Once again (as if I had any doubt), this show opened and headed straight for the land of all-too-familiar. The same-old same-old. The tired and old story we see week in and week out.

We get it, Marlowe. You’re milking your fans for every last drop of “I wanna watch” juice. The problem is, even the characters are beginning to look tired. Yes, even Castle seems to have lost some energy. I mean, how many times does it take to repeat the same thing over and over again before everyone loses interest?

My opinion of this episode is far less than favorable. Even the guest star annoyed me with that horrible mangled accent. In fact, I could only understand something like every third mumbled line. Anyway, let’s see what always-happy-about-the-show Melanie has to say. Maybe she found a bright spot somewhere is this mess.

Melanie Atkins

Welcome to the big black moment. Yes, that’s right. We’ve reached the darkest days for our two wanna-be lovebirds. The moment in any good romance when all is lost and the reader — or in this case, the viewer — decides the couple in question will never get together. Yet we shouldn’t lose hope. You know the saying: It’s always darkest before the dawn.

When The Limey begins, Kate is still reeling from Rick’s cold shoulder — the change of heart that resulted from her inadvertently revealing she remembers everything about her shooting, including his desperate I love you — and yet she has no idea he knows that she knows (does that make sense?). Or maybe she just doesn’t want to know.

Lanie finally talked some sense into Kate during a girl’s night in and convinced her to tell Rick how she feels. I really loved one of her lines: “How long can you circle before the fuel runs out?” Perfection. Still, even that sage advice did absolutely no good at all, because Rick picked up right where he left off last week — only this time, he showed up with a shapely blonde flight attendant in tow. A blonde he allowed to drive his red Ferrari. They went on date after date, and that hurt Kate. To top it off, she and Rick are out of sync at the precinct, too… no fun theory building or playful eye sex this week. Just pained looks and hurt expressions.

Kate even went undercover with the handsome, sexy Colin Hunt from Scotland Yard, turning Rick’s head when she appeared wearing a gorgeous black strapless dress, yet that still wasn’t enough to keep his attention. He’s hurting, and he’s showing out. To say he’s acting like a passive-aggressive middle schooler is putting it mildly. Come on, Rick. Grow up!

He’s not the only one at fault, however. Kate had the perfect opportunity at the end of the show to tell Rick how she really feels, but does she? Of course not. She clams up again and lets him walk away. Aarrgghh!

This is getting very, very old — and in the next episode, three weeks from now, Rick abandons Kate to work with Detective Ethan Slaughter. I do believe, though, that we have indeed reached the big black moment in their relationship. Stana Katic herself has said that happiness is just around the corner for our dynamic duo, and that Caskett shippers will be smiling by the end of the season. I certainly hope so. Because right now, I’m drowning in angst!

Lee Lofland

The case this week was a disaster. Seriously, think about it…a woman’s boyfriend, the only man she ever loved, was flying around in a helicopter that was shot down by a smuggled missile. So, like any normal girlfriend in the good old U.S. of A., she decides to take it upon herself to find the missile smugglers. Now that’s always an easy task, right? You know…work eight hours, eat dinner, do a little laundry, watch a little TV, and, oh, yeah, run out and catch me a couple of international smugglers who’re selling stinger missiles by the dozens. Doesn’t everyone do that sort of thing? Puleeze…

Lanie was the only bright spot in this episode. Yeah, you heard me right. That’s how bad it was for me. Yep, I was actually hoping to see and hear more of Lanie. Of course, she didn’t disappoint, starting with her comment, “She was strangled, but she didn’t go down without a fight.” How did she know the woman fought back? According to Lanie, the bruise near the eye was an indication that she’d defended herself. What’d she do, hit her attacker with her face? Now, that’s going down fighting, for sure.

And the fingerprint thing… So now Lanie is not only NYC’s chief medical examiner, firearms expert, toxicologist, and trace evidence expert, she’s also a certified fingerprint examiner. Just so you know, M.E.’s do not compare and match fingerprints.

– Beckett and crew heads to bad accent guy’s hotel room where a hotel employee uses his key to let them inside. Well, they’d need a warrant to make that entry. Hotel employees cannot allow access to someone’s room. When you stay at a hotel you’ve rented that place for the night. You’re basically a tenant, and landlords cannot give permission for a search of their renter’s property. On the other hand, if the police had a warrant the employee could open the door to prevent damage, and to make the entry safer for the police (he could also give them the key, if they have the warrant).

– Beckett steals the bad guy’s card case from his pocket while they’re dancing. And that’s exactly what she did, she stole it. Not legal. However, had he tossed the item in the trash, well, then it’s fair game.

– Castle’s family was missing from this episode. Good or bad? Actually, I was pleased that we weren’t subjected to Alexis’ morgue nonsense. And to miss Mama Castle’s out of place actor-type scenes was also quite pleasing. However, I like the mother and daughter/granddaughter in the show when they’re adding something useful to help the story along.

There really isn’t a lot to discuss about the criminal case, because it was weak…really weak. As usual, suspect number one was a wash. And, the choice of using the “cop-as-a-suspect” recurring theme is also getting really old. Hey Marlowe, it’s okay to use a new idea once in a while. I promise we won’t mind.

Watching this show is like listening to a metronome’s never-ending tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

I have a great idea! Since this show used to be about a mystery writer, why don’t we invite Mr. Marlowe and the entire cast to the Writers’ Police Academy for a chat session with some of the the top mystery writers in the country? Then the Castle folks could get an idea of what it’s like to write mysteries, learn about real cops, real procedures, and forensics, and maybe even get a few new ideas. What do you think?

Oh, one last thought. The Biggie Slim guy…another disappointing killer. Please come to the WPA, guys. We can help. Really, we can.

There were a couple of note-worthy lines in this episode:

“People change when you’re not looking.”  ~Beckett

“How long can you circle before the fuel runs out?” ~Lanie

*Remember, folks, I write the sections about the police stuff at the requests of writers who want to know if the procedure used on this show is realistic. Yes, I do realize the show is fiction and I do realize this isn’t a cop show. But please do keep those hate-mail cards and letters coming. It’s so nice to hear from you.

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Well, it was better than the last episode.

Yep, that’s how I’ve started rating Castle episodes. It’s an easy system, really. Only four grades (4 being the worst).

MY CASTLE RATING SYSTEM

4. Lanie’s off the charts. Toss the remote at the TV

3. Filler episode (which, by the way, is almost every episode these days). Ho Hum.

2. Well, it was better than the last episode. Minimal cursing at the TV

1. The Castle we used to love. At least there’s some, however minimal, reference to Castle as a mystery writer. Remember, that’s what this show was about once upon a time.

So, for me, this episode was a 2. It wasn’t all that hot, but it was better than the last episode. But it could be worse. We could all be Brian Dunkleman, right? American Idol will never go anywhere, so I’m quitting. What…a…dummy.

Anyway, the episode wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that good either. At least we had Lanie and her nonsense to keep us entertained. More on that in a minute. First, let’s see what Melanie has to say. I can see her all goo-goo-eyed over this one.

Melanie Atkins

The show is finally back after its early March hiatus with A Dance with Death, a classic-Castle episode that begins with a murder on the set of a dancing show titled A Night of Dance. I enjoyed this one. The case was twisty without being too convoluted, at least to me, and the friendly banter kept me watching. We got a little theory building, a lot of smiles, and some goo-goo eyes between our dynamic duo, but no real movement on the relationship front. Although I can’t help but notice how Rick and Kate’s relationship has evolved. They stand closer to each other than ever before, they touch a lot, and those glances are way more potent than ever before.

One of my favorite parts of this one, however, didn’t involve them at all. I’m talking about the ring incident between Ryan and Esposito. Ryan got Esposito to wear his wedding ring while they went to question a stripper to see which detective the woman might flirt with — Esposito, with the ring on, or Ryan… with no ring. And much to Ryan’s chagrin, the stripper still flirted with Esposito more. The worst part, though? Ryan’s ring got stuck on Esposito’s hand. Oops! Took them the rest of the show to get it off, when Kate saved the day with some silky lotion. Hilarious.

I also enjoyed the dinner Martha hosted at the loft to impress an old nemesis: a theater critic who had panned one of her performances back in the early ’80’s. All was well at first, with Rick, Alexis, Martha, and Oona Marconi, the critic, sharing a lovely meal. Ms. Marconi even agreed to visit Martha’s acting school and mention it in her column. Then the woman brought up the old review, and Martha let her ego get away from her. All hell broke loose. Rick and Alexis could only sit back and watch the train wreck. What a hoot!

All worked out in the end, of course. Kate, Rick, and the boys caught the killer, Ryan retrieved his precious ring after it flew across the precinct when it finally came off Esposito’s hand, and Martha smoothed things over with the critic by promising Ms. Marconi Rick would read her novel — a tome that looked to me like it had to be a thousand page book. Poor guy. He just had to open his big mouth and tell his mom he’d do whatever he could to help. Famous last words.

I had fun watching this episode. Nothing earthshaking happened, but it kept me entertained. Yay for classic Castle! Next week, in episode nineteen, the drama returns… and so does the angst when a secret is revealed. From the spoilers I’ve gleaned off the Internet, we’re in for some major relationship movement in the near future — and I’m on the roller coaster, ready for the ride.

Melanie, I’m sorry, but this show no longer has the roller coaster feel to it. I feel more like we’ve been forced to ride with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on a NASCAR track—’round and ’round in left-hand circles with no end in sight.

Of course, “steady as she goes” Lanie never lets me down, and she was flying her true colors last night. Boy, was she ever in rare form…

Let’s see:

“Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the heart.” I’m guessing Lanie slipped on her x-ray specs so she could see the bullet’s path through the victim’s body. Because that’s the only way she could’ve seen the heart while still at the crime scene, with the victim still fully-clothed.

“Probably a 9mm.” Really, Lanie? Really? You could tell the size of the round merely by looking at a hole in the victim’s clothing? Really?

“She died instantly.” I almost tossed an entire bowl of popcorn at the screen. Really, I did.

We learned a bit of Lanie’s history last night—a ballerina wannabe. Man, I wish she’d gone that route, because an M.E. she’s not. Not even close. And now she got her intern, Alexis, spouting off the same gobbledygook. I’m glad they’re giving Alexis more to do, but this is totally unbelievable. An untrained intern pouring over old case files, discovering something that even a rookie coroner would not have overlooked…GRRRRR………

Beckett and crew went through the usual, boilerplate red herring suspect list. Boring as always, so I’m not going there. Alibi, alibi, alibi. Yawn.

The entire notion that person A would pay person B to undergo surgery so she’d look like person A so person B could do things that person A didn’t want to do—community service, submit urine sample for drug testing, etc., is too far-fetched, even for this show. By the way, did all that person A and B stuff sound confusing? Sure it did, and that’s about how it came across in the show.

Good and bad points:

– The original dead woman, person A, was friends with Suzanne. Best friends from childhood. Yet, Suzanne wasn’t sharp enough to spot the imposter (person B)?

– Espo and Ryan with the wedding ring/married men are invisible to single women thing. For me, this was the best part of the show.

– The butler did it. One last ditch at yet another suspect before revealing the killer.

Well, guess what? It wasn’t the butler. Big surprise there. No, it was another guy we’d barely seen with absolutely no clues pointing to him. But the lack of clues is a good thing in this show. Simply watch for the guy in the background, the guy who does nothing, says little, and smiles. There’s your killer.

I just wish they’d bring back the original Castle, but I’m afraid they’re too far gone now and can’t turn back. At this point, I’m not even sure they’d know how to get back on track. But I do know this, I watch the forums and message boards and there are a whole lot of unhappy, diehard Castle fans out there. Sure, they’re still hanging on, but you can hear the sound of war drums in the distance. I’m also seeing the word “filler” on every page. Fans don’t especially care for the so-called filler episodes.

Why are there filler episodes, anyway? Is it that difficult to deliver your best each and every week? Don’t the fans deserve the best? ‘Cause, you know, the show wouldn’t be what it is without the fans.

You know, you can only take advantage of a fan’s loyalty for so long before…

Take a good look at the photo above. Notice Castle’s WTF expression? Someone must’ve snapped this shot at the precise moment he first saw the script for this two-parter nonsense called Linchpin.

As always, I know the reviews will be mixed. Die-hard shippers will be swooning and loving every bit of eye contact and remotely romantic conversations between Beckett and Castle, while others, especially newer viewers, will be wondering how this show remains at the top of the ratings. For that matter, some are actually wondering if Castle should see another season. I know, I know. But I’m simply repeating what I’m reading and hearing, from a whole lot of people.

Wait, I think I hear those people outside. Hold on, let me take a quick look down the street…

See… And every single person out there used to love this show!

Anyway, for me, this two-part episode was the worst episode to date. Sure, the acting was good, but the story???? You know, good acting and great characters can only hold up bad stories and weak writing for so long.

Personally, I think the folks at Castle are taking us for granted. They know they’ve captured a large core group of fans and no longer seem to care enough about them to feed them a decent meal. And they’re not even so much as dangling a bone in front of potential new viewers.

Anyway, I was pretty disappointed with this episode. In fact, for the first time, I wanted to turn the dial. Had it not been for having to watch in order to complete this review and recap, I would have done just that. I’m sure Cupcake Wars, a documentary about earthworms, or an old episode of Leave It To Beaver was on somewhere. Anything would have been better than sitting through this one.

I certainly hope they deliver next week.

Melanie, it’s all yours.

Melanie Atkins

Last week, I wasn’t too pleased with Pandora, the first segment of this two part “event”, and ever since, I’ve been worried if Linchpin would bother me as much. The sneak peeks made me think not, but who knows for sure until the show airs? Sometimes, the sneak peeks show the best parts of the show, and the rest of it doesn’t live up to the hype. This time, however… it did, to a degree. I thought as a whole the show was much better. Andrew Marlowe, the show’s creator wrote this one, and it held together much better for me, even if the concept was a bit farfetched.

If you saw Pandora, you know it ended with a cliffhanger: Kate and Rick inside her car as it is pushed off the dock into the Hudson River. Their struggle to free themselves had me on the edge of my seat, even though I’d seen the previews and knew they survived. We didn’t actually see them escape, but flashes of light inside the car told us Rick had found the gun and shot through Kate’s seatbelt and the window, allowing them to get out. Implausible? Certainly. But with all the insane stuff that went on last week, this was mild… and I bought it.

Sophia, the CIA agent in charge of the case and Rick’s former muse, throws them off the case once they’re on dry land and back at CIA headquarters, and they head back to the precinct.

Kate is still extremely jealous of Sophia, and we soon learn that Rick did indeed sleep with the CIA agent way back when. Kate doesn’t take that information well. And to top it off, Alexis hears part of Kate and Rick’s conversation while interning in the morgue. Oops! Later, of course, she confronts her father. I loved one of her lines: “And I thought the dead bodies were going to be the grossest part.”

Sophia sneaks into Rick’s office and surprises him. Despite what she said to Kate and Rick after they were fished out of the river, she wants them on the case… and she gives him information. She also finds Rick’s murder board, complete with info on Kate’s mom’s case and Kate’s shooting, and she asks Rick, “Does she know?” (referring to Kate, of course). He doesn’t answer. Instead, he turns off the display. She smiles and says, “You always did like to play with dynamite. Just be careful it doesn’t blow up in your face.” Yeah, right. That secret is explosive, and one day…

Yet I digress. Back to the story. Sophia gives Rick Blakeny’s bank account numbers, a key piece of evidence the man killed at the pier last week was after when he was shot in front of Kate and Rick right before they went into the water. (Deep breath).

Kate’s green eyed monster rears its ugly head again, but she still jumps at the chance to dive back into the investigation. They find Blakeny’s hidey-hole and learn he has predicted WWIII thanks to a linchpin — a ten-year-old girl, the daughter of a Chinese finance minister — that will ruin our country’s economy and send us spiraling into chaos. (I know, right?)

Gage, the man the CIA targeted last week, kidnaps Kate and Rick at Blakeny’s place, then Sophia and her goons grab them all. Holy cluster of stars, Batman. It’s wild, but still more cohesive than last week… I swear!

Then Gage is found dead in an interrogation room — meaning a mole has to be in Sophia’s CIA unit. They narrow it down to Martin Danberg, her right hand guy, but he escapes.

Rick soon comes up with a way to find out who the linchpin — the little girl — is, and Sophia says, “You’re a genius!” and kisses his cheek. The pained look on Kate’s face spells heartbreak, but she doesn’t say a word. Rick wanders off to get coffee while they wait on the computer to work, and Kate and Sophia have a heart to heart.

“You like him,” Kate says… a statement, not a question.

Sophia looks at her. “I did. Once.”

Then Kate asks what happened… and Sophia says she and Rick had a flash fire of passion after a slow build up — with no real foundation for a relationship — then nothing. She wishes they’d never slept together, that they’d just kept that longing… then maybe what they had wouldn’t have burned itself out. Kate looks thoughtful, but doesn’t say anything.

Not long after Rick returns, they learn who the girl is and locate her in New York, with her father at a trade conference, and they go after her. Only, Sophia turns on them and holds them hostage.

Danberg isn’t the mole; she is. And she’s Russian. Hmm…

Just as she prepares to shoot Rick and Kate, she gives Rick a hint about the father he never knew — was he a CIA agent? — by saying, “Your father would be very proud.” But before she can elaborate, another agent takes her out. Rick is too stunned by her revelation to move. Kate and the CIA agent save the girl… the country, and the world. No WWIII, at least not today.

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted!

The CIA apparently pulled Kate’s car out of the river, and the agent who brings her the keys tells her it’s “better than new”. Yeah, right. Not if it’s been in the Hudson. Maybe they replaced it, but otherwise, I sure as heck wouldn’t want to drive it. Would you?

Rick asks Kate, “Do you think she (Sophia) was telling the truth about my father? I mean, that would explain why he completely disappeared.”

“I think that Sophia told a lot of lies,” Kate replies. “Must be tough finding out she’s a traitor after you based Clara Strike on her and all.”

“Well, Clara started off as Sophia, but she ended up being more like you. Smart, fierce, kind. I think that’s why I was drawn to you… as a muse.”

Aw… finally a little Caskett goodness. I’m not as turned off this week as I was last Monday, but I still wanted more in the romance department. The show as a whole was much more compelling, however, and it held my attention. Last week I couldn’t stop yawning.

Next week’s episode, Once Upon a Crime, looks like a funny one. I love those.

Lee Lofland

Where do I begin? Let’s see… Well, you already know how I feel about the episode as a whole, so I think I’ll just go straight for the throat.

I’ve started a sort of running joke on my Facebook page about Beckett getting kidnapped as often as she does. And not only does she get abducted at the drop of a hat, she also loses her gun to a crook at least as often as kids take their Flintstone vitamins—once a day. This scenario has become a part of the Castle-boilerplate-script, and it’s not only getting old, it’s absolutely ridiculous. How many cops would still be on the job if they allowed themselves to be kidnapped once a week? Furthermore, how many times will viewers watch Beckett get kidnapped before saying enough is enough? At least we know why the mayor allows Castle to tag along with Beckett…to protect her hind parts from impending doom and certain destruction. She’s a walking disaster, which, by the way, is a far cry from the Beckett we saw in earlier seasons. And I miss that Beckett. Please bring her back and get rid of the horror-movie-Beckett we have now. You know, the teenage girl who flees from the cabin in the woods, falls down, and is ALWAYS caught by the bad guy serial killer.

The whole car floating aimlessly to the center of the earth (exactly how deep is the Hudson at the spot beside the docks, anyway—two or three hundred miles?), and then have Castle shoot Beckett’s PREDICTABLY stuck seatbelt…was just plain stupid. What part did he shoot, anyway? Certainly not the buckle that was against her flesh. Who knows and who cares at this point. And what about that bright muzzle flash? Underwater? I know a road flare will burn underwater, but it’s nowhere near as bright as the flashes we saw last night.

And then Beckett drowns (lungs fill with water and she’s unconscious) so Castle shoots out the car window, hauls her limp, lifeless body from the depths of the deepest, darkest ocean to the surface, where the two of them calmly and merrily enjoy a nice cup of coffee and happily discuss the details of the case. No hospital visit. No doctor. No paleness from the lack of oxygen to her body and brain. Nothing but smiles, perfect makeup, and a cup of coffee. I’m sure everyone who’s just emptied the equivalent of a bathtub full of water from their lungs would immediately go for dumping more liquid into their body. That’d certainly be my first choice.

Of course, as always, Beckett storms into a private apartment without a search warrant. In real life, people, cops must obtain either a search warrant or permission from the home/business owner/renter to enter a dwelling or business. The exception to that rule is when someone’s life or evidence of a crime is immediate danger. A landlord may not give permission to search the home of his/her tenant. Neither of these apply to many of Beckett’s searches.

Sure, an officer could go in without the proper paperwork, but all evidence seized would be deemed inadmissible in court. And certainly, since this search involved saving the world from total destruction, an officer would probably want to use whatever evidence she found. Wouldn’t it be a shame to have to let the “Destroyer Of The World” go free because Beckett couldn’t use “the bomb” she found because she entered the guy’s apartment illegally. Oops…

– The CIA guy (possibly the end-of-the-world guy) grabs a hostage in front of a dozen armed cops and agents. He’s clearly standing where the officers could easily hit him with approximately 7,000 rounds of hollowpoint ammunition, but no one fired a shot and he gets away. What do you think would have happened in real life? CIA and cops on one hand. Guy who’s going to end the world on other hand. And all that stands in the way is one civilian. Hmm…

– Okay, how many of you did not know that Sophia was going to be the “bad guy?” Again, we called it early on, during the first episode.  Another yawner for me.

– Wasn’t that an impressive search of the terrain that helped locate the little girl/Linchpin? But, for this show that far out stuff sort of worked. So I didn’t mind it so much.

– The Chinese official and family arrived and entered the building unescorted by bodyguards. This guy was a world financial leader. A VID (very important dude). The fictional NYPD must’ve missed the A&E special about the Secret Service that aired not too long ago. Foreign officials are often assigned a team of Secret Service agents who’s duty is to protect the VID’s against men who openly take their time and point guns at little girls in public buildings.

– I loved how CIA officials allow Castle to tag along during a mission that could mean the “end of the earth as we know it.” No vest, no gun, and no believability.

– I think this is the point where Beckett and Castle are abducted once again.

– Why did Sophia stand there talking to Castle and Beckett for such a long period of time? You’d think someone who was trying to end the world would have just popped off a couple of quick rounds and moved on. But noooo…..

Okay, there wasn’t a lot of good in this episode, and not wanting to be all negative I’ll say this…Alexis was nice and cute and sweet. And, thankfully, we didn’t hear much from Lanie. I say they fast forward and make Alexis the M.E. Why not? Everything else seems to be coming from LaLa Land.

Sorry, Shippers. I did not like this episode at all. I’m still a fan, but I’m very, very concerned. In fact, I’m losing interest. Bored. Watching with one eye open and one eye closed. Please, Castle writers…please bring back the good old days!

Week after week we pick apart this show, pointing out errors in the police procedure and forensics, an effort to assist writers who use this site as a research tool for their work. And I have to admit that writing the reviews and recaps are kind of fun, as is playing bad cop to Melanie Atkins’ good cop.

This week, though, the police stuff took a back seat to a lot of fun and some pretty good acting (with the exception of what I think were supposed to be southern accents). But I reckon only folks from our bend in the road’ll know what ah’m speakin’ of. I mean, you do know that the reignin’ butter queen, “Hey, y’all” Paula Deen, is from here, right? And, her brother owns a restaurant just a hoot ana’ holler from my house and, we almost purchased a home—backyard-to-backyard—next to the home of Paula’s (former) publicist. Yes, I’m talkin’ grits and red eye gravy southern. So again, trust me, the accents were a little off…y’all.

But the episode was far from off. Sure, Lanie…no, wait a minute, we’ll talk about Lanie in a bit. First, let’s call in our resident Castle expert to give us the scoop on the mushy stuff (shhh…keep this to yourselves, but I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Melanie couldn’t sleep last night thinking about what happened at the end of the show…yeah, you guys (y’all) know what I’m talking about…

Melanie…you up yet? (As if she’s been to bed. Girl’s got a serious case of Castle-itis, if you ask me. All goo-goo-eyed and such).

Melanie Atkins

I have to admit that I cheated and watched the sneak previews of this episode, including the first ten minutes, a week early, thanks to the many Castle spoilers on the Internet. I was entranced and couldn’t wait until tonight so I could see the whole show. I wasn’t disappointed.

What a fun mixture of past and present! The story starts when an old journal is unearthed while our dynamic duo investigate the murder of a man named Stan found in a building that once housed the Pennybaker Club, a notorious nightclub at its heyday in the 1940’s. Enthralled with the journal, Rick takes it home to read and becomes immersed in the story of a hard boiled P.I., a gangster’s moll, and an intriguing mystery surrounding a beautiful piece of jewelry — The Blue Butterfly, a pricey necklace last seen in 1947.

The story is told in flashbacks via Castle’s vivid imagination, with him staring as Joe the private eye, Kate as Vera, the gangster’s moll, Martha as the PI’s secretary, Alexis as Sally, the naive farm girl who hires the P.I., Lanie as a torch singer with a smoky voice, and Ryan and Esposito as the gangster’s goons (with really great accents). What fun!

Vera and Joe fall in love, and that is nearly their downfall. Kate and Rick soon learn the two lovers were murdered… and that their 1947 murders are tied to the present day crime. Stan is really a treasure hunter searching for The Blue Butterfly. The necklace disappeared the night Vera and Joe were found dead in a burned out car in an alley behind the Pennybaker Club, and no one has seen it since. Several red herrings throw our crime solvers off the killer’s trail, until they finally figure out that Vera was not in the car after all way back then… and neither was Joe.

In fact, Vera and Joe are still alive today under assumed names — bartender Jerry and Viola Maddox — and their caregiver’s mother apparently sold Stan Joe’s diary, basically giving him a map to The Blue Butterfly. Only, the caregiver wanted the necklace for himself, so he waited for Stan to find the necklace, killed him, and took The Blue Butterfly. I didn’t see that one coming. Kate arrests the man and finds the necklace, which turns out to be a fake.

One case solved. But Rick and Kate want to know what really happened in 1947. How did Vera and Joe escape? And where is the real Blue Butterfly? Turns out Sally wasn’t really a naive farm girl after all.

No, she was a woman out for revenge against Vera because her boyfriend the gangster killed Sarah’s sister. And when Vera and Joe sneaked out of the club into the alley to make their escape, Sarah and her husband confronted them. Joe and Vera supposedly killed the other couple in self defense, ran away (not very far, it seems), and changed their names. They married and had four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren… treasures worth much more to them than diamonds or gold, so they never went back for the necklace Joe hid behind a brick in the wall of the club. Yes… The Blue Butterfly.

At the end of the tale, Joe and Vera kiss and use Kate and Rick’s special word: Always… just before the words The End appear on screen, along with a picture of The Blue Butterfly, in typical ’40’s movie fashion. We never learn if it turned up or not. Hmmm…

Still, the story, the costumes, the quaint little touches… all in all, I thought this was a great episode. And I have to wonder if Vera and Joe’s happiness is a portent of things to come for Rick and Kate. A truly great love story.

Lee Lofland

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, let’s come back down to earth now. Sure, the show was really good this week, and there was “the kiss” at the end, but that didn’t stop Voodoo Lanie from telling us the murder victim died of a GSW (gunshot wound) to the sternum.

Now that’s a pretty good field diagnosis since she came to that conclusion while looking at the guy fully-clothed, face up. How did she know there wasn’t a suitcase-size hole in his back. Or, maybe the rear of his skull was missing and one of her voodoo buddies took his brain to the root doctor to add as an ingredient in a new medicine bag. Besides, saying the wound was to the sternum was pretty site-specific.

The sternum (breastbone) is a bone, and a wound to it alone wouldn’t cause death. It would certainly hurt like all get out, but death…probably not (although the trauma of the impact alone could stop the heart). At autopsy, Lanie could learn that the round struck and passed through the sternum, striking the heart or lungs. Now that sort of wound could certainly turn out the guy’s lights for good.

Lanie’s Nostradamus-esque time of death prediction was based on something she grabbed out of thin air. BUT none of this is what Lanie was about this week.

Yes, she just may be the absolute worst TV medical examiner of all time (in her defense, she can only say what’s written for her), but Lanie…girl…where’d you get those pipes? Yes, the woman can definitely sing! And she looked spectacular in that dress and, well, there’s nothing else to say but…she was really good. As they say, I’d buy the record.

The criminal case this week was just plain fun. I had a difficult time, no, that’s not quite the right terminology. I was enjoying the show so much I didn’t want to take the time to search for improper police procedure. But I did notice:

– Remember when the two mobster bodyguards tossed Joe into the alley? Well, Joe placed his hand on the wall and “accidentally” pulled off a loose brick. Now, please tell me that all of you noticed this and knew that something was either hidden inside the hole or, that the hole would play a major part in the story. You do know, though, that behind exterior bricks is the exterior (plywood sheathing, etc.) of the building. Bricks are tied to the house, there, so they don’t fall down. So that part was a little shaky as far as realism goes.

– Ballistics matched the .38 used in a 1947 double homicide. Turns out the two victims burned up in a car fire. Would an autopsy have performed on the fire victims back in the late 40’s? That would require a little research, but the point isn’t all that important unless you’re writing historical fiction. And even then, you’re writing fiction, so make it fit your story.

I just read a comment on a writing loop stating that autopsies aren’t conducted on most car accident victims. Maybe not in many places, but you’ll still need to do your homework because I know of one coroner’s office out there that performs autopsies on every victim killed in car crashes. Not just the suspicious ones…every single victim killed in an automobile crash receives an autopsy.

– Ryan and Espo interview a homeless, street-person guy who’s obviously not “all there.” Nothing unusual about the interview until the guy used the word pretentious when providing an answer to one of her questions. Something like, “The guy gave me $400 to move on. I didn’t like him because he was pretentious.” Now I’ve interviewed a lot of bums. And I’ve handed out a dollar or two to the homeless. And I’ve arrested my share of those shopping-cart-pushing fellows, but never once have I heard one use the word pretentious, or anything close. A**hole, SOB, etc., sure, but pretentious? Not that it can’t happen, it just seemed so out of place after hearing this guy’s other statements.

Once again, the show let us down, big time—yes, even this episode—by springing an unknown killer on us at the last minute. No clues, no introduction to the character, nothing other than a brief, almost non-existent passing glimpse in an earlier scene.

All of a sudden he shows up in the final few minutes. Very disappointing, especially in what was one of the most fun episodes to date.

Oh, and Beckett didn’t pursue the homicides of the two 1947 victims, after hearing the killers confess? Hmm…

But, any negativity was quickly overshadowed by the last scene when Vera said, “Tell me you love me, Joe.”

And then…

Yep, this one was truly a “happily ever after” story…y’all.

Politics and cops simply don’t mix. Don’t believe it, then ask any police officer who’s stopped the mayor’s kid for speeding. How about the unfortunate deputy sheriff who is tasked with arresting the sheriff’s golfing buddy for DUI. The poor deputy’d be shaking so hard the stuff on his gun belt would jingle like Santa’s sleigh bells. Should it be that way? No, of course not, and most times it’s not. But, as we saw on Castle last night, the thoughts of “what if” are always on the officer’s mind.

Anyway, how did this episode fare? Let’s see. Melanie…?

Melanie Atkins

I’ve been too busy this week to pay much attention to the promos and sneak peeks for this episode, but I did watch them… and I still found Dial M for Mayor to be much more compelling than last week’s offering. The case intrigued me, thanks to its many twists and turns, and the improved writing kept the story moving. Yay for character depth and good pacing!

I’ll leave the discussion about Lanie’s voodoo ME theatrics to Lee, but I will say that her upfront statement about the victim’s time of death made me roll my eyes. I could just picture Lee wincing in pain. ‘Nuff said.

Once the victim is found, Mayor Robert Weldon, Rick’s good friend and poker buddy and the reason Rick is still at the 12th, is considered a suspect in her murder. This puts Rick and Kate on opposite sides in this case. Yikes!

Their visit to DAG — Dial a Goddess, a phone sex shop — intrigues Rick. He seems to know a lot about that type of operation, and this makes Kate roll her eyes. Too funny. Even the neon woman on the wall made me laugh.

Then Mr. Smith calls Rick and tells him he’s available whenever Rick wants to talk; that Rick will know when the time is right. Whoa! This is the man who called him after Kate’s shooting and offered to protect Kate if Rick would keep her away from her mother’s case. So why is he interested in this case concerning the mayor?

Is Mayor Weldon guilty? Certainly looks like it… and Kate has a difficult choice to make. If she tells Gates about the evidence she’s turned up — fibers from the mayor’s coat inside the victim’s mouth — the captain will insist she get a subpoena compelling Weldon to turn it over, thus ending his political career. And if the mayor is forced out of office, Rick will have to leave the precinct, because Weldon’s influence is the only reason he’s allowed to stay.

Kate, of course, is a cop compelled to do what’s right… and that’s how it should be. But oh, how it hurts her to have to go to Iron Gates. Stana Katic plays this so well. I hurt for Kate when she left Rick standing alone beside the murder board.

While Kate is trying to get the mayor to turn over the coat, Rick does some investigating of his own. Of course he does. This is Rick Castle. And the first thing he does is to call Mr. Smith and ask him for help. Through him, Rick deduces that one of the mayor’s staffers is actually the guilty party, and the mayor is cleared.

Kate is relieved. The mayor will stay in office, and Rick will remain by her side. Whew!

Rick isn’t satisfied with that outcome, however. He wants answers from the cryptic man who seems to hold all the cards, so he arranges another meeting with Mr. Smith and learns the man contacted him so he could solve the case and save Weldon’s job, thus keeping Rick at the 12th. That way, he can continue to help protect Kate and keep her from digging any further into her mother’s case. Convoluted? Yes. But this time, it works.

Next week: An Embarrassment of Bitches. Has to do with a dog show, and I believe Rick and Kate end up taking care of one of the pooches. The promo cracked me up.

Lee Lofland

Again, before I start blasting away at Lanie “Make My Head Explode “Parish, please remember that I point out this stuff merely to help writers know what’s real and what’s, well, beyond even the limits of Gene Roddenberry’s wildest dreams. But this week…sheeshhhh!!!!

First of all, the Lanie character is great for Espo, or as a “bestie” for Beckett. In fact, she’d be absolutely fantastic as anything EXCEPT a medical examiner. Her lines are a distraction and they slow down the show. I’ll explain more in a minute. For now let’s get her gobbledygook out of the way.

Lanie said, “…victim was strangled between 8 and 10 last night…bruising looks like a choke hold from behind with enough force that it crushed her hyoid bone…perp was taller and heavier than the victim…”

Hey, Charlie Brown, you heard what Lanie said. What’s your opini—

Yeah, that’s what I thought too.

There’s no way Lanie could know any of what she said without first conducting an autopsy. She’d also need a bit of information that the detectives and CSI folks would uncover and provide. Besides, the mark on the victim’s neck looked more like a ligature mark than that of a choke hold. Suppose the killer was a bodybuilding little person who was into mixed martial arts? Wouldn’t have to be taller and heavier then, huh?

Again, no way to determine any of this stuff until after or during the autopsy. Besides, how could Lanie see the hyoid? X-ray specs? And, the ligature/choke mark wasn’t exactly in the right location to do that sort of damage. But anything’s possible, especially with this quack.

Enough of Lanie…yes, enough already!

Moving along…

– Is anyone else tired of hearing Beckett address Gates as “Sir?”

– Will they ever put the “Mother Beckett case” to rest? I’m so, so tired of hearing about it. And having the phantom Mr. Smith show up to explain things that the writers couldn’t figure out how to get into the story was sort of a let down for me.

– Okay, Beckett said to Castle, “Lanie found fibers in the victim’s mouth and esophagus and the lab ID’d them as light, brown cashmere.” YES! That’s how they should handle the forensics on this show. It works nicely. It fits. The dialog flows well. And it’s believable. Why? Because that’s how it’s done in real life. Not on-the-street magical peeks inside a dead body. An M.E. does her slicing and dicing and relies on her findings and those of various laboratory experts, like those who examined the fibers in this scene.

– How about that literary agent’s office? How many real-life agents work in offices like that one? All of you, I’m sure.

– Have I missed something, or was last night the first time during regular conversation that Beckett and Castle called each other Rick and Kate? First name basis now after a few years together. Yep, this relationship is moving right along…

– The attorney who burst into the interview room during an interview with a suspect. Wouldn’t happen. They don’t have free access to those areas of the PD. Someone would have called Beckett to let her know the guy’s attorney was waiting outside. Then she’d probably have rushed to complete the task at hand before allowing the lawyer access to his client. Didn’t say it was right, but it is what it is. How’s she supposed to know the attorney would tell his client to shut up (wink).

Overall, the show was better than what we’ve seen for the past couple of weeks. As usual, the actors were a lot of fun to watch. Well, with the exception of “you know who.”

Finally, the mayor delivered a very powerful message at the end of the show by saying, “A well-placed pawn is sometimes more powerful than a king.” You never know who, if anyone, in your circle of friends and co-workers is that pawn…you just never know…

Anyway, we’d love to hear your comments about last night’s episode. Was it all you dreamed of, or were there a few nightmarish moments for you too?

Oh, I almost forgot…as usual, the killer was someone the writers simply threw in our face at the end of the episode, again. But there’s a pattern. Always look for someone who has the smallest part and a slight guilty look on their face when the camera rushes by during a very brief scene. And there’s the killer. Police work made easy, Castle style.