Castle eps: Den of Thieves and The Blue Butterfly
I am a latecomer to Castle and have only begun watching in the last few months. My friend Dava got me hooked. She is a fellow hardcore fan of Scarecrow and Mrs. King and recommended that I watch both Chuck and Castle due to their SMK similarities. Note to self: watch anything Dava recommends, because I love both Chuck and Castle. Big, pink, puffy heart love.
I've finally caught up on all seasons of Castle. I watched Season 1 on DVD--Dava graciously sent me hers to get me started. I then jumped ahead to the Season 4 episodes on Hulu. Yes, this was somewhat confusing. Yes, I did it anyway. I could mostly follow along, since Castle isn't too heavily arc-based. I couldn't figure out who the new police captain was or why she was there, and I was behind on the details as far as the murder of Kate's mother. But mostly it was the same fun, witty banter (I think I must be a sucker for banter) and mostly episodic cases.
"The Blue Butterfly" was one of the first episodes I managed to catch on Hulu. Holy cow, I loved this ep. What a fabulous tribute to classic "hard-boiled" detectives and noir. I never realized just how much I loved this genre, but I really do. I loved Garfield's spoof on it as a kid, when he played "Sam Spayed" in a TV special. I loved the virtual Season 6 SMK fan "episode" that had Lee dreaming in noir. I loved the nods to the genre in "The Angels Take Manhattan" as the Ponds made their exit. And this episode of Castle didn't disappoint either. It was a decent mystery, but mostly it was just loads of great fun as the familiar characters took on new roles. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of Castle's entire run thus far.
Then I finally got a chance to see Seasons 2 and 3 and fill in some of the holes in the story arc. Season 2's "Den of Thieves" may not top my favorite episodes list by the end of the series (I do love my 'ship, and it's Esposito-centric rather than Caskett-centric). But wow, is it powerful. It gives some great back story on Esposito, it demonstrates how deep his loyalty runs to those who earn it, and it shows how Ryan gives that same loyalty right back. I do love that bond between those two. It had Scott Cohen as a guest star, and I adored his character on Gilmore Girls.
But my favorite aspect of "Den of Thieves" was the ending. I won't spoil it too badly, but watching the scene at the precinct as the "big bad" is brought in, and the expression on the face of Esposito's former partner, is so powerful and emotional. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried; it was beautiful. And the theme that came through in the end reminded me of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. There is law, and we have laws for a reason. But sometimes there justice that transcends or conflicts with some of the law's minutiae. And sometimes you choose justice over law. The characters in the book did, and the characters in this episode did as well. And it made for an incredibly beautiful, moving scene. Gosh, I still tear up a bit thinking about it. And that is good TV
I've finally caught up on all seasons of Castle. I watched Season 1 on DVD--Dava graciously sent me hers to get me started. I then jumped ahead to the Season 4 episodes on Hulu. Yes, this was somewhat confusing. Yes, I did it anyway. I could mostly follow along, since Castle isn't too heavily arc-based. I couldn't figure out who the new police captain was or why she was there, and I was behind on the details as far as the murder of Kate's mother. But mostly it was the same fun, witty banter (I think I must be a sucker for banter) and mostly episodic cases.
"The Blue Butterfly" was one of the first episodes I managed to catch on Hulu. Holy cow, I loved this ep. What a fabulous tribute to classic "hard-boiled" detectives and noir. I never realized just how much I loved this genre, but I really do. I loved Garfield's spoof on it as a kid, when he played "Sam Spayed" in a TV special. I loved the virtual Season 6 SMK fan "episode" that had Lee dreaming in noir. I loved the nods to the genre in "The Angels Take Manhattan" as the Ponds made their exit. And this episode of Castle didn't disappoint either. It was a decent mystery, but mostly it was just loads of great fun as the familiar characters took on new roles. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of Castle's entire run thus far.
Then I finally got a chance to see Seasons 2 and 3 and fill in some of the holes in the story arc. Season 2's "Den of Thieves" may not top my favorite episodes list by the end of the series (I do love my 'ship, and it's Esposito-centric rather than Caskett-centric). But wow, is it powerful. It gives some great back story on Esposito, it demonstrates how deep his loyalty runs to those who earn it, and it shows how Ryan gives that same loyalty right back. I do love that bond between those two. It had Scott Cohen as a guest star, and I adored his character on Gilmore Girls.
But my favorite aspect of "Den of Thieves" was the ending. I won't spoil it too badly, but watching the scene at the precinct as the "big bad" is brought in, and the expression on the face of Esposito's former partner, is so powerful and emotional. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried; it was beautiful. And the theme that came through in the end reminded me of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. There is law, and we have laws for a reason. But sometimes there justice that transcends or conflicts with some of the law's minutiae. And sometimes you choose justice over law. The characters in the book did, and the characters in this episode did as well. And it made for an incredibly beautiful, moving scene. Gosh, I still tear up a bit thinking about it. And that is good TV