03 November, 2012

Review -- CASTLE 5.05: 'Probable Cause'



ATTENTION: THIS REVIEW WAS TO BE POSTED TUESDAY but the storm prevented that from happening. I apologize. Blame the gods. -- HGF

I sincerely hope your power wasn't off Monday night.

If it was, you missed one of the best 'Castle' episodes ever -- but then again, if you're reading this, your power is on and you watched it already. (And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, watch or read the news, you idiot.)

Point is, that episode was a doozy, and I feel badly for the people who were unable to watch it.

Stupid me had forgotten about the 3XK killer from Season 3, Episode 6 (a terrific episode), so bringing that storyline back was smart, unexpected, dramatic and intense. Of course, with the way 'Probable Cause' ended, it's probable that the writers will ruin it and bring him back once again even though he should be very dead. Although, if Castle was right, and that whole thing was orchestrated to get them all to the bridge, 3XK was probably wearing a vest and could have survived getting shot like five times. I suppose.

(Why can't anyone really be dead on TV shows when shot? Bryce Larkin and Daniel Shaw, anyone? And if anyone complains about my lack of a "Chuck Spoiler Alert", you only have yourself to blame having not watched the entire series by now.)

Now that I've mentioned how much I love the episode, it would only be appropriate, given the bitch that I am, to complain a little bit about it. Although Beckett insists how she believed him the whole time, it seemed like she, along with Ryan and Esposito, had their moments of doubt. I mean, seriously, c'mon.

As viewers we obviously knew that Castle was innocent from the beginning and going to get absolved from the crime, but the show did a good job of keeping it tense and us guessing throughout. Kudos for that. However, I can't help but wish they made this one a two-parter with Castle being kidnapped and Beckett going on a Sarah Walker-esque rampage trying to find him. ("Giant Brunette Shemale of New York" doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "Giant Blonde Shemale of Thailand", does it?)

Quibbles aside, that was a great episode, highlighted by the fact that it came out of nowhere. I would really love to know what you all thought about it, so blow up the comments section.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

--BECKETT: "I know him, Laney. He is an immature, egotistical, self-centered jackass sometimes, but he's not this."

--ESPOSITO: "I know how you feel about the guy -- I love him too. But there's nothing we can do."

--CASTLE: "This is so much less fun than the other night at your place."

--GATES: "The DA is calling it a prisoner's escape. They've issued an APB and instructed me to begin a man-hunt ... Well as far as they're concerned he's well-connected, knows our procedure and has substantial resources."

--CASTLE: "You wouldn't happen to have his contact information, would you?"

--BECKETT: "You shot him, he's dead. It's over."
--CASTLE: "For now."


RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--How come the viewers always know when there is impending danger (the bridge scene at the end), but the cops don't?

--Damnit, Beckett, how do you fall for the 'I'm faking being dead' maneuver?

--Apparently a psychopath serial killer can write crime novels just as well as Castle. The writing was seemingly good enough to make the police think it was Castle's work. It doesn't bode well for his skills if they can be duplicated by a novice.

--A lot of planning went into this frame-job. Gotta respect it.

--Castle is a better cop than Beckett more often than not.

--I want to know who owed Castle a favor and helped him escape the transfer.

--POLL: Do you want them the show to bring back the 3XK killer or do you think that it's not feasible he survived?

THE SCORE: 92 out of 100