There was a lot to like about “Den Of Thieves”, but I think the big question we all have to answer is right there in the title of the post. In a fit of turnabout is fair play, Beckett now has a little flirtation on the heels of Castle’s tryst with Ellie Monroe. This one looks to have a little more going for it though, now that we know Denning is a stand-up guy. So, what do you think?
I didn’t exactly mind it, but I stop short of being a big fan. I like what the arrival of Denning (Michael Trucco) is doing for Castle. He’s now going to be forced to deal with all of those things he’s been denying. I’m just not really crazy about how they’ve gone about it. Did it have to be another detective, working with the team? I like the team the way it was and I don’t think it needed any more players. Although, I guess it is a little funny that the episode that brings the interloper into our midst is also the one that really lets Esposito shine.
Ryan and Esposito have both earned their backstories at this point, so I was very happy to see one of them getting an episode all their own. The story fit very well with what we already knew about him and made for a great whodunit. I was off of Ike (Aaron D. Spears) as the killer as soon as his wife said they were so close. I took that to mean that Ike had been deep undercover the entire time and was about to finally get Racine (Michael Ironside). Technically, it wasn’t a sanctioned undercover operation, but close enough.
That left the real culprit up in the air and I didn’t catch on to Holliwell (Scott Cohen) until the Captain revealed that Esposito was listed as the informant. They actually did a pretty good job of selling Denning as the bad guy, and it was highly entertaining watching Ryan, Esposito, and Castle Scooby-Doo their way around the precint. Unfortunately, I already knew he would be coming back, so that one was lost on me. That Scooby-Doo adventure did also lead up to my favorite line of the night though. “This is my partner Ryan. And this is my other partner Castle.” Yay!
But now we need to think about what is to come for Beckett and Denning. I think there’s a little something-something to it, but it will all come crashing down with the finale. There, we’ll finally find both Beckett and Castle on the same page where this relationship everyone has been waiting for is concerned. Just in time for us all to have to wait for three months. That’s my guess anyway.
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Apr 19, 2010 @ 23:31 EST5EDT
I enjoyed this episode very much. I myself was a little suprized how much I did like Denning. The spoiler pics and sneek peek clips had thrown me off. I liked how instead of a big flirtation with Beckett like I was expecting we got a more low key introduction, and the sparring session wasn’t forplay as much as Beckett doing her job – which I thought was more in character.
I hope you’re right that it will all come crashing down with Demming for the season finale and Beckett and Castle will move on with their own dance. I don’t want Demming hanging around for next season.
I was surprised how much I liked how they used Denning, and that unlike on other shows where the new love interest is practically twirling his moustaches, Demming was a good guy and sensitive enough to ask if he was going to be stepping on Castle’s toes if he made a play for Beckett.
I can see why Beckett was attracted to him from the start, it’s all physical at first, and I like how supportive she was of her boys when Esposito said that Demming was the bad guy.
I think it did have to be another detective for two reasons: first in order to get him into the storyline organically (a reporter or other outsider would have been too jarring and wouldn’t have be justified in hanging around so much; and second, to be competition for Castle not just as a guy who wants Beckett, but as a guy who can replace him running theories with Beckett, the same jealousy Beckett had about FBI agent Jordan Shaw and Castle.
So far, so good.
*POST AUTHOR*
You make great points Kate. Someone other than another detective would have been a harder sell, but I still think it could have been done. That said, I do agree with you on how Demming was brought in as the good guy, even coaching under-privileged kids. It will be interesting to see how he’s received by Ryan and Esposito as we move forward too, as they have to be in Castle’s corner.
Because I had to wait in a long line today, I started thinking some more about this. Ordinarily, Esposito and Ryan would both be all on Team Castle. But by making Demming an old colleague of Esposito’s, the writers have opened up the door to Esposito being conflicted about how he feels about Demming dating Beckett while Ryan can whole-heartedly support Castle. More potential for dramatic conflict and differences of opinion between Esposito and Ryan.
I agree they could have done it with someone other than another detective but this seems to have the potential for a more complex story.
Most likely Demming won’t be working on Beckett’s cases after this (at least I hope not) in which case we’ll just see him as a dating partner rather than someone taking Castle’s place on the team.