Castle: Dreamworld (6x02)

Yeah, this episode had all the problems I anticipated. The plot surrounding Castle's impending death was... well, it lacked heart. There was no real possibility of him dying, so it felt totally unnecessary to waste an episode with that hanging over it. It might have been worthwhile had it revealed something new about any of the characters, but that wasn't really the case.

The case itself kept up its momentum from the premiere. The intrigues continue to grow as important government members get drawn into the mix. In the end, it turns out that a US operative was killed in a bombing (her codename was Valkyrie), and the dead woman's boyfriend is bent on revenge. He tried to write an article about Dreamworld (the secret base from which the mission was conducted) but he was shut down. Then, he decides to go after the wife of Secretary of Defense, in order to make him pay for what he's done.

I've got to say, the conclusion to the case seemed rather weak to me. I think it's because after following up so many intense terrorist-related leads, the answer in the end is all about a personal revenge. The episode was so focused on the case that it didn't leave much room for character stuff, which isn't necessarily a problem if the plot is just so interesting that you can't take time away from it. But that wasn't the situation here. I'll admit that I wasn't sure how the case would be resolved, so there was some suspense. Other than that, nothing too special was going on.

There were really no subplots going on here... Martha was understandably worried about Castle after a strange phone call, and she goes to Ryan and Esposito for help. They call Beckett, but she can't tell them anything. In the end, Castle collapses and Beckett catches the reporter guy. They get the antidote to Castle in time (surprise, surprise) and they have a mushy reunion in the hospital.

One of the reasons this review is so short is because honestly the episode didn't have anything really meaty to dig into. It felt pretty phoned in, and even Beckett worrying about Castle wasn't as sweet as I wanted it to be.

There were two elements I did enjoy. The first was how Castle handled the situation. He was relatively stoic, trying to hold it together for Beckett's sake. But on the other hand, he was obviously freaked. It was a good bit of acting for Mr. Fillion.

The second thing I liked was the continued development of McCord. (I still keep on calling her Cuddy in my head...) She seems like a really cool character and I enjoy seeing the softer side to her. She's not just a bad ass cop lady. She's got some real potential and I think her relationship with  Beckett could be interesting to see. On a slightly related note, I'm worried about the future of Ryan and Esposito on the show. Are they going to continue to be relevant, or just slowly fade out of the story? I guess we'll find out soon!

6.5/10