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Richard Castle and Kate Beckett Are Back with Castle Season 3!

Posted on September 22, 2010 Written by ripitup

Castle Cast from left: Seamus Dever, Molly C. Quinn, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Stana Katic, Nathan Fillion, Tamala Jones, Jon Huertas and Susan Sullivan

Above: Castle Cast from left: Seamus Dever, Molly C. Quinn, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Stana Katic, Nathan Fillion, Tamala Jones, Jon Huertas and Susan Sullivan

And the wait was officially over on Monday, September 20.

If you are new to Castle, you might want to check out the intro post where the characters and the plot basics are desribed. And if you are already a fan of Castle and/or The Mentalist, you might have a good time comparing these two solid crime/action/mystery/thriller shows, remembering Castle is the funny and Mentalist is the emotionally much more intense one.

Before I get into the plot and review of the first episode of Castle’s 3rd season, let’s remember where the characters (romantically) left off: (yes, there will be spoilers for season 1 and 2)

NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and Famous Best-Selling Crime Author Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) caught the perfect dynamic and sold numerous difficult and challenging cases together. Castle ‘s mother Martha (Susan Sullivan), daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn ) and Beckett’s crew- Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Ryan (Seamus Dever) are all aware that these two have more than friendly feelings for each other but neither is directly admitting to it.

So Beckett had a couple of dates and Castle had some attempts at other flings, but the audience was fully aware that they would rather date each other if they could. The “will-they? won’t-they?” dynamic reached its peak when 4 episodes into the finale of season 2, we met another Detective, Tom Demming (Michael Trucco). Tall, fit, dark and handsome Demming met Beckett at the workout session at their precinct during a workout session. Being a robbery detective, Demming assisted them on a case – much to Rick’s contempt, jealousy and discomfort. Of course he was right to be jealous. After Demming proved he was indeed a good cop and a good guy (he did ask Castle if there was something going on between him and Beckett and Castle said no), he asked her out and the two cops started dating. His constant presence, in both helping the cases and hanging around Beckett, drove Castle crazy.

Beckett was confused but her crew convinced her that Castle was too obviously into her and well…Beckett let Demming go. Unfortunately, right at time, Castle had given up on Beckett, as he thought he couldn’t compete with Mr. Perfect. So he did hook up with someone: his second ex-wife/agent Gina (Monet Mazur). So when Beckett saw them together, she didn’t mention the break-up and Castle went to the Hamptons with his ex.

Season 3- Episode 1- Plot Summary & Review

Opening scene: Castle is at a crime scene, holding a gun. He hears shots, he runs outside. He runs across Beckett, who is facing him with a gun, telling him to get down. No one else seems to be in sight so how did these two end holding guns at each other?

Cut to 3 days earlier…

It’s yet another day in the fall at the NYPD and Castle isn’t back. He also hasn’t called, so in addition to Beckett, both Esposito and Ryan are pissed and disappointed. Castle’s has finished his new book though, and it is on sale.

While the cops are investigating the death of a high school chemistry teacher, they are lead to a second murder scene- the flat of a tattoo artist. They also find Castle there, holding a gun. Starting with Castle as a suspect, they get to work together on the case after his innocence is proven. There is also a third murder, an impossible connection between the three deaths and the usual unresolved angst and the regular jokes between Beckett, Castle and the crew…

No, I am not telling the details or the end or how the opening scene resolves. Come on, people! You need to watch it to enjoy it fully.

Fun Line:

As the crew stand outside the bookstore window, looking at the life-sized, cardboard version of Castle:

Ryan: He really is ruggedly handsome.

Enjoy!

All Other Castle TV Show and Nathan Fillion Related Posts

Castle TV Show Review

Castle starring Nathan Fillion vs. The Mentalist starring Simon Baker

Why Every Writer Should Watch ABC’s Mystery Thriller Castle

Seven Engaging Tv Shows with Suspense Featuring Castle, House, Ncis Los Angeles and More

20 Tall Hollywood Actors & Their Careers: Featuring Nathan Fillion, Michael Trucco & More

Canadian Celebrity Trivia: Featuring Bryan Adams, Jim Carrey, Nathan Fillion & More

6 Shows and Their Season Finales: Castle, House, Cougar Town, The Mentalist, Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy

Posted on May 22, 2010 Written by ripitup

This week saw a lot of season finales for popular shows. No major spoilers.

CASTLE

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett are working together once again on a case. The case is really interesting. It involves secret operatives, deadly games, espionage, hidden motives and a really cool love triangle. You probably know Beckett has been seeing hunky robbery detective Tom Demming and Castle is depressed about it. His daughter will be going away for the summer and so will his mother Martha. Castle has a manuscript to finish and a couple he wants to get away from.

Michael Trucco appears in the last 4 episodes of Castle's 2nd season. I wish he had more episodes. But you can watch

You may not like everything that happens in this episode, romantically speaking.

But as always, the show provides a cool season finale and many more episodes to look forward to.

HOUSE

And the best season finale ever award goes to House!! House has been going on for 6 years and I am just as addicted to show as I was when I first started. Not all episodes are created equal. Some are inevitably more engaging and some of the cases are more unique. But it is OK. House’s (Hugh Laurie) lines and his interactions with other characters and guest stars (patients, etc) is what matters. Some episodes provide more comic relief and some leave us depressed. But it is always good. But if there is an episode to hit you right in the guy and swear you’ll back for the other season is the episode finale. Season 5’s finale was amazing- a great balance between what we wanted to happen and what actually happened. Season 6 us gives us a great case outside the hospital while House multi-tasks with a case at the hospital. And we get all the House-Cuddy confrontations we need. I watched some great finales this season but House’s was the best.

COUGAR TOWN

I really hope this show goes on because its quirkiness and adorably crazy and grumpy and sweet characters, it is a modern comedy that happens to be relevant, funny and interesting all at the same time. Courtney Cox is great and so is the rest of the cast. Andy and Ellie’s baby will really entertain you this time too. It is a nice change for a season finale not to leave the main romance hanging in the air. Jules and Grayson finally hooked up a couple of episodes ago. This episode just has them try to figure out how to tell Bobby…

THE MENTALIST

Obviously, Red John strikes again. Or maybe it is a copycat? Actually, there is both the real thing and the copycat and this makes things much more intriguing. Along with Patrick’s (Simon Baker) first date with Kristina, the case(s), and some really stupid mistakes on Kristina’s part will really keep you glued to the screen. This is one of the most intense episodes ever- Simon Baker is again at the top of his game. And for those of you who have seen it: I have a pretty good guess on who Red John might be. What do you think?

GOSSIP GIRL

OK, Gossip Girl is not an addiction but a guilty curiosity. It is not a show to be watched from beginning to end but rather watch on fast-forward to see what the authors did this time. How much more soap can you add to the opera after all? But this episode might actually the best one yet. Not only I watched more than I usually do but they added a pretty nice cliffhanger to the all the drama and romance and disasters. But please, somebody else make the wardrobe for Blaire. Her clothes are almost often dreadful. And Jenny should put on less make-up. The actress playing her is 16 just like her character. She might age pre-maturely. Just a thought.

GREY’S ANATOMY

Like Gossip Girl, if I watch Grey’s, it is most often on fast-forward. Or I just play in the background when I am doing something else. It wasn’t always like that. I loved this show during season 1. Than Season 2 was even better. Than they got too soapy and killed off one of my favorite characters. But hey, since this post is dedicated to finales, I thought I should check out Grey’s finale. Grey’s writers are good finales. Yes, they are never ever short of drama, complications, conflicts and emotional confrontations. Actually, they just overdo everything. e

Do you remember Dr. Burke? George O’ Malley? Izzie Stevens? Patient Denny Duquette?

But finales add action to the drama. There is suicide or murder or attacks…Guns and accidents go overboard, things get out of hand, some characters die and some survive. But this finale just took the action and tension way up:

Remember the guy whose wife was unplugged from the machine because she was brain-dead? Well, he gets in and kills and shoots more than he had initially planned. Lead or supporting, a lot of characters are endangered, lots of dangerous and risky calls are made and it is safe to say, if this was real life, all the parties involved would need serious therapy.

These are my takes on the finales. What are yours?

P.S. Desperate Housewives also had a pretty good ending to the 6^th season. But I think it had better finales before and did we really need that comeback?

OTHER TV SHOW POSTS

– The Forgotten starring Christian Slater

– Who’s The Boss? starring Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano

– NCIS Los Angeles starring Chris O’ Donnell

– My Own Worst Enemy starring Christian Slater

– Alias

– Chuck

– Modern Family

– Justified starring Timothy Olyphant

– Sex and The City

– Damages

Castle vs The Mentalist: Comparing Two Addictive Shows

Posted on April 29, 2010 Written by ripitup

I love both of these shows and I wrote introduction posts for both of them on my blog. But being a big fan who refuses to miss even one episode, I decided to write more on this fun topic. And after realizing many similarities between the shows, I decided to make this joint post.

If you need background info, you might check out my posts on The Mentalist and Castle. So, let’s roll with the fun similarities:

Both Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) are really good looking. They know it and they like it.
Both men love mind games. They also have a wicked sense of humor and they love misbehaving.
However Patrick is much less responsive to attention- since he lost his wife and kid a while ago.
Both men “consult” on the murder cases. Castle relies on his background information and his writer’s instincts. Patrick Jane is an awesome “mentalist” who is just great at reading people.
Both California Bureau of Investigation (CBI- assisted by Jane) and NYPD (assisted by Castle) have closed many cases, thanks to the main characters- whether their teammates accept it or not.
Even though their teams don’t always agree with them, they like their unorthodox helpers and have gotten used to the situation.
Both guys have very personal motives in helping the cases. Castle first needed to step in because a copycat murderer was committing the crimes as depicted in Castle’s novels. Then he realized the female detective and these cases would make for a great inspirational source. Patrick’s motives are can be considered more noble. He is after the serial killer who killed his wife and child. He is assisting the other cases for redemption and to have a sense of purpose.
Both Castle and Jane love being inappropriate: asking too direct questions, eating at the crime scene, enjoying the idea of being involved in a murder case… Both are originally good guys who just happen to like the thrill.
Both get to get in the investigation room. Simon Baker’s Patrick Jane however gets to use more “inappropriate” methods such as hypnosis. Not that he is allowed but it does get confessions.
They make a great team with the “boss”- the female detective in charge.
In both cases, team members provide comic relief in addition to the lead characters’ fun behavior.
Both men have a flirty/friendly relationships with the female detectives.

The Mentalist starring Robin Tunney and Simon Baker. Robin Tunney's Agent Lisbon gets annoyed and shocked by Jane often but she does like him a lot. Maybe in the future episodes...who knows? Photo from: http://mentalist.informe.com/gallery/

The Mentalist starring Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeowan and Amanda Righetti — The Mentalist Cast. From left: Robin Tunney, Simon Baker, Tim Kang, Owain Yeowan and Amanda Righetti. You can call them team Jane. Photo from: http://mentalist.informe.com

Castle starring Seamus Dever, Nathan Fillion, Jon Huertas and Stana Katic — Team Castle- from left: Seamus Dever, Nathan Fillion, Jon Huertas and Stana Katic. Photo from: http://www.tv.com/castle/show/

There are obviously many differences:

– Such as Castle is a happily divorced man (yes, he couldn’t be happier he is divorced) and his only daughter is alive and well.

– Castle provides the same amount of comic relief in each episode. The Mentalist is more of a drama/thriller so some episodes can get heavy- especially if it is about the serial killer Jane’s after.Castle also gets the right idea about the case by brainstorming with her daughter or just simply through a conversation.

– The attraction between Castle and Beckett is obvious. Jane and Lisbon are more friends than anything else. Jane is still mourning. Even though Castle and Beckett have feelings for each other, they just don’t act on it.

– Beckett’s boss is fond of Castle and loves having him around. Lisbon’s bosses? They are not exactly crazy about Jane.

If you have anything to add, please comment away.

Castle starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic

Posted on April 8, 2010 Written by ripitup

Castle series starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. Photo: http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/castle-nathan-fillion.jpg

Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a best-selling crime novelist. He is good-looking, fun-loving and having a blast. He has tons of fans, a teenage daughter so responsible that would make any parent jealous, a colorful/ex-actress of a mother and yeah, a lot of money. His one problem though, he is late delivering his final manuscript and his ex wife/publisher is doing his head in.

NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is a fan of the genre and Richard’s books. One very carefully arranged&decorated crime scene makes her realize that the killer is a copycat and she has to look for answers in Richard’s books. However, she is less than amused when she meets him in person. He is smart but a real wiseass who talks and flirts too much. He is also actually proud and happy that he has a copycat- something he can brag about at the poker games he plays with other best-selling authors. So Richard is more than happy to assist with the case. He gets to go to real crime scenes, disobey Kate’s orders, steal evidence (to help solve the case, but still…)….

When they solve their first case together, Kate can’t wait to get rid of Richard. However, Richard has other plans. He has decided on the protagonist of his new novel: A tough but hot female detective called Nikki Heat, based on none other than Kate. Moreover, he has also persuaded her captain that he should be allowed to hang out at the police station, follow her around and help solve the cases. Kate’s objections are of no use, because well… Richard has the mayor on speed dial, is friends with the judges and he knows what he is talking about.

So we have a half-mandatory/half-willing partnership with lots of intriguing murder cases, witty one-liners, funny events, some emotional moments and real chemistry between the two leads. Richard’s smug and flirting attitude is well-balanced with him being a loving father. This makes a show very entertaining to watch. Castle is engaging, thrilling and funny.

Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle. The casting couldn't have been more perfect. You just need to see the first 5 minutes of the first episode to agree with me. Photo: http://seat42f.com/images/stories/tvshows/Castle

You were probably familiar with Nathan Fillion before. I first watched him in Two Guys and a Girl (with Ryan Reynolds), co-starring as the Girl’s boyfriend (and then husband)- Johnny Donnelly. He later had the leading role on the short-lived but critically acclaimed sci-fi/thriller TV show Firefly, created by Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer). He guest-appeared on Buffy as one of the villains. He got to play his role in Firefly again when Joss Whedon made a movie out of the series, called Serenity. He has also appeared on Dracula 2000, starring Gerard Butler. It is always fun to watch Nathan on the screen – his performances are never strained or boring and you can always feel that the guy is really enjoying what he does, no matter what the role.

Stana Katic as Kate Beckett in Castle — Stana Katic. At 5'9

This is the first time I saw Stana Katic but I have to admit she does a really good job as Kate. Sure, her role is in the danger of being a little-clichéd- considering that she is the pretty, rule-obeying, smart, savvy yet emotionally preserved female character but the originality of the script, her fun cop friends and the presence of the character Richard, makes her character fun and easily watchable. I also love Castle’s scenes with his daughter- brainstorming on the murder cases with her. He is also one ” strange” parent that thinks her daughter should party more…

A show where I enjoy every minute of every episode. Strongly recommended- for everyone, especially so if you are into the crime/mystery genre attached to lovely comic relief.

Other Posts on Castle

Castle vs The Mentalist: Comparing Two Addictive Shows

Why Every Writer Should Watch Castle

Use of Social Media in TV Series featuring Castle, The Mentalist, House, Cougar Town and NCIS Los Angeles

Seven Engaging Tv Shows with Suspense Featuring Castle, The Mentalist, House, Ncis Los Angeles and More

Seven Famous Organization Acronyms From Television Featuring Ctu, Ncis, Csi and More

Castle on Amazon

Season 1

Season 2