After what seemed like the longest Castle hiatus ever, our favorite murder mystery solvers were back on the scene this week.

I had my hesitations going into “Nikki Heat” because this was the first episode really integrating Castle’s movie into the show. After watching, I have to say I couldn’t have been more pleased.

[Photo: ABC]

Laura Prepon guest starred as the actress (Natalie) starring in Heat Wave. Although I am fan of Prepon, I can hardly picture her as anything but Donna Pinciotti (from That ’70’s Show). However, I was gladly proven wrong, as Prepon was fantastic in this role, mimicking Beckett perfectly and even managing to pull of the perfect look of the detective.

Bringing in Natalie was another great way to depict the connection between Castle and Beckett, as well as Ryan and Esposito. The tables turned with their feelings toward Natalie, and it showed Beckett’s emotions watching the actress maul her writer.

Having Natalie call out Beckett on their relationship was priceless, as she delivered some of the funniest quotes of the hour; first, asking if Castle was gay because he turned her down; and then calling his writing of Beckett “verbal masturbation. Both were just what we needed in an episode where Castle wasn’t delivering his usual amount of one-liners.

Being a fan of the Castle/Beckett relationship has caused me to desire action between the two sooner rather than later. But something Natalie said showed why this relationship has so many viewers rooting for them: Less is more.

We get a little bit of this couple each week, just enough to build up the excitement and see that there is a foundation between the two, not just physical attraction.

Detective Ryan got more screen time than usual, as well, and it was well deserved. His proposal to his girlfriend was a nice change from the twisty murders and I hope he continues to get more stories on his own. We also have another relationship to to look forward to. Yes, I'm looking at you, Esposito and Lanie.

Although Castle receives critical praise, it's never up for any real awards. This drives me crazy because it finds a balance between the weekly case and all the relationship drama that cannot be easy to do. You could actually watch Castle on mute and still be entertained because the actors are the best in the game at wearing their emotions. Take a look at Beckett’s face when Castle had the engagement ring in her hand. Priceless.

Clearly, I am glad that Castle has made its way back on our screens after the winter hiatus. How about you? Did “Nikki Heat” live up to your expectations?