Castle Midseason Report Card: A-
With the first half of the season behind us - and as we brace for Meredith's return in "Significant Others" on January 7 - let's take a look back at Castle Season 5 so far, shall we?
We've already submitted midseason reports for Once Upon a Time and The Mentalist, so read on and see if you agree with our grade for Castle thus far this year...
Best Episode: This category was quite difficult as we've had some wonderful episodes this season but the winner was "Secret's Safe With Me." Castle dropping Alexis off at college was incredibly sweet and Castle and Beckett shared one of the most sexy, romantic handshakes in TV history. Runners up: The great drama in "Probable Cause" and the scifi, campy fun of "Final Frontier."
Worst Episode: "Swan Song." I know some fans enjoyed the unique documentary style format but I hated it. The inside joke of characters either overacting or becoming wallflowers in front of the camera ran it's course rather quickly. It's one of the few Castle episodes that I was grateful to see end.
Biggest Improvement: Duh. Definitely Castle and Beckett finally becoming a couple. I don't think the show could have survived another season of the Will they?/Won't they? without frustrating it's fans past their tolerance levels. Now we are blessed with a fun, sexy, romance to go along with our weekly dose of whodunit.
Biggest Disappointment: Surprisingly there haven't been any huge disappointments this season but there were a couple of small ones. I wished the morning after scene in "After the Storm" could have given us a minute or two more of bliss before the real world…and Martha came crashing in. And all of the interruptions to Castle and Beckett's first romantic weekend getaway in "Murder, He Wrote" started to test my patience in an otherwise solid outing.
Hopes for 2013:
- I'm dying for the past to resurface and have Kate admit to Castle that she almost went to the Hamptons with him at the end of Castle season 2… before he sauntered off with ex-wife Gina.
- How did Beckett start reading Castle's books? Will we and Richard Castle ever know?
- More girl time. Alexis and Kate, Kate and Lanie. And most especially Kate and Martha. There hasn't been nearly enough of these two strong but very different woman and since I'm a huge fan of Susan Sullivan I really want to see more.
- Can Capt. Gates and Castle get trapped in an elevator and be forced to actually talk to one another? I'm not sure what they'd say but I know I want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
- More romance! A Castle crime mystery is always fun but after waiting five seasons for some lovin', there can't possibly be enough to satisfy.
Overall Grade: A-
Now it's your turn, Castle fans. Give us your grade for this season of Castle.
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C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
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February 4th, 2013 11:37 PM
Best: Murder, He Wrote. Finally at the end, some romance!! And we got to see K and R in a new environment, that was refreshing too.
Worst: Swan Song. Did not enjoy the format or the case.
Biggest Improvement: We no longer wonder if they will get together.
Biggest Disappointment: Together is a lot less interesting, flirtatious, fun and sexy than not together. What on earth happened? Where is the banter, the teasing, the spark? The actors seem to have lost all interest in their characters; the entire cast seems blah. Perhaps it's the writing, it has lost the fun; the teasing. I was a diehard fan, now I forget that it's Monday sometimes. Tonight was another dud on the romance front. Not even a kiss between two people who waited 4 years to get together.
January 9th, 2013 5:50 PM
…Continued. Secondly, I too would like a little more heat and passion in the “Caskett” relationship but I think we have to keep in mind the comfort levels of the actors. Just because they’ve been flawlessly acting out the verbal banter and flirting for many years doesn’t mean it’s such an easy thing to now start doing the physical part – no matter how talented and professional they may be. I think a lot of what’s been going on (or not going on as the case may be) is in part based on the comfort levels of Fillion and Katic. It’s one thing for us to expect a passionate love scene or two in a movie or mini-series and something else to expect it in every episode of a 22-24 episode season. (I realize not all of you are wanting *that* much passion but it sounds like it.) I’m just saying, could we use a little more physical passion? Yes, but we have to cut them some slack too.
January 9th, 2013 5:49 PM
What I want to see for 2013: First of all better ratings! I know viewership is down across the board for all networks but the longer a first-run show is on the air the more expensive it becomes to produce. If “Castle” can’t bring up the numbers in the 18-49 demo it may be in trouble. “Castle” usually wins in total viewers for the hour but almost always get beaten in the demo and high numbers in the demo is what keeps a show on the air. So please tell all your 18-49 year old friends and neighbors to watch it live (not just DVR, online, ON DEMAND, etc.) and try to recruit more people in that age range to the show. Thank you. Continued….
January 9th, 2013 4:17 PM
Last weeks was one of the best. Kate needs to start calling him Rick. Maybe for valentines day a charm engraved with always could be a gift from one of them. She showed two different personalities when in the hamptons and then when she is at work. Great show
January 9th, 2013 3:43 PM
"Swan Song" isn't even worth a re-watch, I'm sorry to say. :-(
January 9th, 2013 3:37 PM
Also, I think we know how Beckett started reading Castle’s books. It was after her mom’s murder. They were one of things that helped her through it and she loved how, unlike in her mom’s case, the author (Castle) was able to think outside the box in terms of figuring out a murder. I *think* most of this was mentioned/touched upon in the episode “Little Girl Lost” vis-a-vis Beckett’s old boyfriend, Sorenson. Sorenson wondered why she’s never told Castle about it and how, years ago, she once stood in line for hours waiting for his autograph at a book signing.
January 9th, 2013 3:36 PM
I think only thing I disagreed with you on was “Best Episode.” I’d have to say “After the Strom” is the winner. Not only because it was a superbly done, well rounded episode – great “Caskett” moments and a great (the show’s ultimate) “who done it?” (Bracken!) - but it also, I feel, once and for all put to bed the whole notion of a “Moonlighting curse!” The two leads got together romantically and the television world as we know it didn’t fall apart. In fact the show got better! It hasn’t been this fun to watch since seasons one and two.
Also, I think we know how Beckett started reading Castle’s books. It was after her mom’s murder. They were one of things that helped her through it and she loved how, unlike in her mom’s case, the author (Castle) was able to think outside the box in terms of figuring out a murder. I *think* most of this was mentioned/touched upon in the episode “Little Girl Lost” vis-a-vis Beckett’s old boyfriend, Sore
January 5th, 2013 4:46 AM
Best Episode - After The Storm - although I do agree that giving them time to really kiss before Martha came in would have made it perfect. The scene where Castle asks to take her away someplace, and them when she let's him hold and comfort her really showed the shift in their dynamic. The sense of that lovers' intimacy really shines through there. Second would be Probable Cause and the Christmas episode.
Worst episode - This is relative, since I basically enjoyed all of them. Still, the Hamptons episode really annoyed me. Like, really, he's got Kate alone in bed and all he can think about is the case? Seriously? While the ending was romantic and cute it just didn't live up to the bit where Kate forgot her suit.
Biggest disappointment - again, this is relative - but like most people I'm surprised they haven't played with the attraction a bit more. Outside of "After the Storm" the handshake and that stolen moment in Swan Swan are the only times that I felt their physical connecti
January 1st, 2013 9:12 PM
I hate the idea of breaking them up just to ramp up the drama. That's so cliched and I expect better from the Castle writers. Besides, the show usually does drama well. We want more passion and fun! And as an earlier poster mentioned, I wish the show would give us more of the love story. Hard core fans aren't tuning in for the crime of the week. As a matter of fact, when I rewatch the episodes I fast forward through much of the investigations to get to the relationship moments. There are never, ever enough!
Rank: Recurring Character
January 1st, 2013 4:38 PM
A. Now things need to change.. an 1 episode break up wouldn't be a bad idea.