How Castle delivered on the promise of Moonlighting

At it's prime, Moonlighting was arguably one of the best shows on television. Over the course of the first three seasons it was smart, funny and possessed two leads with chemistry and charisma that made it appointment television long before streaming, DVRs and internet commentary were available. It was a show that possessed a mixture of drama, comedy, and romance, and was one of the first successful and influential examples of an hour long "dramedy" emerging as a distinct television genre. That is why, when Castle came on the scene 20 years later the comparisons were rampant, and to a degree true. 

Castle, a mid-season replacement in 2009 had all the trappings of Moonlighting, two charismatic leads with terrific chemistry and timing, witty banter and a crime solving format to frame the core relationship around. In both Rick Castle and David Addison we were given a man-child, larger than life, fast talking, constantly theorizing thorn in the straight-woman's side. Kate Beckett and Maddie Hayes were very different women. Both really speaking to the societal differences economically and socially of their time. Maddie, a former wealthy model left to carve out a life post bankruptcy as opposed to Kate's darker, serious police detective driven by her past. Both women brought a sense of grounding to the playground attitudes of their male counterparts in dramatically different ways.

Premise wasn't the only similarities these shows shared. Sure Beckett and Castle have their 'walk and talks' while Maddie and David had their office back and forths at the Blue Moon Detective Agency. However, in a revisit to Moonlighting, I discovered many similar, if not shared moments that these two shows possessed. In some moments it's simply uncanny. Here mark three of my favorites. 

Film Noir: Moonlighting was particularly good at using alternate realities to tell stories. Their rehash of Taming of the Shrew immediately comes to mind as does my all time favorite dream sequence featuring Billy Joel's "Big Man on Mulberry Street". However, one of the best episodes of Moonlighting was the creation of a film noir he said, she said between the main characters in "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice". Moonlighting went so far as to shoot nearly the entire episode in black and white. Late in season 4, Castle offered up its own twist on the genre with "The Blue Butterfly". Moonlighting delivers the better episode in my opinion but what was clear for both is the dynamics of the characters lent themselves to this type of storytelling that both successfully executed.

Always pop a button and shake your hair out before heading into a bar: This is by far my favorite find of comparison. In "The Last Call" we are given a wonderful scene in front of an old Castle watering hole, The Old Haunt. Beckett's actions captivate Castle as they prepare to go into the bar. Imagine my glee when in the second episode of Moonlighting we discover David and Maddie behind a bar preparing to go under cover and having the same prep ensue. The difference of the two scenes speaks volumes to the difference between these two shows. Most strikingly the level playing field Castle and Beckett's partnership is on in comparison to the odd couple that David and Maddie are.

Singing at the office: This is probably one of Moonlighting's most famous scenes and really defined the character of David Addison in "My Fair David". It was an episode that showed how deeply different he and Maddie were. It is also an episode that makes Maddie the butt of the joke. In contrast  Castle uses this fantastic sing song of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" as a moment to bring Beckett in and in truth make the supporting cast a family, reinforcing them as a vital part of what makes Castle work as a show.

"THE" Moment: When couples come together after much 'will they or won't they' in a TV show it is often huge. Both shows share that in common. What struck me in this revisit is just how different these moments are. Maddie and David speak to the banter and passion of their contentious relationship. It is all fire, anger and passion. Beckett and Castle are different. Sure, by the time we got to the end of Always, Castle was angry. And we see it when he opens the door. However, what Castle gave us that Moonlighting missed is sincerity. When you watch the scene from "Always", it is the beginning of something, not the culmination of something. And that is where I believe the difference lies for Castle succeeding where Moonlighting failed.

Ultimately, what differentiates these two shows is tone. Castle has always possessed a playful and projected fun of a 'boy pulling on a girl's pigtails'. From the outset Moonlighting created a cutting tone in the dialogue that was very much in keeping with the acerbic sarcasm prevalent in the 1980s. Moonlighting had a lightening pace and never quite slowed down enough to catch its own breath and fully allow the audience to invest in these fictional characters. That gap was partially due to the frequent breaking of the fourth wall of storytelling written into the show. In season 2 the show would often create a meta tone by having David and/or Maddie directly address the audience or the gossip surrounding the show itself. At one point taking it so far, they had then well known gossip columnist Rona Barrett interview Maddie and David about the rumor mill surrounding the show. This blurred line that in smaller doses was charming began to chip away at the investment we as viewers could make in the world these characters inhabited. Castle has always possessed a 'wink and nod' self-awareness, but it has done so inventively without breaking that fourth wall, most clearly displayed by the many Firefly references made in the dialogue.

Much has been written about the demise of Moonlighting, the infamous Moonlighting Curse and Castle's avoidance of it. When I revisited the early seasons of Moonlighting it's clear where the similarities to Castle are. The opposites attract motif isn't new, not in comedy and certainly not in television programming. The difference between Castle and Moonlighting is the former built a relationship between Kate and Rick that allowed the viewer to believe they were better people with the other one in their lives. Last week's wedding episode of Castle, aptly explored an alternate universe of what would have happened had Rick and Kate never met. It served as a great reminder to the viewers (and the characters) that together they have become their best selves. Moonlighting never convinced of that fact. In a pivotal scene when David explains himself to Maddie's father, David talks about how much he loves her, but that he's had to jump through hoops and change full parts of his character in the hopes of being good enough for her. It's a speech of desperation. It speaks to the desperation of the show at that point in the series and that they had already lost their audience. What Castle did was evolve their characters, not have them fully change for the other. So, when Rick talks to Kate at the swings about having to scratch and crawl to gain her trust we don't believe it is because she's tested him, but because she was afraid to be vulnerable and he was willing to see and accept it. This aspect of character development is where Moonlighting never fully succeeded. Viewers were never given a balanced understanding of these two characters vulnerabilities and ability to trust one another. We saw glimpses of it with episodes focused on David's father and past love (coincidentally played by Dana Delany), but we never really saw it from Maddie. So instead of a couple finding the common ground for a relationship through their partnership, we watched David attempt to become worthy of Maddie. As a result when Maddie and David consummated their relationship we weren't convinced it was the beginning of something new. It was just to the peak of what we had been anticipating. 

Castle smartly and early on didn't bank the show's success on bringing this couple together. While it was clear these two were 'destined' the show found ways to bring emotional weight to the characters beyond their growing relationship. For Castle, we were given the touchstone of his mother and daughter. For Beckett we had the mythology of the murder of Joanna Beckett. Moonlighting had no such thread to anchor it. All we had was the relationship building between the leads. It created a monolithic burden on the show to deliver on the promise of the 'will they or won't they' between leads. 

As wildly popular as the momentum was around that episode, Moonlighting never recovered from the moment. As viewers we didn't care about what was next for David and Maddie. And this is what distinguished Castle from the supposed 'curse'. Moonlighting backtracked from the relationship post sex, Castle went all in. In the opening five minute sequence of "After the Storm" the creators solidified that what happened wasn't a fluke, both characters were fully committed to building a relationship and that there was no intention of losing the comedy and banter that had made the viewers attach to them in the first place. Last week's wedding felt like a reinforcement of that promise. That new storytelling is in front of us, the essence of the wit, banter and differences we loved from season one won't be sacrificed in the process. Castle successfully navigated making Rick and Kate a couple in a way Moonlighting never could. Rather than a convoluted plot that was accelerated by on screen pregnancy (to mitigate an off screen one) Castle gave us the navigation of two people learning what it means to be partners in all aspects of life. 

Moonlighting is often written about for its collapse in the latter two seasons which is a shame. It was groundbreaking, genre busting and paved the way for many aspects of storytelling we see throughout modern television and especially on Castle. The success of Castle not only delivering on the leads as a couple, but taking the audience successfully through a courtship to marriage has to do with one fundamental choice. Marlowe and his team were always looking forward. Castle and Beckett becoming a couple was the beginning, not the end of the story. And as we heard in their vows last week, particularly when Rick says, "And the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring" their marriage is a milestone. A pivot into what is next for this couple in this television universe. 

As viewers, we aren't invested in the wedding, we are invested in the journey. That was the piece that Moonlighting never fully realized. It is also why in my eyes, Castle didn't break the Moonlighting curse, it simply delivered on Moonlighting's promise.

TV REPORT CARD: 1st quarter grades in TV land.

TV junkies and casual viewers we are six weeks into the television season and the results are mixed. First cancelled casualties are in and many new shows are floundering or treading water. However, if I were to pick a theme for the season thus far it would be "all that's old is new again" because the strongest episodic television we are seeing comes from shows that have been on the air for more than two years. Let's get to grading:

HEAD OF THE CLASS 
The Good Wife: Grade A+
No show started or came back stronger. Season 5 opened with a framework to set the show on a path that was completely fresh and new. The first five episodes created a slow build placing all the primary characters into position for last Sunday's game changing episode. The Good Wife's greatest strengths have always been casting and dialogue. Last week put both on display in what can only be characterized as a master of class of television. It was 42 minutes of relentless, at times hilarious pacing that shifted every character we've come to know into a new position creating alliances of convenience, blurred lines of loyalty climaxing in a final scene that pits two characters on opposing sides in a way no one who watched season 1 would have ever imagined. All told, five seasons in The Good Wife is primed to be better than ever and earns it my top grade for the young season.

Castle: Grade A
What Castle has managed to do in its opening six episodes is seamlessly transition our lead couple from the pivotal acceptance of a marriage proposal to a confidant, stable relationship that is woven into the story without dominating it. In doing so Andrew Marlowe has managed to move the show into a new storytelling space while retaining all the aspects of the show that made us fall in love with it in the first place. Interesting murder cases juxtaposed with the unforeseen challenges resulting from the engagement. The dialogue has been both intimate and charming between our leads while the supporting cast has been pivoted into new realities which are unfolding for better or for worse. It is clear that this season is going to bring us a shift in our protagonist that we've only seen glimpses of until now. The shallow Rick Castle of the series pilot has evolved in many ways, but the conflict set up between he and Alexis has opened up an entire avenue of emotional storytelling I don't think any of the viewers saw coming. Yes Pi is problematic, but he's written to be that way. At a time when the stories and characters could sit back and rely on the chemistry of the leads Castle continues to evolve and find interesting ways to make us care. This quiet moment that closed episode 5 shows just how much.

Blacklist: Grade A-
The only freshman show to make this category, The Blacklist came out strong with James Spader blending clever and convincing acting into an intriguing hour of television. But as strong as Spader is Megan Boone's performance as Liz falls flat or overwrought depending on what she's doing. That imbalance between the leads has been distracting, but not enough to derail the show. Here's why. The overarching subplots are extremely interesting, in particular the mystery surrounding Liz's husband. While extremely entertaining, my chief concern remains. Spader's Red can't win every time and more importantly the 'good guys' need to win of their own volition otherwise they merely become puppets in the lead character's game. It was the failure of The Following last season and I hope Blacklist avoids the trap.

Once Upon a Time: Grade B+
All hail the decision to take the characters who are at the heart of the show and set them on a course for Neverland. It was perhaps the savviest decision I've seen a show make, although not entirely surprising given the fact that these are the creators of LOST. As a result season 3 has offered stories within a story in the quest to save Henry from a re-imagined sinister and deftly cast Peter Pan. Our more cynical characters have returned to form and depth has been given to Hook and Charming making both so much more interesting to watch. The show has always required a deep suspension of disbelief and the jury is out as to what will come of the storytelling when they eventually leave Neverland, especially given that as a viewer I haven't given Storybrooke a second thought this season and the weakest aspect of the show was getting Neal out of Fairyland. Even with that looming doubt there is no denying the show has shredded itself of what didn't work last year and has replaced it with strong potential around what comes next, making it the most improved show from season end to season start in 2013. This exchange between Peter Pan and Hook emphasizes all that is going well with this rejuvenated show.

SOLID START
Brooklyn Nine Nine: Grade B
This is the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the season. A rarity, Brooklyn Nine Nine has actually gotten stronger with each episode. Sandberg comes across as charming and self-effacing in his delivery and the push-pull between him and Andre Braugher is simply fun. The real gem of the show has been its ensemble which is developing into a supporting cast that could potentially rival that of classic shows like Fraiser. The show is very reminiscent of Night Court which makes it this year's most accessible comedy. 

The Millers: Grade B- 

I had extremely low expectations for this show which has served it well. It isn't great by any stretch of the imagination, but Margo Martindale is and the supporting cast is solid. Will The choice to make Will Arnett the straight man works in the shows favor. Still the writing is inconsistent and not particularly clever but all the elements are there and I am hopeful it will find its way into being a solid watch.

ON PROBATION

Sleepy Hollow: Grade C  The actors, in particular the two leads give me hope that all is not lost. However, the convoluted nature week to week of the story has this one sitting on my DVR longer than a new show should sit. I tape on Mondays and I often don't watch until Fridays, not a good sign for being a lasting presence on the DVR. 

Grey’s Anatomy: Grade C- After a very protracted and unnecessary two hour season opener this series is truly showing its age. Everything about this season feels stale. The conflict between Meredith and Christina feels forced because it is shoehorned between other plots that don't matter. Including all of the younger interns, Alex's daddy issues, the never ending anger/angst of Callie and Arizona and the continued destruction of Bailey's once great character. Shondra Rhimes is obviously being pulled to Scandal and Grey's has suffered the consequences. 

FAILING MARKS

Mom: Grade D+ 
I adore Allison Janney, I like Anna Faris and I wanted to love this show but I just don't. And that is because the shows underpinnings are simply sad. Two recovering addicts and a teen pregnancy isn't funny. The show shows moments of funny but so far it has been so erratic in tone I don't know that they can recover. It's a shame, because if there were more moments like this, the show would be terrific. 

Homeland: Grade D 
The bait and switch twist with Carrie notwithstanding, this season of Homeland has been painstakingly slow and the focus on Brody's daughter has been cringe worthy. It's obvious that the makers of Homeland learned none of the lessons of 24 and what not to do with teenaged daughters. I am all for methodical storytelling. But the show has become mired in the aftermath of Brody being exposed as a terrorist. Had they done a better job of establishing our concern and investment in Brody's family perhaps it would work as a plot line. But they didn't so it doesn't and as a result I am done for now. 

Scandal: Grade D-
I repeat, damn you Lisa Kudrow and your dramatic multiple episode arch! I remain in the minority when it comes to this show and will take it one step further in stating that I don't understand the fascination with Kerry Washington. Save for Kudrow's storyline which has piqued my interest everything I found frustrating about this show remains for season 3.

DIDN'T MAKE THE GRADE 
Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D Until and unless they make some drastic changes I am sadly gone. I recommend reading Screen Rant's piece here. They succinctly illustrate everything I believe to be true about this show and what needs to happen. If 2 of 4 occur I will tune back in.  

GLEE I returned for the tribute which was handled well given all that it needed to do. It offered one of the singular most heart wrenching scenes exquisitely played by the actors playing Kurt, Burt and Carol. But it is evident this is a show whose storytelling is past its prime.

Hostages Tony Collette and Dylan McDermott couldn't make this work and that was evident 25 minutes into the pilot. Worse than the Following, this show was both implausible and unlikable but its worst offense, it lacked suspense. 

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland When I was predicting the fall season I wrote "If I had a most likely to drop off my DVR first, this would be it." And I was correct, I watched half of the first episode and bailed. It did little in that time to make me believe it was anything more than a poor retread of the series it is born from.

Trophy Wife It is almost criminal to waste Bradley Whitford in a comedy. It is even worse to do it as a cheap, uninspired knock off of Modern Family. I wanted to like it, but it is just not possible.

Revenge This show fell off a cliff last year and with a packed Sunday of television, I saw no reason to return.

FALL TV Part 2: Where we left off and who I left off

Returning shows are always my most anticipated TV moments in the 3^rd week of September. Perhaps it is because these are the shows I invested in but more often than not they’ve left me with a pretty great cliffhanger from May. However, mainstays on my DVR have to earn their spot back just as much as a new show. They are particularly prone to the Rule #3. If a show piles up after the premiere it is to fall of the DVR priority before Halloween. Such was the fate of several sophomore shows last year. Here are the staples in my TV diet and I believe it covers some of the best TV has to offer.

The Good Wife (CBS Sundays 9PM) Despite an ill-conceived plot point around Kalinda last season The Good Wife continues to be one of the best shows on broadcast television. Their use of guest stars is unmatched and the regular cast have really leaned into the shades of grey around their characters adding fun nuance week over week. The decision to form a new practice with Alicia and Cary at the helm opens up an entirely new set of avenues for storytelling that I am eager to see this season. 

Once Upon a Time (ABC Sundays 8PM) This fantasy series lost its way with a very uneven and oft boring sophomore effort. Unlike some of its TV peers OUAT creators smartly used the final two episodes to set a course for a very intriguing third season. Taking past nemesis characters and sending them off to Neverland united with a singular purpose - to save Henry was a great reboot for the show. It wisely connects back to the core cast and like the Good Wife pivots viewers into a new arena of storytelling. For that move alone Once Upon a Time went from a fence show to earning back a slot on my DVR. 

Castle (ABC Mondays 10PM) This is my little show that could. A show I love for many reasons (as noted here) and one that navigated the Moonlighting curse with a deft hand. After five seasons Andrew Marlowe has never lost sight of the fact that the show is at its strongest when it puts its full ensemble to work. Expanding that group with guest arcs with Linda Edelstein leading the pack. It offers Nathan Fillion new foils to play off of leaves me hopeful for a fresh take on characters I adore. Yes the cliffhanger offered two pivotal plot points, but it’s a testament to the show is that I don't particularly care about what Beckett's answers are because I think the show is strong enough to navigate any decisions the writers have made. 

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC Thursdays 9PM) As we enter this series 10^th season it is clear I am in until the finish with Shondra Rhimes’ pioneer series. This show had a great resurgence two years ago by smartly maturing their core characters and layering in the expanded cast in an equally balanced way. It's not the show it was in season 2 but more importantly it isn't the show it was in season 4. Shondra Rhimes dedication to this cast is evident and I am most curious to see how they navigate Sandra Oh’s departure.

Homeland (SHO Sundays 9PM) Just because it's on cable doesn't mean it is immune to the sophomore slump. In my opinion Homeland suffered similar growing pains that include circular storytelling, misguided pacing and b plots that added little to what made Homeland riveting in season 1. Still the trinity of Mandy Patinkin, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis continued to deliver stellar work. In spite of the plot gaps the show offered moments that give me hope for a strong 3rd season including a finale that left Saul in charge of the CIA, Nicholas Brody in the wind, Carrie Mathison reeling and the viewer with absolutely no indication of where this series is headed. 

ON THE FENCE

These shows encompass series I am either mildly curious about, but that I don’t think will necessarily find an audience or are the shows I have watched in the past but fell so far into disarray that I lack confidence in their ability to rebound.

Revenge (ABC Sundays 9PM) Revenge fell off a cliff last year. It became unwatchable and all but obliterated the plot lines and relationships we most cared about as viewers. There is a new showrunner in place and promises of a return to what made the show fun to watch in the first place. I remain unconvinced that Revenge can dig itself out of the hole. More importantly my original concern with this show, that the premise is vulnerable to becoming redundant in it's need to entertain over a 22 episode season, quickly came to fruition last year. It will likely get a 3 episode look but I remain skeptical.

Hostages (CBS Mondays 10PM) Tony Collette and Dylan McDermott could make a great pairing on screen. My chief concern about this series is that it falls in the trap of so many before it and premise that has nowhere to go once it’s resolved. Like the Following last year, I just don’t know how you maintain suspense over 15 episodes without it becoming boring or pandering because of the need to fill for time. It only has a 15 episode slate scheduled, so it could sidestep that concern.

The Blacklist (NBC Mondays 10PM) I am not a fan of post Pretty in Pink James Spader, but this series has some of the best buzz going into the Fall. I am going to see if it takes and may still pick it up if it gains momentum. It falls on a packed TV night so something else would have to fall away for me to add it to my rotation.

GLEE (FOX Wednesdays, 9PM) It’s been two years since I watched Glee with any kind of regularity. But like many I loved the show when it first hit and Corey Monteith was a big part of that love. So with a heavy heart I will return to Glee for the tribute. I just am highly unlikely to remain after it.

Scandal (ABC Thursdays, 9PM) Damn you Lisa Kudrow and your dramatic multiple episode arch! I am in the absolute minority when it comes to this show. I think it is absurd and pious while taking itself WAY too seriously given its plot lines. However, I adore Kudrow and relish the idea of seeing her do something dramatic. So I am back for the moment, but not in DVR committed way.

4 Mondays out: 4 Reasons why I think the Castle fandom needs to take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

Castle fans have been all a flutter since the May proposal of one Richard Edgar Castle to one Katherine Houghton Beckett. First there was awe, then brutal dissection of scenes and dialogue which led to night sweats of hiatus withdrawal offering up everything from conspiracy theories to impending doom for our much beloved 'Caskett'. July arrived with a slew of spoilers, guest star announcements and as a result, we have a fan base gone mad with anticipation. As we arrive at four precious weeks out from the Sept 23rd season premiere fans were given a morsel of what the opening moments of season 6 are going to offer.

Instead of over thinking the tease, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on why in the sound and fury I remain calm, excited and unconcerned about the two hanging questions and their implications for this upcoming season.

1) The Dance
Andrew Marlowe and co. have thoughtfully built Castle around this central relationship, not their love affair, but their relationship. The moment that made this clear was the final five minutes of Sucker Punch in season 2. Beckett discovering and then having to kill the man who murdered her mother is the moment for me when this series made a specific turn towards the potential depth of intimacy this duo possessed. Yes, we've been given five years of double meanings, sexual tension, missed opportunities, sideways knowing glances and ultimately coupling. More importantly however is the fabric woven together around these two characters that allowed the viewers to discover their mutual respect, admiration and affection for one another. Love isn't about the things you adore, it's about the willingness to accept the things you don't. What makes me most excited about season 6 is that the close of season 5 left these two characters in completely uncharted territory and primed to explore what it is to truly love and accept someone for who they actually are.

2) The Ying Yang
This show has always been about the sum of its parts. The strength of the supporting cast be it Molly Quinn and Susan Sullivan giving Rick Castle depth and perspective or Semus Dever and John Huertas as Beckett's extended family and a home at the 12th. Much deserved credit and screen time has evolved for these characters and gives Castle the feel and depth of an ensemble piece. Time (and the writers) have served this show well resulting in wonderful character nuances. But the real accomplishment can be found in the fact that the nuance extends beyond the leads and regular cast.

For me the balance (ying yang if you will) that the writers have crafted so well are the people we hardly see but are integral to how we understand our leads. Think about it - Jim Beckett, Meredith, Josh, Gina, etc. are clearly defined characters in the show's pantheon and as a viewer they are vital to both Castle and Beckett's back stories. However when you look at the credits, Meredith has only been seen in two episodes over the life of the series, yet her influence permeates our outlook on Castle particularly as it relates to his commitment to Beckett. No character better defines the shows use of back story than Jim Beckett, played with such quiet strength by Scott Paulin. Unseen until midway through season 2 and only five times over the course of the series you would be hard pressed to find a fan who doesn't feel as closely connected to him as they do to Martha. His diner scenes with Kate are pivotal in forcing her to stay honest with herself. His conversation with Rick in Knockout gave viewers a window into Beckett's vulnerability and offered the audience it's clearest moment of Kate's feelings for Rick. It is a testament to the writing, casting and actors who in such small amounts offer so much dimension to the central story and theme of the show over the last five years. Adding new recurring characters and expanding the Castle universe for me doesn't take away from the core group we've followed the last five years. It offers an opportunity to observe them through a new and different lens which is ripe with possibility.

3) The Secret Ingredient

The crew. You often hear mention of the crew by many of the actors on the show and many of them can be found on Twitter. I recently sat down and watched the commentary episodes from past seasons. The well deserved reverence that the cast and creators have for the the dozens of people who literally create the world these characters inhabit is boundless. They are the secret ingredient that makes Castle a Monday night treat. I actually marvel at the intricacies that exist on Castle's sets that offer continuity, character definition and plot advancement. The combination of set design, lighting, music and costumes are a character within the show. 

One of the most salient examples the DVDs revealed was the attention, detail and effort placed into the murder boards. The continuity that these details provide serve the actors, the characters they play and lend authenticity to the show and deepens the investment we make as a viewer. Then of course there are episodes like The Blue Butterfly and Final Frontier that are just a feast for the eye in costume and set design. Only listening to the commentary do you really gain insight to the camaraderie this crew has and the joy that emanates from all their hard work. Whether its the big set pieces or small recurring themes, like Castle's remote controlled helicopters, the care and attention given to the world these artists so carefully create is something I can only imagine will be more intriguing as the potential expansion of the Castle universe grows in season 6.


4) Always
The TV shows I love most capture me because of the care and feeding given through the vision and steady hand of its creators. When a show captures my imagination, I don't care about the destination and figuring out how it might all end. Instead I am invested in how the characters get there and what they discover along the way. What made the protracted road of Castle and Beckett's courtship work was that the characters were never merely marking time until they got together. We watched Castle struggle to be a better man, not just for Beckett, but to Alexis and Martha. We held out hope that Beckett would figure out how to get out of her own way and learn to be vulnerable and defined by something beyond her mother's murder. I invested in these flawed characters because they are in fact evolving. It's what makes them interesting and their journey in season 6 more than an answer at the top of the episode. I don't blindly love all of Castle's 105 episodes, but I do admire the way the show has built a universe of people who I have grown invested in a little more each passing year. I trust that no one is more invested in this show than Andrew Marlowe, his cast and his crew to continue to take us on a journey that entertains us as it has faithfully the last five years.

That said, is it September 23rd yet?

SEASON FINALE: Castle - Walls, Watershed and at the end of the day In Marlowe I Trust

Castle is one of my favorite shows on TV right now and has been since season 1. It isn't a perfect show and it isn't breaking new ground in storytelling or plot innovation. What makes Castle a great show is that elusive chemistry. Not just between Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic or the supporting cast, but the chemistry that comes through from the show's creator Andrew Marlowe and the world Castle embodies. This show has built a story arc and characters that we've watched evolve over the last five years, sometimes at an infuriatingly slow pace, but always true to these complicated, deeply flawed people capable of great emotion. This year Andrew Marlowe and co. had the unenviable task of following up what was arguably the show's best season finale and one of their best episodes all time in "Always". 

While I think the episode was uneven, this is the first time since season 2 that the show has not closed its season somehow connected to Joanna Beckett’s murder. Taking the show 'quiet' and making this about emotional and deeply personal nuanced decisions, for both Castle and Beckett was a departure from the larger than life moments of the past. For that reason I found it to be a very satisfying end and jump off point for season 6. And truth be told, I didn’t think Andrew Marlowe would go there and the surprise of the ending was equally satisfying.

Andrew Marlowe’s obsession with the 35 minute mark of an episode

Each of the last three seasons Castle and Beckett have a critical moment of unguarded honesty. Each season it ranks among my favorite scenes. Each season Castle is storming out of Beckett’s apartment. And each time Rick is trying to reason with Kate’s myopic instincts that drive the voice in her head. This time however Rick is the one who has been betrayed. This time it was Kate, not Rick keeping a secret that will have a major impact on his life as well as her own. It was clear that the hurt and retreat Castle does in this scene isn’t about the potential job, it’s about the potential of being shut out and that another wall of Kate’s is going to erect itself. What I love about these moments is the raw willingness to not pull punches. It’s an emotionally heavy fight between two people who have no real compass for considering other people in their life decision-making.

Father/Mother Knows Best

One of this show’s greatest strengths lies in the well-defined families of our two leads. Understanding and knowing where Beckett and Castle come from informs so much of who they are individually and as a couple. Having back to back conversations with their parents gives a ‘viewers’ perspective to the show. What I mean is we see all facets of what makes these characters tick. There is information we have as an audience that the two characters do not. Using their parents as a sound board gets to this knowledge because no one knows you better than your parent. Both Martha and Jim hold a mirror up to their children forcing them to face who they are. Forcing them to consider who they want to be because ultimately that is what will determine the course of their relationship. The scenes serve as great bookends and in my opinion get to the very heart of this episodes title “Watershed”. Watershed moments are about a pivot to a new place, coming through the past to land somewhere different. I don’t believe the true watershed of this episode was Kate’s job offer, but the decision by our leads to own up to their part of this central relationship. Martha forces Rick’s hand. She cuts through his nonsense to the core of what he truly believes, not simply what he feels. Rick can’t write the ending to suit his needs in this relationship. He has to look beyond what he loves and decide if he can accept who she is. In the same token Beckett’s conversation with Jim forces her hand as well. Her pragmatic assessment of her choice and Castle’s reaction is countered by her father in a way that forces her to make a decision that isn’t embedded in fear. Because the fact is, Kate’s decision to be a cop, her hiding in her work and her keeping Castle at arms lengths are fear driven. Our choices have consequences and are rarely without collateral damage.

Me vs. We

Kate talks about the job being about her life and her decision. When Rick comes to the swings he talks about how he has made a decision. These are two people who are cut from the same emotional cloth. One that has built a level of self-reliance within them that makes it nearly impossible to consider what changes they need to make. Castle talks about “seeing things for how they really are.” Being with Kate means accepting the frustrations and moments of keeping things from him and in the episode we are left to wonder, is it too much for a man whose build his life on fiction and bravado.

For Beckett, her realization comes in the place where she is most herself, the interrogation room. The magnitude of the change she is facing and the implications hit her when she delivers the loaded statement, “how many years of your own life are you going to sacrifice for someone else’s future? Or are you ready to deal?” It’s loaded because I believe at that moment she has decided not to take the job. I think it harkens back to Roy’s “We speak for the dead, but we don’t owe them our lives”. For Kate when she got what she thought she wanted, she realized she had all she needed.

Swing Decision

The swings have served as a confessional for this couple. The truth of their emotions has always been on display there. It is the place where hope for this couple is renewed and restored. It is the only place that makes sense for Rick to propose. I realize there are a lot of conflicting opinions about this move by the writers but the more I think about it, the more I like it. Castle comes to that meet up resolved. He knows what he wants and after 5 seasons of watching this couple trip over their hesitations I think Castle’s watershed moment was wrapped up in this proposal. For a man who has built his life on shallow charm, this was a moment of great humility. Proposing before he knows her decision is pivotal. It gives us Rick realizing that he can’t change Kate, being in love doesn’t change who they are; he has to accept who she is in order to love her. That is what makes the moment so vulnerable and somber. This couple isn’t 20, and their lives have contained enough missteps and near misses that the sobriety of the moment felt earned. I appreciated Castle’s insistence on the proposal in advance of anything Beckett had to say. Not because I think he sought to trump her decision, but because he wanted her to know that her decision is hers, he respects it and it isn’t the thing that would undermine them having more. Castle talks a lot about the walls Beckett has, this moment was about Castle removing the one wall he had failed to acknowledge stood in the way of he and Beckett. For me that made the whole finale work.

Where we go next season is anyone’s guess. I would have never called Andrew Marlowe ending the season on a proposal. I know that Andrew Marlowe gave those of us who are invested in the relationships surrounding Castle a treat of a season. He gave us real payoff to the four season dance of will they or won’t they and he did so in a manner that kept the personalities of these two leads in tact while building on the extended cast of supporting actors to round out this love affair. Castle isn’t a favorite show because of its originality (although it has a great deal) It is a favorite because of the ingenuity and commitment to the nuances of these characters who I love spending time with on Monday nights. And really what more can you ask of something that is structured to entertain you.

What's your favorite Season Finale of all time? Here's my top 5

It's May, which means we are in the throws of season finales. Will we be given a satisfying closure to our favorite comedy or be left with a nervewracking cliffhanger to ponder all summer long? Some shows have already completed their runs, most will come over the next few days. While I will certainly continue to breakdown all my favorite shows I thought it a good time to look back on some of my personal favorite season finales.

Now for the purpose of equity, none of my top 5 are series finales and all are from broadcast networks. There is no good answer as to why I did that, but it seemed like a reasonable set of parameters for crafting the list. What show made your jaw drop open or scream at the television in their final episode? What show left you completed pissed off that you were going to have to wait a full summer (if not year) before learning the fate of a beloved character? What is your favorite Season Finale?

Just a quick observation on my best season finales - all but one have a common thead - they were game changers.

5. Castle: Always (Season 4) I have been on the Castle bandwagon since Season 1. I bought into the destiny of Richard Castle and Kate Beckett from that first interrogation scene and have never doubted this couple’s eventual coming together. What made this love story work is that it is built on a natural progression, terrific chemistry between the leads and character flaws and strengths that make the culmination of this particular arc feel earned and satisfying. More importantly it felt like a beginning, not an ending. Yes the scene that consummates this transition is fantastic, however it is 33 minutes into the episode that the leads share a confrontation that ticks of all the emotions this series had built towards. It was an exhilarating scene the perfect payoff for the viewer.

4. Designing Women: Reservations for 8 (Season 2) This comedy had so many well written episodes in building out these four women of the south. But crafting a finale that brings the women together with the men they love and pitting them into a Venus vs. Mars showdown gave everyone a turn in the spotlight and fed the qualities we most loved in these women and most wished we had in ourselves. Dixie Carter’s delivery of Julia’s monologue possesses a cadence that is both extraordinary and hilarious. It is a classic moment because even if you never saw an episode of this show this exchange would ring true. It is one of the singular best runs in TV history.

 

 

3. Law and Order: Aftershock (Season 6) This episode marks Jill Hennessey’s last in the series. She wasn’t the first replacement in the show and her departure was far from the last this two decade procedural would endure, it was however the best one. One of the elements that made Law & Order a great procedural that was ‘cast proof’. The creators found a way to form depth and complexity to the series regulars without ever giving us much in their back histories. This episode is a departure from that rule because the entire episode is based on the fallout of an criminal execution. We see for the first time in the show’s history an episode without a new case and wholly based on the personal reflections of our main characters. We get a peek behind the curtain of their lives through how they come to terms with the issue of capital punishment. It is a raw look at the sacrifices and compromises ‘the job’ has caused for all our main characters. It also marks the last time the strongest primary cast was together in an episode. It’s a thoughtful, ponderous and shocking episode that punched the viewer in the gut and left us to ponder all that had transpired for the duration of the summer.

Sorry folks, I couldn't find a clip. But trust me it's worth watching.

2. LOST: Through the Looking Glass (Season 3) Regardless of LOST’s faults and missteps (I could have easily selected the Season 1 or 5 finale for this list). They knew how to close a season. Walt being ripped from the raft as our introduction to the "Others", Juliette falling down the shaft after her devesatating declaration of love for Sawyer or something as simple as the light in the hatch turning on. LOST set a mood for the unknown like no other series and the mysticism while confusing and fascinating did not hold a candle to the emotional connection they built with their character development. So for that reason I chose Through the Looking Glass for best LOST finale. As a viewer we were put through the ringer by the surprise of learning that Penny had found Desmond, that she was not on the boat and that Charlie would not survive. Charlie's death was wrenching because it was heroic, understated and devestating all at the same time. Say what you will about LOST, but this show understood how to draw the viewer into emotionally investing in their characters. This was a great payoff to that investment.

 

 

1. 24: 11:00PM - 12:00AM (Season 1) Nobody, and I mean nobody saw Teri dying. In a show that made a point all season long of giving us unexpected twists and turns so we didn't know who or what to trust the creators put an exclamation point on that fact in the finale. So at the end of season one we end watching Jack cradling Teri who was executed at the hands of Nina. It was a game changer. The producers brilliantly proved to the audience in no uncertain terms that no character was sacred and that this was a show that was changing the rules of storytelling on television not just in its use of the real time device, but in it's willingness to be bold and buck traditional sacred cows of television. Unlike the crass disposibility of people in the Following, 24 went on to use character demise in a way that was both shocking and pivotal. This final act for a season freshman was a stroke of genius. Just look at the clip below and I ask you would 24 have been the same show if Teri had lived?

 

 

Honorable Mentions:

Desperate Housewives: Free (Season 4) Marc Cherry found one of the single best ways to write his show out of a hole and hit the reset button on a show that had failed to recapture the quirky intrigue of Season 1's central mystery around Mary Alice's death. Jumping the show forward 5 years was a bold move and a great surprise twist that nobody saw coming.
 

Murphy Brown: Birth 101 (Season 4) Murphy Brown was a great show for a host of reasons. Independent of the political lightning rod this show became, Candace Bergen’s portrayal of a woman whose life is monumentally shifted as a result of her child’s birth stands the test of time. The last shot in the episode of Bergen singing Natural Woman is both gut-wrenching and poignant. It is 23 minutes that hit all the right notes of comedy, sincerity and believability. It was the best season finale for the series and one of the show’s best episodes ever.

Charmed: Witch Way Now (Season 4) I will not apologize for two things, loving this show and loving it even more after Shannon Doherty left. The show had an uncanny knack for creating really strong season finales with and without cliffhangers throughout its run. I ultimately chose this episode because after a good deal of suffering has happened to these characters the Angel of Destiny provides an opportunity to start fresh and it becomes a surprisingly thoughtful episode about how our identities are intrinsically tied to all the experiences we endure and relish, ultimately concluding that changing course changes who are, regardless of that change. Pretty profound for a show about witches.

The West Wing: Two Cathedrals (Season 2) Mrs. Landingham was the surprising conscience of the show and all the characters who were occupying the West Wing. This episode is also Martin Sheen at his very best and sadly the last time in this series that the show felt clear and focused in its storytelling. I think the first two seasons of West Wing are some of the finest in TV, this episode while being a great season closer also marks the end of its greatness.