Castle: "Knockout"
May. 16th, 2011 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icepixieI...you know, I really am just not sure what to make of this episode. It made me tear up, it left me vibrating in my chair with the tension, it made me curse and yell at the TV a hell of a lot, and in the end I just...don't know where to go with it. I think...it might be the best of the serious episodes they've done? But I'm not sure. I think I need to process for a while.
I was super, super, SUPER pissed off about Montgomery being the third cop, because JESUS, what a way to assassinate a character, but then he got his big redemption moment and outsmarted/killed Lockwood, and I was suddenly completely--well, all right, not entirely, but mostly--okay with it. I think I have more of a problem with him lying to Beckett since the day he met her than I do with him being a bad cop in his misspent youth. But I guess my disillusionment as an audience member was meant to mirror the other characters', so bravo there.
(Speaking of which, we need to talk for a moment about that text message Ryspoito sent Beckett. First of all, is this really the kind of news you deliver through text message? Also, the way it was phrased, "3rd cop - It's Montgomery!" just kind of made it sound like he'd won a game show or something. Maybe exclamation marks don't need to be used in this kind of scenario.)
I have similarly mixed feelings on the rest of the episode. First off, I loved SO VERY, VERY MUCH the angry conversation between Beckett and Castle where he called her on the way she'd disappeared into her mother's case and on the relationship dance they're doing, and she got angry, and he got angry in return (and wow, he sounded like Captain Mal right there!), and then she said it was over between them. That was so awesome, and it really needed to happen, especially the bits about their will they/won't they thing.
I've grown a bit tired of everyone and their dog telling Castle and Beckett it's obvious they have FEEEEEELINGS for each other, but I do like it when Martha says these things, because I can absolutely buy her being meddlesome in her son's emotional life. I mean, hell, it's Martha! That's what she does! And I liked her phrasing of it this time, too. Beckett's father...maybe not so much, but whatever, it was fine.
I don't know what to do with Castle literally carrying Beckett away from the scene when Lockwood & co. have their showdown with Montgomery. My not-so-inner-really feminist bristles, but at the same time, that was Montgomery's moment, and Kate wasn't leaving any other way, so...yeah, I guess that was kind of it. The whole scene was really nicely shot and acted. Beckett and Castle half-collapsing against the side of the car, her hating him and at the same time taking comfort from him, while Montgomery did his thing was particularly poignant.
The ending...oh, dear. I'm not entirely sold on it. Beckett getting shot at the funeral--okay, fine. It's a season finale, I guess they wanted a cliffhanger of some sort. Castle saying "I love you"...maybe less okay, although I guess the moments with Martha and Beckett's dad, not to mention Beckett's own glance at him when she said the bit about if you're lucky you'll find someone to stand with you, didn't leave a lot of wiggle-room.
But if Beckett wakes up in S4 with amnesia, I am going to be SO TICKED OFF. REALLY.
Okay, on the whole I guess I'm falling more on the "amazing" side, with some caveats. This does give the writers a lot of interesting territory to play with next season.
1. Is Beckett going to just go back to her job, even though obviously the Big Bad Dude is really gunning for her? (Heh. Gunning for her. Sorry.) Surely they have to resolve that in some manner, or at least put it to rest for a while, because otherwise she's stuck in Witness Protection.
2. Who's going to take Montgomery's place? (Please let it be a female character! I would love that!)
3. And of course, what's going to happen with Beckett and Castle? Are we finally going to get some real forward movement, or are they just going to forget it ever happened? (If they do, I quit.) How are things going to change now that it's out there?
*
And for your completely unrelated amusement: this clip from a late episode of Cheers in which Dana Delany is the worst kindergarten teacher ever. Heh. I could see Megan doing something like that if she were a kindergarten teacher.
(P.S. I think we had those same pictures of animals with the color names on them in my early elementary school classes! This was 1992, so it would've been around the same time...)
I was super, super, SUPER pissed off about Montgomery being the third cop, because JESUS, what a way to assassinate a character, but then he got his big redemption moment and outsmarted/killed Lockwood, and I was suddenly completely--well, all right, not entirely, but mostly--okay with it. I think I have more of a problem with him lying to Beckett since the day he met her than I do with him being a bad cop in his misspent youth. But I guess my disillusionment as an audience member was meant to mirror the other characters', so bravo there.
(Speaking of which, we need to talk for a moment about that text message Ryspoito sent Beckett. First of all, is this really the kind of news you deliver through text message? Also, the way it was phrased, "3rd cop - It's Montgomery!" just kind of made it sound like he'd won a game show or something. Maybe exclamation marks don't need to be used in this kind of scenario.)
I have similarly mixed feelings on the rest of the episode. First off, I loved SO VERY, VERY MUCH the angry conversation between Beckett and Castle where he called her on the way she'd disappeared into her mother's case and on the relationship dance they're doing, and she got angry, and he got angry in return (and wow, he sounded like Captain Mal right there!), and then she said it was over between them. That was so awesome, and it really needed to happen, especially the bits about their will they/won't they thing.
I've grown a bit tired of everyone and their dog telling Castle and Beckett it's obvious they have FEEEEEELINGS for each other, but I do like it when Martha says these things, because I can absolutely buy her being meddlesome in her son's emotional life. I mean, hell, it's Martha! That's what she does! And I liked her phrasing of it this time, too. Beckett's father...maybe not so much, but whatever, it was fine.
I don't know what to do with Castle literally carrying Beckett away from the scene when Lockwood & co. have their showdown with Montgomery. My not-so-inner-really feminist bristles, but at the same time, that was Montgomery's moment, and Kate wasn't leaving any other way, so...yeah, I guess that was kind of it. The whole scene was really nicely shot and acted. Beckett and Castle half-collapsing against the side of the car, her hating him and at the same time taking comfort from him, while Montgomery did his thing was particularly poignant.
The ending...oh, dear. I'm not entirely sold on it. Beckett getting shot at the funeral--okay, fine. It's a season finale, I guess they wanted a cliffhanger of some sort. Castle saying "I love you"...maybe less okay, although I guess the moments with Martha and Beckett's dad, not to mention Beckett's own glance at him when she said the bit about if you're lucky you'll find someone to stand with you, didn't leave a lot of wiggle-room.
But if Beckett wakes up in S4 with amnesia, I am going to be SO TICKED OFF. REALLY.
Okay, on the whole I guess I'm falling more on the "amazing" side, with some caveats. This does give the writers a lot of interesting territory to play with next season.
1. Is Beckett going to just go back to her job, even though obviously the Big Bad Dude is really gunning for her? (Heh. Gunning for her. Sorry.) Surely they have to resolve that in some manner, or at least put it to rest for a while, because otherwise she's stuck in Witness Protection.
2. Who's going to take Montgomery's place? (Please let it be a female character! I would love that!)
3. And of course, what's going to happen with Beckett and Castle? Are we finally going to get some real forward movement, or are they just going to forget it ever happened? (If they do, I quit.) How are things going to change now that it's out there?
*
And for your completely unrelated amusement: this clip from a late episode of Cheers in which Dana Delany is the worst kindergarten teacher ever. Heh. I could see Megan doing something like that if she were a kindergarten teacher.
(P.S. I think we had those same pictures of animals with the color names on them in my early elementary school classes! This was 1992, so it would've been around the same time...)
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-18 03:50 am (UTC)I know! I was all, "Stop fighting! You love each other!" At... Ryan and Esposito, lol. But seriously, watching them get angry at each other was painful to watch. Those two need more emotional scenes than they get.
I think my biggest complaint about this episode (besides the occasional clunky dialogue) was that I saw the whole Montgomery thing coming pretty much from start to finish. And you know if I saw it coming, something's wrong with the script. But as for the whole 3rd cop thing... it worked for me. It was sad, though, that when Castle needed somebody to talk to, he went to his mother, and Beckett... went to Montgomery. Aww. (And this makes the LA thing less ridiculous in retrospect: it was the final proof of "really, Montgomery, you can't call Beckett off a case.")
Maybe exclamation marks don't need to be used in this kind of scenario.
Well, it's not quite a period sort of information delivery either, really...
(and wow, he sounded like Captain Mal right there!)
Heh, yes. I think Castle was channeling his inner cowboy there. I liked that he got pissed at her - he's always so meek and supportive of her, and it's about time he blew up and called her out on all her crap.
Beckett's father...maybe not so much, but whatever, it was fine.
I enjoyed that scene just for the moment of sheer terror in Castle's eyes at finding her dad on his doorstep.
My not-so-inner-really feminist bristles, but at the same time, that was Montgomery's moment, and Kate wasn't leaving any other way, so...yeah, I guess that was kind of it.
Arg, I know, I'm right there with you. On the one hand, I thought, "Beckett, you're a cop, you can fight him!" but a) Castle is a hefty guy, and b) part of her recognized she needed to be dragged away.
As for the funeral... yeah, there needed to be the obvious threat of Shadowy Dude still hunting Beckett, so yeah, shooting, fine. And Castle's emotional logorrhea... I saw it not so much as bad writing (not that that wasn't present here) but more of a sign that Castle is becoming unhinged on the subject, and geez Beckett, you really need to address this issue before he goes completely bonkers.
WHICH IS WHY SHE DOESN'T NEED AMNESIA NEXT SEASON.
Also, while you are spewing Feelings, Castle, she is spewing blood. APPLY PRESSURE TO THE WOUND AUUUURRRRRGHHHHH!!!
But yes, good episode, overall.
a late episode of Cheers in which Dana Delany is the worst kindergarten teacher ever
bwahahaha! (but 1992? She STILL looks ten years younger than her age, even then!) Also, those color-animals look eerily familiar to me, as well...
no subject
Date: 2011-05-18 11:53 pm (UTC)Me too.
I think my biggest complaint about this episode (besides the occasional clunky dialogue) was that I saw the whole Montgomery thing coming pretty much from start to finish.
Heh. I...totally missed it. I'd been spoiled that someone was going to die, and I figured it would be Montgomery given that RSH has mentioned wanting to move back to NYC, so I was expecting him to go out in a ball of flaming heroicism. Just...not to be a bad guy first.
(And this makes the LA thing less ridiculous in retrospect: it was the final proof of "really, Montgomery, you can't call Beckett off a case.")
Hmmm. Maybe?
Well, it's not quite a period sort of information delivery either, really...
No, it's a "call the poor woman, or deliver it in person" situation...
I think Castle was channeling his inner cowboy there.
He really was.
I liked that he got pissed at her - he's always so meek and supportive of her, and it's about time he blew up and called her out on all her crap.
Yep. That was the best part of the episode.
I enjoyed that scene just for the moment of sheer terror in Castle's eyes at finding her dad on his doorstep.
Ha!
Arg, I know, I'm right there with you. On the one hand, I thought, "Beckett, you're a cop, you can fight him!" but a) Castle is a hefty guy, and b) part of her recognized she needed to be dragged away.
Indeed.
And Castle's emotional logorrhea... I saw it not so much as bad writing (not that that wasn't present here) but more of a sign that Castle is becoming unhinged on the subject, and geez Beckett, you really need to address this issue before he goes completely bonkers.
Bwahahahaha! Poor, nutty Castle. Yeah, I can see that. The guy really needs some kind of closure on this, whether it's yea or nay.
WHICH IS WHY SHE DOESN'T NEED AMNESIA NEXT SEASON.
FOR REALZ.
Also, while you are spewing Feelings, Castle, she is spewing blood. APPLY PRESSURE TO THE WOUND AUUUURRRRRGHHHHH!!!
TV characters never THINK!
but 1992? She STILL looks ten years younger than her age, even then!
I know! She was 37; she looks our age. Maybe. Makes me wonder if she looked single-digits when she was a teenager, and, um...below single-digits? Fetal? as a child. Wait, I guess not. (Ooof. Unfortunate hair in some of those.)
Also, those color-animals look eerily familiar to me, as well...
I think we may have had them with the appropriate words in my seventh-grade Spanish class as well, now that I think about it...
no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 01:54 am (UTC)Heh, I know, once I get a Television Theory stuck in my head, I tend to ignore all evidence to the contrary until I am completely and totally disproven. : )
No, it's a "call the poor woman, or deliver it in person" situation...
But those aren't as stealthy! We will pretend that that's the reason for the texting...
TV characters never THINK!
Despite WORKING WITH COPS FOR THREE YEARS!
She was 37; she looks our age. Maybe.
Younger! I would've said 22 or 23!
Ooof. Unfortunate hair in some of those.
Awww!
I think we may have had them with the appropriate words in my seventh-grade Spanish class as well, now that I think about it...
CARTOON ANIMAL CONSPIRACY.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 11:32 pm (UTC)*grump*
Despite WORKING WITH COPS FOR THREE YEARS!
Castle's a slow learner.
Younger! I would've said 22 or 23!
Yeah, I could see her playing that age as well.