Ask Ausiello: Gates|Beckett

[melanieexox]

When is the new captain going to ease up on Beckett on Castle? - Carrie

[Answer. . .]
ADAM: I wouldn't expect it to be anytime soon. Nor would Penny Johnson Jerald, who insists her character isn't being grumpy, but rather teaching Beckett how to excel in the male-dominated NYPD. "I think you could really put that into a category of tough love," she tells us. "You

Comments

[lydiabell]

I really wish that the Gates the creators describe in interviews was coming through in the writing. Because I don't see her as showing any type of tough love at all. She just seems angry and contemptuous of Beckett and Castle (esp. Castle) all the time. She feels artificial to me, like she's just there to be a barrier instead of a character. And I was psyched about PJJ getting the role, so I really want to like her (or at least think that she's a well-done character).

Although, reading down, I did like her in the conference room scene synorama mentioned. So there's that.

[southrnbygrace]

What she's doing is making the workplace unbearable. Beckett's been a detective long enough to know how to excel because she's already done it. What she's doing is uncalled for and unecessary and if I had a boss like her you'd better believe I'd be going above her head to complaiun about her antagonistic attitude. With the close rate of Beckett's team, they don't NEED someone 'teaching' them anything. What they need is a boss who understand the need for cooperation, respect and support.

[folie_lex]

I get her POV and the fact that it's the intent, I do. But:

A) I don't think it's coming off too clearly in the execution
and
B) The way she is operating, as Ryan said, they'll be acting more like clerks, not cops.

She doesn't seem to be very effective. And doesn't seem to be meshing well.
I just get the feeling she doesn't seem to fully appreaciate what an amazing team she has and part of what makes them amazing is how they work. And I'm not saying that because she doesn't like having Caslte around. But she seems to look down and disregard her own cops.
It's only after they've done their job that she gives them the credit, even though they go about it their way not hers, which does bother me, that she doesn't acknowledge on any level that what they do works.