The moment Richard Castle and Kate Beckett first met on our tv screens during the midseason premiere of “Castle” in 2009, viewers were captivated. Granted, the audience was a lot smaller than what the show currently has. The chemistry between the leads Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic was palpable. In fact, four seasons in, I believe the duo has some of the best chemistry on television right now.
Their will they/won’t they relationship (which is really more of a they will, but when?) adds to the show’s charm, entertainment, and fun factor. It’s certainly one of most prominent features of the show. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it.
However, in recent months (starting around midway through the third season), I’ve noticed that as the the number of fans increased, the number of “Caskett” fans has grown at an alarming rate as well. Which, to be fair, is understandable. It’s the behaviour of these fans that’s alarming.
It seems that most fans only care about the Castle/Beckett relationship. A ton can happen in one episode, but they’ll take the scene (often one of the very last) that especially plays up their flirtation and focus on only that scene. Whether the duo is reading suspect love letters aloud, or comparing themselves to a couple that then proceeds to make out, those deeply invested in the fandom will lock that scene away in their minds and obsess over it for the next week. Anything else that happened during that hour comes second; often forgotten.
Now, within many TV fandoms, the argument “You’re watching the show WRONG,” comes up when people can’t agree on something. I think this argument is absolutely ridiculous, and not even valid. The wonderful thing about TV shows (or movies, or books) is that they’re open to interpretation. Everyone will take away something different from any given show. Different opinions and ideas will be formed. And I hate sounding hypocritical, but when it comes to “Castle,” I can’t help but wonder if people are, in fact, watching the show wrong.
There is no denying that the romance is a central part of the show. Castle and Beckett’s will they/won’t they tension is always present, whether it’s in the background or foreground. It’s impossible to ignore, and an easy aspect to connect to. Once a week, we see what could potentially be a great romance play out in front of our eyes. But, Castle isn’t solely a romance show. To me, it’s so much more.
First, there’s the writing, which may not be the best on TV, but so what? The cases of the week are often (but not always) predictable. However, it’s fun, smart, and most importantly, good. Without good writing, any show would fall apart. You can have fantastic actors (which “Castle” definitely has), but that would mean nothing without good writing. The cast could have the best chemistry on the world, but without solid writing it would be meaning less.
So, “Castle” has the fundamentals, but that doesn’t explain what this show truly is, but these basics, are of course, essential to the show.
“Castle” is many things, and it’s especially character driven. It’s show about defeating demons, good conquering evil, finding (and holding onto) the fun in what you love, love, relationships, and the bonds people form. “Castle” is a show about family before anything else, at least that’s how I interpret it. And I don’t mean family in a conventional sense. My favourite thing about this show has been watching Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito’s group dynamic change over time. From the very first episode up until this point they’ve all grown a lot, and in turn, they’ve become a family.
Sometimes, the family’s divided. For example, the boys were mad at Castle in the season three premiere. They froze him out, treated him harshly. And not because they liked doing it, but because they wanted to protect Beckett. Essentially, they view each other as siblings.
Most of the time, though, the four are a strong, united front. Each able to tell what the others are thinking, what they need, what they want, and what’s best for them—even if it’s something they deny. Each of the four would willingly lie to protect one of the others; would willing risk their lives for them. They would even die to save one of the team.
The episodes focusing on the Johanna Beckett case, for example, are the perfect examples of this familial bond that has formed. Knockout (which is also arguably the best episode of “Castle” ever, but that’s for another time), in particular, may be the finest example of this.
Even this week’s episode (4×04, Kick the Ballistics), is another great illustration of this as well. The long awaited Ryan-centric episode really played up the group dynamic, and it was really well done.
But this bond, this group dynamic, is something that is always there. It’s just a lot more subtle than the Castle and Beckett tension. It is more often in the background than the foreground. It takes more effort to pick up on and think about a lot of the time. It’s not as exhilarating, or exciting, so people pay less attention to it.
Which, quite frankly, is their loss. A lot of procedurals try to create such a dynamic, but there’s just something really special about the way it’s done on “Castle.”
“Castle” is a great show, that features an enthralling central relationship. Castle and Beckett’s tension is a major, if not the biggest, driving force on the show. The writers themselves have recognized this. That being said, that’s not all that there is. This driving force leads to even better things, primarily that familial bond in the precinct.
“Castle” is so much more than that tension, though, which is something people seem to ignore or miss. And that is a shame.
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