Esposito’s old flame came back to town…in handcuffs on Castle Season 8 Episode 16.

Our TV Fanatics Stacy Glanzman, Robin Harry, Jim Garner,  and Christine Orlando are joined by Erin from A Possibility For Joy a Castle fan forum to debate whether it’s time to ditch Lucy, the family’s reaction to Kate’s return and the chemistry between Esposito and Sonia after “Heartbreaker.”

Do you want to see more of Lucy/Linus or do you hope the talking machine is gone for good?

Stacy: No thanks, I'm good. I just didn't find it all that funny, other than maybe Kate putting it in the refrigerator. I could have done without that entire story line.

Robin: I may be the only one, but I liked Lucy, or at least what she represented for Castle. Lucy was the symbol of how Castle had found ways to adapt after Kate left him. She was how he coped during the silence of his wife's absence. So, to be quite honest, not only was I a little glad that Lucy was needling Beckett, I was beyond annoyed that Beckett not only destroyed Lucy, but replaced her with something SHE wanted without even recognizing Lucy's significance to Castle. As usual, Castle's needs are of no consequence. 

Jim: I'm really kind of done with the both of them. The gag was funny once, but seriously unless Amazon is sponsoring the show that much, we can move on. 

Erin: The Lucy/Linus thing has been interesting but since Kate is back in the loft full time, I believe it is time to turn it off. We don't need another thing competing for Rick or Kate's attention.

Christine: I think it had potential but failed miserably. I really hated that Lucy was used to interrupt any hope of real conversations between these characters. Like Robin said, Lucy could have been used to move the story forward, instead it turned out to be pointless, silly, nonsense.

Should Martha and Alexis have had more to say about Kate’s return to the loft?

Stacy: I kind of assumed a conversation happened off-screen before she moved all her stuff back into the loft in which Castle and Beckett filled them in on the whole story. We got a scene of Castle and Beckett celebrating her official return, and another one of the girls all doing the same. I was okay with it. 

Robin: Should they have had more to say? Yes, they should have. I was a bit surprised that neither Alexis or Martha bore any confusion or hesitation, given that they never had a reason for her departure. Unless they just assumed it was Castle's fault (as everyone else does) and figured he was just lucky to get her back. Really, who ever questions the infallible Queen Beckett on this show? 

Jim: I'm with Stacy, I took it as the conversations happened "off stage" and that we were coming back into the story afterwards.  

Erin: I'm not sure on this question. I would like to have seen more from Martha and Alexis comment on Beckett back in the loft for sure. Maybe it's being saved for another episode?

Christine: You have more hope than I do Erin. I hate that viewers are left to hope or assume that important conversations have taken place off camera. It’s frustrating and feels like laziness on the part of the writers. 

Do Espo and Sonia have any chance at a future together?

Stacy: No, she's a criminal and while she isn't all bad, it doesn't seem like she has much interest in changing her ways either. Even if she did, I don't really see Espo having much reason to trust her. 

Robin: They don't, and it's too bad because their chemistry was off the charts. Esposito looked at her with more of his soul than he ever looked at Lanie.

Jim: I would love for the writers to find a way to make it happen as the chemistry was absolutely amazing. But as Robin and Stacy said, I just don't see it happening.  

Erin: I don't believe there is a chance that Sonia & Esposito have a chance at a future together. I could see them as friends but never as a couple. Sonia was right when she said Espo sees the world in black & white: it wouldn't work out.

Christine: It’s unanimous. They have no hope as a couple and it really is a shame because I agree with Robin. They’re chemistry was smoking hot and I really believed Espo loved her after just one episode.

Of the Esposito-centric episodes (ex. 2x21 “Den of Thieves”, 7x8 “Kill Switch”) where does this one rank?

Stacy: Kill Switch was pretty great, but I'd rank this one number one.

Robin: This one was fantastic, and I'd rank it as #1 as well. We got Espo's family, a little romance, a lot of great character work and action on his part, and solid partnership between Espo and Ryan. I loved it all.

Jim: I loved the family interaction as well. I would rate this one as the best Espo episode to date.  

Erin: I think out of all the Esposito-centric episodes that this would rank second.

Christine: This ranked #1 for me. It was the first time I felt like I got a glimpse at Esposito’s heart and I loved how solid Ryan and Espo were as partners and friends from beginning to end. 

What, if anything, in “Heartbreaker” disappointed you?

Stacy: It was so obvious Sonia was going to sneak out of the bathroom, and it bothered me that Espo didn't see that coming. That's like the oldest trick in the book.

Robin: As I mentioned earlier, I was incredibly annoyed with Beckett getting rid of Lucy without even considering what it might have meant to Castle. Must she always get her way, really? I mean, do the writers even like Richard Castle? 

Jim: I was really annoyed by the amount of time spent on the "Lucy/Linus gag." -- We've seen Castle play with that thing in so many episodes, -WHY- do the writers feel that we want to keep going back to that dry well? We get it, it's voice activated and a cool gadget, MOVE ON! Yeeeesh!

Erin: What seemed disappointing about this episode are the actions that Esposito took after volunteering to take Sonia back to prison. Why would a cop take a criminal to their family home for a home-cooked meal and a shower? He should have known better.

Christine: I hated that Lanie was still blaming Castle for the separation. I know that she’s Beckett’s best friend but this trope has gotten really old and considering it was all Beckett’s fault, it made me angry. 

What was your favorite quote or scene from this episode?

Stacy: There were a lot of great lines and moments, but I really enjoyed seeing Espo interact with his family. That's not really something we've seen before, and as Sonia said, he really is lucky to have that. 

Robin: My favorite scene was Ryan and Esposito at Espo's family's house, having dinner like it was something common. I love their friendship, and I love that it extends to their families as well.

Jim: Robin and I are on the same page this week. Watching Ryan come in and Espo's mom just start feeding him like he is there all the time was a great nod to how much happens off camera...  

Erin: Two things stood out:

a) Beckett suspending Esposito - It showed that Beckett isn't afraid to discipline members of her squad even after being partners for so long.

b) Lucy/Linus - I found all the scenes tonight quite humorous. The machine still has to go though.

Christine: The entire vibe between Esposito and Ryan. The debacle of Ryan shooting his partner and all the silliness that followed at the start of Castle Season 8 was such a complete waste of everyone’s time. Seeing Esposito and Ryan as partners who are there for one another “’til the wheels fall off” made me feel like this was the show I loved once again. 

Check back on Monday for our review of Castle Season 8 Episode 17 and if you can’t wait until then, you can always watch Castle online here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.