Castle Cliff Notes: The Last Seduction

Happy 1^st anniversary Caskett and happy Castle Monday to the fandom!  It’s been a long, interesting, and emotionally charged season so far (don’t believe me?  Check out social media) but I feel like this week we started to get back to the Castle we all fell in love with.  Sure, it wasn’t perfect but we finally got some Caskett happiness! Also, with a little bromance mixed in I found myself enjoying Castle a lot more this week than previous episodes. Oh, and there was a case too involving wealthy husbands/wives, a pick up artist and a divorce lawyer! And Castle was Espo and Ryan's "buffer" for therapy!  Most importantly though… Caskett!  (I was just a little excited)  So let’s get rolling with this week’s Caskett-y cliff notes!   

             

                       

3. Bromance

As much as I would have loved to make this countdown all Casketty, I couldn’t deny the bromance one spot! After a particularly tension filled episode for Espo and Ryan, Ryan ended up taking a bullet for Espo and saving his ass (which he had previously shot in case you somehow forgot that from last episode and all of Espo’s ranting).  They describe the event to Beckett and joke with each other like old times.  Beckett says she has to get going but checks one more time to see if they really want her to file their new partner requests.  Both Espo and Ryan agree they want to stay together.  They exchange mutual “if that’s cool with you” and Espo laughs saying “Bro you took a bullet for me.  You’ve got a wife, a pregnant wife at home you’ve got a little girl that depends on you yet you still...”  Espo hugs Ryan, and Ryan asks if he wants to come over and watch some UFC and eat tofu Jenny made.  Espo says “I like the sound of that… the UFC part.”  So I heavily debated between this moment and the opening therapist scene but I guess I was in a sappy mood because these two got me with their bro hug.  I couldn’t stand these two arguing because I love their partnership so much so I was really happy to see this resolved in one episode and not strung out.  Also, Espo realizing what Ryan put on the line for him was a sweet moment and I think sometimes as a viewer I forget about Ryan’s family and what his character has a stake when he’s in the field.  I was already having my own pity party over the Caskett “time out” and I definitely didn’t need to add the bromance to the list so happy to see these two back as partners who can cover each other’s asses in the field.    

  

2.  Time Outs

Castle, being Castle, has to go slightly over the top surprising Beckett for their anniversary.  He rigs confetti cannons, a banner, and a balloon in her office all set to go off with the push of a button.  The surprise doesn’t go exactly as planned, but the balloon does rise up with an invitation for Beckett to join Castle for an anniversary dinner.  Beckett, who can seem to stop smiling initially, tells Castle the gesture is sweet but she isn’t sure if it’s a good idea.  Castle explains they he knows they are on a “time out” but when it comes to their anniversary “I just can’t bear the thought of spending it without you.”  Beckett says the she is worried that it would be unfair “because no matter how great dinner would be I would still need out time out.”  Castle explains he isn’t trying to end the timeout and Beckett justifies it by calling it a “time out from our time out.”  I love Castle’s surprises for Beckett and I think his plan backfiring and only the balloon working actually worked in his favor.  Beckett couldn’t wipe the grin off her face and there was no way she was going to say no to Castle’s offer.  Also, I love how these two always find a way to break their own rules and barriers and agree to take a “time out from the time out” to give into what they really want to do. This may be one instance where a time out is actually a good thing! So happy to see a little Caskett magic back and it’s too bad they didn’t get to actually enjoy the dinner but I enjoyed the results… ;-)

                                                           

1. FINALLY

At the end of the episode, Beckett shows up at Castle’s loft with takeout to make up for their missed anniversary dinner.   As soon as she gets in the door Castle’s lip are on hers bringing back major “Always” feels.  Beckett enjoys the kiss at first but then pulls away questioning what the kiss means.  Castle confirms from their earlier discussion that “it’s just a time out from the time out” which seems to convince Beckett so Castle replies “so… time in?”  They continue to kiss which leads them to the bedroom for a Caskett sex scene.  Castle claims “that was even better than I remember” which I’m sure had the fandom going “FINALLY!”  Beckett changes the discussion and says  “Rick. When you were in that divorce lawyers office I was watching.  I know you were just playing a role but when she asked you if there was any hope for us and you didn’t say anything..”  She trails off, not sure what to think and Castle immediately puts her mind at ease saying “Kate. I have never given up hope. Not since the day we met and that will never change until you tell me it should.”  Kate smiles and says “don’t change. Ever.”  They continue holding their hands and share a sweet kiss.  Unfortunately, like most Caskett moments, this one came to an end as Beckett had to get back to work.  For obvious reasons this moment was a clear #1.  The beginning of this season was a long and difficult wait for Castle fans but we finally got some Caskett action!  I liked the throwback feels to “Always” with the style of the kiss and it was nice to still see the spark between these two.  One of the things I found the sweetest was the way the scene was shot where you saw their entwined hands with their wedding bands on signaling to me that they are going to continue to work this out. Sure the moment had to end like always but at this point I probably would have freaked out over a 1 second kiss because I was dying for some Caskett interaction.  Overall, I’m glad to see remnants of the old Caskett back and hope this is a sign of continued positivity in the show and the fandom.

YAY!  We finally got some Caskett joy back in our lives and hopefully this is a turning point for more!  Did you enjoy the Caskett anniversary and think maybe this season is starting to turn for the better? Join the discussion in the comments section below, tweet me @DenialLove or tweet us at @TwelfthPrecinct! 

             

Xo Always ~DenialLove

“Even on the worst days there’s a possibility for joy.”

Screencaps via: stana-katic.net