There are some ideas so genius for Castle I’m shocked
they’ve never done them before. Last night was one of them. I
mean, Castle and old action stars? It’s comedy gold. And
they delivered on it last night.
The victim last night was an action star best known for the Hard Kill series of action films. He’d
started acting after a stint in the Spanish version of the CIA. He’s
found strangled in the alley behind a theater showing the first two films in
the franchise. His soon to be ex-wife is in town filming an action
movie herself. They’d met on the set of Hard Kill, where she’d played an archeologist. And she’s
currently playing…an archeologist – a female Indiana Jones. And the
victim was in town to film a part in the third in a current film franchise that
was an obvious Castle world spoof on The Expendables.
The plot is kind of thin as I think about it. The
finger gets pointed at several people along the way, but the real fun was
watching Castle geek out and Beckett roll her eyes at what they see along the
way.
The victim had turned his life around from drugs after
defeating cancer. In fact, his sobriety is the reason that his
friend, the director of the film he was starring in, gave him a part. So
why was he asking the director’s son for information about a club known to sell
drugs? The victim had a secret meeting with his ex-wife, but that
was to get $200K. And he was attacked in that ally before he was
killed, but he fended off those attackers just like he would have in an action
movie. We also learn that his past was a fake. He was
really a goat herder before he became an action star.
Finally, they settle on the owner of a club as their prime
suspect. Why this owner and this club? The victim had
gone to see him right before he died. And they knew each other since
this club owner had played a drug dealer in the first Hard Kill movie. Now, the rumor is, he is selling drugs
out of his club, but no one can prove it. Beckett figures out that
the victim had left a bugged matchbox car in the owner’s office, but she can’t
get a warrant to get it. Lack of evidence.
That’s where the cast of the movie our victim was part of comes
into play. They recruit Castle and work their way into the office to
retrieve it. It’s not much of an action sequence really, but Castle
loves it. Beckett is not happy about the illegal way that he got the
evidence, but she listens to it and her eyes get wide. Time for a
new suspect.
And that suspect is the film director’s son. Turns
out, during his battle with cancer, the victim learned this young man was
actually his son. However, the son has an airtight alibi for the
time of the murder.
Because his mother is the actual killer. She knew
the victim was going to tell everyone the truth about his son, which would
destroy her 30 year marriage, so she killed him to keep the truth quiet.
But again, the joy of the episode was in Castle being a kid
in a candy shop as he looked at all the stuff happening around him and Beckett
not giving in to the glitz and glamor. It’s something they’ve done
before, but it is always fun, and it was again last night. I
especially got a kick out of Castle, himself a famous man, acting like his fans
do when he meets some of his idols. It’s endearing and funny.
There was also a sub-plot about Beckett moving out of her
apartment. Castle wasn’t sad to say goodbye to the place, but
Beckett was and his attitude upset her until Lanie pointed out that the place
meant more to Beckett than to Castle.
Honestly, I’m not sure I have much more to say. Delightfully
fun just about sums it up, and I think I’ve gushed enough along those lines.
Next week, we’ve got another Christmas episode before we
head into a four week break. See you then, but in the meantime, let
me know your thoughts about this episode.
I thought it was a very fun episode. Got a kick out of how thrilled Castle was to learn the action star reads his novels in the john!! LOL The scenes where they go to get the slot car were done so well - just like the action movie with the explanation and the multiple shots. Castle freaking out under the desk was a delight.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure who did it but sensed it had to be a woman based on the person leaving the scene of the crime - just the build and the way they ran.
Looking forward to a Christmas themed episode :)
So many fun little moments in the episode to be sure.
Delete