From the moment Vulcan Simmons appeared in this episode, I just knew things were going to get real messy. I just didn’t realize to what degree. Kate had been following this guy Jason Marks since about March. Well, that’s what the close up of her journal indicated. Jason, who Kate and Rick had been investigating in regards to her mother’s murder turned up dead and Vulcan Simmons who Kate saw driving Jason turned up dead as well.

As if things weren’t already intense, it got much worse when Lanie delivered the news to Kate that the one bullet that was found in Simmons came from a pistol registered to Kate. Simmons was killed with Kate’s backup piece that was in her safe at home. I was shaking just like Lanie was when she was giving the news to Kate. I just couldn’t believe it. There was no way Kate killed Simmons. I know Kate, she would never do such a thing. There was only one person that could have set all this up.

Later on, Castle came up with the theory that maybe our old dead friend Mr. Smith wasn’t actually dead at all. Could that possibly be? Well, Smith called Castle’s burner phone, and I’m pretty sure dead people cannot make telephone calls. Did anyone else get the shivers when Castle and Kate met with Smith in the parking garage? Smith told the two that he was close to bringing Jason into the fold but that someone found out and had him killed. First Jason, then Simmons. What was going on?

Intense doesn’t even begin to explain this episode. It was just one thing after another. There were so many heart pumping, intense moments but the swing sets moment definitely warmed my heart. A hooded Kate meeting Rick. Aw, just so awww. Anytime this show brings out the swings you know it’s going to be a great moment. Another great moment was when Espo and Ryan told Gates everything about Kate’s mother’s murder. I thought it was about time Gates knew what was going on. If Gates was going to do anything she could to protect Beckett, she needed to know the truth.

It was only a matter of time before Bracken found Kate and he made his move once Castle left the hotel room to get a car. I loved how Kate told Bracken to kill her if he had the balls to do so. Which we all know he doesn’t. He always makes other people do his dirty work. His two thugs made Kate swallow a pill that would relax her and then proceeded to feeding her booze. They were obviously making it look like some kind of suicide, but not so fast! Kate didn’t swallow the pill and took down both men. Did they really think Kate was going to go down without a fight? Kate did get smashed in the head but Castle showed up just in time and they took off.

I can’t even choose a favourite moment from this episode since the entire episode was incredible but I got some serious chills when Kate had a flashback to meeting Captain Montgomery for the first time. Kate was looking for her mother’s file and Kate didn’t realize it but back then, Montgomery was giving her a clue as to where the recording of Bracken confessing was. It turns out Montgomery gave Johanna the recording! Can you believe it? I was in shock.

Kate and Rick were able to get into Kate’s apartment to look through her mom’s stuff thanks to Ryan and Espo but Capt. Marcus Donovan came busting in before they could get out. The following sequence of events were absolutely brilliant. One of the best moments of the entire series. Kate was going through everything in her head and it donned on her. The famous elephants on Kate’s desk were her mom’s. Johanna used to have them on her desk and she used to say they were a family just like Kate, her mom, and her dad. “D ME w/ family” didn’t mean dinner with family, it actually meant Detective Montgomery, evidence w/ family. The tape was in one of the elephants!!!! Seeing Kate trying to crack open one of the elephants then the tape falling to the ground was so amazing. Even more amazing? Hearing Bracken confessing to everything on that tape.

It was so incredibly satisfying seeing Kate walk through those doors and seeing the complete shock on Bracken’s face. Kate had the honour of arresting Bracken for conspiracy, fraud and murder of her mother Johanna Beckett and all in front of the media. Bracken was going down and it was Beckett who got to deliver the final blow. What a moment for Beckett. Finally! That part of her life can be put to rest.

“I never could have done this without you.” – Beckett

A perfect ending to an amazing episode. I just can’t believe the whole thing. The recording was in the elephant the entire time! I am in shock. Mind blown. The Castle team has done it once again. I must add “Veritas” to the list of all time favourite Castle episodes. Let’s be honest, that list is really crowded, but this one will definitely go down as one of the Castle greats.

I’m just so glad we got to hear LT say a couple lines of dialogue. Go LT!

I’m going to definitely savour this episode a lot more before I think about next week’s finale. I can’t believe the season is almost over. It has been an incredible season, and I’m confident Milmar have an epic finale planned for us.

The post Castle Review: “Veritas” appeared first on TVHackr.

From the moment I saw the promo for this episode I was ecstatic that Salli Richardson-Whitfield was guest starring as Gates’ sister Elizabeth. I’ve been a huge fan of Salli’s since she was on Eureka and these two incredible women were fantastic together. Polar vortex didn’t even begin to explain how Gates and Elizabeth were to each other at the beginning of the episode. You definitely sensed something big happened between these two.

We got some indication early on that something definitely went down between these two and that it was job related.

Gates: “I am not stuck anywhere. I will not apologize for doing my job to the letter of the law.”

We learned later on when Beckett was talking to Gates about Elizabeth, that Gates screwed up one of Elizabeth’s investigations. Back when Gates was the head of Internal Affairs, Elizabeth was trying to make her case and she begged Gates not to mess with her case. Gates chose her job because that’s who Gates is and we love her for it. Things haven’t been the same between the sisters since. I felt so bad for Gates because she seemed genuinely sad about the rift with her sister. Gates was only doing her job, but I could see where Elizabeth would have resentment towards her sister. They were the dynamic duo for goodness sake. Could you imagine the good they could have done together?

I just loved that Beckett and Gates scene so much. Such a beautiful bonding scene between them. Stana and Penny have such great chemistry together. This whole cast does. That’s what I love most about this show. All the actors have such amazing chemistry together and they really do love their jobs and it really translates on the screen.

The scene that really got to me was short but it packed quite a punch. When Gates was working late she opened up her desk drawer to reveal a picture of her and her sister. So much emotion in that moment. If you didn’t already love Gates, I’m sure after this scene you will. Yeah, she’s a hard ass sometimes, but she’s just trying to do her job. Even though she probably wasn’t talking to her sister, she was always thinking about her.

In the end, the team got their murderer and it was someone I didn’t even suspect. Turns out, our victim Peter Cordero took the 25 million from his boss and was going to run away. Stephanie, who was working with Elizabeth at the U.S. Attorney’s office listened to Cordero’s last recording and heard he was going to leave town. Stephanie couldn’t let Cordero do that and shot him. Such a shame. At least Peter donated a large portion of the money he took to rebuild his hometown that was destroyed by the earthquake that killed his parents.

I was so happy when Elizabeth thanked Gates for doing her job so well. The same thing that got between them in the first place. I was glad the sisters could put the past behind them. I really hope we get to see them work a case together again. I thought Penny and Salli really nailed it this week. I just loved how Elizabeth kept on calling her Victoria. Such a change from Captain Gates, or Sir.

Other than the case, we got to enjoy more wedding planning. We learned that Kate will not get married up in space, on a slide or on a ride. I’ll admit, getting married on the Cyclone at Coney Island would be pretty awesome. I kid I kid. Castle and his crazy ideas always make me laugh.

They already have a song, and now they needed to make their list. The amount of people just kept on growing, but to be fair, Castle is world famous-ish. I absolutely loved Aunt Theresa getting mentioned and Castle commenting about what she wrote on Facebook. Hilarious throwback Castle writers. I love when they do that.

How many names did Castle and Beckett have? Like 500? Well, Martha had her own list! Things were getting a little out of hand but Castle and Beckett being who they are and this amazing communication thing they’ve got going on decided to figure this out once and for all. Kate asked, “Why are we having this wedding?” They are having the wedding for them, not for anyone else. I thought it was brilliant to write down everyone they wanted to be there in a minute. After about 2 seconds they stopped to reveal they both wrote “YOU” on their piece of paper.

Okay, everyone on the count of 3 say, AWWWWW. How adorable was that? I can’t even count how many incredibly sweet moments we’ve got between the two of them. Of course after this they started to actually make their list together. I’m not going to make any predictions about this wedding. I’m just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Soundbites from “The Greater Good”

Castle: “Hairy is my middle name. That sounded better in my head.”

Castle: “Castle, you’ve done it again.”

Gates: “Find the truth.”

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From the beginning, I didn’t know what to make of “The Human Factor.” I asked myself, “what is going on?” at least 5 times and it wasn’t even 10:30 yet. I love when Castle has cases like that. I love not knowing what is going on. It keeps me intrigued. Just when you thought Dale Tanner might have been murdered because of what he was exposing, it ends up being your typical human factor. Dale’s son was the one who killed his father. He wanted to make Dale pay for all the heartbreak he caused. I can’t say I blamed the kid, Dale might have been exposing nasty things, but he really wasn’t there for his family. Murder is really no way of solving anything though.

I liked the case of the week, but I’m really happy we got some lighthearted funny moments to balance everything out. I loved Castle playing with his remote control tank with the camera on it and spying on Beckett while she was getting dressed. Anytime we get a Castle and Beckett scene in bed, it just puts a smile on my face. Beckett faking a rise of the machines scenario to mess with Castle was hilarious. I could not stop laughing, it was too cute. I also could not stop laughing when Castle and Beckett went into that bookstore and saw that Storm Season was on the clearance table. It’s moments like these that really makes an episode for me. Without these, you just have your typical boring procedural show without any heart.

We also got bad ass Beckett this episode, which is always a good thing. Stack was right, Beckett is a force to be reckoned with. When I heard him say that, I immediately flashed back to Beckett smashing Senator Bracken in the face. That moment was one of my favourite bad ass Beckett moments ever. Even though I stayed spoiler free for this episode, I just knew something was coming up. The moment Stack asked to speak to Beckett I got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Here was the moment I did not want to happen. Stack asked the preverbal question, “Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?” Stack sees bigger things for Beckett and truth be told I do too. But in D.C.? Working with the Attorney General? Could Beckett really go for this job interview? If you haven’t seen the promo for next weeks season finale, do not read the next sentence. According to the promo, Beckett went to the job interview and is on the short list.

To be perfectly honest, it really bothered me that Beckett didn’t tell Castle what Stack said to her regarding the job. Beckett said it’s nothing but I seriously doubt it’s nothing, especially to Beckett. Castle and Beckett are in this together. They’re in love, they’re partners. I realize that “The Squab and the Quail” was supposed to air before “The Human Factor” and there’s maybe still some unresolved issues between Castle and Beckett. Maybe this is a sign that Kate is still unsure where she stands with Rick in regards to their future together. I know the show probably wants to build suspense, but Kate not saying anything to Castle is really telling. I wouldn’t blame Beckett one bit if she wanted to move on from the 12th. I believe she’s meant for much bigger things. I just hope Castle factors into her plans. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but for the first time in quite a while, I’m scared for Castle and Beckett’s future. I know last season we got a super happy ending with Castle and Beckett finally getting together. Are we going to be lucky and get another happy ending?

As if the end scene didn’t hurt my heart enough, we got this speech from Castle that was quite parallel on what was going on.

“‘Cause with people, all decisions are personal and where one person might see roses, another may see a chance to move on from an old life and on to a new one.”

I already see the finale being the death of me. I honestly hope everything works out and we’re not left with this super cliffhanger involving Castle and Beckett’s relationship. It will in fact be the longest summer ever.

So, does anyone have any theories about the finale? Are we going to get heartbreak or a happy ending? In Marlowe we trust…right?

The post Castle Review: “The Human Factor” appeared first on TVHackr.

This episode will always hold a special place in my heart because my friends and I were on location one of the days they were filming. I thought it was so cool that I saw many of the extras multiple times that day walking up and down the street and to then see them on screen was just incredible. It’s experiences like that, that really heighten your love for a show. To see how hard the cast and crew works to put out an episode makes you appreciate them even more.

Beckett had to protect billionaire hottie Eric Vaughn because his life was in danger. Castle was so jealous of Vaughn it was quite amusing. This also brought out a little nutty case solving Castle. At one point he was quite high off caffeine. After Castle pretty much chose a video game over Kate, it was good to see someone show an interest in her. Maybe shake Castle up a bit. (Seriously Castle? You were ignoring Kate while she was trying to seduce you. Are you crazy man?) I thought the whole Castle taking Kate for granted storyline was quite realistic. It has been a year since they first got together. They still haven’t had “the talk” so this isn’t so out of left field.  I had to chuckle at Castle noticing Kate swooning over Eric Vaughn. Why wouldn’t she? He’s gorgeous, rich, and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t choose a video game over her. I was even swooning over him! Damn that smile and accent. And ladies, I saw him while on location… really gorgeous in person.

We all know Kate Beckett would never cheat on Castle, but the moment after Vaughn hit himself in the eye with the cork from the champagne was a little too close for comfort for me. Maybe Kate was feeling like Castle wasn’t appreciating her and here’s this amazing billionaire obviously interested in her. It actually hurt me a little when Beckett hesitated when asked by Vaughn if her and Castle were serious. I’ve analyzed this “almost” kiss more times then I’d like to admit and you can disagree with me if you want, but Beckett totally let Vaughn come in for a kiss then she pushed him away. Good thing she did because someone shot at Vaughn through the window.

I loved Castle running into the hotel room to see if Beckett was okay after the assassination attempt on Vaughn. Despite Castle being a dope sometimes, he loves Kate and would do anything for her, so my heart totally sank at the sight of Castle’s face when he saw the champagne bottle. I know a lot of people are saying Kate told Castle the truth about the kiss, but it was only after Castle was prodding her story that she told him the truth. I don’t think she was going to lie to him, but she didn’t tell him the truth right off the bat.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the case of the week. I loved how both story lines were intertwined. Just when you thought Mr. Fantastic wasn’t so fantastic, we got a nice little twist. Vaughn’s attorney ended up being the one trying to kill Vaughn. I really did think Vaughn was behind the attempt on his own life. It would have been too easy though. It would make the audience be justified in hating this guy hitting on Beckett if he were the bad guy.

Now to the nitty gritty. That ending! I was absolutely done after that scene. I didn’t like that facial expression Kate made and the change in music. It made me so nervous. You could see the doubts building. In my heart, Kate has loved Castle a lot longer than she has even admitted to herself. Even though she hasn’t said the words, every one knows she loves Castle. Then you  have this handsome billionaire who has expressed interest in her, and on the other hand you have Castle who obviously loves her but could chose a video game over her. They’ve never had the “where are we going?” conversation. I could see why Kate was conflicted. I’m just really happy she didn’t let Vaughn kiss her. It could have been real easy to kiss him. That would have just caused more harm than good. I just hate that she said her and Castle’s relationship is complicated. That statement hurt my heart. Of course Mr. Fantastic came back with:

 “Kate, there’s nothing complicated about meeting a woman like you and knowing what to do.”

All I’ve got to say is Castle better step up his game. I welcome angst, and in this situation it was totally warranted. Nothing is perfect. No relationship is perfect. It’s real. This is what real couples go through. Castle and Beckett are just going to come out of this even stronger. While I understand Kate’s side of this, there’s Castle’s side also. He’s had 2 failed marriages. He has his walls that he’s put up. He’s with this woman whom he loves undeniably and doesn’t want to screw it up. As my genius friend said, it’s easy for an outsider to come in and say it’s simple. Vaughn doesn’t know Castle and Beckett’s history. As a matter of fact, this was less about Vaughn and more about Castle/Beckett. Vaughn was just a tool to facilitate them having these conversations going forward. Obviously Castle is it for Kate. Kate just needs to know Castle is in it with her.

Moments I loved

“My mother loves your novels.” Eric to Castle

“He’s not you.” Kate to Castle

“And unlike you, his helicopter doesn’t need a remote control.” Javier to Castle

Lanie with a fake British accent

“Beckett is over the moon for you.” – Alexis to Castle

“Vaughn is way sexier than George Clooney.” Martha

Martha mentioning there’s no ring on Beckett’s finger.

Moment that drove me nuts

Vaughn: “You know that’s an extraordinary woman you have there.”

Castle: “I know.”

Vaughn: “Do you?”

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Laughs is definitely what we got. Martha started us off with her comment to Castle about pigging out on leftovers and sleep eating and Beckett added to it with her “Mystical ape man.” Christine Roum (the writer of the episode) and Jonathan Frakes (who directed) totally nailed it.

The case of the week was quite intriguing and kept me guessing right until the very end. Our victim Anne Cardinal was quite gruesomely murdered and of course Castle believed she was killed by Bigfoot. Beckett, the skeptic didn’t believe Bigfoot was the culprit. I love that it’s Beckett and Esposito vs Ryan and Castle when it comes to crazy theories against the more logical explanation. The show has amazing consistency. Speaking of consistency, I loved when Castle said “that is not good for my knee” when him and Beckett fell into that trap. It was only last episode that he was down for the count from his skiing accident.

I love Lanie and I really think she should be featured more, but we got some great zingers by Perlmutter this episode. His B-Team reference to Ryan and Espo was gold. He’s one of those characters that sorta gets under your skin, but you love him anyways. I also loved that we got a little Martha this episode. She was so smooth with her little zingers at Castle. “Pigging out on leftovers” and “Sleep eating.” Was I the only one who took that as a little crack at Nathan? It’s no secret I thought Nathan was looking a bit unhealthy last season and a little bit this season. To be honest, he’s looking a lot better these days. I was in L.A. a couple weeks ago and got a quick look at Nathan while I was on a Castle location shoot. Nathan was looking quite good. We also met the awesome NYPD Officer L.T., who took the time to chat with me and my friends. I love that we got to see him at the end of “The Fast and the Furriest” when they were releasing Kurt Wilson.

Now for that bedroom scene. You can’t see the facial expression I’m making, but I’m pretty sure you can guess it. I really think Marlowe and Co. have installed listening devices in all our homes. They are seriously giving us fans exactly what we want. I just love that they were asking what each other believed in. It’s truly amazing that after all these years there’s still so much these two don’t know about each other. That’s what makes them being together so great. They’re still learning so much about each other and totally crushing that stupid “Moonlighting curse.” Some shows get boring after the leads get together, not this one. We even got another well lit kiss!

Moments from the episode I loved:

Moonshine threatening Castle.

Castle: “I know who the killer is. Did you see how that gorilla looked at me?”

Beckett: “Yeah I think it was lust actually, Castle. You are ruggedly handsome.”

Alexis turning into a smurf after she was caught stealing Castle’s food from the refrigerator.

Beckett: “Come on, Castle. Why don’t you pop a squat, we’ll do a cheerleader move.”

Castle: “Shouldn’t you be wearing a short skirt for this?”

Beckett:

Castle: “It’s the rules.”

Beckett: “No, I’m scared I might murder you and then I’d have two crime scenes.”

Beckett: “You know, there is one inexplicable mysterious phenomenon that I do believe in still… us.”

Castle: “I can appreciate the everyday but why not live in the possible? There world just doesn’t have as many mysteries anymore. There’s no new continents to explore, there’s no more deepest, darkest Africa. Everything is mapped out by satellites and sonars and yet, still, people reach for the unknown. That’s what makes us grow. Coltrane wouldn’t have had that saxophone if Antoine Sax hadn’t imagined it. Isn’t that what separates us from, say, moonshine?”

“The Fast and the Furriest” didn’t knock off “The Lives of Others” as my favourite episode this season, but it was still great. I’m still giggling just thinking about Dr. Darrell Meeks dressed up as Bigfoot. I’m happy this past episode was a funny one, because the promo for “Still” definitely got my heart pumping and by the looks of it many tears will be shed. Can I just say, bravo CTV! The people that do the Castle promos are amazing. I definitely need to find out who they are and send them an Edible Arrangements or something. They definitely bring it against ABC when it comes to the promos.

The post Castle Review: “The Fast and the Furriest” appeared first on TVHackr.

This episode gave us some backstory on Det. Kevin Ryan. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when I first heard we were getting a backstory episode. Esposito’s backstory episode wasn’t really a favourite of mine. Boy, did my scepticism disappear quickly. I really loved “The Wild Rover” and will probably watch it many more times. We got great Jenny and Kevin moments, a cute Javier moment where he couldn’t pronounce the name Siobhan. I myself had the hardest time pronouncing the name when Ringer first premiered. We got great Kevin moments while he was pretending to be Fenton O’Connell, an undercover role he assumed for 14 months with the Irish mob and of course fantastic Caskett moments.

First of all, damn Siobhan! I haven’t seen a slap that hard in quite a while. Too bad Ryan a.k.a Fenton was on the receiving end of it, both slaps actually. I don’t know why, but I felt a little bad for Siobhan. Here she thought Fenton (Kevin) went into hiding 7 years ago without a word, just a note on the dresser. Now she learns he’s a cop. I totally understood her resentment towards Kevin.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought Ryan was looking quite sexy with his new I’m going undercover haircut. I was really feeling horrible for Jenny though. I know we don’t see her that often, but seeing her cry while Ryan left made me so sad. Here they are trying to conceive a baby and Ryan goes undercover in a dangerous situation. I would have been freaking out if I were in Jenny’s shoes.

So, who else googled Luke 15:32? You know I did. “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” I’m not a religious person, but I like this.

That close moment between Ryan and Siobhan got my heart racing. I actually said “Don’t do it Ryan, don’t do it!” I really didn’t think Kevin would cheat on Jenny but that moment was a little bit too close for comfort for me. I loved that Beckett and Jenny shared a moment. I get that Ryan wanted to do the right thing and get the bible but Jenny was so scared.

All in all, this episode had me on edge the entire time. I really had no idea where they were going with it and I loved it. I hate when episodes are predictable. I was totally caught off guard by the reveal that Maggie, Liam’s wife killed Jimmy.  I thought Liam would have been revealed as the killer.

I really loved this fearless side to Ryan. I want to see more. Especially Ryan playing pool. Damn, he could play! That whole sequence before Ryan revealed he was a cop was awesome. This episode really showed me what a great actor Seamus Dever is.

Now for some Caskett goodness. I laughed out loud when Beckett rejected Castle’s coffee. Beckett was still asking who Jordan was and Castle wasn’t spilling. Apparently Castle talks in his sleep and was repeating the name Jordan. 14 times to be exact. I loved how Kate said she’d just interrogate Castle in his sleep. This apparently works by the way. Not that I’ve ever tried…

Castle didn’t want to tell Beckett who Jordan was because what if Beckett didn’t like what she saw. Beckett countered with, “what happens if you don’t let me look?” Castle finally told Beckett who Jordan was. Jordan was a defunct car company. Back in boarding school, Castle was on the verge of flunking out and paid someone to write a term paper on the Jordan Motor Company. Castle felt like a fraud and it’s obvious that this is still weighing on his mind. I thought it was quite a role reversal between Castle and Beckett. Here we have Castle with the walls and Beckett trying to break them down. I thought it was so sad that Castle didn’t want this to change how Beckett felt about him. I don’t see how it would anyways, and Beckett told him “Your right Castle. It does change how I see you, makes me like you a little bit more.” If you say that wasn’t the sweetest thing, you’re wrong. Then the moment us Caskett lovers never thought we’d see, a well lit kiss!!!!!!!! FINALLY! Fandom rejoice! It looks like the Castle crew received the 500 light bulbs I sent. (Just Kidding) You have no idea how happy this made me.

My joy from the kiss continued with the news of Jenny’s pregnancy. I’m just so happy for Kevin and Jenny.  All in all, great episode. Lastly, a question for my fellow Chucksters turned Castle lovers. When Beckett said Agent Walker, was anyone else’s first thought Sarah Walker?

The countdown is on for the 100th episode. I am so excited! Is it Monday yet?

Observation of the night: Beckett and her finger wagging.

Comic relief:

” Seriously? I didn’t bring my vest” – Castle

“It’s hard to find a woman for this much man” – Espo

The post Castle Review: “The Wild Rover” appeared first on TVHackr.

There are many reasons why I watch Castle alone, but one of them is because I tend to talk and yell at my television a good part of the time. Last night was no different. I think I yelled out, “What about Alexis?!” at least 10 times when the kidnappers were letting Sara go. My heart sank for Castle. Then it literally broke when Castle walked away from Kate to tell Martha what had happened. You would think I’d be mad at this show for breaking my heart so many times in 2 weeks but I love this show even more.

Castle really meant it when he said he’d do anything to save his daughter and he did so by taking off for Paris. I could see why he did it but I hate that he lied to both Kate and Martha. I loved what Beckett said though, “He’s acting like a father, I have to act like a cop.” Kate can go off the reservation sometimes as we saw a few episodes ago but in the end she was a professional and did whatever was possible to save Alexis.

After the kidnappers didn’t release Alexis, I started to realize this case was so much more than we thought. Just the mention of spies made my eyes light up. Castle was just so emotionally compromised, I got such a bad feeling. My first WTF moment came when we found out Alexis was the target not her friend Sara. My other WTF moment came when Henri sold Castle out. At that point I yelled out a few expletive’s that shall not be repeated. This episode was just insane.

Can I just say, bravo to the casting department. Getting James Brolin to play Richard Castle’s father is just pure brilliance. I loved his, “Get in the car” line. A total throw back of the days of Beckett saying “Stay in the car, Castle.” As if I wasn’t freaking out already, I totally freaked out even more at the mention of the name Volkov. I wonder if the Castle writers are fans of Chuck? A baddy named Volkov was the mastermind behind the kidnapping. Pretty close to Alexei Volkoff, the baddy from Chuck. Gotta love it!

Freak out moment #20 – “Richard, I am your father.” Seriously? They totally killed me with that line. Ever since “Linchpin” there was speculation Richard’s father was in the intelligence community. It was great that this was confirmed. It was also confirmed it was because of his father, Castle first got access to the CIA for his book research. I just loved Castle with his dad. I hope there’s many more moments to come. I absolutely loved when he said to Castle, “You’ve been playing cop for years. You wanna play spy?” Total squee moment if there was one.

The tears started back up again when Castle was brought to Alexis. Then the tears went away and my jaw literally fell to the ground when the charge went off and the bad guys blew up. I didn’t think my heart was even intact anymore, but it broke even more when Castle wanted more time with his father. I’m pretty sure everyone that knows me, knows I totally freaked out when his father said “Always.” It’s such a trigger word for me. I could hear someone say it at work or while I’m out and I automatically squee and think of Castle. Yes, I am well aware I am a freak.

Before I get into the ending, I need to discuss that interrogation scene. There have been some pretty amazing interrogation scenes in this show, but the one in “Hunt” is just the best. I’m even going to be so bold as to say it’s the best one I’ve ever seen on any show! Just give Stana all the awards please. Kate kicked the chair from underneath the table while Henson’s girlfriend was sitting on it!! I got some serious shivers down my spine when Kate said, “I’m not a cop today, honey.” Pure perfection! I think I fell even more in love with Kate Beckett. If that’s actually possible. Just like her facial expressions, Stana just rocks the interrogation scenes. I could watch them all day long.

I absolutely loved the ending. Castle and Alexis were just too cute for words. I would say he’s one of the best father’s on television. Who would have guessed that when this series first started? We always talk about Beckett’s progression during the years, what about Castle? He’s grown so much as a man and father. My heart melted when Beckett gave that huge hug to Castle and said “Please don’t do anything like that again without me.” We also got a Caskett kiss with crap lighting. Ok! who wants to start sending lightbulbs to Marlowe and co.? Come on man! You’re killing us here. Here’s hoping the 100th episode will have many bright kisses. I also really loved the Kate and Alexis hug. They were even walking arm in arm. I would really love to see more of their relationship going forward.  Castle, Kate, Alexis, and Martha were just so adorable. I love all 4 of them together.

My heart is racing like mad just thinking about “Hunt”. Such an incredible episode. The whole Castle team just amazes me week after week. I literally fall in love with this show more and more after each episode. This show always makes my heart melt.

Now we have to wait 3 weeks for an all-new episode. A re-watch is definitely in order. Don’t worry, I have many incredible episodes to choose from.

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“Recoil” featured the return of Senator Bracken, the man responsible for Johanna Beckett’s murder. The Senator was the target for a murder plot. I honestly had no sympathy for this man. A part of me actually wanted him to die. Does that make me a bad person? When Kate said, “Now I’m protecting the man that murdered my mother” my heart broke. I couldn’t even imagine how I would deal with this situation.

I was happy with the many Captain Gates sightings this episode. I have to admit, I wasn’t really a huge fan of Captain Gates when she first came on the scene, but ever since I met Penny Johnson Jerald at Castle Con I’ve had a much bigger appreciation for her character. When she said to Senator Bracken, “Is there a reason you don’t want to work with Detective Beckett?” I actually yelled out to my television, “Can I answer that?!” There is a reason I watch Castle alone. I get a “little” bit too into it.

I cannot even begin to express how intense that Beckett and Bracken “In my dreams I get to pull the trigger” scene was. Stana is just extraordinary. I actually got goosebumps. Beckett was so conflicted this whole episode. You know she wanted to kill this man that destroyed her life, but on the other hand she’s a professional and it was her job to protect this man from being killed. When Kate found the threatening letter that matched the notebook and didn’t show Castle I totally freaked out. How could she not show him? I did love the return of Kate’s therapist. I was happy she told him, but a part of me wished she had told Castle first. Kate almost crossed the line when she attempted to destroy the evidence. I believe there was no coming back from that. I was so happy when she didn’t go through with lighting the letter on fire.

When Beckett saw Robert McManus the suspect and man responsible for the threatening letter to Bracken and let him get away I was in shock. The way she looked at him, I knew a part of her wanted him to get away. The look Castle gave her after she got off 2 shots after McManus already got away was intense. I just hate when Kate feels like she needs to keep things from Castle. I was so happy when she finally came clean to Castle about the letter. Not only are they together romantically but they’re partners and they shouldn’t be keeping secrets from each other.

I actually felt a little bad for McManus. Robert’s son worked for Bracken and committed suicide, which Robert blames Bracken for. Maybe it’s because I hate Bracken so much. The interrogation scene with Beckett and McManus was great. I love when Beckett is in the interrogation room with a suspect. She’s just so methodical. When Gates came to observe, a wave of intensity came over me. I was so pissed when Gates interrupted. I knew something was up when she announced that the Feds found the bomb linked to McManus. The bomb was just too expertly made declared Beckett, which I totally agreed with. I wish I could have gone in my tv and punched out Bracken. He was just so smug. Beckett was way too smart for that. She knew something wasn’t right. I love Beckett when she’s like that.

Who’s heart also stopped from that explosion? I screamed out, “Holy Shit” so loud I probably woke up my neighbours. Castle literally took down Bracken’s driver who was the real culprit in wanting Bracken dead. Obviously he was being paid to do it and almost got away with it if it hadn’t been for Beckett.

When Castle told Bracken he would have stood and watched while Bracken would have been blown up, I cheered so loudly. I probably would have stood and watched also. How Kate kept it together while speaking with the Senator I’ll never know. This isn’t the end though. Kate will get her opportunity for revenge, and she’ll be ready.

I’m still in awe of “Recoil” a day later. It was such a powerful episode. I’ve been impressed with this whole season. I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. This season is just so amazing. Castle is on fire and getting better after each episode. It’s scary because this show was great to begin with. I’m actually really happy I didn’t watch any sneak peeks for “Recoil”. This is the second time I’ve skipped the sneak peeks and I’ve definitely enjoyed the episodes more. I will not be watching any sneaks yet again, and this time I’m also not eating sweets this entire week with my fellow obsessed Castle friend. Wish us luck!

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So let me begin with the case. Santa was last seen falling from the sky to his untimely death. Castle, the big kid and traditionalist he is obviously was quite upset Santa was dead. Beckett on the other hand is a realist and didn’t believe in all this Santa stuff. Santa otherwise known as James Edmund Smith was shot and fell out of a helicopter. Edmund had an epiphany one night after watching A Wonderful Life, and he left his wife and comfortable life and started a new journey as Santa. The truth was, back in Edmund’s previous life the company he worked for scammed families out of their homes. He was trying to redeem himself so he moved next door to one of the families he destroyed. He came up with a plan to work the Case Commerce holiday party as Santa so he could get the unaltered loan documents that were in the storage room. The murderer ended up being Edmund’s ex wife. She couldn’t let Edmund take away her lifestyle if his swindling came out into the open.

I was so happy we got a Lanie and Esposito scene. I love these two characters and I’m really hoping they find their way back to each other. You really had to feel for Espo. He was alone for the holidays and tried to get with Lanie, but she already had plans. She told him she didn’t want one of those sad desperate holiday hookups. If after the holidays he still wanted to get together, he should call her. It was just so incredibly sweet when Esposito showed up to the Cabot’s with their clock. His face totally lit up when the Cabot’s invited him to spend Christmas Even with them.

We learned Jenny wants to try for a baby and Ryan is scared about it. We got such a sweet moment with Espo and Ryan. Esposito reassuring him he’s ready to have a baby just reminds us how great friends these two are. I can’t wait to see Kevin as a dad.

The funniest moments had to belong to Captain Gates. Her mother in law is staying at her house during the holidays and she makes it quite clear she’s not happy about it. “Detective, if you happen to receive a report of a homicide tonight at my address, do me a favour ignore it.” I almost fell off my bed laughing when Gates saw Esposito holding up lingerie meant for Jenny. Gates said something I thought I’d never hear on television let alone from her. “Let’s finish up this hoochie-coochie thing and get on with it.”  We’re really starting to see a playful side of Captain Gates and I’m loving it. Penny Johnson Jerald is so funny in real life and I’m just so happy we get to see this side of her character.

I’m obviously saving the best for last. Kate told Castle she couldn’t come over to his house for Christmas Eve because she had to work. Castle was obviously upset, which I didn’t blame him. He later learned from Gates that Beckett was the one to volunteer to work that night. I got a little worried how Castle would handle the news. If you recall last season when Castle found out Kate actually remembered everything from her shooting, he didn’t exactly handle things well. I still get upset watching those episodes because I didn’t believe for a second Castle wouldn’t confront her. This time though Castle confronted Kate and she opened up to him. Christmas doesn’t mean the same thing for her as it does for him. Kate associates Christmas with her mother’s murder and it’s hard for her. Stana just killed this scene and Nathan was so great just soaking in all her words. I love these heartfelt scenes between the two of them. It shows me how much these two characters have grown and how much they truly do love each other. I honestly don’t need to hear those 3 little words from Kate just yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to hear them soon but she loves Castle, I just see it by her actions. It torn me up to have Castle and Beckett standing underneath the mistletoe at the precinct and not being able to kiss.

Everything turned out amazing though when Beckett came by Castle’s loft just as he was going to rush out to see Kate at the precinct. She knew how much the holiday’s meant to him and wanted to start a new tradition. That kiss near the huge Christmas tree was just perfection! For a split second when Kate started to whisper something I thought she was going to say those 3 little words. It ended up just being “Merry Christmas” but it was just as sweet. Of course Castle had to tell her he didn’t buy her anything which added humour to the scene. In Castle’s defence, Kate did tell him to not buy her anything. Since when does Castle listen anyways?

Usually by a 5th season of a show starts to go in this downward spiral. Not Castle! I feel as though I’m watching a whole new show. This is a true testament to everyone who works on this show. The cast and crew love this show as much as the fans and they want to make it the best show possible. I’m just so happy I’m along for this wonderful ride.

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This year the guests were Tamala Jones, Penny Johnson Jerald, Armin Shimerman, Rob Bowman, Christopher Brown, Marta Evry, Warren Bowman, Stephen Bowman, Luke Reichle and Chuck Bowman. They were absolutely wonderful. They donated their time to come down and have Q and A’s and autograph and photo sessions with the fans. My respect level for them increased tenfold.

Jason Palmer, who I first discovered at this past years San Diego Comic Con was also at the event. If you’ve never seen his work, I recommend you check out his website: www.jasonpalmer.net He’s such a nice guy and extremely talented. He truly takes into consideration the fans opinions and recommendations for future works.

As I’m sitting here writing this, I still cannot believe I met Tamala Jones and Penny Johnson Jerald. We even participated in a zumba class with Penny and her private instructor. Tamala and Penny are truly phenomenal women. They were absolutely hilarious together during their panel. You sort of forget that their characters have never had a scene together. I’m really happy I got the chance to meet Penny in person. Her character Captain Gates can be quite the hard ass, so her funny side was really welcomed. We even got to hear Tamala sing a little bit. I know we heard her vocal abilities in the episode “The Blue Butterfly”, but in real life she’s fantastic.

I could probably go on forever, but I have to discuss this week’s fantastic episode. I honestly didn’t think I could love Castle anymore than I already do. For the cast and crew to donate their time like this for the fans was incredible. It proves to me that they actually care about the fans. I will do everything in my power to promote this show and I will try to get everybody as obsessed with it as I am.

After Hours was great of course! The meet the parents dinner was super fun and you just knew it wasn’t going to go smoothly at all. Martha and Jim are from totally different ends of the spectrum but one thing is for sure, they love their children. I’m always so super excited whenever we get more Martha screen time. Susan Sullivan is one of my favorites.

The case of the week had a priest getting murdered. I’m sure all my fellow Chucksters squee’d when Bonita Friedericy a.k.a General Beckman came into the precinct as a nun. Ryan was so terrified of the nun, it was hilarious. Esposito was totally making fun of him. The dynamic between Ryan and Esposito is incredible. That’s one of the many things I love about this show. The chemistry between the actors is just amazing. It doesn’t feel forced at all.

Castle and Beckett end up having to protect the witness of the murder because of unforeseen circumstances. There was a bit of tension between the two because of the parents dinner that didn’t go well. I welcomed the tension because everything can’t be perfect all the time between these two. Let’s be honest, even though they were bickering, it was still hot.

Meanwhile, nobody at the precinct could get a hold of Castle and Beckett and panic mode erupted. Esposito contacted Martha and Jim and they high tailed it to the station. The moment Martha and Jim came in together and asked Gates what was going on, I got a little nervous. I don’t know if it was just my imagination but did anyone catch the facial expression Gates made? Was Gates wondering why Martha and Jim were together in the first place? Jim covered it up pretty fast though. Penny said during her panel at Castle Con, she thinks Gates already knows about Castle and Beckett. This isn’t a spoiler or anything, so don’t take this statement literally, it’s just an actors assessment.

This episode really did keep me on my toes. Especially with all the running around Castle, Beckett and Leo the witness did. This show mixes seriousness, comedy and intensity so well. I loved the scene where Martha and Jim bonded over their shared worry for their kids. When Jim told Martha Kate feels the safest when Castle is watching her back, I totally started fangirling. It’s the sweet moments like this that really make an episode for me. Now for that Caskett kiss. I just love the way Castle grabbed Kate and kissed her, trying to reassure her he’ll be okay. You could really sense the worry Kate had. Stana is just so fantastic. Even though they had been bickering almost all episode long they still really love each other and would never let anything happen to one another.

The twist came when we found out the witness was actually the murderer. I honestly did not see that coming. Now Kate was the one in danger while Castle was with the ones that were chasing them. Kate and Castle’s connection has never been stronger. Just by the fact of the encoded message Kate gave to Castle. Castle knew right away something was up. Kate freaking out when Leo shot up the car gave me goosebumps. Her running to Castle and putting her arms while cuffed around his neck whispering ”I thought I lost you” made my heart beat so fast. The ending with Martha and Jim was fantastic. Her slowly touching his face and them laughing and getting along was so adorable. This show continuously hits it out the park, especially this season. For me the line of the night had to be “Living your life for now makes a lot more sense than worrying about the future.”

How will I possibly survive with no new episode next week? I’ll just have to rewatch After Hours.

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