(S02E15) First of all, those stilettos Beckett had on were awesome. I'm not saying that so much as a girl crush, but as more of a 'Sex and the City' sort of style thing. Her mullet seems to have calmed down a little, and overall, I'm liking her style (though I'm still on the fence about her jacket pictured above). Girlfriends, what say you about the jacket?!
I have to admit that 'Castle' is a show that took me surprise. I thought it would be one of those light cop/buddy/romance dramas with two different people thrown together even though they don't really want to be together and they'd banter and solve crimes and then the show would be a trivia question later. But it has actually turned out to be doing well for ABC, so I was wrong. Now ABC is moving the show from Monday to Sunday.
(S02E14) Well, this was certainly a complex episode. There were so many twists and turns, that it was hard to keep up at times. What made it even more interesting is the fact that the entire episode was riddled with weird (though not unenjoyable) sitcom cliches. At the end of the episode, I learned two things: I would really like my next job title to be "gentleman squatter," and Castle and Beckett are in loooove.
I'm not in the camp that thinks Castle and Beckett getting together automatically means the series is doomed, but I'm not exactly waiting for the inevitable hook-up with bated breath. However, if they keep throwing their love for each other in our faces like they've been doing recently, then it's going to get pretty difficult to not spend most of the hour sitting in front of my TV yelling, "You're both pretty! Just do it and move on!"
(S02E13) "Now I own a boat!" - Castle, mimicking a late-night infomercial guy
This episode of Castle was really fun (as usual), until we learned that the killer was connected with the murder of Beckett's mother. Then things got intense really fast. And she nearly had the whole thing wrapped up in the palm of her hand, until ... she didn't. But maybe she's a little closer to solving that murder.
(S02E12) Do you think child stars from the 80s had some sort of secret blood pact that prevents them from aging? I ask because there are a lot of them (whose names aren't "Corey") who look amazingly good. Alyssa Milano guest-starred in this week's episode of Castle, and damn. She doesn't look like she's aged a day in the past decade. It's a little creepy, especially when we see the picture of her and Castle together. Nathan Fillion looks like a big-haired, skinny (albeit adorable) punk, and Alyssa Milano looks exactly the same. She's like Dorian Gray or something.
(S02E11) Don't you just love it when a series uses a tired cliche, only to take it in a completely different (and fascinating) direction? That's what Castle did in this week's episode, and it turned out to be one of my favorites of the season so far.
As soon as J walked in with amnesia, I groaned. Amnesia? Really? When it turned out that he was also a shooting victim and that, in a Theodore Roosevelt-like twist, it was a book that had saved his life, it became more interesting to me. However, I still thought I knew exactly what was going on -- and it's a testament to this episode that I was so very wrong.
Happy Thanksgiving! It's that time of year when we reflect on all the good things in our lives, and of course, my thoughts turn to TV. Let's take a look at a few things on the tube that make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Sexy vampires. Oh my, we got lots of them this year. The Twilight Saga: New Moon's got nothin' on TV vampires. Eric Northman and Bill Compton from True Blood are definitely at the top of my list. Pictured is that hunk o' steamy vamp himself, Eric, a.k.a. Alexander Skarsgard in real life. But we also got those lovely Salvatore brothers on The Vampire Diaries. Elena certainly has some high-class problems, doesn't she? Steadfast Stefan or bad-vamp Damon? They both have their particular gifts.
(S02E10) ""A wife and a fiance catfight ... please can we stop for popcorn on the way?" - Castle
Molly C. Quinn is such a cutie. I loved the storyline this week where she volunteers to categorize evidence, and in doing so, uses her skills to help return someone's precious "brag book" to them. She takes after her dad in the "big heart" department.
Castle is good about that. They could have made Richard Castle as a roguish playboy who chases women and loves a good time, and while he's got some of that in him (see above quote), he's also a dedicated family man. The writers are good about the characters that way. Beckett is a hard-nosed detective, but she's also good with people, excelling at giving them bad news in such a way as to soften the blow.
Here's a sneak peek at tonight's Castle, "One Man's Treasure." When a murdered man is found stuffed in the garbage chute of an apartment building, two women arrive to ID the body -- the guy's wife and his fiance. It's like the ultimate in awkward encounters, and of course, Castle has something to say about it. He looks at the dead guy and says, "You are so busted."
Of course, Castle and Beckett have the fun task of trying to figure out if this guy's been leading a double life or if he's being framed. With this show, you just never know. I'm guessing one of the women is behind it, but we'll see.
I'm loving Castle, because it fulfills my lifelong wish for a TV show that offers the snappy banter and sexual tension of an old-time movie. Well, Castle would call it sexual tension. Ok, Beckett is leaning that way, too. I don't know who I'd compare Nathan Fillion to, though. Maybe a little Cary Grant mixed in with Donald O'Connor.
(S02E09) Oh, yet another "hooker with a heart of gold" story. She's putting herself through law school! She had dreams when she came to New York in a rusted out Beetle, only to have them dashed! Scarlet was such an annoyingly stereotypical character, that she was beginning to sour what was an otherwise enjoyable episode. But really, that's my fault. Because if I would have had more faith in the beauty that is Castle, then I would have known that things were not as they appeared.
That's what I ultimately ended up loving about this episode: it went along in such a predictable route: bring a suspect in during the first five minutes, then release him because it's the first five minutes and we obviously can't find out who the killer is for at least another 40 minutes or so. Have the hooker, but then make us see what a sweet girl she is. This episode of castle lulled the viewers into complacency by showing us things we've seen a million times before-- only to turn it all on its head.
(S02E08) "I've been bombarded with friend requests. It's like a full-time job." - Martha, on her new "MyFace" page
The interaction between Castle and Beckett, and between Castle and his family, continue to be more interesting to me than the cases themselves. I like the old-fashioned whodunnit-type storylines, but find myself looking forward to the non-case scenes. That said, Castle still contains a good mix of something for everyone, whether you like the cases or the relationships.
While watching tonight's episode, I also found myself thinking, if only Nathan Fillion would follow me around while I'm working. I probably wouldn't get much done, though.
(S02E07) I'm with Beckett here: I really enjoy watching Castle be a dad. I'm very far away from being the parent of a teenager myself, but I feel like people should be taking notes from him. Well, except for the part where she had to put parental controls on his computer. But otherwise, he strikes a nice balance between relating to her and not trying to be the "cool dad." I was impressed last week with how he didn't just let that drunk girl crash on their couch and made Alexis call her parents, despite her protests, and this week, when he made her go to school despite the fact that she was being helpful.
Since that happened at the beginning of the episode, and the entire thing was peppered with Alexis/Castle interactions, I was definitely predisposed to like this episode. It continued to be a strong episode to -- despite the fact that the subject matter made me really uncomfortable.
Mal Reynolds, Nathan Fillion's character from the short-lived Joss Whedon series, Firefly, made a triumphant return to television last night. Granted, it was only for a little bit, and Fillion wasn't specifically playing Mal, but the costume was there, in all of its spacey glory.
Last night's episode of Castle was Halloween-themed, and, well, you can probably see where this is going. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Fillion had a section in his contract for Castle that says, "if ever the opportunity arises, I will be able to dress up as Mal, because damnit, I miss that (brown)coat." So last night, the worlds of Firefly and Castle collided, and Nathan Fillion once again donned Mal's brown duster as part of his "Space Cowboy" Halloween costume.
(S02E06) Ooh, several Joss Whedon references in the first few minutes, including "space cowboy" and Buffy's vampires. Throw in a reference to Frank Miller, and it's a geeky fantasy paradise. I also got a little of my vampire fix, even if they weren't the real thing. I don't know that Kona's that into vampires, so I'm glad this episode aired on my week to review Castle.
It was the usual whodunnit frolicry, with Castle and Beckett trying to piece together a murder mystery involving vampires, werewolves, and a murder that took place 18 years earlier. And the vampires and werewolves were as close to the real thing as a human can get -- with implanted fur, fang veneers, and a disease that made it impossible to go out in the daytime, lest the person catch on fire. There was even a cemetery and a stake through the heart.
I have to admit that 'Castle' is a show that took me surprise. I thought it would be one of those light cop/buddy/romance dramas with two different people thrown together even though they don't really want to be together and they'd banter and solve crimes and then the show would be a trivia question later. But it has actually turned out to be doing well for ABC, so I was wrong. Now ABC is moving the show from Monday to Sunday.
Happy Thanksgiving! It's that time of year when we reflect on all the good things in our lives, and of course, my thoughts turn to TV. Let's take a look at a few things on the tube that make me feel all warm and fuzzy. 
(S02E10) ""A wife and a fiance catfight ... please can we stop for popcorn on the way?" - Castle
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