Beckett and I are of one mind when it comes to internet anonymity, a fact of modern life that could have made for a wonderful episode of television. Unfortunately, the writers chose a story that has been told and tried to get us excited about technology that’s been around for a while.
Bullying in the cyber age is terrifying and the long term effects are only now beginning to be understood. Adam Lane would not be the first to snap, although most victims who snap do not act in such a measured and, frankly, ingenious way. Adam did not take a gun and shoot up a school. His actions were well thought out and planned, hardly those of someone who has, finally, had enough.
The other big problem with the story is that Adam’s motivations were not entirely clear. Was he out for revenge or was he out to create a legacy? Thinking he would be talked about in the same breath as Manson or the Zodiac killer was delusional. Yes, things live forever on the internet. The problem is that most people have short attention spans. Adam may be the subject of conversation for a while, but certainly not forever.
I love a good Beckett interrogation scene and this one was special. She really is able to read people and get them to talk, especially when they don’t want to. Watching her go after Adam was disturbing. Effective, but disturbing.
This was a filler episode and not a very exciting one. Two out of four blips on the net continuum.
Tidbits:
— Wow, but that was an unsubtle plug for the viewers to buy Raging Heat. The reason my review of it has not gone up yet is that I am struggling to get through it. Sorry, Castle, but “a bone-chilling, spine-tingling thriller full of twists and turns” it is not. The webmercial, however, is hilarious.
— Speaking of writers, I’d love to see The Ryan Report someday.
— Spoiled Brats of Snappamatic = Rich Kids of Instagram, if I had to guess.
— I’m hoping that the high school was right around the corner from the precinct. Otherwise, how would Ryan and Esposito have managed to get there in under seven minutes in Manhattan?
— If you are concerned about bullying, or if you love a child who goes to school, the documentary Bully is a must-see. I found it so disturbing, I had to stop watching for a while and go back to it. Watch it with a full box of tissues.
Soundbites:
Castle: “It’s time I let technology wrap me in its warm yet lucrative embrace.”
Gates: “The truth doesn’t matter, Kate. It’s a public relations problem now. The killer just turned you into the poster child for these murders not being solved.”
Adam: “I’m sick? Nobody had to follow me. No one has to vote for Kent or Oren. But, they can’t help themselves. They… they want to be a part of it. They have to watch. So… who is really sick?”
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.
I watched this episode when it aired and it was so unmemorable that, reading your review, I wasn't sure I'd actually seen it until you got to the part about Castle's commercial, which was, indeed, hilarious.
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