ABC’s hit show ‘Castle’ continued with its second episode of season five, “Cloudy with a Chance of Murder”, Monday, October 1, 2012. After the stunning season premiere, Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) now have to tackle the troubles of hiding their relationship from their coworkers, who are of course detectives. The episode proves that it is easier said than done.

Minor spoilers ahead.

Det. Beckett had been suspended at the end of season four for recklessly endangering herself and her fellow detective, Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas), while they were investigating her mother’s murder. It is Beckett’s first day back on the job with Castle, who is a famous crime novelist who consults on the murder cases, and she is worried about keeping anyone from finding out about them. Castle assures her no one will figure it out and they head to the crime scene.

A local weather girl named Mandy Michaels (Candice Mann) is found dead in a water fountain of a park. The bruises and gunshot wound are consistent with a mugging gone wrong so the duo head to the TV station to talk to her coworkers. While there, a gorgeous talk show host named Kristina Cottera (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) bumps into Castle and insists that he appear on her show. During the show, Kristina asks Castle out on a date and he agrees, much to Beckett’s horror. Castle later explains that if he pretends to date Kristina, no one will suspect that he and Beckett are dating. She begrudgingly agrees to let him go through with it but things go awry when it turns out his “date” is rather aggressive about getting to second base, much to his dismay.

Meanwhile, Det. Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Det. Esposito are heading up other avenues of the case but with plenty of friction. In the previous season, Ryan was forced to call their superior in on the case with Beckett’s mother in order to save hers and Esposito’s life. However, Esposito saw this as a betrayal and the two best friends haven’t spoken in months. Thankfully, after Ryan takes a punch for Esposito, the two are able to mend fences and return to their status as friends.

This episode is a return to formula for ‘Castle’ as the last season had a lot of serious, dramatic episodes. While this is certainly a good thing due to the talented actors on the show, many fans have wanted the playful, lighthearted side of ‘Castle’ to come back. “Cloudy” showcases plenty of hilarious one-liners, awkward moments, and a few of Castle’s trademark dorky observations.

Furthermore, it is beyond satisfying to see Castle and Beckett discussing relationship problems like a real couple. They are still both sizzling hot and happy to banter back and forth wherever they go. A few fans worried that the “Moonlighting Curse” might hit the show now that they are together, but the season premiere and this episode put those fears to rest. The careful writing and the undeniable chemistry between Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion have carried the show this far and will continue to allow it to flourish in the upcoming season.

Next week’s episode teases at an homage to ‘Storage Wars’ so be sure to tune in Monday, October 8, 2012 at 10PM EST on ABC for more ‘Castle.’

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About the author

Letitia Carelock
An aspiring novelist with a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia. She loves nothing more than great novels, exciting comic books, excellent movies, enthralling TV shows, and spending time with friends talking about nerdy things.