TV Wrap-Up: CASTLE

Last night was the Season 2 finale of Castle, and while there are a ton of unhappy shippers out there, I felt that "A Deadly Game" was the perfect way to end the show's sophomore season.

Quick Replay
Castle invited Beckett to spend the holiday weekend with him in the Hamptons, she said she's busy just to get busted when Demming revealed that they're going away together. Castle was stung, so he said he's planning on staying in the Hamptons for the entire summer, thus making the case their last. Beckett's sure he'd come back, but Esposito dropped some truth on her about Castle's real reason for sticking around. Beckett finally worked up the nerve to tell Castle how she felt, but she's blocked by his old wife. Apparently, she's accompanying Rick to the Hamptons for the summer. Cue pissy fans throwing stuff at their TVs.

While I understand why so many fans were unhappy with the ending of Season 2, it was the appropriate ending. I'll admit, I thought the two were going to put their cards out on the table and was duped like everyone else, but I couldn't help but smile. The show runners gave us a good enough swerve to keep us interested in Season 3 (hopefully we won't have a Rick-ageddon like Chuck had to endure). It's too soon for Kate and Rick to be together, and I think this ending opens up some great opportunities for the fall.

Season Summary
Season 2 of Castle was the perfect complement to the first one because it was a natural progression. Season 1 was all about introducing the characters, and showing the audience the spark that started their attraction to one another. Season 2 was the slow burn that kept things interesting, and I'm still hooked on this show and last night's finale didn't bother me one bit.

I am a little surprised how many people were unhappy with the episode (based on blog comments). If people are tuning in for unresolved sexual tension, said tension goes away once they get together, and what's left for those viewers? I'm not saying that Beckett and Castle need to be kept a part forever, but I don't want the writers to rush things. In my mind, shows like Castle are marathons, not sprints. We want a well developed story over a rushed romance that will just please the shippers. I have faith that Castle will not let us down in the end. Now, if they're still dancing around by season 5 (or the 100th episode), then we have a right to be upset. I'm looking at your Bones.

Most Favorite Episode of the Season
Season 2 of Castle had a lot of great episodes that really focused on the Caskett relationship without beating us over the head with it. There were also some pretty interesting cases, and when both were combined it was golden. For me, the standout episode of Season 2 was "Tick, Tick, Tick...". The introduction of Agent Shaw created enough jealousy from Kate to be entertaining without being catty, Rick's need to protect Becks gave us some great "aww" moments, and we had a case that was pretty gripping. Plus, "Tick, Tick, Tick" gave us the best Castle scene to date...

Honorable Mentions
"Vampire Weekend" (the return of Captain Tightpants), "The Mistress Always Spanks Twice" (Castle + Beckett + S&M Case), "Wrapped Up in Death" (Castle believes he's cursed by a mummy), and "Den of Thieves" (Esposito takes center stage).

Least Favorite Episode of the Season
Not every episode of Season 2 was a winner, and "Suicide Squeeze" was one of the episodes that fell flat for me. The idea was interesting enough, a famous baseball player was killed, but the execution really didn't work in my opinion. Also, Joe Torre's stunt cast just felt forced and insulting, although it did give us more information about Kate's character.

Season 3 Predictions
While I'm all for keeping Castle and Beckett a part for a little while longer, I'm guessing that they'll be together in some capacity during Season 3. I don't think anyone truly believes that Rick's ex-wife will be around for long, and the door will open up again for Caskett. I am interested to see how Kate reacts because she can closer herself off (I'm betting that's how she'll be at the start of S3) or she can go on the offensive and pursue Rick (a little out of character, but could work). One thing I hope the show runners have learned is a polarizing episode like "A Deadly Game" can backfire (just ask the creators of Chuck and Bones). One way to do this is resolve some of the sexual tension, but not all of it.

Overall, Season 2 of Castle was great, and I hope that the ending of "A Deadly Game" didn't turn off too many fans, rather I hope people are interested and invested enough to tune in next fall. Marlowe and Co. will have to win back some viewers, but I'm confident that they'll be able to with a solid third season.