% and thinks he can win her back. Consider this. Kate left him on a crusade with absolutely no idea how long it will take. What example does she have of how long it might last? The chase for Bracken which took over a decade just to find him and another two years to take him down. Is she actually supposed to be so insane that she thinks her marriage could survive that? Imagine a series finale where she tries to come back to Castle ten years later.

If you had watched the show you would have seen the moment where she hoped that Castle could forgive her once she was done. If you had watched the show you would have seen the moment where she said she had just blown up her marriage.

She knows her marriage may not survive and she may never be happy again.

I don’t like this storyline’s execution and could have done without it in concept and if you want to hate on Kate for making the decision she has then fine – but don’t twist or ignore facts to justify your hate.

How in the world is “Castle the one acting insane and in complete denial”? That makes 0 sense. The writers are the ones that have just not shown enough reasoning behind Kate’s actions. It’s one thing to not show the reasoning to Castle but it’s another to not shine some light on it to the viewers. The writers did not think this thru enough. The story happened to fast and w/o justification. It’s stupid to put it bluntly. ….And more people agree with THAT than your viewpoint (as you can see in the dwindling ratings).

I’m saying that by being in denial (“I just have to win her back. I just make her love me again.”) he is demonstrating a complete disconnect from reality. It was a flippant reference to how badly they are writing his reaction.

For some reason my comment seems to have disappeared.

I agree with you, badly thought out, badly executed, happening too fast.

I was responding to the OP saying Beckett was insane for thinking her marriage could survive – the show itself showed that she doesn’t. She hopes but is afraid she has destroyed it.

I agree the powers that be already started floating this bs even before the show premiered, they put it out there that they were breaking the couple up a s so as the show started. THEY wanted to break the ice for the fans, it just doesn’t make sense to have them working against each other.

I for one have not figured why Rick has not connected the dots about lockset by now.He is a lott faster than this. Go back to the scene in this weeks episode when Rick opened the door to have a guy pointing a gun at him and saying you are the husband of caption Beckett. Then go to the reason we are given by the show runners for the split up of these two. We are told it because she loves him so much she wants no harm to him. If that guy can figure out that Rick is her husband the ghost CIA agent should not have a problem at all. The reasoning for the split has been completely removed from the table. So why are they still apart? Now that they are taken two weeks off from new episodes and we are watching a season 7 one on 10/26/15 we could get a rating boost. Episode 7 of season 7 we only had 9.384 million viewers and we are at what now, 2 plus million less.One other thing this 2 weeks off does, makes it so our show runners do not have to deal with the first year wedding anniversary, good planning for them. You can not blame Kate or Rick for this mess just two show runners who have planned this since late spring. We all better hope that the last episode (7) before the winter break is really good not just a play on words.If not the other 27% of the fans will be gone.

Are they doing this to set up a possible write off of the character Kate??? I don’t know why but I am beginning to feel that it might be possible (Though, the show wouldn’t last but 1 season w/o her).

I seem to recall that there was some talk that the actress who plays Kate did not want to sign up again and the deal struck would have her in fewer episodes this year. If the show survives this season (doubtful) I think that actress will leave.

You’re right, I’d have seen a moment.. that in the context of the entire show doesn’t solve anything.. and her having remorse about her choice doesn’t change how stupid her choice is to begin with, or make her any more likable just because she acknowledges what we all know, that she’s destroyed her marriage.. great.. that makes her so much more sympathetic.

Having her say it doesn’t change how stupid or unwatchable the direction of the show now is. It wouldn’t make watching it somehow ‘better’ or more enjoyable. All of the reviews by the people who did watch it all confirm the same thing, the poor choices of the showrunners lingers over everything they do, so even when they do things write, it’s completely negated by the miserable direction of the show.

Man you’re so right. Even though I enjoyed this episodes hilarious moments, there’s still that ridiculous and unnecessary breakup hanging around.

EXACTLY! Too contrived. What exactly “is” the rwason? Why did they not let this split evolve? Hard to enjoy the good stuff when you just get sucker punched by their split.

ndixit…you said it perfectly. It can be thoroughly entertaining without the separation. It is a needless plot development and the reason they have given for the character is so ridiculous. Perhaps they are making her less and less likeable because she is leaving the show and they want us to be more Castle centered??

Exactly, the cast and writers have a great chemistry and therefore episodes can be funny but the underlying issue with Beckett and Castle is ruining the show. Like in the middle of the episode Castle and Beckett are laughing and playing and she stops it to tell him she needs to stop by and pick up her stuff. I need for him get mad at her.

Yes! I’m actually starting to hate Kate for doing this to Rick, for once again putting something else before him. But I’m also getting mad at Rick for not yet realizing what’s going on. Kate ends up neck deep in a new Bracken conspiracy and then walks away from Rick abruptly and it doesn’t raise any suspicions for him? He knows the mystery hasn’t been solved but he doesn’t know Kate well enough by now to know that she won’t be able to let it go? It’s so disappointing to watch him chase after Kate again. I’m hoping the upcoming ‘shift’ will reverse those roles and Kate will have to win Rick back.

You nailed it right on the head! I liked everything about this episode except the IDIOTIC break up scenario. Enough already!

I couldn’t enjoy the funny because i hate the scenes with Rick and Beckett so much now. I hate Rick being such an eager puppy to get her back, I hate how stupid Beckett is in all of this.

I had to keep stopping and quieting down before I could watch again. And then I walked away entirely part way through.

Amazing episode I can’t ask for more. Haters gonna hate :)

Be careful with the “haters gonna hate” phrase…..my former congressman used it and now he is on the fast track to prison…..

Also, disliking something does not make a person a hater.

Castle has occasionally been written in a shockingly stupid way for around three years, but crap on a cracker, this episode highlights just how desperately the writers are clinging to flimsy conveniences and contrivances this season:

* It’s convenient for Captain Beckett to heavily focus on murder cases, even though she has a whole precinct to oversee.

* It’s convenient for Castle to not look for the deeper meaning of why Beckett moved out, instead focusing on distractions like witnesses and fast food and Lucy.

* It’s convenient AND contrived that the writers suddenly remember that detectives can take sergeant exams, to create drama for Ryan and Espo, even though Beckett conveniently leap-frogged over that rank and the rank of lieutenant.

* It’s convenient AND contrived that Hayley’s angle in this case somehow warrants her presence in interrogations.

* It’s convenient AND contrived that Castle somehow weasels his way into every case, and the Big Bads behind LOCKSAT/LOCSAT/LOKSAT are none the wiser as Beckett continues on her quest – which of course hasn’t conveniently stayed under the radar for now.

* And finally, it’s convenient to write toilet humor like farts and disparaging jokes about Beckett and instances where and trained cop shoots his partner because he failed to identify him first – and it’s all played for uproarious laughter. Because Castle has always been a frat boy comedy with a heart of gold.

There’s probably more, but I’m only halfway through the episode, so… yay.

Is say it’s convenient that the woman and cops are always the idiots

Yes. But the writer, his daughter, the British thief, the OCD nose lady, the suspects… all smarter than the slow Captain Hoochie Mama, Assposito & Crack-Shot Ryan.

Again, sorry having no upvote option on this board. Imagine I gave one. (And to the previous comment too.)

BTW technical question: is there a way to see latest comments first and not forced to scroll down screens to read them?

It’s oh so “clever” to make trained cops, not the fake ones, stupid and sluts. Just so clever. If I were so clever and called women that IRL I might get a lawsuit thrown at me.

How does one become so clever JOT? Is there a special guide? “Genius Guide to Slut Calling but Everyone Laughs” I think I saw that book at my local library.

We likely cannot ever be as genius as the writers of this show. And I never thought news like that would fill me with relief, but it does.

The show has never had a strict adherence to facts and details.

And Castle himself has always been immature and goofy, so are you really surprised about the farting?

If you’re looking for sophisticated writing, I think ‘Castle’ is the wrong show for you.

My comment above is in reply to Just One Thing, btw.

You disagree that ‘Castle’ has played fast and loose with details and facts in the past? I always felt there was a bit of suspension of disbelief.

There’s a bit of suspension of belief on every TV show, especially one-hour dramas. And indeed the first sentence of my post indicated my understanding of how Castle has been written for years.

But this is a special kind of stupid, one that trumps elements of S7 and S6, and doesn’t appear to be getting any better for me. Even when the show was being over the top, they didn’t consistently write the characters as fools, or as if the show at its core isn’t meant to be a smart mystery rom-dramedy.

This is like a bunch of wannabe writers and actors got together to make a single-cam comedy on a one-hour drama budget. In short, this episode was a stinker.

I concede that so far the writing for season 8 pales to earlier seasons, but they’ve always made stupid jokes. And sometimes Castle has been cringe-worthily immature.

But, I am holding out hope that there’s a method to these writers’/producers’ madness. Fans won’t be able to take much more of this sorry excuse for a breakup.

There were always some occasional not so subtle moments and jokes, but the smart humor and writing was prevalent. Watching the so called lighter episodes in season 7 for me was like watching Home Alone 1, 2, 3 and American Pie 1, 2, 3. And that is not a compliment from me. “Lighter” episodes in season 8 are like season 7 on steroids. Well, at least Fillion was right (!) – comedy with some dramatic and heartfelt moments thrown in. “Castle” was never a sitcom. Now it’s becoming one. Imagine, one of the greatest moments in history of Castle will be a “Farting Scene”. (Shudder.) And now even Ryan is making jokes about Becket’s butt. Really. Although they could always use it as the placement product for jeans. Missed opportunity.

Precisely lurker.. precisely. They are exaggerating all the ‘worst’ aspects of the show, without including any of the redeeming counter-aspects. Rick’s juvenile behavior was always not just mitigated, but overshadowed by his insight, charm and charisma.

My wife and I have re-watch old episodes regularly, and one thing that I find disappointing is that over time, the show has slowly become the thing it poked fun at. As an example, we just re-watched “Murder Most Fowl” and in it, Castle asks Becket to have an image enhanced to hopefully see the abductor’s face in the car review mirror. He is disappointed when the results are blurry blob and Beckett says “this isn’t an episode of CSI Castle..” Fast Forward to XY and Alexis PI magically not only magically upscales a the reflection inside a low res image video capture, (which is lower quality than a high quality digital camera) but then on top of it, magically un-redacts it. I just about threw my remote across the room.

They’re lazy. Lazy lazy lazy lazy.There is suspending disbelief, and then there is simply ignoring reality altogether. (To be fair, this problem isn’t new to season 8, they’ve been slowly creeping away from reality over time, but they’ve truly reached absurd levels at this point.

Here is the thing for me. I agree and thought this episode was a lot of fun with good Caskett. But it just highlights for me how pointless this whole Locksat subplot is. There is no need for it, and I think it is dragging the rest of the show down, especially if they want to go for a more fun, lighter tone this year. It just feels like a contrived way to “split” but Caskett, without actually doing so. I think it is lazy storytelling, like the writers aren’t confident about their ability to write good, fun episodes AND a happy couple. I liked this episode, but just had to shake my head about the split subplot.

I agree with you, in the sense that if they wanted to lighten up the show, they could have achieved that without separating them. It just would have taken more creativity in the writing.

There is someone counting the seconds Katic and Fillion spend together on the screen. This episode it is down to 4 min and 20 seconds. Previous episode was just over 7 min. The one before that just over 8.

I’d like to give that person an award!!! Maybe if you get a chance put up all the numbers together on one comment? Thanks!!

I’d like to give that person something else to live for. You’re watching a show and paying only attention to the time the 2 leads are in the same scene? WEIRD!!!

They don’t live for that. And they don’t only pay attention to that. They probably make fan videos, or have a website..There’s nothing “weird” about that.

I meant ep 1 & ep 2 to add. I haven’t had my 2nd cup of coffee yet this morning, apologies!

Ep 1 = 3-5 (wait, do we count it as Caskett if they’re using stand ins? ;) joking mostly. )

Ep 2 = (I’m 99% sure stand ins were used during the break up scene.)

I noticed Matt said there was “a significant amount of Caskett” in the episode. I’d like to know his definition of “significant” if they were together less than 5 minutes in the episode.

We had a little more fun in last nights episode,finally. But we are told that Kate walked out on Rick because she did not want to see him killed by the ghost. If that guy who tried to kill him last night could figure out that Rick and Kate are married, the ghost should not have any problems doing the same. When Rick was standing at the door way with the gun aimed at him, Kate was no ware to be found. This remove the reason for the split right off the table,leaving NO logical reason for them to be split up. So it is time to bring Kate back home, so they can be fighting the bad guys ounce again side by side like the first 7 seasons. They have NO MORE EXCUSES for the split, again they took that out the table last night. Last year episode 5 had 8.75 million viewers,with 1.59 in the 18-49 group, we will have to wait and see. And we also had another Charlie Brown football moment as she pulled up the ball and walked away.Speaking of Charlie Brown we even had a Charlie Brown commercial last night. Another little thing, at the end of season 3 Kate was shot in the chest with a 308 round, big bullet. She lucky to be alive but she no longer has the scar WOW,plus no affects from the bullet she took in the side in episode 1 of this year,super woman. Remember to write Paul Lee with your concerns

One more time: Beckett is NOT under the impression that leaving Rick will keep the bad guys away from him. It’s her trying to keep him from knowing that the case is still open, that Alison Hyde (the “suicide” in ep 2) was just a patsy, and that she (Kate) is investigating. As someone else said on another forum, Kate is trying to keep the investigative footprint as small as possible. She knows Castle would get involved if he knew what was going on and she DOES NOT WANT THAT. This is her way of keeping him safe. Wrong or right, it’s how she is thinking. Meanwhile, she and Vikram can investigate LokSat discreetly, trying desperately to keep the bad guys in the dark as well. Right now they think everyone, including Kate, has bought into the Hyde-is-the-Big-Bad story and so they can lie low.

Those of you who can’t get past the simplistic “she’s doing this to keep him safe but it doesn’t work ’cause everyone knows they’re married” are missing the point. She could have walked away from the investigation and let Rita handle it. But in her mind, that wouldn’t necessarily have kept her or her loved ones safe. Rita told her she had already been on the case for a year. Kate needs to do everything in her power to identify and stop the Big Bad so that she and Rick can be safe from them in the long run.

Disliking the story arc is fine. Have any opinion you want. But please, if you’re going to dislike it, dislike it for the right reasons.

Bravo!! Agree totally. People need to actually watch to understand what is going on. I would not miss an episode.

1) Which has a bigger chance: that Rick would start to dig in what happens with her if she stays with him or if she suddenly leaves her without a word? Don’t come with the “but then she must have lied to him” line, because she is lying to him even know about the same thing.

Which has the bigger chance: that Rick bumps into something about her private investigations when he is constantly buzzing around the precinct to “win her back”, or when he is sitting at home and writing his book, thinking that her beloved wife is doing what a captain should do?

2) “But in her mind, that wouldn’t necessarily have kept her or her loved ones safe”

Yes, because in her mind investigating with the only other survivor (who “accidentally” left his former job and got another one beside her, and it won’t raise a red flag at all) would keep them much safer. Safer then their life would have been when “they think everyone, including Kate, has bought into the Hyde-is-the-Big-Bad story”.

3) That Kate looks like an idiot with her reasoning is only one point on the list.

There are much more, including retconning four years of character development (and negating any future results, because if it’s “in her core” then it remains there, no matter what happens with Loksat), making Castle a wimp AND an idiot at the same time, dropping the sophisticated, verbal banter for farting and *ssposito level bad sitkom jokes and so on.

Obviously you are blind and deaf to what people are saying – this is EXACTLY the problem, that the writers depicts her like this is the way she is thinking. That’s what against how people has known her. Yeah, of course if one should accept everything and anything what the writers do as a given, undisputably good way, then there are no reason to complain.

No reason to review though either, because inherently it means that each and every episode is perfect, all the characters and the plots are excellent.

Great episode! I’d love to see Mia come back and consult with Rick. She’s way more compelling than Hayley (or Alexis as Castle’s partner).

My husband and I said the same thing. I wish she could frequent the show. She was hilarious. This episode was great and if this silly separation were nonexistent, it would have been perfect.

That would be fun. I too see nothing compelling in the Hayley character or how she is played. Re Alexis, tonight’s ep had just the right amount of screen time for her.

Yep, that seems to be happening a lot this season. Either Alex, Hayley, Ryan & Espo all seem to be substituted to keep Beckett working with Castle less. But relax guy, it’s the season of CaskettLESS.

No need to panic or post anything but positive stuff!

My positivity has a shelf life. It’s like my relationship with many vegetables. I try them a few times before rendering judgment :)

And, hey, I wasn’t positive about Hayley. She’s an unwelcome cast addition, in my opinion.

I thought it was as close to perfect as you can get. The Caskett scenes were brilliant! That end scene tore me up! I love that she left her shirt for him on purpose. You can so tell that she is still absolutely madly in love with him! Can it please be Nov. 9th already? I cannot wait to see what the next piece is to this puzzle! Also…I need to know more about that twist!

I think Matt missed that she left her NYPD tee on purpose and took his shirt with her. Loved that too.

I’ll have to review that again, I missed her taking his shirt, she came back for all her stuff, really?, with a small bag, hardly worth the effort.

And that is exactly the problem I have. It seems like each and every episode has pain in it. Scenes which hurt. Maybe this is realistic but that’s the thing – I have reality right in front of me. I don’t want to feel my heart going out to the characters and feel their pain in every episode. Why would I want to? A couple of episodes is fine, S4 after Castle learned that Beckett remembered everthing was fine because there was hope. It hurt and yet there was hope that everything was going to be alright. There is no hope in someone getting the rest of their stuff. That’s another step towards finality. That’s another step towards destroying all the hope which is left. And no amount of funny can change that. And being told that someone’s still in love with someone doesn’t change that either. Gone from someone’s life is gone from someone’s life, no matter if they still love you or not.

I would say bittersweet rather than painful. It’s supposed to be. And Kate’s NOT gone from Rick’s life — that was the point of the ep and the shirt exchange at the end summed that up beautifully. There’s hope…

For me, in order to have hope, I need to see steps towards each other, not away from each other. By getting the rest of her stuff, Beckett took another step away from him; she put more distance between them and didn’t reduce it. Those kind of actions, don’t give me hope, they diminish it.

The problem I have with it is they didn’t make the initial separation strong enough. Stana may be acting her heart out in many scenes but I’m not involved in the story because I cannot believe in the actions and reactions of the two main characters and the characters surrounding them. That sequence on its own is bittersweet (good word) but if you think of the story as a journey they threw me off the bus at the first stop expecting me to run and catch up without giving me a reason to.

I’m not objecting to the story they’re telling. I’m objecting to them telling it very badly. They’re repeating so much of what they’ve done previously and haven’t given me enough to make me trust that their endgame is worth it.

In three episodes what new thing have we discovered about Castle or Beckett? She loves him, he loves her, she can get obsessed, he pushes and pushes and pushes. We already knew that.

If they continue to tell us things we already know then they are essentially wasting our time. (I’m talking about the people who don’t like it.)

All of the good moments in this season could have been told with minor alteration without a separation. The new showrunners should have moved the show forward rather than backward. They’re running to stand still.

Perfect! Kate’s in love with a shirt! Wow now I get it and all along I thought it was Castle! No, its the shirt–wash in cold water, hang to dry……..

@Fred Bloggs. THIS. EVERYTHING YOU SAID. Everything in this storyline is tainted from the completely implausible root from which it grows. Without us being able to buy into the premise of her leaving him, everything else fails the test of credibility.. and further, there is NOTHING new going on here, so we’re traveling down the roads we’ve already been, learning nothing new, and hating the trip while we do.

Fred, I agree with much of what you said. They need to move this along.

Me personally don’t have any problem with hurt or angst. Not even with the prolonged ones. I’m not saying that I like to watch it, just that in itself I don’t mind when writers turn to them. But with two conditions.

First: it has to have a reason. I mean it must be necessary for the characters to get from one point to another.

Second: it must be treated seriously, with all the fallouts. In for a penny in for a pound, the writers and the show must comply that if they break someone’s heart, that person will be heartbroken. Yes, it isn’t funny, but if you want fun, don’t go there – that simple.

Castle doesn’t fulfill either of them. The characters don’t get anywhere, won’t get anything from this angst-for-the-angst-sake what they hadn’t got before. I dare to say that anybody who says that they were NOT satisfied with how much they trust each other, love each other at the end of the last season, simply lies.

And they don’t dare to give depths of the feelings either. The characters are about as broken because of the conflict as if they missed the start of their favourite tv show by two minutes.

That’s been one of my biggest complaints. Kate walks out the door for no reason that Rick is aware of. They had not had relationship problems. There were no arguments. Yet when she leaves he blames himself, taking 100% of the blame on his shoulders and is determined to “win her back” when he has no idea why she left. There’s not a single sentence of “Why did she leave me?”. He never shows an iota of anger or resentment. That’s not realistic no matter how much you love someone. Did these writers forget every episode that came before? What was Rick like when she was seeing Demming, when she was dating Josh, or after the events in 47 Seconds? Like you said, if you’re going to have what should be a major trauma then you should have the courage to deal with the fallout. These showrunners aren’t willing to do that.

In Hollywoodland there is no such thing as a happy marriage. It’s just not allowed.

If only real relationships were likevthis where you could leave someone without telling them why ,move out everything you own and yet a tshirt could convey deep and unending love…

The lack of caskett is sad they had like what 7 mins together

Castle and Beckett had 5 minutes and 11 seconds of screen time together, even less if you consider one minute of that was a phone call. Personally, I wouldn’t call that a “significant” amount of Caskett.

And yet the showrunners said they came up with the separation to return “spark” to their relationship. Here’s a clue. If you are almost never together in any way, shape or form you no longer have a relationship.

@Jim, you summed it all up in a couple of sentences. First, what “spark” was missing that WE did not get to see? They married last season & seemed totally happy & she walks out on Rick by the beginning of this season. We know why, it’s just plain stupid to make us believe that after all the years it took to GET them married, that one year into the marriage she leaves with next to nothing in explanation & that HE didn’t pretty much demand one? He’s “always” been easy with & on her, actually he’s been like that with all the women in his life, basically, I suppose we really should not question this. Rick Castle’s character is what it is. Too bad there wasn’t a twist in that Rick got mad that Kate moved out & now HE moves away from her during this time & just maybe SHE should be the one to win HIM back. (Though I have to admit that I loved the entire last scene with both of them picking up each other’s shirts & smelling them & we do see a forlorn Rick in a quiet moment.) And second, no one has a relationship if one of the two people involved in the supposed relationship is “always” missing in action. Just a question – do Captain’s really take cases like Kate is? I don’t recall Roy Montgomery or Victoria Gates taking on cases, they gave out the cases to the detectives. It is also my opinion, that the character of Kate Beckett has “always” had one foot IN the door & one foot OUT. I thought the character of Mia was great & loved all the Martha time, I would like more though; maybe a Martha-centric hour. And Javi/Kevin were just great. No Lanie though.

IMHO screen time must be calculated by the time they’re actually in the same room together, (stand ins *grumble* also). If not then I once had screen time with Brad Pitt…oh wait that’s just me making a cute video of me talking to him ;) so it’s 4:11 seconds of Caskett screen time. So clever these fun writers are.

It was hysterical. But I’m still having trouble summing up on iota of sympathy for Beckett.

While the case was pretty funny, their split simply doesn’t make sense. It’s an absurd gut-punch to the fans.

Great. Funny, charming, cute and yes, the Casketty moments were filled with love and want. LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THIS EPISODE! The case was quirky, yet not so twisted you couldn’t understand it. The guest star was hilarious. Memories of the early Castle seasons. Great script and I would like to give Kudos to Stana Katic for knocking her scenes out of the park!

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode aa well. Stana’s final scene really packed a punch.

So far the best episode of the season. One of the best things about Castle is the humor. I am ok with the Caskett trouble because I have faith they will end up together.

Someone is always “telling” us that Beckett loves Castle.

The problem is Beckett’s actions keep showing us otherwise.

Exactly. It makes even the funniest episodes – like this one – hard to swallow. The contrived plot for the breakup just doesn’t make sense.

Hmmm. Do you watch her face? Read her expressions? See her smile at him in the garage? Did you see her smell Rick’s shirt, pack it and leave one of her own for him?

So far, she’s showing me that she doesn’t. Although, I guess I’d have to say, she doesn’t love him enough to let go her obsession anymore. I stand by my opinion that she did from the S4 finale up until S8

She loves him because she sniffed his shirt. She just didn’t really get the “forsaking all others” part of her marriage vows might mean letting go of an obsession for the sake of her marriage.

Also, did anyone else think that the nose was anything like the psychic that told Kate that Alexander would be important to her?

Lastly, Hayley grew on me a little bit. When they announced Pi, I thought they meant a PI who would be messing/helping with the cases. I can see Hayley being that role.

This season the word and term “obsession” was planted in viewers minds by writers as a device to remind them and get them back in seasons 1-4. The writers are obviously stuck at that time for completely wrong reasons. It would have been much better if they’ve used one simple word – feeling of guilt. Never in her carrierre as a cop Beckett’s actions lead to someones death (criminals excluded). This time her 2 years old database search lead to the death of her all AG team. It’s completely different from her quest to find her mother’s killer(s). And yet the writers completely erase that fact in the story and decided to go solely with the obsession idea. Yes, it is connected to her mother’s case because there is a new Big Bad now. (Sigh) Contrived is the only word I have for writers.

Oh, You mean like leaving her shirt on purpose for him to find. Or coming to check on him at the loft and hugging him. Your comment was ignorant of what actually occurred on the show. Two examples….and I didn’t even try hard.

These tidbits of affection aren’t enough that overwhelming fact.

Exactly! No amount of angst from Kate draws any sympathy from me because nothing about her actions make me feel that she loves him.

ndixit, you admitted above that you did not watch the ep. How can you have anything to say about Beckett’s actions and what they did or did not convey?

I watch the few YouTube clips that get uploaded after every ep. Besides, I’m making a pretty generic comment about how I feel about Kate’s angst.

Exactly…Beckett “loves” him cause she smelled a shirt…ignore the fact she left him, gave no explanation, and you know, moved out all her stuff…

The break up arc, just casts a pall over the whole episode. Cant be funny with the sadness of the situation that is there for no good reason. No amount of jokes can compensate for that right now. Other commenters are correct, if this break up arc wasn’t there, it would be a very different season much more positive. But with out positive fan buzz, how can ratings go up ?

If someone asks me, ” oh should i watch Castle” , my response would have been ” its my favorite show, yes, its awesome”.

Now, if someone asks me ” Oh should I watch Castle”, my response will be along the lines of ” no, it sucks this season. It is painful to watch, save your self the trouble and time, and watch NCIS or Blind spot” …. that’s the truth. sadly

I don’t like fart or related jokes and found Mia to be annoying, not funny at all, though not quite as annoying as Alexis. I did not care for the shirt sniffing scenes….they felt more like salt in the wound than anything. Beckett’s leaving Castle makes no sense and feels very contrived (to make it easier for the writers) and Castle should have been able to figure out by now that something more is going on with Beckett….OK, early Castle before he started acting like a doofus more often than not. At this point the break seems like no big deal.

Really? A fart joke? When a show has to resort to a fart joke, you get a real sense of just how far it has fallen. Pretty telling.

It wasn’t a fart joke. He farted in order to get the nose sensitive lady out of her house so that she could help solve a murder. It was totally relevant to the characters and the story.

Still a fart joke, or gag. Jokes aren’t simply told.

And this one was the lowest of low brow Castle has ever done.

I thought it was funny! I have 2 sons and my husband and that’s totally something that would happen to get another person to leave a room in my house.

I just don’t get what the separation has added to the story. Yes, it was a better than average filler episode but there is no getting past the underlying sadness that permeates this show. Yes, there were some Caskett moments but I don’t think the separation has brought back the sexual tension of early seasons. The Caskett moments aren’t fun and flirty, they are just sad. Sad is kind, the interaction between this married who not long ago said their was a “great love story” is just not reasonable.

I think it was never a question WHAT does the writers want to tell. Kate is in love with Rick, Rick is love with Kate, all the other is just BS, we need to fill 22×40 minutes with something. Nobody should care about it, the end will be fine with rainbows and unicorns.

Now if this is enough, then Castle can be OK, depending on how much effort the writers put behind the generic red herring – red herring – guilty routine. To me simply WHAT happens doesn’t enough if the WHY (and sometimes the “why now”) feels false, forced.

If the individual scenes alone are nice but the story which should glue them together falls apart, it greatly ruins my level of entertainment. Then those scenes are nicely done sketches with Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion and not the story of Kate Beckett and Rick Castle.

I really enjoyed it! I laugh-cried throughout and sad-cried at the ending! Loved song at end. Just put #Caskett back together already!!!

Great cotw, Mia was a fun addition, and we saw some (I hope) foreshadowing of a Caskett reconciliation with Castle being threatened at the loft (how is Beckett leaving keeping him safe?) and Beckett demanding that Espo and Ryan “work it out” either through talking it out or counseling.

Didn’t enjoy much of the vulgar humor but it didn’t overshadow the episode for me.

Oh, and Hayley is clearly unnecessary. She didn’t add anything to the episode that Espo, Ryan, or Lanie couldn’t have brought.

A big improvement over the storytelling of the first four episodes.

And it didn’t take much for someone with a beef to find Castle and single him out because his wife is the Captain.

Well, maybe she made a deal with the criminals that she’d leave Castle to keep him safe as long as they don’t touch the rest of her family. I mean, even without Castle there’d still be a father and at least one aunt and one cousin. Plenty of leverage right there. Which makes her leaving Castle even more pointless.

I loved the episode. Had the right tone and mixture of funny and serious. Heartfelt and bittersweet.

And boy are your TV Line regulars a lot more cynical than the Twitterverse where most seem to be happy about the show and open to waiting on where the show is heading. Strange how two fan groups could be so vastly different.

I think a lot of people who are unhappy with the show have quit posting on Twitter. If you look at the amount of #Castle Twitter traffic, regardless of positive or negative, it has slowed drastically from the first two shows.

Really, really good episode. Sweet, funny & quirky. Watched it back to back and will watch it again. Lots of dialog & facial expressions I didn’t catch the first time.

I’ve watched my final episode of Castle. The new show runners stated intention of taking a new look at the Casket relationship and their request for us to be patient for the promised payoff has failed IMO. We fell in love with this show because of the give and take between Beckett and Castle. The double entendre, witty banter, and sexual tension has been absent thus far this season EXACTLY because the two main characters have spent little to no time on screen together. Simply put, it is no longer entertaining to me. I’ll spend my valuable time finding something other than watching this formerly beloved show. Like Willie Mays, Castle has stayed on one season too many…what a shame.

Good news is the continually dropping demo number means the shiwcis not seeing a season 9…no bad fonzi has already put on the water skis so to speak..

Continually dropping? The ratings have been virtually identical for every episode this season.

Virtually identical means almost identical. Those are three almost identical numbers.

WE should be patient? Oh, I guess they mean be patient with them, the new showrunners. Just for the record, it makes no sense that Castle is not vocal about wanting Beckett to go with him to a counselor.

I thought he did mention marriage counseling last week or the week before. I think it was in the pathological liar episode.

OK, well he raised a daughter and was raised by a mother, so maybe he is just waiting for it to pass.

Meanwhile I’ll continue to enjoy it. Hope whatever, if anything, you find to watch instead works for you.

I was bored throughout. The actress, the nose, got on my nerves, didn’t think she was funny. Farting jokes, from a man in his 40’s. Now you have Kevin in the bumbling, buffoon role with Castle. So sad what Castle has become, both the character and the show.

Overall an entertaining hour. Better than the last two eps. Had some fun moments, some good Beckett-Castle time (loved the garage scene and the shirt exchange) , Stephnie Weir was wonderful (loved that she was a fan of Martha), COTW was OK, and Espo and Ryan were amusing. But…

Nathan was over the top in his first scenes with Weir, mugging for the camera at the elevator instead of playing the role. His face when getting Mia’s thumbs up signal was twisted in the same expression he used when he was drunk at the frat party. And how much funnier would it have been if he had stood still during decontamination? He gradually got better as the ep went along and the humor was more subdued and drama came in.

I do not understand what the character of Hayley adds to the show. She doesn’t bring anything to the table that couldn’t be done by the established players or a guest “expert.” Nor does the actress distinguish herself in her scenes.

No mention of or progress on Kate’s investigation, not even a phone call with Vikram for an update. Major mistake. IMO these eps have to show the reason Kate and Rick are separate, and that Kate’s working on her quest.

As for the “Farting Scene,” just ewwww. Not what I want from a show I watch.

I haven’t seen it yet, but I loved the Hayley actress in The Neighbors, so I enjoy her on the show. The husband doesn’t and hopes she won’t be back.

I cannot believe how angry I am watching Castle now. I want to slap somebody , I swear.

A TV show that about 20 of us dutifully post about every week. Some of us multiple times. Including yourself.

JOT, I think I found the mic you dropped. lol (all in good fun here.)

JOT, good observation but I do it for fun. If I felt so much anger over a show that I felt like doing violence, I’d stop watching. Impatience, frustration, annoyance…all OK. Anger and violence … not so much. Talk about obsession…

You’re the only one making you watch after all.

I found it very entertraining! LOLed in many scenes.. Nathan and Stephnie were awesome!

I thought Nathan Fillion was awful in the comic scenes, he over-acted them and his expressions were off. I did not understand the whole Ryan checking Beckett out scene. I am not sure what role Hayley played in this episode or how she barged into the room in the precinct to make her grand entrance. I hate that the writers do not seem to know how to humanize a strong female Captain without subjecting her to insult. I know, I should stop watching..

your kidding right ??!!! wow so now he doesn’t know how to act shshhhhh

Half the time, he doesn’t. He’s substituting mugging and grimacing for acting.

everybody knows you hate nathan !!! you make it clear in all your posts !!!he is a fine actor !! he just doesn’t care about castle anymore

“he just doesn’t care about castle anymore” Was that supposed to be “special circumstances” in a crime trial? And if I wanted to watch faces and grimaces as a comedic skill I would watch Leslie Nielsen, not a bleak copy. Of course, this is just my opinion.

mine – lol. I don’t know Nathan as anything other than as an actor. Why would I “hate” him? I do dislike his acting on Castle for much of the past three years or so.

I agree that Nathan Fillion overacts a lot lately, makes a lot of “funny faces” that are not so funny and establishes him as a buffoon. He didn’t do all that in the first seasons and was still funny.

About the Ryan checking out Beckett scene : it was so his “not with that tiny back seat” line had a double-meaning

I really liked the episode overall. I could have done w/o the farting scene and Kevin wanting to get shot in the ass.

I am glad we got a scene at the loft after the “request to get the rest of her stuff”.. Even if they were not there together, it was made clear how much they miss each other (even if for a contrived reason). I was left with hope for Caskett, which was crucial – with a 2 week hiatus – something HAD to draw me back to keep watching. It was sweet and it did the trick. I think Vikrahm being there (not being there) does the Beckett storyline a disservice, because as a viewer I want to know why it is worth it to get the rest of her stuff from the loft and maintain the separation and I want to know there are real stakes to that more than a “burning the candle at both ends,” couch napping, Beckett who at this point only seems to be vaguely investigating Bracken’s partner and it would be disappointing to just jump to any final conclusions in that investigation. As much as I hate that arc, I also want some in-depth investigation to occur on screen, if anything, to make me believe more in the rationale for the seperation.

Oddly, the wording of Beckett needing “to get the rest of her stuff” sounded weirdly final. It didn’t seem as fake as the usually “promo ready” red herrings they are known for. I am not sure what to make of that.

I am glad we still have Lucy, she killed it and she had a great assist with the Castle take down of baddie #3. Martha was fabulous and the throw back to Pippin was nice (she toured that show when Rick was encountering the killer in Hollander’s woods). And if Castle is going to pine for Beckett and “win her back” I am glad he has a new drum set to keep him company and that Beckett sees him interact with other women and that they dig him – even if just by Halyey and The Nose, for now.

I will watch this episode again, like I do with many of the lighter episodes, which is a victory for the new showrunners (IMHO).. So they got me there.

Too many great quotes to mention, and “crack-shot” could have easily been replaced with an “Annie Oakley” callback to Deadly Affair, but “Assposito” was definitely my favorite.

All I can say is that Captain Beckett is not a slut, nor should should be written as such.

This episode shows me exactly what happens when a room full of frat boys write an episode and their only goal is to “lower the moral high ground” of Beckett all so they can have “fun.” (Oh wait, that’s been happening since 6×23, it’s now a full time and more obvious.) Yes, I know a woman wrote the ep, that statement still stands. So many times women hate on women more than men do.

Congratulations writers/TPTB/whoever made all the decisions that got more than half the fandom laughing at Beckett being called a slut aka “Captain Hoochie Mama”. But since the writers want us to believe that’s actually a compliment, when it’s not, then I implore you to look at all the other jokes made at the expense of the FEMALE Captain. Some would get them in the HR department charged with harassment.

If some dumbo figured out Castle is married to the Captain of the 12th, so should the Ghost figure it out. Castle was once a smart man, who asked why, and wanted the whole story. Now we see him as a big idiot.

The only bright spot as always was how on point Stana Katic is. I also loved how much Alexis we saw tonight. Ha(w)ley can go, she should never have been in the box with Beckett, unless it was she being questioned. Susan as always is on point. As for Ryan, well he should already be in jail for taking a bribe from Castle, but alas we get him shooting Espo, something lots of fans have wanted to do for ages. Grade D-

I found the Captain Hoochie Mama comment annoying, too…..as well as totally misplaced. None of her outfits are slutty.

What part of it being meant as an insult by a mean mouthed crank did you not understand?

The part where the whole episode was one sexist joke after another about Captain Beckett. Misogyny is real and obvious in the writers room. Not to mention Castle didn’t tell the nose to shut up.

Especially if they hide sexist jokes in the lines of a female character.

At least you admit it’s an insult. But “part of it being meant as an insult” that’s the problem. The whole epsisode was an insult to Beckett and the cops.

We’re supposed to believe Castle, or ANY husband/spouse/SO would just stand there after the “love of their life” is called a slut and not good enough for them? Sorry. They wanted to insult Beckett and they used several people to do it this ep.

I expected better from a female. Guess she wants to be part of the good ole boys club.

“admit”???? The woman was a stressed out New Yorker being dragged into a situation she wanted no part of. Anything BUT an insult under those circumstances would have been very poor writing. As to Castle rushing to defend Beckett’s honor when Mia mouths off? ROTFLMAO, she’s long shown she can handle wackjobs with mean mouths quite easily herself.

My god what do you do when someone is written as having the audacity to SHOOT at Captain Precious?

The Captain Hoochie Mama comment was far different than the smell insults she made about others, and it was one of several aimed at just Beckett: Captain Obvious, slow, Castle could do better.

Ryan’s comment while randomly looking at Beckett’s ass was just a “bonus” in the treasure trove of stupid college boy humor last night.

But anyone who points this out was just looking for something to complain about. Luckily, Castle has been delivering the Nuggets we Negative Nellies need quite well. Don’t really have to dig for them.

It’s funny how nobody said anything when Espo said that Alexis was dressed in a “slutty” outfit in 8×03, but somehow “hoochie mama” is out of line.

Which is not to say that I disagree with the sentiment, of course. The show has quite a trend of beating down characters for no reason this season – Castle’s writing has been massively insulted at least 3/5 episodes so far – but there’s definitely a clear bias as to what (or, well, to whom it’s directed) people are taking issue with.

But, actually, real question: did I miss something last night, did someone tell Castle that Beckett wasn’t good enough for him? (Referring to his wife as “Captain Hoochie Mama” doesn’t count, I for real want to know if I missed something.)

I do agree, though, that Ryan’s weird inadvertent flirting with Beckett was super weird.

I don’t know if I would categorize Ryan’s comments as flirting, but it was like watching a brother/sister interaction gone awry.

There’s no doubt a bias against Alexis among many of us (myself included), but wasn’t Espo stating the obvious when Castle allowed Alexis to be used as bait at a college party? She was wearing clothes that accentuated her body. Beckett was just… wearing clothes. Kinda bohemian chic clothes at that, which could rarely be described as revealing.

Oh, interesting. I honestly didn’t interpret Mia comments as being reflective of Beckett’s clothes, but of the whole pheromone thing — like, “the captain who wants to jump you,” which was basically the implication of the rest of the sentiment. I take a tiny little bit of issue with the term slut in general, tbh, but that’s my own personal bias. Not that I like hoochie mama much better, but it’s typically used more for comedic effect (although I’d love to have the unique experience of listening to a ~18-year-old kid use the term seriously). I do find it tricky to see the fandom get up in arms about the one and totally ignore the other. Particularly in an episode that, really, beat Ryan down far more than it did anyone else.

Beckett can’t defend herself if she doesn’t hear it. That was the 3rd insult to “Captain Precious” <– I like this better than Captain Hoochie Mama though, so I'll be using this instead. :P

I mean, last season Perlmutter (an equally unpleasant character) insulted Castle at every turn. In front of Beckett. While Castle wasn’t there to defend himself. Even Espo got in a few digs during the PI arc. Which is not to say that either is right, but Castle has always been a show that poked at characters for comedy, and having other characters stop to ream them out every time would stop the flow of the story. I would prefer that they veer away from this course of insult, personally (or, you know, scrap the teardown comedy entirely), but I don’t think that putting it on Castle’s shoulders to call out everything is entirely fair, if the relationship hasn’t been written that way prior and if no one takes offence when it’s anyone but Beckett.

Yes, and when Perlmutter and Espo dissed Castle, people complained about it here.

Because Beckett should have stuck up for him? I must have missed that. Nevertheless, for better or for worse, the relationship has always been written that way. Asking for characters to jump in and defend each other at every perceived slight is never gonna happen, if only because it would have to happen 2-3 times every episode. Whether that’s true to life or not is a whole other issue, but the fact remains that characters are pretty consistently beaten down, and there are rarely in-show consequences.

“we get him shooting Espo, something lots of fans have wanted to do for ages..”

They keep saying pheromones are about love. They’re not. They’re about lust. And so what if she still loves him if she loves her chase more.

But she smelled a shirt…who needs her to actually not move out, when you can get such a timeless symbol of true love, the fact she removed everything every other article she owned notwithstanding…

I think people are missing the point. It’s episodes like this that makes this whole break up storyline even more ridiculous, make even less sense, makes Beckett more unlikeable and Castle more of a love sick moron. He is obviously still in danger from the bad guys given his proximity to his estranged wife and she will always put others above him. Where is the fun in watching that? The only thing this storyline does is give Castle and Beckett less time in the same room, and well, we all know where that conversation leads. I’m glad some people still like the show and feel the two characters can be in any way redeemable, but for me they are beyond any kind of repair.

Agreed, only if they pull a Dallas can they save it, that’s it.

You want them to bail themselves out of a ill conceived and poorly executed story arc by duplicating THE worst contrived plot device of all time?

You should just stop watching now. Don’t read any recaps and live the rest of your life sans everything Castle. #unsolicitedadvice

I often find the #unsolicitedadvice I’ve read recently to be self-serving and pandering. No offense, but I expect stronger arguments from you, DD.

Your suggestion is about as weak as this season’s backbone.

There is nothing self serving about my unsolicited advice, JOT. I am merely pointing out that if a person gets to the point where all they have are negative comments to say about a show (and nothing good to say about it).. it is time to move on. Find another show or book or movie to entertain.

The solution isn’t in a plot device that failed to the point that no other show has stolen the idea in 30 years. The solution is to move on, stop watching, and live a happier life without watching a show that gives one such angst. Life is too short to be so miserable.

I am also not so self important that I think any comments I post on a recap article have any effect on the direction a TV show takes.

I hope everyone you’ve given this advise to has stopped watching, trust me if I could stop watching I would.

JOT seems to expect more from you, me I’m not surprised at all. My point is simply that after all the character assassination done to all 4 of the main cast, there is no fixing it.

Beckett will always be the wife who left her husband after less than 10 months of marriage all to catch A Ghost who the attorney generals office should be finding.

Castle will always be the one who threw a party and bribes a detective so he can stalk his wife and a female Captain. Castle is about as Romanitc as 50 shades is right now, if a man is rich it’s Romanitc, if he’s poor he’s called a stalker and arrested for the same behavior. weird eh?

Really over having all the cops in all the branches of government, and armed services be painted as stupid idiots, but Castle & a nose are able to solve a case faster and better, not to mention P.I. Hoochie Mama Alexis…. <– #toosoon? All this is why I say it can't be fixed. It needs to be written as it never happened.

But some of the Castle fans are so desperate for even any positive interaction between Caskett (hug, babe) they ignore all the sexism & misogyny because that 5 seconds made their hearts sore.

That last paragraph! I do not get it. Castle and Beckett have been together for years. They are married, and yet some fans are are ecstatic because they hugged each other? This entire season is ridiculous.

“trust me if I could stop watching I would” <– I am merely pointing out if you feel like you are being forced to watch a TV show that you want changed so severely – maybe it is time to give up the show – even if just for a while. Especially if all you see (and comment on) are the negatives about the show.

Life is too short for such angst. Go outside. See the world around you. Read/Watch happier fiction. Or you can keep watching Castle and hate the direction they are going.

@I’m going… Apparently you never heard one of the biggest worries of some of those desperate fans from previous seasons – “have they kissed in the episode?” and “was it well-lit?”. I guess if they had a kiss then everything is spectacular and who cares about the story. And if it was well-lit, I guess they can conclude whether it was a French kiss or not. Just a simple peck on the lips is less appreciated. Who cares if there’s no real intimacy or emotion behind it given in the story at the hand.

“Have they kissed?” is a close #3 behind “How was Beckett’s hair?” and “Was she wearing her ring?!??!”

Ok, here’s some positivity, I like everything about Susan/Martha, and Beckett when she’s not written just to bring her down a peg or 47.

Do I still have to go outside? Allergy season is the worst and I can’t breathe after spending more than 5 minutes outside. ;)

I’m unfamiliar with the reference, but if we are suggesting that they pull a coma dream then I’m all for it. Rewind it all the way back to 6×23. Because that this rate, there is no way can can explain all this bs.

That’s basically it, just because it’s not been done in 30 years doesn’t mean it won’t help bring ratings back up.

Castle has crossed off most of the other failed TV tropes, not to mention repeating the “Will They or Won’t They” because the writers couldn’t figure out how to write anything original.

I agree with all this. I don’t think the showrunners can recapture the fun from the earlier seasons with episodes like this. One of the best things about the early episodes was the main leads continued interaction. I see people saying this episode had good Caskett. I don’t feel like that at all. Their scenes are sporadic at best and lack the same lightheartedness (probably because she left him for some really lame reason that makes no sense to me). I feel like the writers have destroyed the characters by making Beckett obsessed and stupid (for thinking the killers wouldn’t come for Castle because she moved out?) and Castle into a simpering fool (desperately trying to get back a woman who left him without explanation). I loved this show but man, oh man, this season is rough. I gotta say, maybe they should have ended it last year because I hate to see it go down like this. Painful.

The husband laughed at everything, except the fart joke. That got a cringe from both of us. I have to say it was heartwarming to see Castle bring positive input into other people’s lives. The hug at the door got an “Awww” from the husband, even. “I hope this time she gets everything solved!” he said with crossed arms about Beckett…then…”THREE WEEKS!? I can’t believe we have to wait 3 weeks to see Castle!” So, I guess the fans are still hanging in there.

I’m struck by the word “carping” in your opening evaluation. Do some folks take their disappointment in the break-up storyline over the edge? Sure … just as others go overboard in saying they like it no matter what.

But no amount of entertainment — and this episode was entertaining — can remove the elephant from the room. A blatantly manipulative “break-up” for no logical purpose overshadows everything else.

Castle is determined to win her back, yet hasn’t bothered since the second episode to confront her and demand to know why this woman he spent seven years wooing just decided to walk away. Meanwhile, she goes yet another week doing very little to deal with her “obsession” and the secret society of evildoers desperate to stop her remain invisible.

They stage a drama-driven chase over the first two episodes, and a few weeks later have dropped it as inconvenient in order to share a fart joke.

I guess now I’m “carping” because I should just sit there and enjoy the entertainment without thinking about the series as a whole.

I thought that carping summed it up perfectly. Carping:characterized by fussy or petulant faultfinding.

Well, it seems that lately the words entertainment and thinking don’t go well together. That’s the description for the half of the TV production these days.

As an episode in and of itself it was ok. The case of the week was well done and logical for the most part. The episode had it moments of funny and entertaining with some drama mixed in. But with the overall arch and break up it puts a damper on everything.

Subplot is ok – but how it is performed not ok. It would have been a nice one for 1-2 episodes. Alexis should be used as a trainee for police as earlier episodes saw her as intern for Lanie. But hoping subplot ends soon!

For the first time this season, I really enjoyed the episode and watched it a second time. If they could make another 17 like this and ditch the silly separation plot, I’d be prepared to accept that the first few episodes were just an unfortunate blip.

I liked having a bit more Martha and hardly any Alexis, no PI silliness, and Hayley was good. Ryan was a bit too moronic, but I can live with that in small doses.

It may not have been perfect, but episodes like this show that Castle still has the potential to be great (and could have been made almost exactly the same without the separation).

I believe this episode was written by Nancy Kiu and directed by Steve Robin. Not sure how many others they’ve worked on but I strongly suggest enlisting them for as many future episodes as possible – maybe let Ms Kiu advise the showrunners on how to make a show fun!

IF this was a new TV series, this mess was probably good and organic (yeah!) …. and this ep maybe make a good point for next ep. (I am talk about Caskett relationship)

we have 7 years of background…we have two person falling in love so many years ago…a love story which was build brick by brick through 7 years…through a millions of obstacles

for all of this ….. i can NOT find this ep. good or organic …. I find this ep. just pathetic and sad…

And let me say this, it’s just my little opinion but I find very difficult to not thinking that this storyline is made for let two costar don’t work much time together and don’t have intimate scene together. It’s obviously no one from ABC or PR or writer or actors never admit this … but even us, simply can “smell” the very problems behind this new storyline!

If this was a new TV series, it would have been cancelled after the first three episodes.

It wouldn’t pass even as a pilot. There are a lot of sitcoms that do those things in a much better way.

Haven’t watched a minute of this season, but I do read the comments. Here’s hoping the ratings are lower than last week!

They weren’t. Up in the overall. Steady in the demo. Sorry.

I agree that the episode was amusing but a series that has lasted this long has a problem. There is history to contend with and it’s bolstered by reruns. We remember the speech that Beckett made to her training officer Mike Royce about betrayal. and we remember how reluctantly the team worked with the insurance investigator. Episodes like these make me wonder if the writers remember how different last night was.

Haley added nothing other than identifying what was stolen. Rick can’t carry the show on his own. The shooting was humorous but entirely unlikely given Ryan’s experience.

I’m giving Castle the benefit of the doubt so I’m watching for the show to round the bend, but I still don’t get the logic of the new story line. Kate couldn’t find this killer without Rick’s help. How does she expect to find the guy who killed Bracken on her own?

I loved this episode and some of the tag lines where great. Specially when Beckett bent over in the car and Ryan said something like small backend and there is not enough room for a guy to get back there. Beckett just looks up and Ryan says oh well. Then when Ryan shot Java in the butt and Beckett said if they can’t figure this out there are going to therapy no if’s, and’s or butt’s. I really just wish they would get them back together soon. I love this show and I don’t blame Stana or Nathan as they are not the ones writing these episodes. Maybe the writers meant well but they need to end this now. Get them back together and solving crimes together. I really like how Beckett doesn’t sit behind the desk like Montgomery and Gates did, she gets out in the field with her team.

It’s ironic that Beckett tells Ryan and Expo that they need to go to therapy when she needs to go more than anyone else on the show.

There is no room for “jokes” in the Castle fandom domain. None at all.

That’s because the jokes quota has already been far exceeded by the actual show itself.

I loved the ep but it was STILL hard seeing Caskett separated from each other for this long. I wouldn’t have heard her calling him babe if not from my spoiler tweets while I was at work and couldn’t view the ep. I shed tears at the ending ‘sniffing exchange’ between castle and beckett’s clothes. Did Beckett end up taking his shirt? Glad she only took that small overnight bag to stuff more clothes in…not a full on move out in my opinion. Awww…she still loves him so much (in her private moments..but we knew that) hence the breakup sucks and makes no sense. Well @engine_ear at least the rings stay on & she did not take it off. I kept looking througnout the ep and pausing to check. I saw it when she was packing and sniffing his shirt. How would her NYPD T-shirt smell of her if it was freshly laundered / unworn from her shelf in the loft?

(That background music really tugged at the heartstrings and Mia’s commentary spoken over it)

I loved the way Stana speaks french with her francais accent and Bon Appetit Babe!!

What do people think about the chance for a fall finale reunion? Tease or possibility?

Didn’t really like Becks using Hayley as a ‘replacement’ or substitute for Rick..her and Vikram just ‘Poof’ suddenly part of the 12th and Rysposito constantly fighting like mama & papa bear. Sorta like mirroring KB & RC’s tension and her saying that they need to go to therapy to sort all of this out TOGETHER!!!

A good ensemble show which will work well in syndication. With the exception of the guest star all the meaty parts were written for the men in the show. All the women except “The Nose” were stick figures. Could have saved lost of money and used cardboard cutouts.

And the next episode after a 3 weeks hiatus will be “Cool Boys” with A. Baldwin. Cool. Such a fun.

I believe that this was by far the best episode this season. Very funny and as it is concerned Kate and Rick the episode was assuring and touching.

I agree with your review of this episode. I think it definitely gives fans hope but I still feel the break up is unnecessary.

I liked having Hayley back; she was one reason I liked The Neighbors so much. I felt bad for Kevin because he took the sergeant’s exam to earn much-needed extra money for his second baby (Jenny wants a very expensive stroller, for example) but he failed and Javi passed. It was good to see more Susan Sullivan and to see someone who really appreciated Martha’s acting. A lot of good in this episode and very little bad.

This was by far the best ep this season except the fart scene I could really have done without it.Beckett seemed a lot warmer to Castle. I just hope that the 2 week break before the next ep means the producers have finally understood that they need to bring Caskett back together as a couple, if not to respect the fans overwhelming demand but to at least have a chance not to see the show cancelled before February.After Caskett is back as a couple they can definitely concentrate on quickly completing the Locksat story and finally put Becketts mothers death to rest once and for all as this story line has no more reason for being after 7 seasons , and possibly try to resolve the mystery behind Castles 6 weeks of missing memory as well as continue to develop Casketts marriage with possibly a pregnancy which would open so many comedic possibilities.You may notice I did not go into details on ep 5 that’s because overall I loved it and for once this season I watched the ep for the pure enjoyment of it like I used to for the first seven seasons because for me watching Castle has always been about disconnecting from real life issues for an hour each week and watching a great cast perform,a wonderful love story beginning and progressing and the light but usually always good comedy and character interaction each week. I will however restate like the majority other fans have already done that the series is doomed until Caskett are reunited in their marriage to continue their happily ever after before the November break.

I wont watch until they bring them back together– i used to love the show– my very favorite but now its not funny and with all the crap going on in the world why cant we have one show that has a happy couple and fun!! We waited 4 years or more for the marriage and now you screw it up having her move out!!!!

I just get this feeling that they are working up to kill off Ryan or maybe just injure him severely. He saves Espo’s life, but dies in the process. Trite, but it fits in with the current approach.

This isn’t a Joss Whedon show so his unborn child is not getting set up to be born fatherless.

Other than the occasional spotting of a Space Cowboy? Pretty sure.

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