A Writer and his Muse: "Castle"

 



When I was around the age of eleven years old I was going through a great deal. During that time, my main focus was schooling, ballet, and trying to be a good daughter. In spite of all this, one of the few things I had was television, and would try to watch what I could when I had the time. One of the shows I vividly remember watching - at least once or twice was the ABC series “Castle”. Unfortunately I never fully got into the series but tucked it in the back of my brain for years to come. Most recently Lifetime channel brought back  “Castle” for regular viewing and I decided (in the midst of decorating for Christmas and doing housework when I am not in class) to start the show from the start. The series is a mix of drama, light-hearted humor, investigating murder mysteries, and the partnership of the two leads Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Katherine “Kate” Beckett (Stana Katic). The latter is a young, but strong and well-knowledged NYPD homicide detective, while Castle is a successful murder mystery novelist. In a chance meeting following a murder committed similar to one of Castle’s books, Detective Beckett brings Castle into the prescient for questioning in “Flowers for Your Grave” (season 1, episode 1). Upon declaring his innocence, despite being a charismatic, suave and shall I say, womanizing charmer - Castle goes free, yet maintains a connection to Beckett. As the pilot continues, Castle and Beckett eventually “team-up”, not exactly to her liking, and unconventionally solve the case. In closing, the two characters start to part ways with Castle inviting Beckett to "go to dinner" and “debrief each other”. When turned down, Castle states “it would have been great”, and a quipping Beckett replies “you have no idea”... walking away with a smile. That smile soon turns upside down when Beckett returns back to the precinct and is told by her Captain that the mayor has a new idea for the NYPD as a certain writer was inspired to start a new set of novels based on a certain detective. This writer would have to accompany Beckett and the team as they gain inspiration to write. The camera turns to a smiling Castle, indicating a whole new adventure for the team - especially Beckett - has begun. (For those who have not seen the series, and would like to read further, be aware that there are many disclosures about "Castle"!)


Despite Castle having two failed marriages, one of his greatest accomplishments was His daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn). Co-raised by Castle and his mother, Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan), Alexis grew up through the series from high school to college to post-school life. Despite being written in a modern age, Alexis was well-behaved and although sometimes smarter than her father, never disrespected him or his past. Having a somewhat positive father-daughter relationship in a series was refreshing to see, especially since both father and daughter loved each other. Likewise, Castle’s ever-so-opinionated and flamboyant mother, Martha was a highlight of the series. Given the nature of Castle’s personality, it is no doubt that some characteristics did not match his mother. Her journey on the series grew a great deal from the “Auntie Mame” unconventional mother, to trying to land comeback leads in the next play to establishing her own school of acting and eventually launching a book based on her “unsolicited advice”. Martha was a gem in the series - especially her dynamic and respect for Castle’s partner Kate Beckett. In regard to the latter, it is evident that the moment Martha met Kate, she wanted her to be the next Mrs. Castle. For seasons to come, a “will they - won’t they” undertone encompassed the Castle/Beckett relationship, especially around season 2. The entire premise of the series having Castle and Beckett’s partnership centered on his novels (the “Nikki Heat” series to be exact) carried the show on a constant adventure. The backstory of Beckett was good, yet believably tragic. After becoming an accomplished lawyer, Beckett’s mother Joanna was gruesomely stabbed to death when her daughter was only 19. This left Kate Beckett with a changed future, which paved the path for her to choose a career in Law Enforcement - and saves her father from the dark path of alcoholism. As Beckett grew older, she would find solace in her mother’s memory, yet haunted that justice was never served as the killing was closed as a “random act of violence.” As the series would eventually continue, the truth of Joanna Beckett’s murder would become a catalyst of the series from the attempted assassination of  Kate Beckett, up until the very last episode. Along the way of constant searching for answers and traveling down rabbit holes that lead her into darkness, Richard Castle would remain close beside Beckett along the way. He became her shoulder to lean on, friend to count on, and partner who loved her more than anything else. It was no doubt that by the season 3 finale, Beckett developed feelings for Castle and visa versa. One can only watch the “I love you Kate…I love you” in “Knockout” (season 3, episode 24) and see by Beckett’s tear her feelings were there for Castle all along. It would not be until another season that the Castle/Beckett ship set sail in “Always” (season 4, episode 23), and the partnership would change for good. After many more episodes filled with drama, love, despair, and more love - Castle and Beckett would finally marry and become Mr. and Mrs. Castle. The chemistry between Fillion and Katic would remain electric, especially in the darling season 5. As a viewer who is very specific with couples and romances in TV and film, Castle and Beckett were an “A” in my book. The cute glances and deep-rooted partnership gave a good background prior to and post becoming a couple. I would also like to point out that despite having some sultry moments, “Castle” never overly sexualized Castle and Beckett to that of an HBO drama, and despite some intimate scenes, they tastefully brought them together in their deepest moments of love. Overall, Castle and Beckett became one of my favorite TV couples and I give immense credit to the portrayers and writers for giving the viewers such a couple. In closing, I think giving Castle and Beckett a code word for their most poignant and special moments in the form of “always” brought the viewers back to the episode in which they finally made their love cemented. 



                                                                     Castle and Beckett seasons 1-8

In addition to the Castle/Beckett dynamic, Detectives Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) brought levity to the series, as their “buddy-cop” relationship evolved over the years. Ryan, the goody-two-shoes Irish Catholic always showed himself to be a sweet, yet invested NYPD detective. His relationship and honorable qualities as a fiancée and eventual husband to Jenny O’Malley (Juliana Dever) were a highlight for me in the show, especially given the natural chemistry between the real-life husband and wife. I thought it was wonderful to have such a positive depiction of a police couple, especially when Kevin and Jenny were trying to conceive a baby (Sarah Grace). Eventually, the series ended with the couple having two healthy children, with Ryan even working extra jobs to support his family. Likewise, Detective Esposito, despite having a tough “street” attitude showed himself to have a good heart behind the leather jacket. One of my favorite episodes “Secret Santa” (season 5, episode 9) really showcased Esposito and his love for not only being an NYPD detective but having a sense of community appreciation for those he served.


Coming up the higher chain of command, one must give acclaim to the Captains of Castle’s 12th Precinct. From seasons 1-3, Captain Montgomery was the glue that linked Castle and Beckett to continue having a partnership, especially given Castle’s friendship with the mayor. Politically savvy and although having some harsh realities of the past, Captain Montgomery was a fine police captain and family man. Following his tragic demise, Captain Victoria Gates (played by Penny Johnson Jerald) stole the captain’s chair as her personality and wit fit right into the series. Coming from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and portraying one of my favorite characters, Kasidy Yates, I knew from the start that Captain Gates would eventually become one of my favorites on “Castle”. In spite of having a cold disposition towards Richard Castle and his unconventional behavior, deep down Captain Gates respected Castle and his love for Beckett. Lastly, my appreciation for Captain Gates was shown in her love and respect for the uniform of the NYPD and the pride she took as a police captain. Being a strong and dignified woman in a commanding position is never easy, but Captain Gates was a lovely example of a woman who held her own - and precinct with class. Outside of the NYPD Headquarters, “Castle” also presented two reoccurring medical examiners, Sidney Perlmutter (Ayer Gross) and Lanie Parish (Tamala Jones). The latter, being my preferred examiner was not only good at her job (despite the series’ inaccurate portrayal of hair and makeup at crime scenes), but I also enjoyed her friendship with Beckett. It was refreshing to have a girlfriend’s girlfriend dynamic on the show and see the feminine side of Beckett, even admitting her feelings about Castle to Parish before even telling Castle. In all, the main cast members of “Castle” were pretty good for an ABC series, carrying chemistry; which is sorely needed when having a levity-filled drama. 


Throughout the series, the writers (particularly in seasons 3-5) did an excellent job of creating a charming chemistry between the Castle and Beckett relationship, and the cases they solved. From paying homage to “Murder She Wrote”, “Hart to Hart”, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, “The X-Files” and “Star Trek”, the show knew how to pull on the heartstrings of a classic TV viewer. Now, hoping that I have still kept my readers interested, and albeit these facets, I must point out my dislikes of the series. No series is perfect and there will always be an episode or two that you are not fond of. For me, that was the case, particularly in season 8 where I found “Castle” had run its course and should have ended in season 7. This comes from a place of no disrespect to the actors, actresses, and writers, but following the departure of showrunner Andrew Marlowe, it was evident the show greatly changed. No longer were the days of Castle and Beckett solving crimes side-by-side, nor hardly any mention of the “Nikki Heat” novels - the show went all-in for their big villain, LokStat which was connected to the Joanna Beckett murder (dubbed “The Beckett Conspiracy”). Although the storyline was not entirely bad in my opinion, I feel it took away from the vibrant aspect of the series and the original Castle/Beckett dynamic of solving strange homicides in the streets of NYC. The show became convoluted and darker, which did not fit the "Castle" dynamic. Having Beckett become Captain was too unbelievable for me, especially given the knowledge of how many years you have to be on the police force to become a Captain and given the age Beckett was at the time of this leadership position. Given that “Castle” had that old-style of crime drama series of the past, an inaccuracy here and there did not affect me that much as I knew I was not watching something such as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” or a true-crime docudrama on Investigation Discovery. I also disliked the breaking up of Castle and Beckett which was quite unnecessary. In the end, like most fairytales, everything worked out in the end, and we saw the couple reunite and survive the storm of season 8. Lastly, the unbeknownst departure of Captain Gates was not entirely believable and I think that the series could have showcased Martha Rodgers a bit more in the final season. Despite these factors, I was glad to have watched the series and thought it made a successful run. Every show has its pros and cons, so each viewer has the ability to come to the conclusion they see fit. For a modern show, I thought the casting was great, keeping the camaraderie classic for levity, and complicated when needed for dramatic purposes. 


In closing, I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in a cute, fun, and entertaining drama focused on the partnership of two characters. Despite the final season being most of my least-favorite aspects of the show, that does not mean the show is not worth a watch - and re-watch. The adorable quips and modern take on classic crime-solving duos made this show the gem it was. I thought Detective Kate Beckett was a decent role model for young women, especially those interested in helping others in the field of Law Enforcement, and for any hopeless romantic, the Castle-Beckett dynamic made the series what it was. A show that made you “always” remember how love and loyalty triumph in the end. 



                                                “Every writer needs inspiration…and I found mine. Always”





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