We’ve made it to the end of another year with Castle, ABC’s Monday night anchor drama. As the show’s fifth season draws to a close, the evolving relationship at the show’s center between author Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic),(also known as Caskett in couple speak) is on the verge of going to a whole other level. They started five years ago as friendly adversaries when Castle charmed his way into the station by calling in a favor from the city’s mayor, much to the annoyance of the hard-boiled,street savvy (and much less glamorous) Kate.
Over time they adapted from clashing over cases to collaborating, each one enhancing the strengths of the other. Rick’s wild imagination generates possible back stories and conspiracy theories that help inspire the always practical Kate to find the motives that solve the cases. They’ve gotten each other out of tight spots and eventually, after some fits and spurts and stalled out relationships, this season, Caskett became a romantic couple.
The show’s creator’s have promised that Caskett are in for some bumps on their road as a couple, and just when it seemed they were finally getting into a grove, after having several awkward months of dodging family, friends and coworkers about the truth of their romance, then along comes a new wrinkle. In a prior episode, the team worked with a Federal agent from a special task force appointed by the US Attorney General to solve a murder of a whistle blower who was killed in a precision military strike. Kate’s investigative know-how gets the attention of the G-man and she gets an invite to try out for the big leagues.
In the opening scenes Kate has what has got to be the world shortest and most uplifting job interview, it went something like this:
G-man Boss Guy: “Well Dectective Beckett, we hear you are are great!”
Kate: “Aw shucks sir, I’m just an ordinary homicide cop”
G-man Boss Guy: “Are you sure about that Dectective? I think we both know that you are awesome and that being part of this elite team is your DESTINY”
Kate: “Um..shucks…I guess you are right…”
Beckett flies back, quickly stopping to change out of her interview suit, and breathlessly joins the rest of the team to solve the murder of a girl who found in the roof cistern of a seedy hotel. Most of her neighbors think she is a prostitute, but after checking into her background and finding she is an Ivy League student with no history of past trouble, Castle and Beckett figure there is more to the story.
Interviews are conducted, theories are proposed and then disproven. All in all, a fairly typical case for Rick and Kate and friends, but we see a difference in Kate as she is going through the mechanics of the case. She looks at Castle a bit differently, and he and her co-workers begin to notice. In the background everyone wonders “What’s up with Beckett?”
Eventually she gets called into the Principal’s…no wait, that the Captain’s office and finds out that the Captain has gotten a call from the Feds, and she has given Kate the best.recommendation.ever. They then have a girl power bonding moment and talk about what a great opportunity this is for Kate to follower DESTINY.
More stuff about the case (this one is almost dull compared to most of the murders we see on Castle) and we see Kate ad Rick fixing dinner. He moves her coat and what should fall out but an airline ticket stub, always use an e-ticket when you are being sneaky Kate! Well Castle finds out about the interview and is immediately peeved that she lied. They conclude that there is no way that they could make it work if she goes to DC. I got a bit perplexed at this point as to what the big deal is.
Castle after all is extremely wealthy, he has a ginormous Manhattan loft, an big Hamptons beach house and den a Ferrari, so why would picking up a pied -a terre in the nation’s capitol even cause him to blink an eye? But I understand that we need some couple drama so I went with the premise. Conversations occur, Rick and his mom, also Kate and Lainey, and even Espo and Ryan who ask themselves “Is she pregnant?”
Finally, DESTINY calls…on the phone and Kate gets her job offer. She tells Castle that they have to talk. Cut to some playground swings where Castle is waiting and Kate pensively arrives. He knows what she has to say, so he steps tells her that whatever she decides they both deserve more that their currently cloudy relationship, she agrees and then…is it their last kiss? Rick pulls a ring from his pocket and asks Kate to become Mrs. Castle. Caskett fans hold on to your hats, the ride is just starting.
