ABC’s crime dramedy ‘Castle’ premiered its fourth episode of season five, “Murder He Wrote,” Monday, October 15, 2012 at 10PM EST. Like its previous episodes, ‘Castle’ has been conquering the ratings and this week was no different. Fans have been clamoring to see “Murder He Wrote” ever since it was revealed that the titular Richard Castle and his lovely detective/girlfriend Kate Beckett would be traveling to the Hamptons for a romantic getaway.

Mild spoilers ahead.

Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) have planned a secret trip to his home in the Hamptons to spend some quality time together. He drops in on her at the 12^th precinct to pick her up, but then her fellow detectives Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) intercept them. The detectives do not know that Castle and Beckett are dating, but they have caught on to the fact that Beckett has a new boyfriend. After they leave, Ryan and Esposito decide to use their time off to find out who the new beau is.

Meanwhile, Castle and Beckett make it to the Hamptons and just as things start to heat up, a man with a fatal gunshot wound stumbles up from the beach and falls into the pool. The duo calls the local Hampton police and are met with the inexperienced Chief Brady (David Burke). He identifies the victim as Randall Franklin, a Manhattan resident who is also on vacation in the Hamptons. He was last seen arguing with a woman in a white dress on the beach before he stumbled up into Castle’s backyard. The Hampton police find a meth-addict named McMurray with Franklin’s wallet and assume he is the murderer. However, Castle points out that they didn’t hear a gunshot before he appeared and there is no sign of blood splatter on the alleged shooter. Naturally, he is too distracted by the new case to focus on Beckett so she reluctantly agrees to help him solve the mystery.

“Murder He Wrote” is by far one of the funniest yet romantic episodes of the season. It is truly delightful to see Castle taking the lead in the case and while his insight is often accurate, his lack of subtlety gets the pair deep into trouble. Beckett’s clear exasperation with her excitable boyfriend is hilarious and becomes all the more amusing when she eventually gets caught up in the case as well. For years, Castle and Beckett have gotten interrupted by their coworkers, family members, or criminals whenever they are having a romantic moment, but this time they actually interrupt themselves so it is twice as funny.

It is also endearing to see Castle and Beckett in a domestic environment. The show has always revolved around dead bodies and the city of New York, but out in the Hamptons, we see a different side of these characters. For instance, Beckett expresses a bit of insecurity when they first arrive because she knows that Castle has quite a long list of romantic partners. However, Castle assures her that none of his past girlfriends can compare to her and it is by far the most heartwarming moment of the episode. Fillion and Katic have an undeniable amount of chemistry that makes the love between Castle and Beckett all the more engrossing.

Last but not least, the most interesting development thus far is Det. Ryan’s discovery of Castle and Beckett’s clandestine relationship thanks to a talkative suspect. So far, he is the first person in Beckett’s circle to find out that the two are dating. With a whole season ahead of them, it is only a matter of time before his best friend Esposito and Beckett’s best friend Lanie (Tamala Jones) find out as well.

‘Castle’ is taking a break in the upcoming week, but it will return October 29, 2012 with a harrowing episode that implies that Castle will be suspected of murder. Make sure to tune in at 10PM EST on ABC.

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ABC’s hit show ‘Castle’ premiered the third episode of season five, “Secret’s Safe with Me,” on October 8, 2012 at 10PM EST. So far, the show’s ratings are doing well now that the titular Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and his lovely muse Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) have started a clandestine romantic relationship.

Mild spoilers ahead.

“Secret’s Safe with Me” centers around a young woman named Wendy Dupree (Tara Batesole) who wrote “LIE” in her own blood right before she died. This puzzles the team until they later realize that her death is linked to a storage container that is about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Castle is able to deduce that she actually wrote the number 317 in her blood and they were merely looking at it upside down. Castle and Beckett head to the auction and after some mild hijinks, they buy the contents of the storage container hoping that it contains evidence that will solve the Wendy’s murder.

Meanwhile, Martha (Susan Sullivan), Castle’s mother, tells him she knows that he and Beckett are together and that he should tell his daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn) about the new relationship before she heads to college. However, Alexis seems short with Castle after he tells her and he worries that she is convinced Beckett has “taken her place.” It leaves him in an awkward position as he tries to soothe his daughter’s agitation only to learn that she is not jealous of Beckett but rather upset that she will no longer be living with him.

Unfortunately, after buying the storage room, Castle and Beckett are left with a huge amount of seemingly worthless junk to root through. However, eventually, they catch on to a theory that Wendy and her brother, Wendall Dupree (Alex Arleo), who was also suspiciously killed shortly before her, may have been looking for a priceless bracelet. Thus, it becomes a treasure hunt, much to Castle’s absolute glee, and a race to find the jewelry before the Wendy’s killer recovers it first.

“Secret’s Safe with Me” is nothing short of brilliant. By far, one of the most outstanding moments is the “handshake” between Castle and Beckett at the precinct. Since their relationship is still a secret, they cannot kiss in front of the other detectives so Castle suggests a handshake, but he describes the way he would kiss her if they were in private and she does the same. It is a steamy yet heartfelt scene that proves these two have a love between them that is legendary.

Furthermore, while Alexis’ fears about not being at home feel somewhat silly since she is only five miles away from her father, the scene is very sweetly capped off with nostalgia for Castle and Alexis. She asks him to check under the bed for monsters and he does. He also promises to come running if any monsters show up and it is one of the most adorable things to ever happen on the show. The relationship is well written and certainly well acted by Fillion and Quinn, who have both admitted that they share a similar relationship outside of the ‘Castle’ set.

Next week’s episode will take Castle and Beckett to the Hamptons for a romantic getaway that of course is interrupted by an untimely murder. Catch it next Monday, October 15, 2012 at 10PM EST on ABC.

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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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ABC’s hit show ‘Castle’ returned to the airwaves Monday, September 24, 2012 at 10PM EST with its fifth season premiere, “After the Storm.” The police procedural dramedy posted great ratings with over 11 million viewers during the season opener, which teased at the glorious and long-awaited hookup of the titular Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and the beautiful Kate Beckett (Stana Katic).

Spoilers ahead!

For those new to the series, ‘Castle’ is about a rich crime novelist named Richard Castle who grows tired of the fictional character, Derrick Storm, who brought him to fame. After killing the character off, Castle seeks a new muse to inspire him. Coincidentally, homicide detective Kate Beckett brings him in for questioning on a case where the murders are staged the same way he has killed several characters in his novels.

Intrigued by the murders and by Beckett’s loveliness, Castle consults on the case, much to Beckett’s resentment. However, she finds out that his extensive knowledge of criminology and his outside-the-box thinking are quite useful for catching bad guys. Castle finagles his way into shadowing her through his friendship with the Mayor and the pair set off on a tumultuous but fun partnership.

In the previous season, Castle and Beckett dealt with the aftermath of Kate’s shooting, which she barely survived. Castle blurted out that he loved her as she lay bleeding in his arms and while Beckett reciprocated his feelings, she chose to tell him she had amnesia because she was not ready to commit to a relationship yet. However, in the season four finale, Castle confronts her about it as they are thrown back into the dangerous case of her mother’s murder, which drove her to be a detective in the first place.

Castle reveals that the conspirators who had her shot forced him to coerce her out of investigating the case so they would not have to kill her. When Beckett finds out, she is furious and runs headfirst into the case, which causes Castle to walk out on her. She catches up with her shooter but he overpowers her and leaves her dangling off a skyscraper.

Thankfully, Beckett’s team member Det. Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and her superior Captain Victoria Gates (Penny Johnson Jerald) show up in the nick of time to rescue her. Due to her instability and disobeying orders, Capt. Gates suspends Beckett and her fellow teammate, Javier Esposito, (Jon Huertas) and Beckett resigns. She then goes to Castle and confesses that she no longer cares about the case and that she wants him instead.

The season five premiere picks up “the morning after” with Castle and Beckett having a brief chat about finally consummating their relationship. However, the tender moment is interrupted when Castle’s mother, Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan) and daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn) return home and he has to sneak Beckett out of the apartment without them finding out. He later explains that he wants to keep their relationship private for a while and she begrudgingly agrees.

Soon afterward, Detective Ryan shows up with a new lead on her mother’s murder. Reluctantly, Beckett continues forward with them as they try to track down Cole Maddox (Tahmoh Penikett) and Mr. Smith (Geoff Pierson), who met with Castle to protect Beckett. They find Mr. Smith shortly after Maddox tortured him to find a file with the information about the man responsible for her mother’s murder. They find out Senator William Brecken (Jack Coleman) is the man behind it all and Beckett confronts him, telling him not to send anyone else after her or her loved ones or she’ll release the evidence she has gathered against him.

The premiere is one of the best of the series, showcasing amazing acting from Fillion and Katic, both as they tease each other and as they push forward investigating the case. Katic is on fire as a furious Beckett who has come to terms with her feelings for Castle but realizes that she must find justice for her mother in a way she never could have predicted. Furthermore, the tension between Det. Ryan and Esposito is palpable as Esposito feels Ryan betrayed them by telling Gates where they went. It is a scary thing to see these two best friends at war with each other and it will certainly be an interesting subject to tackle in future episodes.

It is also satisfying to put a face to Beckett’s mother’s murderer as Beckett has been chasing this man for four years. Fans have been coming up with theories and speculation ever since it was first brought up in season one and they were ecstatic to see the showdown between the detective and the Senator in the final ten minutes of the episode.

‘Castle’ premieres Mondays at 10PM EST on ABC. Be sure to catch the next one.

The article ABC’s ‘Castle’ Returns with an Explosive Season Five Premiere appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On July 13, lucky fans at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con were able to enjoy the Nerd HQ panel, hosted by Zachery Levi (“Chuck” (2007), ‘Tangled’ (2010), starring geek god Nathan Fillion (“Firefly“ (2002), “Castle“ (2009) and fan favorite Adam Baldwin (“Firefly,” “Chuck”). The panel was also streamed live online to be enjoyed from coast to coast.

The format of the panel is similar to other ones at San Diego Comic Con. Fillion and Baldwin sat down and selected questions from audience members and answered them with plenty of jokes and interesting anecdotes. The fans’ questions ranged from personal to work-related and were delightfully diverse rather than simply focusing on the actors’ work on Joss Whedon’s “Firefly,” which incidentally had a reunion panel earlier that day. The highlights of the panel are below.

One fan asked Fillion and Baldwin what they considered to be the best lines from “Firefly” and ‘Serenity’ (2005), and if they could act them out. Baldwin did the infamous “we get paid” line from the pilot episode and then Fillion did Jayne’s line about his “very favorite gun” from “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” and then closed out the reenactment with the famous, “I’ll be in my bunk” quote that all fans know and love.

Another fan asked about what kind of pranks went on during the filming of ‘Serenity.’ Fillion was eager to tell them about how he copied some photos of a teenaged, goofy looking Alan Tudyk and then plastered the pictures all over the back of the bar scene in ‘Serenity’, which utterly confused Tudyk when he saw them and caused the crew to crack up when Tudyk confronted him.

Someone asked Fillion what his thoughts were on George R. R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones,” both the novels and the HBO series, and Fillion was excited to share how he got into it and demonstrated the many range of emotions he goes through while watching an episode. He noted that he is particularly fond of Tyrion Lannister.

A “Castle” fan asked if “Castle” season five would deal with Castle’s father, whom he does not know but was suggested to be involved with the CIA, and Fillion confirmed that it would be addressed later on in some capacity.

Fillion also pointed out a few “Castle” cast members he would like to see return like Adam Baldwin’s character, Ethan Slaughter, who appeared in season four, Michael Trucco’s character Det. Demming, who appeared in season two, and Fillion even said he’d love to see Zachary Levi join the cast in the future. Levi eagerly accepted the invitation.

Speaking of Levi, Fillion also said he has dreamt of being able to voice a character in a Disney/Pixar film, which amused Levi as he voiced the roguish thief Flynn Rider in Disney’s ‘Tangled.’

A young boy named Connor asked Fillion if he was excited about voicing Hal Jordan, aka the Green Lantern, in two DC Animated Original films, and the actor confirmed this by revealing how he wore his Green Lantern shirt in the recording booth each time he went in. He then started to say the oath, but then changed it into a hilarious little parody poem instead.

One of the “Firefly” fans asked where Fillion and Baldwin thought Mal and Inara would be five years after the events of ‘Serenity’ and both men agreed that by then, the pair would have consummated their relationship, but would not have settled down for a normal life.

The panel was topped off by a fan donating $1000 to charity in order to see Fillion and Baldwin give Zachary Levi a smooch each. Both men tossed down their own cash and planted big wet ones on Zachary, who sheepishly complied to the request, which set the room ablaze with laughter and applause. The panel could not have ended on a better note.

San Diego Comic Con 2012 is still underway so more news of the “Firefly” veterans will be coming in over the weekend. Stay tuned.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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ABC’s hit show Castle is not only dominating the Monday night airwaves—it is also conquering bookshelves all over the nation with the third Nikki Heat novel, Heat Rises. For those who do not know, the Heat novels that Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) based on the gorgeous Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) are tie-ins to the show. The books are credited to the fictional Richard Castle, but in real life they are written by a mysterious member of the Castle crew who has yet to be revealed. Rises is an intriguing, danger-laced romp through the world of crooked cops, dangerous ex-military men, and corrupt political figures.

Heat Rises was originally released September 20th of last year but was recently released in paperback. It is preceded by Heat Wave and Naked Heat, and will be followed by Frozen Heat, which has been slated for later this year.

The story is centered on homicide Detective Nikki Heat and an investigative journalist named Jameson Rook. The novel focuses around a murder that entangles Heat, Rook, and her co-workers, Detectives Raley, Ochoa, Hinesburg, and Captain Montrose, with many unexpected twists and turns. There are many similarities to the show—a tongue-in-cheek joke for the characters on Castle as well as the loyal Castle fans—but since Rises is a novel, it can take certain liberties with its content. For instance, curse words and sex scenes are permitted as well as in-depth moments between the characters, such as conversations about their day-to-day lives or extended looks into their pasts. It also allows the mystery to unravel at a slower pace since the plot is not limited to 42-minutes like an episode. These elements work to the novel’s benefit as it creates a wealth of tense, action-packed moments as well as funny, heartwarming ones, whether it’s Heat chasing down criminals or kicking back in her apartment with Rook.

Heat Rises picks up with Nikki Heat investigating the supposed suicide of Father Graf, a priest, found dead in a New York bondage club. The bizarre marks on his skin and the strange place his body is found leads Heat deep into the underbelly of New York, where she speaks to all kinds of people, from other clergymen to people who frequent the bondage circuit, to solve the case. Heat is also up for the position of lieutenant in her precinct, which adds pressure from her superiors as well as her co-workers.

Meanwhile, Rook has been on assignment in another country taking down a drug lord, and leaving Nikki feeling a bit lonely, as they had been dating before he left. However, to her shock, she finds out he has been in New York for a couple of weeks when the paparazzi photographs him coming out of a swanky party with his ex-girlfriend. Furious, Nikki pushes aside her anger and continues pursuing the case without trying to contact him to find out why he didn’t call her when he returned to the states.

However, as Nikki examines the events leading up to Father Graf’s death, Captain Montrose steers her away from certain aspects of the case, which frustrates her. She attributes this change in his behavior to the recent death of his wife and the investigation Internal Affairs has put him through, but she learns that Captain Montrose may actually be a suspect in Father Graf’s murder. The case gets heated as she is forced to choose between following the orders of her commander, who had previously been her friend and mentor, and discovering the truth about Father Graf’s murder, whether it deals with her Captain or not.

Later, Rook finally shows up at Nikki’s place and explains himself. She reluctantly accepts his apology and the two reconcile. He no longer rides along with her as he did in the previous novels because she feels it is too dangerous, but he does stick around to help her piece together the odd elements of Father Graf’s death.

The writing style used in Heat Rises is astounding. It has all the best parts of a classic crime noir story, but it keeps everything modern with hilarious one-liners and plenty of fun pop culture references, including a shout out to Nathan Fillion for his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s Firefly. There is also a shout out to Stana Katic for her role in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

The characters are all vividly depicted and easy to picture both as their fictional selves and as representatives of the Castle characters. Many of their traits are taken directly from the show, but they also have their own hang ups that make them different, which is the entire appeal of reading the Nikki Heat series.

The mystery itself is a pulse-pounding enigma for most of the novel, and there are several dramatic moments that rival the show. It is far from predictable, but some seasoned fans may know where the plot is leading because of their knowledge of the show.

The only thing that detracts from the quality of the novel is the length. It is easier to keep track of suspects on Castle because we are given both faces and names, but in the novel, it is harder for the names of suspects to stick in the mind.

Overall, Heat Rises raises the stakes and does not disappoint by the end. There is no better way to beat the heat this summer.

Grade: 5/5

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