Castle: The Wild Rover (5x18)

Alright, so it's been a while since I watched this episode, since I had a ridiculously busy schedule there for a while. Regardless, I'll attempt to review what I remembered of it. It's going to be a short one, though.

This episode was awesome. I had no idea I wanted an episode about Kevin Ryan this badly. Turns out, it was exactly what I was waiting for. The story was great, the supporting cast was a lot of fun, and oh my God, Ryan was amazing. He has acting chops that I did not know existed.

Anyone who reads these posts knows that I'm a super huge fan of bromance, and it was nice to see the relationship between Esposito and Ryan explored a bit more deeply in this episode. There were some really tense moments between them that made me anxious for a good climax, and boy did we get it! I loved how bad ass Ryan was, and how much he trusted Javi to be there for him. "Yo Javi, where you at!" What a great line! There was also Javi's worry and anxiety for his friend, which was really sweet to see.

I also really liked Siobhan, and I sort of wish we could have more of her. Oh well. Ryan's wife is sort of boring, but I did like the way they revealed her pregnancy. Sweet, genuine, and down to earth.

There were some funny moments from Castle himself, but this episode wisely chose to stick with the strong story that Ryan was telling. I really liked two moments of Castle's silliness this week:

1. His theorizing leads him to suggest that "cold blooded, murderous sheep" were the criminals. Beckett, not paying attention, suddenly says "that's it!" To which Castle replies, hilariously, "Seriously?"

2. At the end, Ryan's bad-ass moment was perfectly offset by Castle's nervous shuffle around the corner: "Seriously? I didn't - I didn't bring my vest!"

However, I will say that Castle and Beckett were really weak in this episode. The subplot about Castle talking in his sleep was really forced, and the payoff was virtually nonexistent. I would have loved more screen time with Seamus Dever (Ryan) rather than spend any time with our titular character this week. I mean, I do love Castle, but I was seriously impressed with Ryan's story.

As I said, this review is a short one. I loved the episode. I had seen hints of Dever's talented acting before, but I never knew him to be capable of so much. It was a lovely surprise to see him pull off Fenton O'Connell with such skill. The episode only gets points off for its week subplot. As always, Castle was a joy to watch!

9/10