DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season 8

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior seasons, but no major season eight spoilers.+++

The best way to describe the final season of Castle is that it just feels off. It does use much of what made the show good to begin with, the case-of-the-week procedural format mixed with serial story arcs that run the course of the season. This season Beckett learns that the conspiracy involving Bracken, who was responsible for her mother's death, went deeper than Bracken, and she gets pulled back into that rabbit hole. As a result, she and Castle do not work together as much this season as they did in the prior seasons, so it misses a lot of the interplay between them that made the show great. As some may know, there were rumors that Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion did not get along behind the scenes later in the show's run (rumors are that they hated each other, although I have not seen either of them verify that). If valid, that did not affect the prior seasons, but it definitely seems like the dynamic between the two was different this season. Toward the end of the season, it was announced that should the series be renewed for a ninth season neither Katic nor Tamala Jones (who played Lanie) would return. Multiple endings to the finale were shot depending on the fate of the series. It was ultimately canceled toward the end of the eighth season and instead of ending on a cliffhanger, the series does provide somewhat of a conclusion for Castle and Beckett but does not really give a good sendoff to the supporting characters.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include audio commentaries on select episodes, a blooper reel, deleted scenes, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Okay for what is there, but not as much as the early season releases got.

Overall, the season is good, but not as good as prior seasons. As I said above, it just feels different in large part because the chemistry between Castle and Beckett felt off or lacking. The show includes a decent slate of guest stars including Fillion's Firefly co-stars Summer Glau and Jewel Staite, and an appearance by Oprah Winfrey. While I cannot say that fans of the show will like this season as much as prior seasons, I do think it is worth watching to see how the show wraps up.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle: Season 7

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from season six, but no major spoilers from season seven+++

The seventh season of Castle opens with Beckett and the team discovering the Castle had been abducted in the aftermath of the car accident that ended season six. Then it jumps ahead a couple of months when Castle resurfaces, found abandoned at sea with no memory of what happened to him or where he has been. That pretty much sets up the serial storyline of the season in which the team tries to figure out what happened to Castle, and it gets mixed in with the procedural case-of-the-week stories. The stand-alone episodes usually involve some murder mystery, but there is one in which Castle imagines that he is transported to an alternate universe in which he and Beckett never fell in love that was kind of an It's a Wonderful Life spoof. There are also a couple of episodes that call back to an earlier season storyline. So, while the show is a procedural crime drama, it is best to watch it from the beginning as opposed to jumping right into it at some random point.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include commentary tracks on two episodes, the season premiere that includes director Rob Bowman, actors Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever, and writer David Amann, and on the 15th episode which includes actors Nathan Fillion and Michael Mosley, director Rob Bowman, and writer Andrew Marlowe. Then there are deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a commercial for Castle's book.

Overall, the season is good, but it seems that the alleged tension between Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic does start to bleed through into the show. They definitely act professional on screen, but it does seem like they are starting to have fewer scenes together as the season went on. The show does have a good blend of drama and comedy and the acting is always great. So, if you are a fan of police procedurals and like shows that fall more into the dramedy category than a straight-up drama, this is definitely still worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle: Season 6

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor spoiler from the prior season, but no major season six giveaways.+++

Season 6 of Castle picks up immediately after the marriage proposal by Castle to Beckett. We find out her answer, and whether she takes the potential new job. From there, the season follows its combination of procedural and serial storytelling, with more of the supporting characters getting in on the action. This could be due to the fact that the reported bad blood between Katic and Fillion had started because, even though they still had good chemistry in their scenes together, they definitely had fewer scenes together and the Castle-Beckett focus of the first five seasons was reduced in season six. The season ends on yet another major cliffhanger after the resolution to the storyline of the murder of Beckett's mother.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, an on-location featurette with Stana Katic, character commentary by Ryan and Esposito, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and a karaoke track that is an extended version of Ryan's karaoke performance.

Overall, the season is good but is starting to feel different. As my title says, I think it is the last really good season of the show, but even so, it is not as good as it was in the first handful of seasons. If Fillion and Katic really did end up not being able to stand being around each other, and if that started this season, they hid it well because, when they did have scenes together, you bought the chemistry between the two of them.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season 5

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior season but no major giveaways from season five.+++

The fifth season picks up with Castle and Beckett in the afterglow of finally hooking up and Beckett pretty hilariously sneaking out of Castle's place when Martha brings home a hungover Alexis. The season premiere also brings in the great Jack Coleman (from Heroes) and inserts him in a major way into the storyline involving Beckett's mother. The rest of the season manages to follow a similar case-of-the-week format that also weaves serial arcs in and out throughout the season. This season also includes the show's 100th episode which is a pretty hilarious take on the movie Rear Window. There is also an episode that has multiple nods to the series Firefly, including Fillion dressing up like his character Mal (and Alexis making fun of him for it). The show does a good job introducing obstacles and tension into the Castle-Beckett relationship to keep the show from getting stale after the leads finally get together.

The DVD extras include deleted scenes, a gag reel, a few behind-the-scenes featurettes, and commentary tracks on selected episodes. So, there is quite a bit of material for those who like going through the bonus features.

Overall, the series continues to be a good blend of drama a comedy. Fillion and Katic have very good onscreen chemistry in this season, and if the alleged personal issues that led to the end of the show had started between the two of them, it was not obvious in the episodes. The writing and acting were very good and the show ended on yet another cliffhanger. If you have liked the prior seasons of the show, you will probably still like this season. You definitely will want to watch the prior seasons before jumping into this one because, while the episodes are mostly self-contained, there is a lot of character development that has happened up to this point that is helpful to have seen.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior season, but no major season four giveaways+++

The fourth season picks up after Beckett is shot and Montgomery is killed. We see that Beckett has undergone extensive surgery, and then takes a three-month leave to recover from her injuries. Much of the season's larger arc deals with Beckett trying to find out who shot her, as well as Castle and Beckett dealing with their feelings for each other. The big addition to the main cast this season is Penny Johnson Jerald (probably best known for the series 24) who plays Captain Victoria Gates. She is not a fan of Castle's "assistance" and generally makes life miserable for everyone. The season ends on another cliffhanger (although not the same as the season three cliffhanger) with the future of Beckett and Castle in the balance.

The season has a strong supporting and guest cast including Michael Dorn, Geoff Pierson, Jennifer Beals, Meghan Markle, and Tahmoh Penikett. There is also a mini Firefly reunion as well. For those who get the DVD set, the extras include commentary tracks on selected episodes, bloopers and outtakes, deleted scenes, a feature on the stunts, and a couple of other behind-the-scenes features. A good amount of material for those who like the extras.

Overall, the series continues to be strong. The show has a good balance of stand-alone case-of-the-week stories and does a good job stretching out the larger storylines. It continues to be well written and acted, and all of the actors do a great job with their roles. Fillion and Katic continue to either have or fake good chemistry. Most fans of the show probably know the rumors that the two could not stand each other by the time the series ended, so if any of that animosity had started at this point, it was not apparent when watching the episodes. If you are a fan of the prior seasons then you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if the prior seasons did not do much for you, this is probably not going to change your mind about the show.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season Three

 

The third season of Castle continues the case-of-the-week format intertwined with the larger story arc of the death of Beckett's mother (and a couple of other arcs that get introduced this season that are continued in later seasons). The season starts with a murder that may directly involve Castle, and it ends with the series' first major death and a huge cliffhanger. The guest stars this season include Jason Beghe (who would go on to be a series lead in the show Chicago PD), and Adrian Pasdar (probably best known for the series Heroes).

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include a blooper reel, a few behind-the-scenes featurettes, and commentary tracks on select episodes. The A/V quality is pretty much what you would expect for a non-special effects-laden show. There was no Blu-Ray release.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and well-acted. The cast has great chemistry, and if the animosity that Fillion and Katic reportedly had by the end of the series' run had started, it was not apparent during the third season. The show is a good mix of drama, some action, and comedy. Castle's bulletproof vest with "Writer" on the back always manages to get at least a chuckle. If you liked the first couple of seasons then you will probably like this one as it moves the series forward and continues to develop the characters well. I definitely recommend it.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Seasons One and Two

 

Castle is a twist on the cop-buddy show in which one is a womanizing mystery writer named Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) and the other is a homicide detective, Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) on whom Castle bases a new series of novels after he experiences writer's block and kills off his current main character. He is interviewed by police due to a copycat murder that matches a killing in one of his novels, and because of his fame and wealth, Castle is able to worm his way into what amounts to an extended ride-along with Beckett and her partners Ryan and Esposito (played by Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas), and Tamala Jones, the medical examiner, and help them solve murders. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Susan Sullivan, Castle's mother and aging theater actress whom he basically bankrolls, and Molly Quinn, who plays Castle's teenage daughter Alexis.

The first season is a short one (just ten episodes) and really is focused on character development and establishing the "will they, won't they" get together storyline for Castle and Beckett. It is mostly a crime-of-the-week procedural show but does have larger story arcs that play out throughout the season, the biggest one being the mystery around the death of Beckett's mother. Season two continues those themes and, of course, throws the usual roadblocks in the main character's relationship. It ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger with the partnership at a crossroads. In the second season, the show started getting more established guest stars including Alyssa Milano, and Dana Delaney.

For those who get the DVD sets, in both seasons, the extras include a gag reel, behind-the-scenes features, and deleted scenes. In the season one set, there are commentary tracks on selected episodes, and a feature with the producer Stephen J. Cannell, who was the creator of many 1980s TV series. So, a good amount for people who like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the show is very good. It is well written and acted, and even though it can be a bit predictable at times, and does have some of the canned themes that all romantic dramas have, it does not feel cookie cutter. The cast has great chemistry, which is interesting because, as some may know Katic and Fillion reportedly hated each other in real life by the end of the series run. If there was any animosity between them in the first couple of seasons you definitely could not tell. So, if you are looking for a show that has a good blend of drama, comedy, and mystery, this is a good option.