Castle: XX (8x02)

Yikes. I've gotta say - I did not see that one coming. I'm really not sure how to process everything that I just witnessed. I admire this show for not resting on its laurels, and giving us something truly different to contemplate. I have no idea how we're supposed to go forward from here. Let's start with some of my complaints.

Cons:

The mystery itself is sort of... incidental. It turns out that there's a secret memo that's connected with Bracken's criminal activity. Because of this memo, Beckett's old team at the FBI ends up dead, and Beckett finds out that she might be next. The guy she runs off with tells her that anybody that she contacts will be in danger, so Beckett has to go off the grid. They end up meeting Castle's mother-in-law Rita, a bad ass spy lady who's married to Castle's wayward father. We watch as Castle, with Alexis and Hayley assisting, puts together the pieces of the puzzle at the same time that Beckett and Vikram do the same. In the end, Bracken ends up dead in his prison cell, and the Attorney General is revealed to be connected in some way. It all turns out... sort of unfinished. The details are hazy, and we're left uncertain as to the truth.

Honestly, the reason this is a con is because it doesn't matter. I honestly could not care less about the specifics behind this mystery. It's just not compelling to rehash old material like this. I also thought the introduction of Rita came right out of left field. It was almost like they wanted to bring Castle's father back in, but they had to settle for an awkward replacement. Why include her at all? I mean, I guess it was cute to see Beckett welcomed to Castle's family by another mother figure, but otherwise it was totally out of place.

Pros:

Despite my disinterest in the specifics of the mystery, I liked the way that Castle and Beckett both came to the answers in their own ways, and how even when they're not working together, you can see how they've influenced each other's detective styles. The scenes where Castle, Alexis and Hayley were mirrored with Beckett and Vikram as they both looked for the solution were some of the best in the episode.

Alexis continues to shine - I love that she again came up with some of the critical answers. Hayley, although still only vaguely characterized, is interesting in that she's clearly being set up as a companion for Alexis. I wasn't expecting that - when I heard there was a new female character being added to the story, I wondered if she was meant to be a love interest for Espo, or a rival for Beckett in some way. I find this alternative much stronger. I can't wait to see where it goes.

The strongest thing that this episode did was separate Castle and Beckett. Yeah, I mean, it breaks my heart... but at the same time, it eradicates my fear that we're supposed to take Castle and Beckett seriously as a well-functioning couple. Last week, I complained that Beckett keeping Castle in the dark was totally unforgivable in a marriage that we're supposed to accept as a good one. This week, I see that we're not supposed to accept that their relationship is on solid footing. It's not. The demons from Beckett's past are too strong to be excised from her. She needs to sort it out on her own.

It's a really daring move for the show to make - just after Beckett officially begins her job as Captain, she realizes that she needs to follow up on the mysteries of her past. She can't put them behind her, and she can't put Castle in danger by staying with him while she digs in to such dangerous secrets. We thought, going in to this season, that the big change would be Beckett becoming Captain, and Castle working more as a PI. But instead, our loving couple is separating! Honestly, Beckett is entirely in the wrong, here. She's the one ruining their marriage. I can't wait to see what happens from here. I love angst!

In all, this was an impressive conclusion to last week's episode. What seemed at first like a potentially cheap trick for some drama to start the season, has instead turned into a show-altering and momentous change for our characters.

9/10