Comments on: Summer Media: Castle

By: FireflyFlan

FireflyFlan — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:15:51 +0000

Castle is the one show I look forward to week after week, mainly because it doesn’t try to be anything other than a fun, character-driven show in a police procedural format.

Small correction … Stephen J. Cannell is not a producer on Castle. His only connection to the show is as an actor — technically as himself — an author friend of Rick and one of his poker buddies along with James Patterson and Michael Connolly.

By: Erin Copple Smith

Erin Copple Smith — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:41:03 +0000

This is too funny–a group of us had this exact discussion over drinks last night! From the Bones reset button right through to a debate over the merits of ramping up the will-they-won’t-they at the end of Castle’s season. We came to much the same conclusion as you have here, although we wondered if the push on the Castle-Beckett coupling was a bit too much too soon. Here’s hoping for those delicious complications!

By: Noel Kirkpatrick

Noel Kirkpatrick — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:44:05 +0000

There’s absolutely an expiration with the will-they-won’t-they issue, and I do think Bones with this season realized they needed to do something to remedy that. Which is probably the result of the “reset” button they more or less hit with the finale.

I was a bit surprised by how the show pushed on the Castle-Beckett coupling in the later portion of this season (Trucco’s still pretty boring as an actor), but I chalk that up to the fact that the writers and Katic have a stronger grip on Beckett than they did in S1, so they felt more comfortable to play that heartstring-tugging scene in the S2 finale and lead to (hopefully) delicious complications in S3.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:36:47 +0000

Erin, you already know how much I love Castle! But, what I like about it is how it uses the procedural structure to flesh out character in a way that is reminiscent of mystery novel traditions (like the ones Castle writes?). Mystery series’ protagonists, from Holmes to Stephanie Plum to House, are often themselves the appeal. Castle’s family, bits of his history, personality quirks, etc are allowed to shine through the show in a way that L&O characters’ aren’t – the story of the week is just fodder for getting to know Castle (and Beckett, and Ryan and Esposito to a lesser extent).

By: Erin Copple Smith

Erin Copple Smith — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:23:51 +0000

That's an interesting take, Noel, and I think you're right. We've been big Bones fans around my house, but lately, the show's gotten awfully tired, I think. Your comment that it's become a bit too comfortable in its formula is dead-on. And you're right that it's here that Castle really succeeds. Plus, I think there's a real expiration date issue with will-they-won't-they odd couple pairings, and Bones may have reached (or nearly so) that date. Castle's relative newness means that we're still excited by the prospect of a Castle-Beckett coupling, rather than tired by the constant push-pull dynamic.

By: Noel Kirkpatrick

Noel Kirkpatrick — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:17:05 +0000

I enjoy Castle thoroughly (though I stopped watching it live when Law & Order changed days) despite tonal issues (grisly murders with not quite black or cynical enough humor to go with them). I was pleased when the show's ratings started picking up and that ABC liked the show enough to let it build an audience (plus it'll do smashingly well in syndication, and I think ABC Studios has been looking for a solid hit there). And I think it's a more entertaining UST/procedural than Bones, which has become a bit too comfortable in its formula and lacks a strong emotional core: I like the supporting cast (particularly Sweets) more than Booth or Brennan, whereas I think Castle deploys its supporting cast in ways that enhances the two leads' dynamics.