Castle: Driven
September 29, 2014 9:56 PM - Season 7, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Kate Beckett is faced with the toughest case of her career after finding Castle's car engulfed in flames.
Beckett needs to lighten up. After all they have been through, how can she not give him the benefit of the doubt?
posted by davidmsc at 11:28 PM on September 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by davidmsc at 11:28 PM on September 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
Car crash followed by mysterious absence plus amnesia is giving me bad Alias flashbacks. I'm still annoyed that the writers felt the need to pull Castle and Beckett apart, really hope they don't go down the road of having Castle & Beckett discover that Castle was the mastermind behind his own disappearance because he was trying to protect everyone from something, and then have a whole season of 'will Beckett ever be able to forgive him?'
posted by oh yeah! at 5:41 AM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by oh yeah! at 5:41 AM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
I read some article recently where the person in charge of Castle basically said what Jacqueline mentioned above. I think he phrased it as the fact that this season they were going to explore Castle's past.
My least favorite parts of Castle have been the Beckett's mom conspiracy and the 3XK serial killer.
I also agree that Beckett seemed willing to think poorly of Castle pretty quickly. This is a guy who was willing to stay with her and be blown up when she was standing on top of a bomb. Yet she really believes he would abandon her because he was too scared to get married. Plus, what rich guy would leave with only $10K in cash?
posted by bove at 11:29 AM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
My least favorite parts of Castle have been the Beckett's mom conspiracy and the 3XK serial killer.
I also agree that Beckett seemed willing to think poorly of Castle pretty quickly. This is a guy who was willing to stay with her and be blown up when she was standing on top of a bomb. Yet she really believes he would abandon her because he was too scared to get married. Plus, what rich guy would leave with only $10K in cash?
posted by bove at 11:29 AM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
"My least favorite parts of Castle have been the Beckett's mom conspiracy and the 3XK serial killer."
posted by bove at 5:29 AM on October 1
Whereas I think they were the strongest parts of the show to date.
I really enjoyed the first season or two of Castle, but around the middle of the second season or sometime in the third, I realised that the average episode of Castle followed a pretty rigid formula that goes like this.
1. MURDER!
2. Castle and Beckett are doing something cute when they are called in to investigate the MURDER!
3. Castle and Beckett interview suspects, at least one of whom will be lying to them and is not the murderer.
4. Castle and Beckett suspect the person who lied to them is the murderer.
5. Javi and Ryan do something to justify being in this episode.
6. Castle and Beckett learn the person who lied to them is not the murderer.
7. Out of leads, Castle returns home and talks with his daughter and/or mother which leads to a tangential revelation as to whom the murderer is.
8. Castle and Beckett catch the murderer.
Seriously. This describes the average "Mystery of the Week" episode of Castle. Whereas the Beckett's mum and 3XK episodes usually did something entirely different or new. They were the episodes I found most engaging.
So by Season 4 I was pretty bored and only watched the show out of a desire to spend time with my wife, who loves the show. But by the end of Season 6, I decided even that wasn't enough of a reason and I had resolved to bow out from this point on. But this new focus sounds semi-interesting, if a bit shark-jumpy. I'll give the new season a few episodes and see how it goes from there.
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:26 PM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by bove at 5:29 AM on October 1
Whereas I think they were the strongest parts of the show to date.
I really enjoyed the first season or two of Castle, but around the middle of the second season or sometime in the third, I realised that the average episode of Castle followed a pretty rigid formula that goes like this.
1. MURDER!
2. Castle and Beckett are doing something cute when they are called in to investigate the MURDER!
3. Castle and Beckett interview suspects, at least one of whom will be lying to them and is not the murderer.
4. Castle and Beckett suspect the person who lied to them is the murderer.
5. Javi and Ryan do something to justify being in this episode.
6. Castle and Beckett learn the person who lied to them is not the murderer.
7. Out of leads, Castle returns home and talks with his daughter and/or mother which leads to a tangential revelation as to whom the murderer is.
8. Castle and Beckett catch the murderer.
Seriously. This describes the average "Mystery of the Week" episode of Castle. Whereas the Beckett's mum and 3XK episodes usually did something entirely different or new. They were the episodes I found most engaging.
So by Season 4 I was pretty bored and only watched the show out of a desire to spend time with my wife, who loves the show. But by the end of Season 6, I decided even that wasn't enough of a reason and I had resolved to bow out from this point on. But this new focus sounds semi-interesting, if a bit shark-jumpy. I'll give the new season a few episodes and see how it goes from there.
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:26 PM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
But... I like that formula.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:35 PM on September 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 7:35 PM on September 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
Considering I missed the entire last season more or less (long story) I was not prepared for how Beckett's reaction in the immediate aftermath was going to affect me emotionally. I'm a little leery of this plot line, but I'll give it time.
I like the story-arc episodes, but I also like the mystery-of-the-week ones. The one thing I've always liked about Castle is that they show genuine detective work most of the time. Digging through boxes of files, magnetic whiteboards, shoe leather interviews, things like that. Not fake computer stuff like on CSI or most detective shows, but things that real detectives do.
Anyway, I have complicated feelings about this show (like I said, long story), but I'm glad to have y'all to talk about it with.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:35 PM on September 30, 2014
I like the story-arc episodes, but I also like the mystery-of-the-week ones. The one thing I've always liked about Castle is that they show genuine detective work most of the time. Digging through boxes of files, magnetic whiteboards, shoe leather interviews, things like that. Not fake computer stuff like on CSI or most detective shows, but things that real detectives do.
Anyway, I have complicated feelings about this show (like I said, long story), but I'm glad to have y'all to talk about it with.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:35 PM on September 30, 2014
I mean, isn't the formula structure basic to the nature of all TV procedurals? Crime-of-the-week teaser, introduction of suspects, initial false solution, final twist, resolution. Nothing wrong with a formula if there are interesting characters in the framework.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:50 PM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by oh yeah! at 8:50 PM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
Well, I've certainly seen worse ways to delay getting a protagonist couple together than this. Anyone else remember being strung along by Lois and Clark for years and years and years? Every time they were about to get married, some chaos would happen in Metropolis to split them temporarily and delay the wedding. The worst was when it was revealed the real Lois had been kidnapped and replaced by a clone that was part frog. And Clark/Superman didn't even notice! So, basically, so long as Castle isn't a frogman, I'm OK with the new story arc.
posted by Servo5678 at 5:10 AM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 5:10 AM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Isn't this the third time there's been an "oh man Castle's the bad guy!!!!" thing? I want to say it was the season 2 opener and then the time when 3XK was framing him, but was there another time as well?
posted by punchtothehead at 8:27 AM on October 1, 2014
posted by punchtothehead at 8:27 AM on October 1, 2014
I've given up on the premise. And the formula. Both are ridiculous. Yet...I keep watching. It's like visual diet coke. I can't quit it!
(It's because the characters are a delight.)
posted by double bubble at 5:34 AM on October 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
(It's because the characters are a delight.)
posted by double bubble at 5:34 AM on October 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
I thought they short-changed Alexis on this one. Her dad is missing. Complete missed opportunity for interesting interaction between Alexis and Kate.
posted by double bubble at 5:36 AM on October 2, 2014
posted by double bubble at 5:36 AM on October 2, 2014
Word on Alexis. I do not buy that she'd be that calm, at ANY point. Just not realistic. She and Castle are so intertwined that I expected something much more like Kate's reaction at the car instead of her breathy "oh!" I don't like her character, though, so maybe I'm biased.
posted by devinemissk at 6:32 AM on October 2, 2014
posted by devinemissk at 6:32 AM on October 2, 2014
I was cracking the shit up at Castle's "But I'd never camp there because I did research on tsunamis and now I'm afraid of water....Remember how my beach house is inland?" LOLOLOLOLOL, indeed.
I so far hate this plot a lot less than 3XK (or whatever that is) and Beckett's mom, so that's good. On the other hand, I really wonder how they're going to justify Castle being gone for 2 months with no memory when as far as we know he's never had DID or anything reasonable to justify such a thing. I would haul him to a hypnotist ASAP. I know this show likes to get crazy with the time travel so some kind of weird scientific brainwashing showing up isn't quite out of the question, but.... this is gonna be super hard for them to pull off, I think.
If I were Kate, I'd honestly really be giving him the cold shoulder for awhile, memory or no. Theoretically/supposedly he bailed on the wedding to go off and commit crimes or something and otherwise act entirely unlike himself--whether or not he remembers it, I would have serious pause about him for awhile until this is investigated further.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:55 AM on October 8, 2014
I so far hate this plot a lot less than 3XK (or whatever that is) and Beckett's mom, so that's good. On the other hand, I really wonder how they're going to justify Castle being gone for 2 months with no memory when as far as we know he's never had DID or anything reasonable to justify such a thing. I would haul him to a hypnotist ASAP. I know this show likes to get crazy with the time travel so some kind of weird scientific brainwashing showing up isn't quite out of the question, but.... this is gonna be super hard for them to pull off, I think.
If I were Kate, I'd honestly really be giving him the cold shoulder for awhile, memory or no. Theoretically/supposedly he bailed on the wedding to go off and commit crimes or something and otherwise act entirely unlike himself--whether or not he remembers it, I would have serious pause about him for awhile until this is investigated further.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:55 AM on October 8, 2014
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posted by Jacqueline at 10:16 PM on September 29, 2014 [1 favorite]