He’s back! Nathan Fillion (Richard Castle) exposed a little “naughty” and a little “nice” in the season opener, Deep In Death. The action heated up quickly when a couple of scantily-clad faux patrol officers used Castle as their private stripper pole during a publicity photo shoot for his latest book. Of course, Detective Beckett (Stana Katic) was offended, or perhaps a little jealous, of the bump and grind. But she was soon reminded by her supervisor that the mayor insisted on the free PR train ride that follows Castle. And, as usual, she was forced to start the season with her civilian partner at her side. But her sly smile was an obvious indicator that she not-so-secretly adores the guy.

The show’s writers wasted no time introducing the star of the show, a dead body. Castle, the show, is known for odd murders with the victims discovered in odd places, and this episode was no exception to the rule. The victim, or “vic” as Beckett spouted nearly every other sentence – it was almost annoying (Very few locations use the term “vic” for victim and “perp” for suspect. Always check with local authorities when researching your stories) –  was found nestled in the forks of a tall tree. As the camera zoomed in on the body, we were treated to our first look at the medical examiner, Lanie Parrish (Tamala Jones) who was perched on the platform of a man lift, examining the victim.

Now, I was pretty hard on Ms. Jones last season. I thought her character was far too wimpy for the position. I know, and have worked with several female medical examiners and coroners, and each of them are very strong women – the best in the business. Anyway, Ms. Jones came out blazing a new trail this year. She started out as tough as nails, with a new look and a bold new attitude. She actually (well, almost) seemed like a real medical examiner. It even seemed like she’d done a little homework, studying her role. Good for her. Her “windpipe was crushed” cause of death was a little shaky for me, but still, this was much better than some of the weird COD statements from last season. So far, so good.

Okay, let’s dive into the story. What was good police procedure, and what wasn’t? Remember, this show is fiction. It’s for our entertainment, and I like it. I really do. I only do this review so the writers who visit this site won’t confuse fact with fiction.

Here goes:

– Beckett was shown taking notes in a small pocket notebook on several occasions. Good stuff. Detectives make tons of notes (have you read any of my spiral notebook posts?).

– During an interview with a murder suspect, Beckett questioned him while they both stood in the interview room. It’s best to have the suspect seated for officer safety, and it keeps the bad guys on a level below the officer (a psychological advantage).

– The medical examiner collected a piece of bloody gauze as evidence, and then placed the item in a plastic, zip lock-type bag. Wet evidence should be placed in paper containers. Plastic bags act as little greenhouses, creating a perfect environment for bacteria, which can degrade or destroy DNA.

– The M.E. claimed she found traces of cocaine residue inside the victim’s body cavity. She would have needed a reason to test that portion of the body for drug residue. This is not a routine part of an autopsy. And, a toxicology report takes a long time (days or weeks) to complete, not the two or three hours as portrayed in this show. Jones was beginning to lose a little of her newly discovered edge by this point in the show. Although, I do have high hopes for her character She’s different this year. I hope it lasts, and I hope her character improves just a bit more (The role, not Ms. Jones’s acting. I’m sure she’s a fine actor).

– I was also pretty hard on Beckett’s two partners last year for entering rooms together, ALWAYS. Not this season. No longer do they seem like Batman and Robin, or conjoined twins. Their dialog and actions seemed pretty realistic, like real detectives in a real world. What a nice improvement over last season. Good job.

– Beckett suggests dusting the inside of a pair of gloves for fingerprints. Good idea. No, an excellent idea. However, a few minutes later we see the medical examiner cutting open a fingertip from the glove in question. Then she proceeded to dust the item with black fingerprint powder using a nylon brush. Nope. Probably wouldn’t happen and there are two reasons why it wouldn’t. First, someone from the fingerprint lab, a CSI tech, or a police officer would perform this task. You don’t see fingerprint techs cutting open dead bodies, right? Why not? because they’re not trained to do those sorts of things, and M.E.’s don’t dust items for prints while a detective watches. Second, dusting with regular powder alone probably wouldn’t reveal a usable print. These methods probably work best:

Ninhydrin follwed by lifting with Gelllifter

Cyanoacrylate (Superglue fuming) followed by treating with Rhodamine 6G

Gentian Violet staining

– The raid on the drug house wasn’t too bad. That’s not exactly how it would go, but it gave a small sense of realism. We’re going to give you guys the opportunity to conduct a real high-risk entry at the Writers Police Academy. Flash bangs and all!

Hey, Castle writers and cast members, you’re all invited to attend our Writers Police Academy in September 2010. It would be our pleasure to show you the ropes, and allow you to experience real police training, designed for writers. Your registration fee is on me.

– Three murder suspects were seated in the same room waiting to be questioned while Beckett and their attorney discussed working a deal for a reduced sentence. Suspects should never be placed in the same room. Doing so allows them to compare stories. AND, police officers DO NOT have the authority to make deals with suspects or their attorneys. Only a prosecutor may offer a deal.

– I like the brainstorming session around the whiteboard. I like this because that’s what I used to do (use a whiteboard). In fact, I still do it for my writing.

– Castle is “wired” and sent inside a secret gambling house. This is believable. We sent people inside places like that all the time. However, cops wouldn’t park the surveillance van outside the entrance and then allow Castle to climb out in full view of everyone on the street. This kind of operation is supposed to be sort of secretive.

– Fingerprint matches DO NOT magically pop up on a computer screen moments after they’re submitted. And they certainly don’t come complete with a suspect’s photo, name, address, and shoe size! The FBI sends back a list of possible matches, which are then examined, by hand and eye, by a certified fingerprint examiner. It is he/she who makes the final determination. This scene was right out of a Sci-Fi flick.

– And let’s not forget the poker game with the two real-life famous mystery writers. I like this touch. I just wish they did it every week. Will we see Lee Child, J.A. Jance, and Jeffery Deaver in a future episode?

So that’s it in a nutshell. I’m glad the season has begun. It was a long off-season.

I’m also glad to see The Big Bang Theory return for another season. I love this show.

*Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for a visit with a really special guest.

Here’s a hint:

Little Girl Lost is the title assigned to this week’s episode of Castle. Lost is also a fitting word to describe how I felt as I attempted to watch the snore fest that filled my TV screen from 10pm to 11pm.  The one thing that kept me awake during the show was the anticipation (dread) that came with wondering whether or not the medical examiner was going to show up. Thankfully, she did not.

The regular writers of the show must have taken this week off because the show never got out of first gear. As my man Randy Jackson from American Idol would have said, “I don’t know Dawg. I wasn’t feeling it this week. It just wasn’t good for me. A little pitchy. But you’re still cool.”

Anyway, on to the good stuff.

– Beckett made the statement, “The FBI has jurisdiction over all child kidnapping cases.” That’s not necessarily true. The FBI can, and does, have the authority to work any child kidnapping, but they don’t automatically come riding into town on a white horse to save the day. Someone (a local police department, sheriff’s office, family member, etc.) has to call them and ask them to join, assist in, or handle the case. How else would they know about it? The FBI is normally called in to assist when the kidnap victim has been transported across state lines. Why? Because they have the authority to investigate anywhere in the country. They also have a massive amount of crime-solving resources. In the Castle episode, the FBI (Fart, Barf, and Itch) special agent just magically appeared on the scene and then requested Beckett’s assistance.

– A uniformed patrol officer stood guard at the door of the kidnap victim’s home/crime scene. He told Castle he’d have to leave his coffee outside the scene. Good information. No food, drink, tobacco use, etc. should be allowed in any crime scene due to possible contamination of evidence.

– The “bedside manner” used by the FBI agent when talking to the parents of the kidnap victim was good. He showed the compassion of a trained and skilled investigator. His method was also great for coaxing details from distraught crime victims.

– Beckett said, “It’s not about what you say, it’s about controlling the situation.” That’s a great statement. Police Academy 101.

– Beckett and crew question a man they “think” may have had something to do with the kidnapping of the little girl. After hearing his statements they change their minds, but Beckett still instructed her Heckle and Jeckle sidekicks to “keep the guy on ice” until they could check out his movements during the preceding morning.

Well, Detective Beckett, the police cannot hold anyone unless they’ve placed them under arrest, in investigatory detention, or without some sort of legal paperwork from the court. In fact, they can’t even force anyone to come to police department for questioning unless the person is in custody (under arrest). If the police ask you to come down to the station to answer a few friendly questions, you have the right to say, “No thanks,” and then go about your merry way. On the other hand, if you say no thanks and you suddenly see a pair of handcuffs in the officer’s hands, your options just became extremely limited. It’s time to call your attorney.

– I know that storming into a building with badges held high while shouting the name of the person you want to speak with creates a bit of drama, but it’s also totally absurd. The idea is to actually talk to the person, not scare everyone to death. It’s also like painting a bright red bulls eye on the cop’s chest. Beckett does this every week and it’s getting a little tiresome. In this episode the suspect ran as soon as she made her grand entrance. She asked him why he ran and he replied, “In my neighborhood when you see a cop you run.” That’s a true statement for many neighborhoods. That’s why cops use a more subtle approach when trying to initiate contact with a suspect they think may flee. The technical term for that approach is something we like to call SNEAKING UP on the guy.

– Once Beckett and her Dynamic Duo finally do catch the runner they immediately handcuff him.

This was good. Of course you handcuff someone who flees. You do it for officer safety. But they also started searching his car. This was bad. They wouldn’t have been able to search the car unless the owner gave them permission to do so. Without that permission they’d have needed a search warrant.

– The surveillance conducted by Batman and Robin, I mean Beckett’s sidekicks, was awful. I won’t even begin to list the things they did wrong. It was horrible. Their actions were okay for a comedy show, but horrible realistically. In fact, they obviously didn’t have a clue what they were doing. They could learn a few things about intelligence gathering from Maxwell Smart.

Next week is the last show of the season.

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Have you seen this child?

On May 3, 2009, three-year-old Briant Rodriguez was kidnapped at gunpoint from his home in Southern California. If you’ve seen Briant please call the San Bernadino County California Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, your local authorities, or your local FBI office. It’s believed that Briant’s kidnappers may be taking him to Mexico.

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Home Is Where The Heart Stops is the title of this week’s episode of Castle. The medical examiner, Lanie Parrish played by Tamala Jones, was back this week, unfortunately. Back, and in rare form again. In the opening scene she holds up a bloody piece of gauze and says, “The blood spatter indicates GSR at close range.” Excuse me, but what does one have to do with the other. Sure you could find GSR (gunshot residue) in blood, maybe. But blood spatter doesn’t indicate its presence. What blood spatter patterns do tell you is where the killer and victim were standing when the fatal blow/shot was delivered. This character makes me want to scream at my beloved flat screen television! She’s awful, and she’s very distracting. She serves no positive purpose on this show.

Detective Kate Beckett wasted no time joining the awful information train. Her opening line was, “I can still smell the cordite.” This is also a line I read in a lot of books. NO, NO, and NO! Unless your story is set during World War I, in World War II England, or, if your killer used a tank to do his killing, you can’t use cordite in your writings. Cordite was used by the British Navy as a low explosive because of its slow burning capability. Sure, the U.S. brought some over many moons ago, but it’s no longer manufactured. Hasn’t been for decades.

Cordite production ceased in Britain at the end of the 20th century.

Okay, enough of my ramblings. Let’s list the good and bad.

– Beckett states the killer must have used a revolver because there were no spent casings on the floor. This is good information. Revolvers do not eject spent casings. If you attended the Writers Police Academy last weekend you heard this several times from the instructors.

– One of the detectives used the phrase “did a nickle” to describe a con’s time in jail. Good stuff! Doing a nickle means the guy served five years.

– I loved it when one of the detectives chastised Castle for using a writer’s favorite nickname for bad guys – Perp. I believe he asked, “Why do writers always say perp. Cops don’t.” Then he and his partner reeled off a long list of bad guy nicknames used by cops. They did miss two – Scrote and Asshole.

Beckett joined in ( if you’ve ever attended my workshops you’ve heard me say this a thousand times) and added, “We call them suspects.” YES! That’s what cops call crooks in most areas. Suspects. Remember that, please. Oh, even the lieutenant said he calls them dirtbags, not perps.

– Beckett has a pattern going when questioning suspects (notice I said suspect). They ask for attorneys, but she continues her questioning. No. Officers must stop questioning when the suspect asks for an attorney.

– Beckett said she had no legal reason to hold the initial suspect. Not true. He was a convicted felon who, when arrested, was in possession of a firearm. That’s a felony. Convicted felons may not possess a firearm of any type unless they’ve had their rights restored by the court, or received a pardon from the governor or from the president of the U.S.

– Castle and Beckett did a little practicing at the firing range. Castle fired a round at the target using the detective’s weapon, and supposedly a spent casing ejected from the pistol striking Beckett on her right cheek. Unless Beckett’s gun is a specially-made left-handed firearm, this couldn’t have happened. She stood to Castle’s left. Casings eject to the right.

– Castle took a known jewel thief to the crime scene, contaminating it. Had this guy been the actual crook he could then have easily explained why his fingerprints and DNA were present.

– Beckett made the statement, “They (writers) never get it write in books and movies.” What about TV writers!!! Guys, please let me send you a copy of my book. Then pick up a copy of Doug Lyle’s book on forensics. Shoot, just email either of us with your questions. We’ll save you!

– A suspect described the killer to Castle who in turn relayed the description to a forensic artist, who then drew a sketch based on Castle’s second-hand knowledge. Robin Burcell, what’s the possibility of this scenario having positive results?

– Castle and Beckett observe a guy at a party taking photos of women wearing expensive jewelry. They know the guy has a criminal background, so Beckett then holds up her badge and informs the guy that he’s under arrest for murder. No way. She’d need something other than snapping photos and a criminal past to make this sort of drastic move. Something like probable cause that actually linked him to the crime would have been nice.  Besides, I can’t imagine making this particular arrest without a warrant in hand, which she didn’t have.

_ In the closing scene Beckett and Castle arrive to collar the crook. Beckett is seen fumbling with her weapon (What the heck was she doing anyway?). Then we heard her pull and release the slide on the pistol. NO! Cops always, always, always keep a round in the chamber. Their weapons are ready to fire, always. Did I make that clear enough – ALWAYS! In Beckett’s case she’d have ejected a live round into the car beside Castle. That would have left her one round short, which is how I’m feeling about the writers of this show – One round short of a full magazine.

Oh, Beckett returned a piece of evidence to the crime victim. Cops aren’t allowed to do that. Once evidence has been collected and recorded it can only be released with a court order or with the permission of the prosecutor.

Still, the chemistry between Castle and Beckett is great. Believe it or not, I really do like this show.

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This week’s episode of Castle, A Chill Goes Through Her Veins, was overflowing with police procedure and forensics. Some was good, and some was not so good.

Let’s dive right in and get the initial medical examiner scene out of the way. As usual, M.E. Lanie Parrish was the weak link of the show. Perhaps I should say she was the missing link, since some of her science was so freakishly horrid. A frozen body melting like a snow cone on a hot summer day in Georgia? Puhleeze…

Bodies do not melt like the Wicked Witch of Oz fame. Nor can anyone tell, merely by glancing at the body while it’s at the crime scene, that it had been frozen less than 24 hours after death.

I’m no pathologist, but I’d think that’s where a microscope and tissue samples, post autopsy, would come in handy.

Lanie Parrish has to be the most gifted pathologist on the face of the earth. Watch out Dr. G.

Next, the needle on the believability scale inches upward a notch when Beckett and Castle deliver the bad news to the victim’s parents. Beckett again offers a pretty reasonable depiction of a cop’s compassion during difficult circumstances. However, the needle dives back into the red when the dynamic duo (Yes, even Batman was mentioned in this episode. More on that reference in a second) meets with a local sheriff.

Anyone who’s ever met a real-life sheriff knows what their uniform looks like – tons of bling hanging from every pocket, collar, crease, and hidey-hole. Shoot, most county sheriffs sport more gold stars than the entire Joint Chief’s of Staff combined. The sheriff who met with Beckett and Castle failed to display collar insignias (stars or SHERIFF written in gold) to designate his rank (Sorry, Sheriff Metzger :).

The information about the homeless guy witnessing the body disposal was good. Cops learn quite a bit from street people. And they do toss them a couple bucks every now and then, too.

Okay, it’s time for the BS meter to take another dive. The warehouse guy discovers a dead, frozen body in a freezer and then dumps it at a construction site, but doesn’t get charged with a crime? In fact, Beckett barely raises an eyebrow. Oh sure, cops would simply overlook this one. No big deal, right? I guess it’s okay to unload dead bodies in New York City, as long as you freeze them first.

We’re going into the negative numbers with this next point. The woman’s body was stuffed into a small chest-type freezer where it remained for five years in a semi-fetal position. The genius medical examiner stated that it had been thawing for only two hours (how she came to that conclusion I do not know). Yet, when the body is discovered, it was lying outstretched as if she was lying in the sun, tanning. And that brings up another point. Dead bodies, frozen or not, are not the color of Smurfs!

Okay, no more rambling. I’ll just list the points from here on out.

– Beckett uses a white board to post facts about the case. In fact, she called it a Murder Board. This is good stuff. I used a white board for my cases. I still use a white board for plotting fiction, and for keeping track of information for nonfiction projects. Many writers uses plot boards. I’m curious. Do you use a board or something similar? Maybe Martha Alderson’s method of plotting on butcher paper?

– This has nothing to do with police or forensics, but I loved the laser tag scene.

– Beckett made a comment about Castle reminding her of Batman, the rich superhero. Actually, I’ve met many cops who, as kids, enjoyed reading superhero comic books. I did. Of course, I also liked Poe, Mark Twain, The Hardy Boys, and Charles Dickens.

– There was a scene where Beckett and Castle were brainstorming, rapidly tossing ideas back and forth.

Dr. Gabrielle Rico, author of Writing the Natural Way, teaches brainstorming as a means to overcome writers block.

Many cops brainstorm, especially those who work with regular partners. This scene was also where Castle told Beckett she needed to get inside the killer’s head to see the obstacles he faced. This was great stuff!

– Detective Beckett held her flashlight in her non gun hand. Good technique.

– Castle was left alone in the records room with a murder case file. No way a civilian would be allowed to do this! Robert Crais wrote a scene similar to this in one of his recent books, but he totally pulled it off. But that guy has the uncanny ability to write cops, and that’s not the easiest thing to do.

– Finally, Beckett has a great line near the end of the show. She said, “Cops aren’t like writers. They don’t get to decide how a story ends.”

* Remember, Castle is a work of fiction, a comedy. Please don’t use it as a research tool. But I really like this show. Well, except for the medical examiner. Her nonsensical ramblings are tough to watch and hear.

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This week’s episode of Castle, Hedge Fund Homeboys, was a mix of good and bad police procedure. But the show still delivered a fair bit of entertainment, if you could bear watching a medical examiner who’s character is so awful she’d be booted off the set of the Mickey Mouse Club.

Spoiler Alert!

Lets get right to it. A teen’s body was found in a rowboat, in the Lake in Central Park. The kid had been shot once in the chest.

1) The medical examiner is seen standing in knee deep water, reaching into the boat feeling the victim’s neck – several times. What the hell was she doing? And why was she standing in the water to do it?

Simon says, “No way!” Not even Paula Abdul would be this goofy.

2) The entire time the M.E. was palpating the dead teen like a pastry chef kneading dough, some guy was frantically mopping the boat seat with a fingerprint brush. He looked like he was painting a barn. Who was he? The medical examiner’s investigators don’t dust for prints. And if they did, they’d know how. I hate to say it, but I think I’d rather see Paula Abdul playing the part of the M.E. She makes more sense…Straight Up.

3) Detective Beckett conducted a pretty decent interview with the drug dealer.

Good scene.

4) One of the teens who was present when the boy was shot described what happened when the bullet hit the kid’s body. She said, “His body crumbled to the ground.” Excellent description, because that’s what happens. People DO NOT fly backwards when hit by bullets. If there were that much force behind the round the shooter would experience the same reaction. He’d also fly backwards.

Good information!

5) Several potential murder suspects were questioned, at length, without being advised of Miranda.

This is a sure-fire way to lose a case. They should have been advised of their rights. I know the writers knew better, because Beckett advised one kid of his rights later in the show.

6) A suspect’s attorney was allowed inside his client’s jail cell. Also allowed inside the cell were Detective Beckett and Castle.

No way. The prisoner would be brought out to an interview room. Attorneys have been known to bring annoying little things to their clients, such as guns and drugs. And after seeing this totally doofus attorney, I’m sure he’d deliver both. Oh, and Beckett still had her gun on her side. Police officers are not permitted to bring their weapons inside a jail or prison.

7) Beckett is questioning a suspect in her home, in front of her parents, where she grabs the girl’s purse and dives in looking for evidence. Her comment, “I could get a warrant.” Well, I have news for her. Without permission to search the purse she needed that warrant to perform the search.

I wasn’t feeling this one, Dawg. Not at all.

8) Beckett tells someone she needs a photo to accompany an APB (All Points Bulletin) I believe that acronym has been replaced everywhere by BOLO (Be On The Lookout). I don’t know of any agency that still uses it.

9) Beckett is seen filling out paperwork. Good. That’s a huge portion of the job. BUT, she tells Castle she’s completing the forms to dismiss a suspect’s murder charges. Well, Detective B., that’s up to the prosecuting attorney to handle. Cops just cuff ’em and stuff ’em. They don’t let have the power to let them go.

10) Beckett is seen raking a murder suspect over the coals, and she did it with the suspect’s attorney sitting next to him. No way an attorney would allow anything even remotely close to this. This one made about as much sense as…

All in all, I still liked the show. Although, I’m still waiting for the next poker game.

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*I’m guest blogging over at Terry Odell’s site today. Please stop by to see why I say, It’s Not All Donuts and Paperwork.

http://terryodell.blogspot.com/

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