Castle 4.07: "Cops & Robbers"

[icepixie]

Not bad! Not the greatest thing ever, but it could've been worse. I always appreciate it when a show built around murder cases and only murder cases finally does something different. I even admired their desire to make it about more than just the standard hostage crisis, even if it was a little difficult to make the other story compelling when it only got five minutes of screentime. (I'm not against cop shows as a rule, I suppose--I certainly watch enough of them, though that's more because half the shows on TV are crime-related--but I do wish more of them changed up their formula like due South did, with Fraser walking into a bank robbery or stumbling onto environmental violations rather than "murder comes across the desk, go investigate, solve murder" forever and ever, world without end. So yay breaking the formula!)

Granted, due South and Burn Notice both did far more entertaining things with the "hostages in a bank" plot, but two weeks ago I was ready to give up on the show, so. Baby steps, baby steps. At least there was some humor. Hee, "Okay, Castle Jr., wanna try thinking like a cop now?" Awww. Also, Beckett telling "Trapper John" that if he hurt Castle she would put a bullet through his skull was hilarious, in a "yay, Beckett!" kind of way. The chief hostage negotiator dude's reaction was pretty amusing as well.

Speaking of Trapper John, how did he not recognize Beckett's voice when she was in there posing as a paramedic?

Anyway, other good points:

Martha! Martha being awesome! Finally, they use her well. It feels like years since she got more than a couple lines in an episode.

THANK GOD Alexis and Ashley broke up. That storyline needed to end months ago.

Beckett being obviously thrilled to see Castle alive, to the point where Martha had to remind her there were other people waiting to have their zip-tie handcuffs cut off, was sweet. Beckett coming over for dinner at Casa Castle at the end was nice as well.