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Somewhere, there is a shark. And after Bombshells (Hulu linkage), I'm not sure which side of that shark House is on. In as few non-spoilery words as possible: I have never seen regression look more like Glee. The entire episode is a collage of different genres, and while that is one of my favorite things to do, ever... it's a freaking weird way
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I'll have to look for the Firefly comics and read this backstory for myself. I buy that there's something up with him, and that he's more than just a simple Shepherd; that much is obvious. I can imagine for myself what reasons he might have for wanting to remain with the crew on Serenity. What I cannot wrap my head around is why Mal and the rest of the crew let him stay, and accept him so readily in the beginning! I mean, there's all the drama in the beginning about letting River and Simon stay, which is completely understandable: they're fugitives being actively hunted down by the Alliance, and River is a temperamental nutcase. However, those issues are dealt with! It's clear they can use Simon's medical skills on board, so the fact that they put up with River in the beginning because he saved Kaylee's life is believable. Later on, they get to know River, and understand that she's an innocent victim of the government's tampering, and so there's a feeling of protectiveness/nobility that leads them to accept her place; most of the crew are victims of the Alliance, and so it's no big stretch that they feel for her. All of that is explicitly explored on the show.
But Shepherd Book? Mal doesn't like him because he's a man of God. He's too upright and moral to take part in the smuggling/thieving. He thwarts Jayne's attempts to deal the federal Marshall. He doesn't really do much of anything for anyone until halfway through the series, when they've already accepted his place on the ship! And it's just never touched on: "Hey Captain, why are we letting this guy stay again? Just what is he doing to earn his keep?"
It bothered me, and struck me as a gaping hole in the plot/characterization. Sure, if the show had gone on, we might have gotten more of his backstory, but that doesn't explain why they let him stay to begin with! (I would have liked just one or two scenes where they talk about kicking him off the ship, and someone makes a case against it. And the fact that he himself doesn't ever consider leaving is also...weird.)
Ok, these are probably conversations you had 9 years ago when the show first premiered! This is what I get for being a decade late to the party.
I never bothered with Castle because it seems to be part of a particular genre (formula, really) of shows that are popular at the moment: "kooky, slightly off-kilter male lead paired with straight-laced, highly-competent female partner." There's a bunch that are/were on: Lie to Me, The Mentalist, Castle, etc. Bones very nearly subverts the genre, except Bones and Booth sort of take turns with who's kooky and who's straight-laced, depending on the circumstances.
For that particular type of show to work, you have to invested in the characters and their dynamic. I wouldn't have given Castle another thought, except Firefly's given me a fondness for Nathan Fillion, and I think he might be fun to watch. (I don't know much about his partner on the show, except that someone on my flist likes to cosplay as her. Go figure.)
Because I can only devote my undivided attention to one, maybe two, shows at a time, I like procedurals that allow me to catch an episode here and there and enjoy it, without being completely in the dark because I missed the episode where A & B shared a meaningful glance in the hallway after B's blind date with C.
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