A mystery writer moves to the country to find some peace and quiet in her life to do some writing.
What I Liked
The feel is very much like an Agatha Christie-style small village with priests, neighbours and a local mystery, with a body dropping shortly after things get settled.
What I Didn’t Like
The romance side doesn’t work, as it’s hard to get a feel for the lead character’s age…one minute she seems like a woman in her late 50s and the next she seems like a girl in her early 20s. Worldly, calm, centred and then naïve, unsure, flighty. The ex and her son seem superfluous, and some of the other characters are a bit superficial with their secrets which are wildly apparent long before they are “revealed”. She isn’t as bumbling as, say, Stephanie Plum, but she’s hardly Miss Marple either, or even Jessica Fletcher. But these are minor complaints for a rich world and sense of Christie-like mystery.
The Bottom Line
Not quite Christie but I’ll read more in the series.
Note that the book was originally published as A Little Gentle Sleuthing (1990).
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
As I watched the episodes, I frequently felt, “Okay, last season”. Quite a few EPs seem like repeats of story ideas they’ve used before or promising ones that go nowhere. I was initially skeptical of the “Castle as P.I.” plot device, but it isn’t completely batty in its execution, and it does work for the most part. Washington? Not so much.
Episodes That I Liked
The best episode of the season is near the end, with Alexis and Castle on a plane to London (E21) and trying to solve an Air Marshal’s murder. And there are some other good ones — Castle becomes a private investigator to let him keep working on cases (E11); an astronaut gets killed in a habitat simulator (E16); and some movement on 3XK (E14, E15). Ryan and Esposito get to lead on an episode each, with Ryan working as a night security guard leading to work with the Secret Service (E18) and Esposito dealing with a bomb on a subway car (E08).
But the other three are about Castle’s disappearance — his return with no answers (E01), the reason for his loss is revealed (E20), and the pseudo-series finale where we find out why Castle is into mysteries and thrillers with his origin story (E23).
Episodes That Were Watchable
There are eight more EPs that are blah again, and it drags the series down. Hence why I think it runs out of gas. E02 sends him on a bread-crumb to Montreal while the team looks at a dead toy CEO; someone killing internet celebrities (E05); a visit to a Western town (E07); another Romeo and Juliet episode, again with the mob (E10); murder of a telenovela star (E12) with a weak plot; Rear Window, again (E13); a Chinese super cop (E17); and a personal injury lawyer with a conscience (E19). Several of those are just retreads of earlier episodes, and the originals were better.
Episodes That I Didn’t Like
It is rare that I give an EP of a series I watch anything less than three stars. It’s an inherent bias to my reviews — if I like the show well enough to keep watching it every week, chances are that I’m going to at least rate the EPs as watchable, right? But this season I went so far as to give E03 a zero — dealing with a supposed invisible man. Um, okay. Heck even E06 dealing with an alternate universe was more believable. And those two are really in a class of crap all by themselves.
But even beyond those two REALLY bad ones, there are still three others that just aren’t worth watching — E04 which is kind of like Kindergarten Cop; E09 which rips off the Expendables movie series; and E22 looks at a SNL-like show, with skits and scenes that need a rewrite, apparently.
List of Episodes from Season 7
EP #
EPISODE
REVIEW
RATING
S07E01
Driven
Castle’s back with no answers
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E02
Montreal
Castle’s reward offer gives a breadcrumb
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E03
Clear and Present Danger
The invisible man? Really? REALLY????
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
S07E04
Child’s Play
Kindergarten Cop, Castle-primary school style
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S07E05
Meme is Murder
If you’re internet-famous, someone might come killing
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E06
Time of Our Lives
An alternate universe…wait, the invisible man wasn’t enough?
🐸⚪⚪⚪⚪
S07E07
Once Upon a Time in the West
Quick draw McCastle and Katie Oakley, and a treasure
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E08
Kill Switch
Great ep focusing on Esposito. And a bomb. And an obvious motive
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E09
Last Action Hero
Or how the Castle writers found an abandoned Expendables script
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S07E10
Bad Santa
Romeo and Juliet, badly disguised, but good Mr. Capulet
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E11
Castle, P.I.
Richard Castle, Pet Detective. Hey, it worked, didn’t it?
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E12
Private Eye Caramba!
I’m sure the victim’s purse won’t be relevant to her murder
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E13
I, Witness
Rear window, except front, but not everything is a movie or is it?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E14
Resurrection
3XK is back, and the mysteries go deep
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E15
Reckoning
3XK started with twists, now it’s Castle’s turn
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E16
Wrong Stuff
Women are from Venus, murderers are on Mars
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E17
Hong Kong Hustle
A Chinese super cop? Sounds like a Castle novel
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E18
At Close Range
Ryan’s night security dig turns into Secret Service failure
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E19
Habeas Corpse
Personal injury lawyer with a conscience? Wait, saw it in Season 5?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S07E20
Sleeper
Castle’s gap is revealed, or is it just enough truth to hide the lies
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S07E21
In Plane Sight
A mother-freakin’ case on a mother-freakin plane? Cool
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S07E22
Dead from New York
Live! From New York! It’s a crappy episode!
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S07E23
Hollander’s Woods
Good series wrap-up if the series hadn’t been renewed
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
The Bottom Line
The show ran out of gas this season…who needed a fill-up?
The season starts off with Beckett working in Washington, and the whole dynamic just doesn’t work. I like the 3XK stuff and a Carrie-like prank. I’ll even accept the wedding episode. But not a great season overall, one of the lower average scores so far.
Episodes That I Liked
They have some good plots for single episodes — Castle might be dying (E01), dead hackers and Daddy (E012), brawling models and wedding planning (E14), and skateboarders (E21). Beckett going undercover as a Russian is better, but not quite there overall (E17). 3XK comes back around with some clones (E09) and the truth is out there on Beckett’s mom’s murder (E22). But there are three EPs that shine…time travel (E05), a Carrie-like prank (E15), and wedding bells (E23).
Episodes That Were Watchable
Despite the ten episodes I like, there are nine that are merely okay…a repeat of D.O.A. (E02, second part of E01 that was better), monks and treasure hunters (E06), diamonds and gorillas (E08), baby whisperers (E10), and teen divas with decoys (E13). Esposito and Ryan get trapped in a burning building for a very special episode (E11), and it should be awesome, but instead is just okay. The boys also take on ninjas (E18) and the 70s (E20), and again, the premises are awesome, but the mysteries are pretty blah. More kitsch than story. And like most seasons, we need an episode for Alexis so we throw her an innocence project (E07). Yawn.
Episodes That I Didn’t Like
But the bigger issue is that there are four episodes that are just uber-blah. Spies (E03), a fan of Castle/Nikki Heat takes hostages (E04), false memories (E16), and a greedy Wall Street trader (E19) all fall well short of the mark.
List of Episodes from Season 6
EP #
EPISODE
REVIEW
RATING
S06E01
Valkyrie
Just like Castle, making Beckett’s case all about him dying
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E02
Dreamworld
D.O.A. redux, with Beckett leading the charge to save Castle
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E03
Need to Know
Screech is a spy, but personal lives always rule outcomes
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S06E04
Number One Fan
Hostage-taker asks Castle to prove her innocence
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S06E05
Time Will Tell
If it was about time travel, I would have started with Tuvok
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S06E06
Get a Clue
Never trust a monk or a treasure hunter with occult symbols
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E07
Like Father, Like Daughter
Alexis reluctantly needs Dad’s help with death row
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E08
Murder is Forever
Diamonds are a gorilla-whisperer’s best friend and murderer
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E09
Disciple
Clones of Lacie and Esposito are more than a little suspiciously 3XKy
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E10
The Good, the Bad and the Baby
Baby whisperer cum murder investigator, no waiting
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E11
Under Fire
Trapped in a burning building? And Castle isn’t the one trapped?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E12
Deep Cover
A dead hacker and Castle has Daddy issues again
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E13
Limelight
Teen diva’s decoy gets quacked, but who was the target?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E14
Dressed to Kill
Brawling models, wedding planning, and backstory…nice
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E15
Smells Like Teen Spirit
A Carrie-prank gone wrong
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S06E16
Room 147
Multiple confessions, a cult, false memories, and videos
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S06E17
In the Belly of the Beast
Beckett undercover as Russian
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E18
Way of the Ninja
The boys go head to head with a ninja. Or is it two?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E19
Greater Good
A greedy Wall Street trader? With money as a motive? Shocking
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S06E20
That ’70s Show
Flash back time and Ryan & Esposito pull off Starsky & Hutch
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S06E21
Law & Boarder
Skateboarders, flashbacks, and cam corders — awesome
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E22
Veritas
The Truth is out there on Beckett’s mom’s murder, and rules be damned
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S06E23
For Better or Worse
Wedding bells? Quickie divorce 1st
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
The Bottom Line
Making time travel seem plausible, even to Beckett
I really wanted to love this season, and there are some seriously good episodes, like Ryan going undercover or the Rear Window episode. And while the average is higher for individual EPs, driving the season up to 4.0 overall, my overall satisfaction was down — the backstory just wasn’t working for me anymore around Bracken, 3XK, Beckett’s mom, and the wild side of Castle’s Dad’s story (great premise, not awesomely executed).
Episodes That I Liked
The season starts off strong, with Kate and Rick hiding their new relationship (E01), escaping to the Hamptons (E04), to ComicCon (E06), and even Washington (E23). 3XK comes back around (E05) as does a billionaire with good taste (E21). Most of the cases are still stand-alone, which are good…an Almost Famous homage (E07), relationship endings (E10), and supernatural videos (E17). There is also a pretty good one involving twins and their past (E03). But there is an absolutely fabulous one where Ryan goes undercover with the Irish Mob. Outstanding. Reminded me of Wise Guy, the early days (which is a good thing). Add in a take-off of Rear Window (E19), and the season pretty much rocks.
But, of course, they have to have their special episodes. Episodes 15 and 16 deal with — SPOILER ALERT — Alexis being kidnapped and Castle meeting his Dad (yikes!). And then, just for fun, it’s flashback city for about 100 episodes (E22).
Episodes That Were Watchable
Yet, despite those awesome episodes, there are another nine that are simply watchable, dealing with an ambitious weathergirl (E02), a weird “meet the parents” thing (E08), Santa Claus (E09), spinning-DJ playing parties where thefts have occurred (E11), girls gone wild (E12), reality TV (E14), bigfoot (E20), and false hookers (E24).
But I am most disappointed with E13 where Bracken is back, yet needing protection. It should be one of the best of the season, maybe even the series, but the EP is a yawner.
Episodes That I Didn’t Like
Surprisingly, none of the episodes dropped this far.
List of Episodes from Season 5
EP #
EPISODE
REVIEW
RATING
S05E01
After the Storm
Post-coital investigating would be more fun without killers
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E02
Cloudy with a Chance of Murder
Too ambitious weathergirl
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E03
Secret’s Safe with Me
Wonder Twin powers, activate!
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S05E04
Murder, He Wrote
Castle and Beckett secretly get away to the Hamptons
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E05
Probable Cause
Castle’s a viable suspect, and 3XK is calling the tune
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E06
Final Frontier
ComicCon is murder, and even the fans are suspects
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E07
Swan Song
From Almost Famous homage to murder mystery in 1 easy step
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E08
After Hours
Meet the Parents + Midnight Run + Adventures in Babysitting
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E09
Secret Santa
Skyfall Santa, high finance and conflicting traditions
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E10
Significant Others
End a relationship through divorce…or murder
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E11
Under the Influence
Spinning DJ plays Nancy in Olivia Twist, Castle-style
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E12
Death Gone Crazy
Girls gone wild producer finds regret
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E13
Recoil
Bracken is back, but needs protection
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E14
Reality Star Struck
Reality TV is murder…who knew? Oh yeah, everyone
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E15
Target
How come kidnap stories are always about Dad’s reaction?
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E16
Hunt
Alexis is held hostage, and then Daddy issues explode
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S05E17
Scared to Death
Haunted video leads to death, maybe even Castle’s
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E18
Wild Rover
Ryan goes UC with the Irish Mob, and he’s awesome
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S05E19
Lives of Others
Double case – IRS agent death and Rear Window redux
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S05E20
Fast and the Furriest
Bigfoot dropped his victim off?
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S05E21
Squab and the Quail
A targeted billionaire has his eye on Beckett
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E22
Still
Beckett’s standing on a bomb, so it’s flashback city
🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S05E23
Human Factor
Off to Washington on a drone and a job offer
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S05E24
Watershed
False hooker, hidden hacking, and a floater…plus more D.C.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
The Bottom Line
The Irish Mob and Rear Window? Best episodes of the season
