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.

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ABC’s hit show ‘Castle’ (2009) premiered the season four finale, “Always,” May 7, 2012 at 10:00pm EST. How did it hold up? Let’s just say Castle fans everywhere will have something to keep them company as they wait for season five.

Spoiler alert for the entire series, and the finale, below. You have been warned.

For the new folks, here’s the basic breakdown of the premise for ‘Castle.’ Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a handsome multimillionaire crime novelist who grew bored with his character, Derrick Storm, and killed him off so he could start fresh. Soon afterward, Castle meets Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) of the NYPD’s 12^th Precinct.

She comes to him with a case where a killer is staging his murders in the fashion that characters are killed off in the Derrick Storm novel series. Intrigued by the case, and Beckett’s incredible gorgeousness, Castle weasels his way into her world as a consultant, which he accomplishes because he is friends with the Mayor.

Beckett finds him annoying but soon discovers that his extensive experience in criminology and his off-the-wall but insightful theories are useful and he decides to stick around for more cases. He then bases his next set of novels on Det. Beckett, coining her fictional character Nikki Heat.

Over the course of the four seasons, Castle and Beckett have steadily grown closer. In season one, she sees him as a nuisance but eventually realizes he can actually be helpful. In season two, Beckett starts to accept Castle’s presence in her life and doesn’t mind flirting with him as much as he flirts with her.

In season three, the two have started to bond over the unsolved case of her mother’s murder as well as realizing that there is more to their relationship than a partnership or friendship. In season four, they have to come to terms with a secret each of them is hiding from each other before it rips them apart forever.

In tonight’s finale, “Always,” an ex-thief is found dead in an alley. As they investigate, Beckett and her team, including Det. Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Det. Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas), find out the thief had just robbed the home of the late Captain Roy Montgomery (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) and stole all his files.

This leads them to suspect that the thief knew about the circumstances before Captain Montgomery’s tragic death, in which he revealed he was involved in the murder case of Beckett’s mother and died protecting Beckett from the people who want her dead. This leads Beckett back to investigating her mother’s murder, much to Castle’s distress as he reluctantly cut a deal with a man who knew about the men trying to kill her. In short, if Beckett stays off the case, she stays alive.

Finally, Castle confronts Beckett and tries to convince her not to pursue the case because the men who killed her mother and Capt. Montgomery will come after her again.

He reveals that he cut a deal for her life and confesses that he did it out of love for her, but Beckett stubbornly refuses to let it go. Castle walks out and she continues investigating without him. Detectives Ryan and Esposito manage to track down the killer’s location and Ryan pleads with Beckett to bring back up but she and Esposito insist they can handle it without calling in their superior.

Distressed, Ryan calls Castle but he doesn’t pick up the phone. Beckett and Esposito track down the killer, but he knocks Esposito out and makes a run for it with Beckett in pursuit. This leads a brutal fight on the rooftop. The killer overpowers Beckett and leaves her dangling off the side of a building. At the last minute, Det. Ryan and a team show up to rescue her.

Det. Ryan had been forced to inform their superior, Captain Victoria Gates (Penny Johnson Jerald), of Beckett’s action and she immediately suspends Beckett and Esposito. Beckett resigns from the force and realizes that Castle is more important to her than her mother’s case. She goes to his place and tells him how she feels and the two at long last consummate their relationship.

For Castle fans, this is truly a monumental episode. Every seed that had been planted in previous seasons comes to fruition with this finale. The emotional weight of Castle and Beckett’s relationship is examined, explored, and strengthened by the trials the two of them deal with over the course of the episode.

It is easy to see that the writers took their time deciding how to design the finale in a way that kept the tension between all of the characters and resolved four years’ worth of sexual chemistry. The show’s creator, Andrew W. Marlowe, has long debated the so-called “Moonlighting Curse”, aka the failure of a show after two characters with sexual tension finally sleep together, and this episode proves that he does not fear for Castle’s success now that Beckett and Castle have come to terms with their feelings for one another.

The writing is superb, as always with this show, but Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic honestly deserve a standing ovation for their parts in this finale. Fillion does a magnificent job of being outraged at Kate’s stubborn refusal to save her own life while still conveying just how much he loves her. Likewise, Katic’s passionate portrayal of Kate Beckett truly shines just as brightly as she fights for her life and reevaluates what is important to her.

‘Castle’ is one of the highest rated and widely watched shows on ABC and is expected to be renewed and premiere season five in mid-September of 2012. Be there.

The article ‘Castle’ Season Four Finale Gives Fans What They Want appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The cast of ABC’s smash hit ‘Castle’ visited the Paley Center in Beverly Hills on March 9, 2012 for a fun filled Q&A. Moderated by William Keck, the cast and the show’s creator Andrew Marlowe merrily entertained their fans with hilarious anecdotes and delicious tidbits about upcoming events in the current season.

The attendees included Nathan Fillion, who plays the charming novelist Richard Castle; Stana Katic, who plays the luscious homicide detective Kate Beckett; Molly C. Quinn, who plays Castle’s down to earth teenage daughter Alexis; Susan Sullivan, who plays Castle’s dramatic but loving mother Martha; Jon Huertas, who plays the spicy Detective Javier Esposito;

Seamus Dever, who plays the adorable counterpart Detective Kevin Ryan; Tamala Jones, who plays the sassy coroner and Kate Beckett’s best friend Lanie Parish; Penny Johnson Jerald, who plays the hard edged new Captain Victoria Gates; and creator/writer Andrew Marlowe.

The panel started off with a special screening of an upcoming episode, “A Dance with Death,” which premieres on ABC March 19, 2012, and then Keck brought the stars out to start the Q&A.

One of the best things about ‘Castle’ is the chemistry between each of the actors and actresses. The show has picked people with vastly different backgrounds—from soap opera actors like Susan Sullivan and Nathan Fillion in his earliest role to the U.S. Air Force like Jon Huertas—and the writers have the ability to mix them together in the most interesting ways. They are a tightly knit group both on and off screen and the panel exposed the quirky relationships the actors have built in their four seasons working on the show.

Moderator William Keck brought a very relaxed air to the room that made the questions even more fun for the cast to answer. He nudged Andrew Marlowe for tidbits about upcoming episodes and the creator cheerfully gave him a few cryptic answers.

Marlowe revealed the title for Richard Castle’s next book—“Frozen Heat”—and that it would be hitting real bookshelves later this year. Richard Castle’s novels are in fact actual novels written by a mysterious ghostwriter and have landed on the New York Times’ Best Sellers more than once. So far, there have been three released—“Heat Wave”, “Naked Heat”, and “Heat Rises”—with the fourth coming in 2012.

He went on to say that there are plans to dive into the Derrick Storm world again. Storm was Richard Castle’s first character and his claim to fame before he eventually grew tired of him by the first episode of the show.

Marlowe also mentioned that Castle might start digging into finding out about his missing father. His mother Martha had many lovers around the time he was born and so he never knew who his father was until a Russian double agent dropped a potential clue that Castle Sr. might work for the CIA.

Marlowe continued on to say that by the end of the season, they would once again touch on the deadly case of Johanna Beckett’s murder, which will throw Castle and Beckett back into the chaos they have previously faced.

The questions Keck gave the cast members were varied and excellent. He started by having them read a shortened version of the script from the season four episode “The Blue Butterfly”, which was a shout out to film noir 1940’s classics. The cast engaged in the reading with plenty of gusto, funny accents, and even a demonstration of a deleted fight scene between Seamus, Nathan, and Jon.

Jon and Seamus revealed that they liked to play pranks, and once scared Nathan Fillion half to death in an old abandoned basement in California. Tamala Jones revealed that while her character Lanie is interested in Det. Esposito, she had no trouble kissing Nathan Fillion in “The Blue Butterfly” as part of her cover and hilariously compared his lips to “waves of satin”, which Seamus Dever then confirmed.

Other funny moments came up when Keck asked about Stana and Nathan being handcuffed together for the season four episode “Cuffed”, which Stana replied was “salacious” much to the crowd’s delight.

Keck asked the newest cast member, Penny Johnson Jerald, about if it was difficult to play a rather cold boss who doesn’t quite care for Castle and she expressed her enjoyment of giving Nathan Fillion a hard time, which he cheerfully confirmed.

Keck also talked about some personal thoughts about Susan and Molly’s characters as Richard Castle’s family members. Both were very happy to share how they felt about the progression of the romance and the challenges they faced in the upcoming episodes.

Another great thing about the panel is that it was streamed live on livestream.com for those who were unable to attend. Fans from all over the world gathered to watch and chat about the questions, answers, and reactions from other fans. It was rare opportunity for the cast, crew, and fans of the show to come together to enjoy their work and discover new things about each other.

‘Castle’ premieres Mondays at 10:00pm EST and will return March 19, 2012 with a new episode.

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