Overview
There is an episode near the end (E19) that is one of the best of the series…it is funny, it is interesting, it is vintage Season 1 and 4 all together in a big bowl of mystery with comedy sprinkled on top. A complete palate cleanser from all the EPs filled with angst. Yet by the time I got there, the first half of the season was almost making me wonder if I would continue watching. Definitely near the bottom of the seasons.
Episodes That I Liked
There are some pretty good EPs in the second half of the season, with diplomats and spies (E11); an escape room (E12); ESL (E13); the Great Detective Society (E14); Esposito’s ex-girlfriend (E16); a lamp and a genie (E17); and Hayley’s past in Britain (E18). However, there are two EPs that are vintage Castle at its best — the return of Slaughter (E06) is funny throughout, but then E19 brings out the best lines of the series with a victim who won’t stay dead.
Episodes That Were Watchable
At the start of the season, it really looked like the renewal from Season 7 to Season 8 was a “gift”. The vast majority of the first half of the season are watchable, but not memorable, with Beckett disappearing (sound familiar? E01, E02); a prisoner and guard experiment (E03); pathological liars and hermit authors (E04); art theft and murder (E05); an a capella group (E09); Castle as witness in a case, with new information coming forward (E10); murder at the police academy (E15); murder while doing Shakespeare (E20); and avenging angels and murderous demons (E21).
However, the two most disappointing are a sting-style episode (E07), and the series finale (E22), both with promising plots that go nowhere.
Episodes That I Didn’t Like
Episode 8 is entitled Mr. and Mrs. Castle and the whole episode is about the two of them deciding if they want to be together or not. Lies, half-truths, omissions, angst, it was just torturous to watch. I DON’T CARE, just decide something. Anything. And go with it. It felt like a complete repeat of the previous year when Castle had amnesia and was running around not telling Beckett what was going on, except the shoe is on the other foot, and did I mention, I DON’T CARE. Arghhh. Not to mention, it doesn’t GO anywhere. No resolution, no big emotional movement, NOTHING leading to MORE NOTHING.
List of Episodes from Season 8
| EP # | EPISODE | REVIEW | RATING |
| S08E01 | XY | Beckett pulls a disappearing act plot déjà vu | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E02 | XX | Happily ever after is over-rated | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E03 | PhDead | Universities and prisons can be deadly | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E04 | What Lies Beneath | Pathological liar? How first season | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E05 | Nose | Oh, no, the nose knows murder, deception, truth | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E06 | Cool Boys | Slaughter’s back, needs help, and jazz hands | 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸 |
| S08E07 | Last Seduction | Sting? It’s on! Or off, or whatever | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E08 | Mr. & Mrs. Castle | On, off, on, off, on…yawn | 🐸⚪⚪⚪⚪ |
| S08E09 | Tone Death | A capella murder, no liner notes | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E10 | Witness for the Prosecution | Did Castle see what he saw? | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E11 | Dead Red | Diplomats, spies, and step-mothers | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E12 | Blame Game | Separate rooms, same story | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E13 | And Justice For All | The English language can be murder | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E14 | G.D.S. | Great detectives solve multiple cases at once | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E15 | Fidelis Ad Mortem | Murder at the academy or spinoff? | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E16 | Heartbreaker | Espo’s ex is a con? Heartbreaking | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E17 | Death Wish | Make a wish, and she appears | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E18 | Backstabber | Never trust the Brits | 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪ |
| S08E19 | Dead Again | The victim that won’t stay dead | 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸 |
| S08E20 | Much Ado About Murder | To be or not to be murdered | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E21 | Hell to Pay | Avenging angels and murderous demons | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
| S08E22 | Crossfire | Last season’s ending was better | 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪ |
The Bottom Line
The victim in EP19 might not stay dead, but the series dies by the end
