castle finale: 'Did I say that I need you, did I say that I want you? Oh, if I didn't, I'm a fool.'
I haven’t written an ep reaction in a long while, but since everyone and their dog is doing a Castle finale post, well, let me hop on the bandwagon. (caps courtesy of rawr_caps- I did the combining, tho, as you can prob tell by the amateurish blends, lol)
( before that, a bit of backtracking- brief notes on Knockdown )
Ok, firstly, I think we're clearly meant to see Beckett it losing herself in this case in the first half. You mentioned a few things, and to me they all scream of someone with too much of an emotional visceral attachment to their work. In my head, she's been going to visit Lockwood to get him to crack for so long, and his escape makes that work a waste if they can't get to him. I completely agree with the firing off a round into the New York skyline (dangerous) and then again in the hangar scene when she seems to be losing track of her sentences... and then getting into Ryan and Esposito... all of this is crazy!Beckett being crazy about finding her mother's killer.
Secondly, when she asks Castle "is that what we are?" ... it didn't seem so out of place to me. Obviously Castle has been openly in love with her forever, but that's not how it seems to her. Firslty, she's never really taken Castle's feelings for her seriously - or at least she didn't until partway through season 2, and even then, not really - and then in the season 2 finale, just when she sort of came to terms with her feelings for him, he walked away with Gina. To her, that meant that she was stupid for thinking there was anything there to begin with and she sort of pushed it down to her denial place. And then this season happened, he came back, but they were both with different people even though they had all those significant looks and little touches and like Castle says, the kiss and the dying in each other's arms thing. I think we've seen her wrestle with her feelings for him and him being available (and also obviously in love with her) the past few episodes, but in her mind she's already taken that step toward him and it ended badly. I think she kind of wants him to make the move, decide for her. I think the line ("is that what we are?") makes sense in this context too, because they've both known for at least half the season that there's more to it than a partnership, but neither of them ever says it out loud. And she wants him to say it. I see it as a sort of "give me a better reason" line. Especially since she follows it up with the school's funniest kid and "it's not enough" line. THAT LINE MEANS "JESUS CASTLE TELL ME TAHT YOU LOVE ME AND MAYBE SLEEP WTIH ME A BIT OR WHATEVER PEOPLE DO AFTER THEY CONFESS THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER THESE DAYS IDK". (Look we were only going to go so far before I descended into CAPSLOCK.) At least that's how I read that entire scene: she's angry at him because he told her they couldn't win it (I think he says "we can move that mountain" but I agree, no idea, speaking so fast.) Except he still doesn't really think she'd give him the time of day and is waiting for her to make the first move, because Castle always has been that guy: he laid his cards on the table in the very first episode and let her choose. But he has to stop her throwing herself in harms way, and it kind of makes him mad that she doesn't just know how he feels (just like it makes her mad that he doesn't just know how she feels) and so ... the utterly perfect monologuing that is just Dead On character analysis of Beckett, and of course Beckett can't really handle those truths at this point so she lashes out, as is her way.
Ok see so I LOVED the warehouse scene, because she does fight him she does, but she's also kind of breaking with the Montgomery reveal stuff, and I liked finally getting to see her character just be sad. She's usually so strong and proud and (ok this is cruel and sadistic) seeing something that actually overcame her so much was heartbreakingly good. And I love the scene out at the car, when castle covers her mouth with his hand and she reaches up and touches his face and it's just ... I love seeing her at the heart of her, like even though she's said they're done and has been completely determined not to let him in ever again, in this moment he's there and she kind of really wants him there. I agree the point where the shooting stopped and she just ran back in was a little contrived, but I was still all flaily from the face-touching, sad!Beckett moments that I didn't even care.
Reply
Side note: I will throw things if Josh is her surgeon. That is all.
Re: first names, generally speaking I am with you on the last name sex people (which is a line I read in an X-files fic once about how Scully and Mulder were always Scully and Mulder, which I agree with whole-heartedly) ... like, I don't need first names all up in here ruining my squee, but in Castle I'm actually ok with him calling her Kate. He's done it before. It works for me. I can't explain it. I do however sort of hate her calling him Rick. It might just be because I hate the name, maybe. But anyway, why not just Castle? Why.
Reply
YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE, THEN. :P (sorry it took me a while to get back to you)
In my head, she's been going to visit Lockwood to get him to crack for so long, and his escape makes that work a waste if they can't get to him.
A friend pointed out also that Beckett had previously become so obsessed with her mom's case that she needed therapy to come to terms with it and leave it behind and that's why it was such a big deal that Castle got her involved in investigating it again. I'd completely forgotten that, so that's another element here. There's her investment in trying to break Lockwood (I wonder if she really did send her 'fanclub' to beat him up?) but also her 'addiction' and losing touch with reality because of her overwhelming focus on the case.
in the hangar scene when she seems to be losing track of her sentences...
That weirded me out, I wasn't sure what she was trying to say? What was the 'other reason' she was talking about? IDEK.
in her mind she's already taken that step toward him and it ended badly. I think she kind of wants him to make the move, decide for her. I think the line ("is that what we are?") makes sense in this context too, because they've both known for at least half the season that there's more to it than a partnership, but neither of them ever says it out loud. And she wants him to say it. I see it as a sort of "give me a better reason" line.
Interesting. I didn't see it that way, obv. I thought this scene was about her pain and feeling of...betrayal, that he promised he'd be there with her and she asked him to be by her side when she finally solved her mom's murder and now he's bailing on her? BITTERNESS. RESENTMENT. That's where I thought she was coming from, hence my thoughts that she was lashing out at him with that question. Because with the context, I found it a bit hard to see that she'd be coming from the emotional, touchy-feely, 'let's resolve our feelings and admit our love for each other' given how off-kilter and crazy she's been.
But er, if that was the case, Castle's approach of psychoanalyzing her wasn't the best way to deal with it, then...still, if she was hoping for him to make overtures so they can deal with the ~feelings~ between them, him bringing up the kiss and being in each other's arms and not talking about it offered her the perfect opening, 'What's there to talk about? What do you have to say to me? Come on, spit it out', y'know? Instead, she went on the attack.
THAT LINE MEANS "JESUS CASTLE TELL ME TAHT YOU LOVE ME AND MAYBE SLEEP WTIH ME A BIT OR WHATEVER PEOPLE DO AFTER THEY CONFESS THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER THESE DAYS IDK".
YES, that's how it came across as well. But it seems so weird to me because he hinted at his feelings but she threw it in his face and was all ranty and aggressive and if she wanted him to say those three little words, her approach was all wrong. Tbh, I don't see her demeanor as trying to encourage him to open up about his love for her. I mean, I think she was pushing him to it, that's def how it comes off, but I don't see it as a warm heartfelt thing where once he said it, she'd be in his arms and they'd be all over each other, happy ending, yay. I thought she was pushing his buttons because he'd let her down and she wanted to strike back at him. IDK. BECKETT IS TOO COMPLICATED FOR ME.
I think he says "we can move that mountain" but I agree, no idea, speaking so fast.
Someone said it's a reference to a song, 'we can move that- rubber tree plant'? O.o Weirdness. Maybe it's a generation thing, lol.
the utterly perfect monologuing that is just Dead On character analysis of Beckett, and of course Beckett can't really handle those truths at this point so she lashes out, as is her way.
OMG, that analysis just killed me, I was so gobsmacked that he went there and pulled out those harsh truths and confronted her with it.
Reply
LOL, IKWYM. With me, it's not- I don't like seeing random chicks cry. That's not my thing. But when there's a strong, very 'together' chick who's usually totally composed and on top of things and in control, seeing that composure crack is just...WOW. I wouldn't want to see her breaking down every week over lame crap, but when in a situation that is heartbreak fodder, yeah. *cuddles Beckett*
when castle covers her mouth with his hand and she reaches up and touches his face and it's just ... in this moment he's there and she kind of really wants him there
I DID NOT SEE THIS. Like, my copy of the ep is really dark or maybe it's my screen, but yeah, I didn't see that at all. I still can't really see it but I think I see her hand coming up for a brief second and then it's all shadowy...but since you and a few people have mentioned it, I guess that's what it was- her reaching up to hold him. Argh, damn shadows!
I agree the point where the shooting stopped and she just ran back in was a little contrived, but I was still all flaily from the face-touching, sad!Beckett moments that I didn't even care
Lol, I'm so cold, I just shrugged off that emotion...no, I rewatched this a few timeds, the first time I was all flaily and wriggly and then when I recapped, I tried to be more objective. Hence, harping on about things like that. :P
THANK YOU ON THE FIRST AID THING THOUGH. Like, WHAT THE HELL CASTLE. She's mothereffing bleeding out, could you like, fix that instead of spewing all these feelings?
THANK YOU FOR AGREEING WITH ME. I feel like such a heartless shrew 'coz all of fandom's squeeing at him saying ILU and I'm the witch that's going, 'But no, he should try to save her life first, damn it! Logic, plz?' I ain't trying to take away the shippiness of his confession, I just think he could've ripped off his shirt to put pressure on the wound and made his heartfelt plea and ILU then, y'know?! It wouldn't have taken too much extra time and it'd be more romantic!
It also bugged me that Espo grabbed Lanie by the sleeve. LANIE IS A DOCTOR. COULD YOU LET HER LIKE SAVE BECKETT PLEASE?
I get him pulling her down at first, 'coz a frakking sniper just shot Beckett! But I mean, there's how many cops, couldn't they go after that dude and then Lainie could come help Beckett? Jeez!
all my guts were screaming "pressure to the wound, vital signs" etc. etc. to the extent that I couldn't really enjoy it.
This, totally, I feel you. *nodnod*
Side note: I will throw things if Josh is her surgeon. That is all.
ARGH, that would be so contrived and annoying! I refuse to believe that they'd go to HIS hospital and that he'd just HAPPEN to be on duty and the only one qualified to operate on her. Aren't there rules or something, like, he's emotionally engaged, that's not a good mindset for a surgeon, right? UGH, don't go there, writers. *side glances*
I'm worried, I really haven't liked their choices with Josh AT ALL, so... *quivers anxiously*
Hee, the first name vs last name thing is totally a case of YMMV. I understand people being flaily and approving of first name use, just that I personally am not really into it. At least you're with me on Rick, though! Do not approve!
Reply
Leave a comment