By Ragna Cook
One of the biggest things any show can have is amazing chemistry between their leads. For four years, the television show “Castle” (Mondays at 10 on ABC) played with the attraction between writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and his muse Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), teasing the audience with many “will they or won’t they?” moments.
At the culmination of season four fans got a definitive answer: they would. As so season five began almost immediately after Beckett went to Castle’s apartment and made her feelings known, and the season so far has been exploring how they can balance their relationship with the need to keep it secret so they can keep working together. Some people know about the relationship, such as Castle’s mother Martha and daughter Alexis (Susan Sullivan and Molly C. Quinn, respectively) and a few of Beckett’s most trusted co-workers: Det. Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas), Det. Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) and coroner Lanie Parish (Tamala Jones). But overall the two have managed to hide it well.
So far this season the relationship has been put to the test, especially when other people have become involved, such as when Castle’s ex-wife who is also Alexis’s mother came into town. But the romance hasn’t weakened the show in any way, instead making the show more interesting. The chemistry between Fillion and Katic remains electrifying and potent, and the added intrigue of “can they keep it a secret” breathes new life into the show.
But the show is not all about the budding relationship. It is still a crime drama, and that means there are mysteries to be solved. Some of the crimes tackled this season include a murder at a sci-fi convention, the retrieval of a murder witness that goes horribly wrong, the stabbing of a reality show TV star (which also gave fans of Fillion’s old series, the cult hit Firefly, a reason to cheer since one of the guest stars was a former castmate, Gina Torres), a bombing at an Occupy Wall Street type rally, and most recently the two part February event where Alexis was kidnapped because of who Castle’s father was, a CIA operative (guest star James Brolin) who a terrorist had a grudge against.
The continuing subplot of the murder of Beckett’s mother also got a much needed boost, with the revelation that the powerful Senator Bracken (guest star Jack Coleman) has a connection to the murder and the attempt on Beckett’s life. This season has already seen two confrontations with the senator: the first in which Beckett vowed that if anything happened to her or those she held close his secret would get out, and the second where he had to come ask for her help when he became embroiled in a case where he was the potential victim. This has made for a juicy addition to the ongoing plot and has been electrifying to watch.
“Castle” does have some weaknesses, but nothing so glaring as to take away from the thrill of the show. It’s well-written, solidly acted, and while the entire premise may seem like it would be a one-trick pony (famous writer shadows a detective as the muse for his latest book) it has shown that there are indeed many stories that can be told from that one premise. This is definitely a series to watch if you want your crime drama with a side of heart, humor and the sense of family.
