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.

“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.

The post Castle Review: Secret Santa appeared first on TVHackr.

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.

The post Castle Review: After Hours appeared first on TVHackr.

That being said, let’s start off with the case of the week. Our victim is James Swan, lead guitarist of the band Holy Shemp who is found dead in his trailer. The documentary crew that were following the band around end up following the team as they solve the case.

Suspect #1 was Joe Silva. His daughter Butterfly was the groupie Kate, Castle and Lanie found in the closet inside the trailer. All Joe wanted to do was find his daughter. Suspect #2 Sam Spear. He was writing songs for James. Suspect #3 Keith, member of the band. Suspect #4 John Campbell, leader of the cult that James Swan was once a member of. Campbell took $25,000 from James.

It turns out Zeke, member of the band was the killer. He killed James because he told him he was out of the band because of Buck Cooper. Buck was a roadie and Swan’s best friend from back when they were in the cult. He was trying to get away and James was helping him. James wanted Buck as the new bassist and Zeke was not happy about it.

I absolutely loved this episode. I giggled throughout the whole thing. I think if anyone were to watch this show with me, they’d think I was nuts. The documentary style was really different and daring, but it totally paid off. As viewers, got to see a different side of the characters. You just had to know Castle was going love being in front of the camera. The ones that really impressed were Ryan and Esposito. Espo with his “Boom, have you been to the gun show” had me in stitches. Lanie was great too, with her getting Kate and Castle to come down to the M.E.’s office just for something she’d normally just call about,  and then totally flaunting herself to the camera.

Kate was the only one uncomfortable in front of the camera. Stana played it so well tonight. As the episode went on though, Beckett was getting a bit more comfortable. Caskett moment alert! Castle reassuring Kate about the documentary crew filming them solving the case and him telling her “I want them to see what I see.” Let’s all just let out a little “aww.” Second Caskett moment, this one not so monumental but Castle telling Kate to interrogate Keith herself. She asks why and he tells her he wants to give her room to operate and strut her stuff. Such a sweet boyfriend. The third adorable Caskett moment that the cameras caught was Castle putting Kate’s hair behind her ear and caressing her face; stupid camera for ruining that moment! One of the biggest laugh out loud moment for me belongs to Espo, Castle, Kate and Sir watching Keith’s alibi a.k.a – the sex tape. A little zinger from Kate, “It’s not the only thing on this video being faked.”

Sir tells Castle and Beckett she’s going to be reviewing all of the film footage. You know to make sure it reflects well on the precinct. It prompts Castle and Beckett to go to the director pleading with him not to show that sweet moment they had. At the end, Captain Gates calls Castle and Beckett into her office and we assume its because of the footage of them together, but it turns out to be another moment the crew caught. While Gates was making a speech, Castle was behind her doing all sorts of goofy things. Caskett is safe! I wonder what happened to that missing tape…

The ending was quite sweet with Espo singing the new song with Keith and Buck. Jon Huertas can actually carry a tune. Kate then luring the camera man into the janitors closet and shutting door and sticking her tongue out was pure perfection!

Is it next monday yet?

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