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Castle: The Time of Our Lives

“Every time your phone rings, a victim gets their wings.”

What if Castle and Beckett had never met?

Well, things would have been very different. Beckett would be the Captain of the precinct, Ryan would be single, Lanie would be pregnant, Esposito would be pining for her. This show, which has taken on just about every popular culture trope I can think of, finally did It’s a Wonderful Life.

As you might expect, no one is better off if Caskett aren’t together. Except, interestingly, Martha who was a big Broadway star. The more I thought about this detail, the more intrigued I was by it. Are we meant to infer that Castle has held Martha back from achieving true greatness? If so, I loved the way he told her to go for the audition. It would be nice to see her as a true star.

While the Incan artifact and the alternate universe were exceedingly silly, the episode demanded that you just go along for the ride. Watching Castle interact with the others, especially Beckett, hearing the stories of what he had been up to, learning that he does not have the Great American Novel within, were all laugh out loud funny moments.

As much fun as the time travel was, this was also an episode for those of us who have been part of the fandom since the beginning. Many, many callbacks to previous episodes, but especially the pilot. More than once, I found myself grinning at the TV and remembering the fun of the earlier seasons.

While I didn’t expect any real revelations, I was very surprised by Alterna-Beckett admitting that she had waited in line to meet Castle when he was on a book tour. This is true of our Beckett as well, but she has never told Castle that. I hope the writers come back to this at some point. It’s been hanging out there since the pilot.

The scene between Castle and Alexis was simply lovely. Their relationship has been the one that has kept him centered from the beginning. I like the fact that it was a conversation with his daughter that gave him the impetus to fix what was broken in the new world.

But, luckily, Castle didn’t need to fix it as he saved Beckett’s life, thereby saving his reality. And, boy was he ready for a celebration.

They did it! Castle and Beckett are married. First of all, a heartfelt thank you to TPTB for not finding silly ways to keep them apart this season. Secondly, while the wedding was a tad OTT (that backdrop was really something), the vows brought a tear to my eye. I really liked the fact that the only people there were their parents and Alexis. While I’m sure the members of the 12th are going to be a bit disgruntled not to have been included, it worked in the moment.

Those of us who have shipped Caskett from the beginning have waited a long time for that ceremony. It was, mostly, worth the wait. Three and a half out of four silly Incan artifacts.

Tidbits:

— So many callbacks, so little time. I know I didn’t catch them all, so please comment and let me know what I missed:
  • Will Sorenson
  • “Just like my birthday”
  • “Mr.” Castle
  • There was a Detective McNulty in the pilot who helped Beckett solve the case
  • The bad coffee before the espresso machine
  • The original Derek Storm novels
  • Honeymilk
  • The interactions among the three guys were great, especially Ryan defending Castle and working with him.
  • “Stay in the car.”
  • Esposito “enjoying the show.”
  • Martha in a face mask.
  • “I’m compelled to know how the story ends.”
  • Johanna’s murder.
  • “We make a pretty good team, you and I.”
  • Two coffees.
  • Castle shot, telling Beckett he loves her.

— Castle’s mug shot was hilarious.

— “In My Veins” was the obvious choice for them to dance to. It has appeared in “Always” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It truly is their song.

— Stana Katic is a stunningly beautiful woman. Her hair and makeup at the wedding were perfect. Shame about the trousers. They didn’t work for me, especially after the glory that was her mother’s wedding dress. Similarly, Alexis’ dark hair looked dreadful on her.

Soundbites:

Beckett: “Why do you always have to touch everything?”
Castle: “I thought you liked that about me.”

Martha: “I found success because of my boundless talent.”

Castle’s Cellmate: “I don’t know, man. Maybe this is your real life. ‘Cause the one where you’re rich and famous and engaged to the hot cop sounds pretty made up to me.”

And, of course, their vows:

Beckett: “The moment that I met you, my life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self, to look forward to tomorrow’s adventures. And, when I was vulnerable, you were strong. I love you, Richard Castle, and I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise you I will love you. I will be your friend and your partner in crime and in life. Always.”

Castle: “The moment we met, my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart. You’re the last person I want to see when I close my eyes. I love you, Katherine Beckett, and the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend and your partner in crime and life till death do us part — and for the time of our lives.”

ChrisB is a freelance writer who spends more time than she ought in front of a television screen or with a book in her hand.

6 comments:

  1. I get them only having family there for the wedding at the end, but it did seem odd for them not to at least have Esposito, Ryan & Lanie join them. Either way, I'm glad the writers didn't wait until much later in the season to finally have them get married, they've been stringing this out far too long already.

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  2. Ryan and Espo only agreed to take Castle along because he said he could get them tickets to his mother's show. In the first season, he frequently had to bribe them with his Ferrari.

    Definitely agree about the pants. The top of the...jumpsuit? was lovely, though.

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  3. I have to disagree. Stana has gorgeous legs (and eyes, yes), and the dress hides them. Trousers work much better on her.

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  4. TVLine gave Nathan Fillion an honorable mention as Performer of the Week:

    HONORABLE MENTION
    Once you bought into the premise of Castle’s reality-warping episode, the payoff was the glory of Nathan Fillion as a humorously hapless fish-out-of-water desperate to — again! — prove his value to the crimesolvers at the 12th precinct. Fillion-as-rascal never does not entertain, as Rick skulked around corners and wormed his way into interrogation rooms, or endeavored to “explain” his delusion to Captain Beckett, saying of his new novel’s main character, “I’ve fallen in love with her. I eat with her, sleep with her” (all the while alluding to the “real” deal back home). Then, once the alt-reality ended, Fillion melted Caskett-loving hearts with his twinkly eyed delivery of Rick’s heartfelt wedding vows. How could one not say, “I do” to this endearing performance?

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  5. I know Castle is rich and everything, but how did he afford to have the wedding on Bespin?

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  6. I missed the writer-vest and Castle's spider-senses!

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