Hmmm... Interesting. Good interesting, for the most part, but still sort of weird, in certain ways. Let's dive in.
Beckett is looking in to finding a connection between Senator Bracken and Vulcan Simmons, so she can prove that the Senator is funding his presidential campaign with drug money. One of the people Beckett was following winds up dead, which makes everything more confusing. Castle makes Beckett promise not to take unnecessary risks, but Beckett can't leave it alone: she goes to find a car with physical evidence that Vulcan murdered the dead guy. She finds the car, but she also finds Vulcan.
They talk, and then Beckett leaves. The next day, Vulcan is found dead. Ballistics show that the bullets came from one of Beckett's guns. She's being framed! She and Castle go on the run from the police. Beckett is captured by Bracken and his men, and they try to kill her, framing it like suicide. However, Beckett is able to use quick thinking and trickery to fight her way out. Castle gets her out of there and they go on the run.
Meanwhile, they find out that "Mr. Smith," presumed dead, has actually been in hiding. He tells Castle and Beckett that there's a tape somewhere where Bracken admits to all sorts of crimes, including the murder of Beckett's mother.
Beckett thinks that the tape must be hidden somewhere within her mother's things, and she demands that Castle turn around so they can go back to New York and find it. Castle doesn't want to, because Beckett is on the run from the police, and from Bracken now that she has escaped his murderous plans.
They do indeed go back to Beckett's apartment, but although Ryan and Esposito try to cover for them, they are caught and brought into the precinct. On Beckett's desk, she sees a figurine of a family of elephants and in a flash of insight, realizes that the tape must be inside. She runs towards it, opens it up, and there's the tape! Beckett is able to triumphantly arrest Senator Bracken, fulfilling one of the major goals of her entire life.
Bad stuff?
I think mostly it's the timing that's bothering me. This has been the only real major overarching plot on Castle, besides the relationship between Castle and Beckett, of course. And we have been adding details here and there about it as we go along, but then going long stretches without mentioning it. And then suddenly... in one episode, all of these new pieces of information coalesce into a solution? It felt like odd timing, to do this one episode before the season finale of a show that's going to continue on for at least one more season.
But setting that aside, if I just look at this episode on its own? Pretty good! I have my nitpicks - wouldn't Beckett have known if there was something inside the elephants? That's a little too good to be true. "Mr. Smith" is just intensely creepy. Are we ever going to get answers about how he knew Castle was looking for him, and how he got his burner cell number?
The good stuff, however, was plentiful.
I love the fact that Beckett isn't keeping secrets from Castle. Sure, she goes a bit overboard a few times, but she doesn't cut him out or try to go it alone. There's been actual character development for her on that front, and it's refreshing to see them keep it consistent.
When Beckett got captured by Bracken's men... that was actually some pretty dark stuff, even for this show. For a minute, I thought Castle was going to have to show up at the last minute to save the day, but then it was better than that: Beckett kicked ass and saved herself. This show has never been shy about shoving it in our faces that Beckett is the one with the physical prowess and bad ass training. Castle isn't nearly as fit as she is.
Bracken is defeated, and Beckett's mother helped avenge her own murder. It was a satisfying way to wrap it all up, even if the timing of it makes me scratch my head. I was glad that Beckett's mom held the final piece of the puzzle. It made it seem like all of this had truly amounted to something: the death of Beckett's mom led, eventually, to a very bad man being taken down.
Montgomery! It was good to see him again, even just in flashback. I miss him.
Ryan, Espo, and Gates didn't have a lot to do in this episode, but their support of Castle and Beckett was touching. Especially Gates, who has had a rocky history with Castle especially. She seemed willing to help Kate, at whatever cost.
I guess I'll leave it there! If the promos are anything to go by, next week's finale will be a fun, lighthearted wedding episode. A nice way to leave it off!
8/10
They do indeed go back to Beckett's apartment, but although Ryan and Esposito try to cover for them, they are caught and brought into the precinct. On Beckett's desk, she sees a figurine of a family of elephants and in a flash of insight, realizes that the tape must be inside. She runs towards it, opens it up, and there's the tape! Beckett is able to triumphantly arrest Senator Bracken, fulfilling one of the major goals of her entire life.
Bad stuff?
I think mostly it's the timing that's bothering me. This has been the only real major overarching plot on Castle, besides the relationship between Castle and Beckett, of course. And we have been adding details here and there about it as we go along, but then going long stretches without mentioning it. And then suddenly... in one episode, all of these new pieces of information coalesce into a solution? It felt like odd timing, to do this one episode before the season finale of a show that's going to continue on for at least one more season.
But setting that aside, if I just look at this episode on its own? Pretty good! I have my nitpicks - wouldn't Beckett have known if there was something inside the elephants? That's a little too good to be true. "Mr. Smith" is just intensely creepy. Are we ever going to get answers about how he knew Castle was looking for him, and how he got his burner cell number?
The good stuff, however, was plentiful.
I love the fact that Beckett isn't keeping secrets from Castle. Sure, she goes a bit overboard a few times, but she doesn't cut him out or try to go it alone. There's been actual character development for her on that front, and it's refreshing to see them keep it consistent.
When Beckett got captured by Bracken's men... that was actually some pretty dark stuff, even for this show. For a minute, I thought Castle was going to have to show up at the last minute to save the day, but then it was better than that: Beckett kicked ass and saved herself. This show has never been shy about shoving it in our faces that Beckett is the one with the physical prowess and bad ass training. Castle isn't nearly as fit as she is.
Bracken is defeated, and Beckett's mother helped avenge her own murder. It was a satisfying way to wrap it all up, even if the timing of it makes me scratch my head. I was glad that Beckett's mom held the final piece of the puzzle. It made it seem like all of this had truly amounted to something: the death of Beckett's mom led, eventually, to a very bad man being taken down.
Montgomery! It was good to see him again, even just in flashback. I miss him.
Ryan, Espo, and Gates didn't have a lot to do in this episode, but their support of Castle and Beckett was touching. Especially Gates, who has had a rocky history with Castle especially. She seemed willing to help Kate, at whatever cost.
I guess I'll leave it there! If the promos are anything to go by, next week's finale will be a fun, lighthearted wedding episode. A nice way to leave it off!
8/10
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