Today’s Guest Clacker is once again Jeremy “Jermsington” Fogelman, a sometimes writer/blogger and amateur voice actor, and full-time television watcher based out of Washington DC. Some of his attempts at writing and talking can found at his website.
Wolverine, Batman, Betty & Veronica — one of these things is not like the other. …
So Castle has an exciting new idea — a Graphic Novel of his books. It’s about time.
But Beckett has far more serious matters to attend to, visiting dangerous Hal Lockwood (a returning Max Martini) in prison. But he’s not in solitary anymore … uh-oh. Foul play seems afoot, as per the usual. Our dangerous friend pays a lethal visit to other former cop Gary McCallister Brian Goodman), and manages to escape on an actual gosh darned helicopter.
Cue the opening sting. Ba-ba-da-da-da-DUM.
Castle is able to use a combination of new school know-how (his magic smartphone) and old school know-how (I know what a typewriter looks like) to puzzle out the specifics of the mysterious Napolitano. And then the reveal we weren’t expecting: The Captain is using Castle to keep Beckett safe. But will it work? Eh, not so much. Beckett kicks Castle out of her apartment after he accuses her of being too afraid to try something “real.”
But when she asks him to be kicked off the case and the Captain quickly acquiesces, Beckett wasn’t expecting that … methinks she doth protest too much?
Then the Captain is confronted by Lockwood at his home and is presented with a terrible choice — protect his family or send Beckett to a trap. But the Captain has his own secret past — is he third cop that falsified the records? Somehow he became involved in a dangerous game that led to the death of Becket’s mother. So he tries to redeem himself, sacrificing himself to save Beckett — but Beckett doesn’t want to leave. Castle forcibly carries her away — not sure I’m buying that, but maybe she wanted to let him take her away. And then someone gets shot — a necessary sacrifice for the season finale.
And with a totally expected gesture of generosity, Beckett tells the gang to pretend Montgomery died a hero. After all, in a way, he sort of did.
But ANOTHER TOTAL SHOCKER! Beckett gets shot — and Castle declares his love as she closes her eyes … and Fade to Black.
An exciting shoot out, dramatic reveals, unexpected (if slightly predictable) deaths. And one heckuva cliffhanger. Pretty excellent episode overall, and a great season capper. It also goes to show you don’t need a two hour season finale to end well (like some other shows I might name). Kudos to Castle for an overall very well done season. And Castle has indeed been renewed for a fourth season – so we’ll see you then!
Clacked by Guest Clacker
on May 17, 2011 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Wow. For a show that’s normally so light-hearted, this unexpectedly heavy season finale left me with my mouth hanging open. The captain’s dead, Beckett’s quite possibly dead (I mean, professional sniper, losing consciousness like that, it’s kind of unrealistic if she lives on), and Castle might very well be left alone (save for Ryan & Esposito) to solve the murder of the woman he finally admitted his love for. The status quo has officially been upset. Heck of a way to end the season.
Wow- What a crazy good episode! Of course Beckett is going to be ok, but I did not see that ending coming at all. It’s just an amazing show that gets better and better! I already can’t wait until Fall.
I had to run and look to see if Castle had been cancelled or renewed. Ending the series with Beckett fading after the sniper shot would have been a horrible ending to the show.
Great review of a shockingly unexpected series ending.
My wife says she faking the shooting and going undercover for a few episodes.