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A Deadly Game
Original Air Date: May 17, 2010
Karen Belgrad – Sr. Reviewer
karenbelgrad@thetwocentscorp.com
Esposito (to Beckett): “Why do you think he’s been following you around all this time? Research? Guy’s got enough research to write fifty books. Look, whatever the reason is, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include watching you be with another guy.”
Wow! What a season finale! A murder I couldn’t resolve after the second commercial break. Emotions were running (and hiding) all over the place. Then, just when you saw the inevitable coming toward you like a Mack truck with a sledgehammer…
Let’s start with the weekly murder… in Castle’s eyes “the coolest case ever”.
I’ve never heard of a Spy-Venture style vacation, but that does sound like fun. Aside from the “ending up murdered and everyone thinks it’s still a game” part, of course! So this week’s victim went on his spy-venture and ended up with multiple gunshot wounds. Was it his wife, business partner, the handler from the game company? Nope.
During the search for the victim’s identity, the detectives and Castle followed the spy-like game clues (unaware it was a game) to a café where Castle approached a French woman mistakenly before getting into a tussle with the real rendezvous person. Interrogation reveals the whole caper is a game (complete with dossiers, self-destructing pens, and secret identities). And the mistaken identity French woman turns out to be… the victims mistress. Her hubby was the killer.
Yes, a bit of a surprise. Not only was the killer not related, we didn’t even see him until his arrest/confession scene. That may be a first for the show! As for the (not really) French mistress (from Long Island), never discount anyone who was dialogue during the episode. It’s almost as if the show is on a really tight budget, they never have someone in the background “just because”.
Now! On to what everyone really came here to discuss and read about… The delicate, not-at-all-hit-you-over-with-a-sledgehammer subtleties the show brought up during the hour about Beckket and Castle’s relationship… Quotes heard throughout the hour.
Beckett: “It’s not like he’s leaving forever.”
Castle: “I think I’ve gotten everything I can get out of that relationship anyways.”
Beckett: “Maybe we got so caught up in the game that we stopped looking at what really matter.”
Captain Montgomery: “Sad that a man had to die cause all the people involved were too scared to say what they really felt.”
With Alexis and Martha gone for the summer, Castle repeatedly asks Beckett to join him in the Hamptons. He’s also avoiding his ex-wife/publisher Gina as he is late in delivering his latest book, Naked Heat. How funny was Beckett when she realized her “likeness” was going to be naked on the cover. Nope, no one’s going to make fun of her at all!
We also revisit Castle’s awesome poker games with mystery writers, Stephen J. Cannell, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly. I enjoyed their teasing about his muse/distraction (Beckett) and him only writing one book per year. And we learned that there are only three reasons to kill in murder mysteries: love, money, or to cover-up a crime.
But the more Castle sees Beckett with Demming, the sadder he gets. In fact, his puppy dog eyes take over his whole brain and he decides to go away for the entire summer.
Beckett is clearly upset when Castle says he’s leaving. And after the aforementioned speech from Esposito, she dumps sad-eyed Demming as “not what she’s looking for.” And then, just as Beckett is ready to back her bikini (or not, skinny dipping was a viable option) and her sun block (SPF 45, my guess), her realization of feelings for Castle are dumped right back in her lap.
Castle is spending the summer with Gina. His ex-wife. Who vows to “stay on top of him” and make him finish his book. Seems they had quite the multi-hour, reconnecting chat on the phone. Hmmph!
I wasn’t terribly excited about this development. Yes, we know Castle has a weakness for woman of his past (aka the comfort factor). But I realize the writers are just doing the “keep the leads apart” move that has been done before on countless other shows. But Gina just seemed so… random. Hopefully she won’t be around for a lengthy arc next season.
Speaking of which, how excited do you think (reformed self proclaimed show killer) Nathan Fillion was for that last line of dialogue: “See you in the fall.” Beckett said it with just the right amount of wistfulness and wanting.
Those are my TwoCents? What are your TwoCents? Leave your thoughts, comments, sadness over no Cas-kett kiss, and observations below!
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TheTwoCents 
Well, I was ok without a kiss at this point, but disappointed that Gina also foiled Castle’s attempt at a hug by holding his arm. The ending of course was a common plot device, but the Castle team as usual puts a talented stamp on these things, and Stana Katic was heartbreaking in her portrayal of this “near miss”. It was wonderful to see Beckett’s bravery with her feelings in this one, and although the ex-wife may seem random, it was in-character for Castle to try to move on with someone else and avoid being alone when he thought Beckett got away and was still with Demming (plus she fits into the writers block issue as his publisher). These two have a little way to go before they are on the same page and the timing is right. I can’t wait to see where they take things next season with this new level in which Castle and Beckett are aware of their feelings.
I almost think more importantly than Castle & Beckett being aware of their own feelings, they’re both more aware that other people are aware… It’s a lot harder to by cagey and sly with an expectant audience.