I think it is safe to say that Castle is back and it is back with a vengeance! Monday’s premiere definitely moved to the top of my list of season openers! Hawley and Winter were able to not only bring a new feel to the plate, but also make it something so authentically “Castle” that longtime fans of the show still felt at home!
Marlowe has always striven for the show to remain authentic and organic, always answering the questions of “How long is Castle going to last?” with the answer, “As long as there is a story to be told.” It is certain that this new chapter of Castle and Beckett’s partnership is just beginning to unfold and I personally cannot wait to see where it is headed!
Immediately following a peak at what seems to be like the wrong way to go about meeting that ‘certain someone’, we get the answer to a question that has been looming over the entire hiatus. In a feeling very similar to the close of S5, we are left with Beckett’s direction unknown; Will she accept the backing and the nomination and toss her hat into the political area or is her time with the NYPD not yet run its course?
Rick, the ever supportive husband, breaks the news to the fandom, that Kate has indeed been promoted and is the new Captain of the 12th Precinct, following Gates’ promotion to Deputy Chief. I love that he tries to assuage her uncertainty and fear by assuring her that this would be a good change for them. And I for one am excited to see Castle actually give the whole P.I. business a go! His thoughtfulness is of course, followed up by a plan that may have not been the best thought out. As Kate, “digs in” to the cupcake, she pulls out a gorgeous token of Rick’s love and support! (This will be important later, I promise!)
If you’ve ever talked to me or read what I think about Castle, you would also know that the other characters play a huge role in my love for the show, so the Epso/Ryan desk scene was immediately one of my favorites! The writers make sure that we get caught up with what has been going on behind the scenes in the time that has passed; the Ryans are expecting a sibling for Sarah Grace (Who is nearly two. Yeah.) and that Espo has still not found the meaningful relationship that he was seeking following his break-up with Lanie. I especially like that we got to see a where are we going and what are we doing with our lives exposition from them! We constantly see it in terms of Kate and Rick, both professionally and personally, so it was a nice touch! (And I totally want to play “Knife, Gun, Kevlar”, the next time I have a fandom meet-up!)
It had been teased that Castle would be getting a new partner this season, and as many feathers as that ruffled, I have to say that seeing Alexis work cases and prove herself, not only to her father, but to the fandom at large was such a delightful thing to see. I appreciate that they are playing off of Castle’s already well established competitive streak, by adding in that Alexis has actually closed more cases than her father. It is nice to see a little bit of Rick coming out in Alexis with the, “I forged your signature to make sure I got school credit for being an intern.” line. And tell me honestly, who wouldn’t want a tricked out lair like Castle has for himself! They’ve also solved the “privacy issue” at the office, in case Kate might want to stop by!
After trying to reach Beckett, to no avail, Espo and Ryan call on Mr. Captain Beckett to find out just where exactly their boss might be! With Kate busy at 1PP, Castle offers gets involved in the newest case, a multiple body drop that is reminiscent of a “Tarantino film”. None of the clues seem to be fitting into place, however, the one found by Rick, is the most disturbing. 
Both Rick and Kate really have the knack down for going missing and causing the other to worry! In this instance, Rick might have just cause, the blood pool that he found the bracelet in was a match to Beckett’s, confirming some of Rick’s worst fears. But, as he always has before, Rick steps up to the plate, taking charge and trying to orchestrate the rescue of and/or the assistance that Kate, very obviously needs. Though, no matter how hard he is trying, the hurt in his voice at the realization that Kate lied to him, was obvious.
With a lead, the boys are off, to do whatever they can, and in the midst of the investigation, we get our first glimpses of Toks Olagundoye as Haley Shipton. (And can I just say that I am highly anticipating where her storyline is going!) Haley bursts (literally) onto the scene and straight into the line of fire. We discover that Haley is all for justice, but might not have the most orthodox ways of achieving her end goal. I also appreciate the wit and humor that has returned to the scripting, it has me nostalgic for the days of banter gone by! With Haley’s alibi solidified, they are forced to let her leave, but not without one final impassioned plea from Rick, that he, “just wants his wife back.” Unable or unwilling to assist him, she leaves him with her condolences for his situation.
On the trail of another Beckett sighting, they find out that she has in fact not been abducted, but is operating on her own volition. As the boys are at a loss, Castle is able to spin out, what he feels is the most probable story, that Beckett was able to rescue a victim and is now on the run from whatever team was hired to take him out. Whilst hoping that is true, Ryan and Espo are still left questioning why Kate hadn’t called for back up. As they move forward with the investigation, Castle gets a frantic call from Alexis calling him back to his office, with the instructions to, “come alone”. (The hope on his face when Alexis calls out, “Dad, we’re in here!” was a hard pill to swallow!)
Much to Rick’s dismay, it is Haley with Alexis, and he not so delicately breaks the news to his daughter about what has been going on. Haley then offers her services, but with a catch, “No cops.” Rick reluctantly agrees, and they mutually disclose the information that they’d previously been holding back. In the meantime, Alexis, who has overheard everything, comes through with a theory all her own. The man that Kate is on the run with is seemingly diabetic, thus narrowing down the scope of who they are looking for. Haley and Rick head out in search of a storage facility and Alexis is left to her own devices, with a little nudge from Haley to “get creative”. 
With every intention to do just that, Alexis tracks down a lead of a “prank” 911 call made to the area around where Beckett had previously been sighted. Her theory pays off as she watched security footage of her very injured step-mother, pilfering medical supplies from the back of the unattended ambulance. We also get our first glimpses of just who she is on the run with.
Back at the storage facility, Haley and Rick discover a store of what we can only assume is a hoard of black-market weapons. Rick almost immediately breaks the agreement of “no cops” and alerts the boys to the find; Citing that for the agreement to be truly binding, a pinky swear would have been in order. Unfortunately for our two P.I.’s the “owner” of said weapons doesn’t seem to be too keen at their discovery. (Knives and guns, this girl doesn’t play well with others.) Unfortunately, ‘Rambo’ Castle was a little too late at the backup and the suspect escapes.
Alexis traces the cab that Kate and Co. took, to a prison upstate. Where Kate took a meeting with, no other than former State Senator William Bracken. (“They have history,” might have to have been the most understated line of the night.) Thus throwing Castle back onto Bracken’s trail and back in search of Kate. Haley mercifully drives Castle to the prison, but strands him there as a consequence, leaving him with the haunting thought that, “Nice guys don’t just finish last in this business, Castle, they end up dead.”
In what may have been the most chilling exchange to date with Bracken, he taunts Rick, informing him that, “he has no idea who his wife really is.” Using her past history against her, Bracken tells Rick, that she needs something to run at, she needs a cause, that just being, ‘Mrs. Castle’ is not and will not ever be enough.
JAVIER ESPOSITO DEFENDS THE ACTIONS OF ONE MR. RICHARD CASTLE!!!! (It needed to be celebrated!)
Rick finds himself, once again at the wrong end of the barrel, but at least on the optimistic side, one step closer to figuring out what is actually happening. (Rick really needs to start investing in phone cases… How many iPhones has he owned now?) But the iPhone destruction has become such a hallmark of Rick Castle disappearances, we find out that Alexis has been secretly tracking it, in the event that this just so happens again. And it did.
As I’m sure Castle likes to meet his fans, drugged and restrained might not make the top of his list of conditions. I honestly wonder how many ways Richard Castle knows how to get out of zip ties. While the suspects hold him hostage, Rick tried his best to charm any amount of information out of them and vice versa, ok maybe they didn’t charm him, physically and psychologically torture it out of him, yes. Bunch of spiders anyone?
Can I just say that both Big and Little Castle showed their moxie in this episode, in addition to the depth of their determination to do right by those that they love.
Alexis rushing into Haley’s interrogation was one of my favorite moments of the night. I’m also going to add that I LOVE Haley’s character!!
Castle manages to get free, only to find himself trapped in a warehouse full of railway ties. Subsequently, there is a chase and finally they have him cornered. And then, shots ring out from somewhere else, felling one of the suspects and sending the other on the run. Much to Rick, pleasure and dismay, standing before him is his wife
You can see as Kate’s refusal to let him in, couples with the words that Bracken had told him, come together and hurt Richard Castle deeper than any form of torture could. Their mottled history of distrust and dishonesty will always be a sore spot for the two of them. It was refreshing to see some of the character “flaws” of past seasons rectified, Alexis standing up for Kate will always win the day in my book, and the call backs to Rick’s disappearance made it all too relevant. Kate has trusted Rick in far more dire situations, and Alexis’s plea that he do the same was amazing development in my opinion.
With a suspect in interrogation, more pieces start to fall into place, the man that Beckett is with is from the Attorney General’s office and it is discovered that the entirety of Beckett’s D.C. team, including Agent McCord have been taken out. The suspect continues to be uncooperative with taunts that Castle should accept that his wife, “isn’t long for this world.” Castle, of course defends his wife’s skills to take out the last person on the opposing team, when it is suggested, that there are more teams in play, with the end goal of taking Kate out. This is confirmed with a shot of what appears to be a horde of mercenaries converge, looking pretty trigger happy. But they aren’t the only one, the suspect while headed from interrogation to holding manages to wrangle out, get a gun, and fire on L.T. (he is going to be fine!) and subsequently the rest of the precinct. Espo and his “something stupid” save the day.
With no leads and no one left to question, the only quandary that is left for Rick and for us to ponder is, “Dammit, Kate, where are you?”
What do you think Beckett has gotten herself into and is trying desperately to keep Castle out of? Drop me a line in the comments, tweet me @camifaith_fn and on tumblr at drinkingcastleskoolaid.tumblr.com!
Happy Watching!
Tonight’s Ep: “XX” – Tonight at 10|9central! Come join the liveblogging conversation on Twitter!
