'Castle' Review/Recap: "Clear & Present Danger"
Devika Syal ‘18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
While the show is different from other detective shows on air in that it skillfully ties in the aspect of humor into Castle’s character and includes outlandish scenarios, it’s still a cop show at its core. Therefore, the end of every episode has a very plausible solution to each murder. Because of this, supernatural-themed episodes of Castle seem like a waste at this point. Sure, they bring audience members to the edge of their seats, hoping that this could be the episode where things really are out of the ordinary, however this is usually not the case. It provides the excitement and mystery, however viewers ultimately do know how it is going to end.
A pool hustler has been killed by an unknown force, initially believed by Castle to be the devil. However more prompting leads him to believe it is an invisible man. A series of information leads Castle and Beckett (Stana Katic) to learn that the victim was working in a secret scientific lab trying to create an invisibility suit. It turns out that he was using his ex-girlfriend’s knowledge of marine biology to help further his research. When he didn’t actually want to commit to the relationship, she got revenge by murdering him wearing the invisibility suit he created.
While the premise of the episode was a slightly faulty supernatural mystery, the real promise came from the characters. Last week showed a slightly frazzled Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) who had been expressing financial worries ever since the birth of his daughter. When Ryan enters the office smelling like alcohol, it led to the split-second worry among viewers that Ryan’s stress has led him to alcoholism. Thankfully, the show brings back the humor when it is revealed that he is simply a bouncer at a male strip club, prompting best friend and partner Esposito (Jon Huertas) to buy him some very tiny underwear.
Fans of Castle’s and Beckett’s relationship, “Caskett,” were also pleasantly surprised as the couple’s relationship has started normalizing after the traumatizing past two months. Beckett is even able to make a joke about it! The pair’s antics as they try to get back to the bedroom are classy and sweet rather than desperate and raunchy. It went to show that after everything the couple has been through, not just recently but in the span of the show, they truly do belong together.
Overall, Monday’s Castle was solid. This is a show that does not disappoint. However, now that the show has moved on from Castle’s kidnapping storyline for a bit, hopefully next week’s episode will show things getting back to normal, without invisible people. Just a good, clean murder!
Overall Episode Grade: B