Castle Round Table: "Kill Shot"
Castle ratcheted up the drama last Monday, airing an episode that took Beckett back to the time of her shooting. It was emotional stuff all around, anchored by an outstanding performance from Stana Katic.
Our Round Table panel of Chandel Charles, Jim Garner, Courtney Morrison and Christine Orlando needed a few extra days to analyze "Kill Shot," given all that went down during the hour, but they've finally returned for their weekly Q&A. Pull up a virtual chair and sound off with your thoughts now...
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What was your favorite scene?
Chandel: When Esposito made Beckett confront the gun that shot her. It was a really powerful moment and I don't think that anyone other than Esposito could have handled her and the situation quite like he did.
Jim: Beckett and Javier with the sniper rifle. We have never gotten to see the protective side of Javi the way we saw it here. No wonder Lanie is in love with him. I'm gonna start getting a man-crush at this rate.
Courtney: I loved Kate’s breakdown in her apartment where her PTSD was at its highest. Excellent acting by Katic once again. My other favorite? Espo shooting the sniper. He is quickly climbing to the top of my list of favorites.
Christine: I'm with the majority on this one. Kate and Javi talking over the sniper rifle. To have her in tears and admit how broken she feels and not have him flinch. Simply telling her she needs to turn it into a strength. It was such a powerful moment.
Did your opinion of Captain Gates change at all with this episode?
Chandel: I think she's been growing on me a bit throughout the season, even though I'm not completely sure how to read her.
Jim: She wasn't the total bitch we have come to expect. I think she is softening to the team.
Courtney: I had a feeling that with each passing episode she would get a little better. It’s not that she ever did anything wrong, she was just strict and by the books; not what we were used to.My feelings didn’t really change because I don’t really hate her. But I do appreciate her asking Castle case questions.
Christine: I'm with Courtney on this one: because I never hated her my feelings haven't changed. I did like that once Castle proved himself useful she didn't resist having him help with the case.
They seem to be playing with other pairings this season: Esposito and Beckett, Castle and Ryan, etc. Do you have a favorite?
Chandel: I think Esposito and Beckett are probably my favorite pairing. You realize just how much of a brother-sister relationship that they have when they interact. I'm really liking getting to know the groups dynamics in individual pairings as opposed to working all together all the time.
Jim: Ryan, Castle, Esposito as the Threee Elvises (Elvisi?) - by far the funniest parring of the year.
Courtney: Obviously Castle and Beckett stay at the top, but my second place goes to Esposito and Beckett. They are serious, don’t mess around type cops and they have each other’s backs. They don’t need the joking mentality because they are just two bad ass cops.
Christine: I've always loved Becket and Esposito. They have this great underlying brother/sister vibe that has been their since season one. They want the best for one another and they have each other's backs. It's a relationship that continues to get stronger.
Do you want Michael Dorn to stick around as Beckett's therapist?
Chandel: Yes, if only so that we get to see more moments of Beckett getting real and confronting her trauma and how she wants to move forward.
Jim: OMG, I want Michael Dorn as my therapist! Dorn is doing such a great job of being reassuring and supportive but making Beckett take a hard look at herself, and I swear his deep voice could melt butter! How could you not feel better after an hour of those soothing tones.
Courtney: He can stick around as long as he wants, as long as he is fixing Beckett in the process.
Christine: That voice. I could listen to it all day long. I love that we finally get a glimpse into what Kate is thinking and feeling. I only hope we get to a point where she's talking about happier things soon.
What do you think of the relationship between Castle and Beckett this season?
Chandel: It's had a pronounced tendency to be less spicy or sexually charged as it used to be. It's like the games aren't as necessary anymore and Beckett is still trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. And I really like it. I can feel the growth in their relationship without being slapped in the face with it.
Jim: Stop stalling! I'm okay with slow, but this is "stopped" - this was the perfect episode for them to get closer, maybe have Kate either tell the whole truth that she remembers or she could tell Castle she's "beginning" to remember. and nothing!!! GAAAAH!!!
Courtney: As much as I want them to be a couple, I’m fine with it. They had the push and pull seasons prior, they both had other relationships. And although we know they are endgame and the chemistry is on fire, they have built a solid foundation as friends and as partners and that will come in handy in the future.
Christine: I'm with Jim. As much as I love the progression, I need more. I was actually a little disappointed with the last scene because it felt like there should have been more of a connection between the two. Castle said "Always" but the emotion didn't come across the screen for me. Plus, I think we'll get back to some real fun once these two become romantically involved. I just can't wait.
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December 8th, 2011 9:27 AM
I was a little iffy on Kill-shot because there are several times where Castle's professed feelings for Becket should have made him step in to help her but he didn't (how could he have left her to face the sniper on her own? And all those fears about a lack of feelings have been redoubled after cuffed (lots of awkward comedy and contrived sexual innuendo, but no tenderness and affection. It's starting to feel like these two characters don't want to be together; like they're dealing with being forced together, but they don't really care how their relationship turns out, and if they don't care why should we care?
December 7th, 2011 8:39 PM
@RubsBlue - Sounds like you've been watching reruns of Moonlighting. :D. That was the setup that started that show's rapid decline. (The instant split-up, NOT the getting together.) While that losing formula has been used since then, Marlowe has a way of rewriting the playbook. I think he's heading for something a bit more complicated - like how adults deal with the one they love when that person hurts or disappoints them. You can be angry without breaking up and throwing everything away.
I loved all the Beckett and Esposito stuff, and yes, the scene with the rifle is probably my favorite.
With Gates, I like that they moved away from her being only about covering her butt and looking good for her career. There's more of her being an actual COP at heart and it adds depth. I'm curious to know more of her backstory.
Okay, the Caskett question...I'm mostly with Courtney in that I like the way they've worked on Kate facing that she needs to work on herself. Given all she's been
December 4th, 2011 4:00 AM
OT a little bit Joy :)
But I was watching an ep of "Police Women of Dallas" and one of the young officers accidentally called the female Sergeant "Sir". And she ripped him a new one for doing that. Don't you call me Sir only the suspects call me Sir!! lmao. Now that's a for real experience from a senior female cop...
Anyhoo moving on ....
Rank: Regular Character
December 3rd, 2011 12:04 PM
1. Agreed with most people - the scene with Esposito and Beckett confronting the gun that shot her was absolutely powerful.
2. Well, I always liked Gates and I've been saying forever that people just need to give her time. So this episode was just validation for me.
3. Esposito and Beckett have had the most charged pairing so far, but I really liked Beckett and Ryan from the 3XK episode this season.
4.(swoon) Oh yeah...
5. I'm okay with how they're progressing, it seems natural to me. But part of me just wishes they'd get on with it so we can get back to the banter that they used to have. I miss the light-hearted jabs they used to take at each other, and the jokes they used to make.
December 2nd, 2011 3:45 PM
I thought it was a great show great writers its hard to pick out a favorite part its all so good and flows so well Espo and Beckett with the rifle and Beckett lossing it in her apartment also when she talk to the shrink and agrees to go forward
December 2nd, 2011 11:26 AM
1 - This is really tough for me because I was moved by several of the scenes and moments. My top 3 would have to be Kate and Espo in the evidence room, the final scene between Kate and Castle and the final scene with Kate and the doctor. Even though the final, "Always," fell a little flat for me in the last scene with Castle, I still love the very real moments between these two. I like that Castle told her flat out that she was a handful and that she owed him coffee. I've loved every scene with Dorn and this last one was such a beautiful turning point.
2 - I'm giving Gates a lot more credit now that she has acknowledged Castle's worth on the case. I'm sure we haven't reached a point of total acceptance yet, but this episode went a long way towards convincing me that she will keep an open mind now in regards to Castle.
3 - I like Ryan and Castle together. I think Ryan has always tended to see things Castle's way and now he's trying to think things through like Castle does. They'r
Rank: Guest Star
December 1st, 2011 5:49 PM
-Favorite moment- Kate and Javi with the sniper rifle. Thought he did a great job telling her she could come out of this stronger.
-I've never hated her like some but I agree that she'll accept Castle little by little each week but I don't think she'll ever completely like him.
-Esposito and Beckett rocked it. Espo is the man.
-Who knew Worf would make such a great therapist?
-I think they need to move it forward more. I'm hoping "Cuffed" moves it along or else I might start to get bored.
December 1st, 2011 11:51 AM
I saw Nathan on tv the other day. Looks like he for holding off Beckett,Castle relatoinship for a while. But Stana is for getting it done! Ive read all 3 Nikki Heat books and they have the hottest sexual relationship ever! It hasnt effected their work relationship at all,just gotten them closer.
November 30th, 2011 9:56 AM
The Captain is still being called "Sir", I just cringe whenever that happens, previous statement was Castle finally called her "Captain" was that so hard to do???
How much space is too much space? Well now their giving Caskett a lot of space while we work out our feelings. Somebody shoot me!! (Mentally kicking some writer up the ass for that one) sheesh.
You either love the guy or you don't, this isn't rocket science ya know. Real life by now I would have mentally given the finger to the Captain and Kate and moved on with my life. Look if someone tells you I want to have some time to myself, call you in a few days, 3 months goes by and not a word until she wants something from you. I'd say that's a huge honking whale and an elephant in the room telling you "damaged goods" and move on.
Ok Rant over...
I went over the ep 4 or 5 times and I didn't get any emotion between Caskett even at the end if she had ran her finger over his shoulder or touched his arm instead of maintaining the p
Rank: Extra
November 29th, 2011 9:37 PM
I don't like the way things are going for the couple. I can predict they're going to (finally) get together for one episode just to pull them apart because Beckett will discover the secrets Castle has around her shooting.