With the first 10 episodes focusing more on Castle and Beckett's new relationship, it was a nice distraction this week to have one of the secondary characters featured in a primary role.
If you've been reading my "Castle" reviews the last two seasons, you know that the more prominent Esposito is in the episode the more I typically enjoy it. So while 'Under the Influence' wasn't hilarious or quirky, it was a solid episode of the show nonetheless.
Aside from some cliches of the cop mentoring the young troubled teen, we learned that Esposito isn't afraid to break a few rules and get his hands dirty (Do you think Javy really would have threatened that guy in the bar like he did? I don't find that far-fetched at all, it's more Ryan who is a stickler for the rules and protocol), and that he had a previous criminal record when he was younger. Although, it's possible that we knew that already and I had just forgotten.
I appreciated the break from the Castle-Beckett relationship drama and enjoyed the silly little argument they had in the beginning of the episode about the repercussions of picking a bad date movie. I think we can all relate to that argument a little bit. Less forced drama (like last week's garbage) and more silly fights is what I'm hoping for.
It took four full seasons to get these idiots together, I don't want them broken up so quickly for some contrived reason like last week's show threatened.
Nothing else to say, I'll let you guys (and by guys I mean HGF and MaryPloppins -- the only two people who ever comment on this) do the rest of the talking.
QUOTES OF NOTE:
--MONSTER: "Where's the super-hot detective?"
--ESPOSITO: "Oh, you're looking at him."
RANDOM RAMBLINGS:
--The first minute of this episode was practically IDENTICAL to the first few minutes of the 'Nashville' pilot.
--I love it when guys get busted for talking like guys before they realize ladies are present.
--Haha, loved it when Ryan ran his hand through his hair. And then Castle checking out his hair and touching it in the interrogation room.
--Police sketch artist is a such a bad-ass job. Don't know how they do it. I've always wondered how badly I would be at describing a witness to a sketch artist. They would fucking hate me.
--Apparently Joey "The Monster" watches a lot of TV, because he knows the Police playbook better than they do. No way this kid is friggin' 13. My ass.
--Wow I had NO IDEA that Esposito was gonna take the kid in. Such a total shock, you just never see that on TV. ...Wait, AND he tried to escape? Who knew!?
--It's shine now, and not bling? Man, I'm getting old.
--LOL on the bodyguard covering his junk the second time Javy entered the bar.
THE SCORE: 78 out of 100
