While I do have my issues with how the Castle writers have handled the whole Beckett/Castle romance, I think they have done a very good job with the case of Beckett’s mother. The on-again-off-again aspect makes much more sense here. A cold case is at the mercy of when new information arrives. And it seems that they’ve been slowly building toward the big reveal of who really was behind the murder at a fairly good pace. These latest revelations were another step in that direction, and they brought with them a very good episode.
Just how good the episode was has everything to do with the fact that this case is all about Beckett. The basics of the murder and the cover-up could have been about any random yahoo. Bad cops … a kidnapping ring … and the do-gooder that threatened to expose the whole thing. It would have been another good story. But when that changes to being about Beckett, and this story that we’ve all been following for two and a half years, things really get good. It opens up another window into her character showing things we don’t normally get to see. And it offers the same intriguing viewpoint on everyone else. From Castle, to Ryan, to Esposito, to the Captain. Even Martha takes on a suddenly serious and interesting angle.
And that’s worth a lot. Even if we’re left in essentially the same place we were after “Sucker Punch.” Then we were left wondering who ordered the murder of Beckett’s mother. And now … we’re left wondering who ordered the murder of Beckett’s mother. There was some great exposition as far as why the hit was ordered, but at the end of the day it was a bit of a shell game. Just as I said last time. That’s okay. I’m good with this story taking time to finally play out. Watching all the characters on a case that is so much more personal is the payoff.
If I had one complaint about the episode it was the missed opportunity where Dr. Josh is concerned. He’s in Africa? No! How about, “He’s gone. It’s over. It wasn’t working out.” The fact that he’s still in the picture, and in it enough that Castle expects him to be at Beckett’s house in the middle of the day, doesn’t do any favors for the growing tension between Beckett and Castle. How much I want to know who the sleeping dragon is can only be matched by how much I don’t care about anything to do with Dr. Josh.
As to the sleeping dragon, does anyone have a guess? How far up does this thing go? McCallister’s reaction when pressed has to mean it’s someone big, with a lot of power. Police Commissioner? Mayor? Senator? Governor? My operating theory at the moment is that the kidnap team was put together by an overzealous politician who had had enough. Someone that 20 years later still wields enough power to keep everyone quiet. It should be very interesting to find out. Next season. …
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Jan 25, 2011 @ 07:53 EST5EDT
This was written by Will Beall, the same writer who wrote Sucker Punch. I think he is one of the best of the Castle writers for many reasons, one of which is that I like how he writes the cameraderie between Beckett, Ryan, Esposito and Montgomery. Beall is an ex-cop and the realism shows in his episodes.
I think the team was put together by a dirty cop/politician. I doubt they gave the bail money to the Widows and Orphans fund. Probably someone high up in politics right now because of how scared Raglan and his old partner were, but not the mayor because from what we saw of him in season 1, he’s not old enough to have had power 19 years ago.
At last, there is a reason for Josh’s existence. Both Castle and Beckett looked pretty stunned by that kiss. But since it meant so much, they are going to need time to process it and figure out what it means for their relationship. With Josh still around, they can’t do anything active about it yet (like fall into bed or even date). I don’t mind a slow dance with them as long as it isn’t a backwards dance as the first half of the season was. Hopefully the show will be around for more than four seasons, time enough to get them together at the end of this one.
Yes, Kate, I agree with the kiss stuff you said. And Brett, you are so not a girl b/c I can’t believe you didn’t mention that hot, hot kiss that was so well-acted (both of their facial expressions afterward were so telling and played perfectly) in your post! ;-)
*POST AUTHOR*
I was thinking more along the lines of the mayor 19 years ago, who still wields enough power today to be dangerous. Interestingly, there was a big political corruption scandal in New York right around that time.
It would have to be someone very big and very bad since Raglan was afraid of him 19 years ago and even now the guy’s willing to hire hitmen to keep from being found out. Mayor, Police Commissioner, Controller? Currently in state politics so even more to lose? (So not my city, our mayors tend to disappear once they’re out of office.) Chicago seems to be the place for that. What was the scandal in New York?
I’m glad they haven’t wrapped this up yet.
Did you recognize Schanke from Forever Knight?