CASTLE: Hell Hath No Fury

As the release date of Castle’s first Nikki Heat novel arrived, instead of breaking out the champagne bottle to celebrate the arrival of Castle’s latest series, the suave writer-turned-amateur investigator watched Beckett’s every move as she completed paperwork at her desk. Was he hiding from the fact that the possibility that his latest published work was something he wasn’t completely sure of its success? Sure, but Beckett made sure to rib him of his professional insecurities. The confidence Castle exudes in every aspect of his life, except the words that he writes, plays into Beckett’s bemusement. She offered us a sampling of her keen sense of observation: “You want people to think you don’t care.” But clearly, Castle does. We get this when his diva mother calls and lets him know that no one has been buying his latest book. Was his latest novel a bust? It was obvious Castle’s inflated ego was bruised … at least temporarily.

The murder of the week comes to us through the intricate web of New York City politics, prostitutes and blackmail. High-powered New York politician Jeff Horn, whom Castle immediately recognizes in his tarnished glory, is found rolled up in a rug with a bullet hole to the head. When Castle and Beckett arrive at the crime scene, Castle steps on Beckett’s toes, stating with certainty that “it wasn’t a botched robbery” at the same time as Beckett. His ability to apply his observational skills to real unsolved murders still has yet to be explained but for some reason, it is easy to let that part go. As relevant as that point may seem, the fact that Castle can successfully read a crime scene the same way a seasoned detective can is the only thing that matters, for now at least. Jeff, who was campaigning for city office, was having an elicit affair with a professional prostitute named Tiffany, who Castle proudly had a semi-date with while working the case, and the only way for those photos, who were taken by private investigator Bruce Kirby, was to pay off the blackmailer (who ended up being Kirby).

As Castle and Beckett unraveled the complicated, interweaving backgrounds and histories of the various players in the murder case, the partners discovered that Jeff was not born into a wealthy family but that his wife Laurie was the financially-stable one. Jeff had gone to Laurie to pay off Bruce (the private investigator/blackmailer) to make the prostitution scandal go away, and she gave him the $250,000 amount he requested. It was then that Laurie, who harkened back to previous scandals within politics with cheating spouses, who gave the OK to have her cheating husband killed. It was an elaborate, pre-meditated plan that eventually led to Jeff’s own campaign manager Frank Nesbitt, who by the first scene he was in had an uncomfortable aura about him, pulling the trigger underneath a deserted freeway.

“Castle” has drastically improved since the first episode, and this is a fantastic thing to see for a show that is proving to hold its own among the “CSIs” and the “Law & Orders” of the world. Tonight’s episode focused on the intricacies and subtleties between Castle and his partner Beckett, and as someone who found Stana Katic (the actress behind Beckett) a bit stale and unnerving at times in the pilot, she is gradually winning me over with her witty cynicism and dry, no-holds-bar banter. While previous episodes hinted at a harsh past or reality that caused her to embark on a non-traditional route for a person of her upbringing, tonight we really caught a better glimpse into her background. Though Castle stated the obvious when describing the Nikki Heat character as smart, savvy, having haunting good looks and was good at her job, even Beckett’s fellow detectives took note of her boringness. (“Have some fun!” one of her co-workers suggested.)

As Katic grows with her character and begins to understand Beckett’s dynamics, Nathan Fillion’s true-to-life acting technique keeps the show entertaining and frankly, provides the comedic foil against the backdrop of some pretty intense, and sometimes gruesome murders (see: nanny stuffed in a laundry machine). And sometimes Fillion’s charming, boyish mannerisms and approach to solving murders works to great effect, both for the cases and the show. Near the beginning of the episode, Castle mentioned that he engaged in some illegal activities in regards to the murder scene. He took photos of the rug that the dead body was on and sent the photos to his interior designer, who he happened to have slept with, not so he could engage in some sick and twisted sex thing via mobile images but so she could tell him where the rugs came from. While the lead ended up being a moot point in the end, it still helps to have an asset who can exhaust unconventional ways of forwarding a case.

Up until now, the relationship between Castle and Beckett was mainly reserved for professional practices, but when Beckett took the advice of her colleague and “had some fun,” she infiltrated a book reading of Castle’s newest release – in a short, body-fitting fuchsia dress that would make even the blindest man squirm. And while I can see where Beckett had a justified problem with the female protagonist’s name being Nikki Heat, her “slutty” name did satirize the ridiculousness of the genre in which Castle is such a significant part of.

Memorable Quotes:

• “The universe loves irony and most people are hypocrites.” – Castle

• “Whores used to have street corners. Now they have websites.” – Bruce Kirby (private investigator, blackmailer)

• “Don’t gloat, because it’s really unattractive.” – Beckett, after Castle found a new lead

• “Guess who’s got a date with a prostitute?” – Castle

• “Do you not enjoy foamy deliciousness?” – Castle to Beckett

• “Nikki Heat. What kind of name is that? It’s a stripper name.” – Beckett

• “How does wind gather up your hair?” – Beckett, making fun of Castle’s writing

• “I’m bothering you at work. Irritating, isn’t it?” – Beckett, at Castle’s reading

What were your thoughts on the fourth episode? Was the murder case secondary to the cultivation of Castle and Beckett’s professional and personal relationships? What are your thoughts on the name Nikki Heat; if you were Castle and you could rename her, what would be the next best choice? Were you satisfied with the espresso machine beat? What were your thoughts on the execution of the New York politician murder case? Was there anything you thought was too excessive or not flushed out enough?

Philiana Ng is a senior majoring in communication and music industry at the University of Southern California. She currently interns at Reveille, LLC in Universal City. In addition to “Castle,” she also covers “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for GMMR.