This is what Castle does so well: it visualizes the act of writing, in television-friendly, crimefighty form. Light and decidedly un-highbrow as Castle is, this is what makes it different, and I would argue better, than most of the other mystery shows out there.
But back to the show. Beckett is Super Advice Girl, and Castle goes on a long tirade about the importance of the superhero psychology, of heroes and dark sides (leaving open plenty of opportunities for puns in the Castle style). Beckett is once again perfect: tall, gorgeous, brilliant, witty, sharp, AND a geek. Naturally, she can go toe-to-toe with Castle on the superhero front, because she is perfect.
So, Beckett and Castle are hot on the trail and head into a comic book store and THIS IS THE SOUND YOU HEAR ME MAKING.
Because now, just like last week, we are treated to an in-show nod to the real-world-publication of the Derrick Storm graphic novel. Once, in the season premiere? OK, I’ll overlook it. Again, the next week? GUYS! You have a WHOLE SEASON to hawk your goods. You didn’t have to build a whole episode around it! (Though, at least it’s on-topic. At least it’s Castle stuff. It’s not like you’re Bones, talking about the brilliant safety features of a Prius as you drive down a country lane. I wish I was joking. More on that in another article.)
There is, however, at least one reason, plot-wise, to be in the shop, and we find out that someone has been Peter Parkering it up with some homemade tailoring and homespun vengeance.
Suspect #1 has an L carved into his butt courtesy the masked Lone Avenger, who seems to be the murderer. Suspect #2 is a total nerdface and not really in the Nerdfighter way, but more of the Special School for the Socially Awkward way. Suspect #3 is the mildmannered reporter who seems more Clark Kent than Green Hornet or, whatever, I am not really good at comic book lore, so fill in some sort of good metaphor here.
But for all the verbal sparring and geek cred and nods to Stan Lee, the nerdiest of moments happened when we found out the identity of the masked crusader (and Suspect #4): an unmasking! An honest-to-god take-off-your-mask moment, and it happens (to a big, shocking reveal, albeit of someone we’ve seen like once, but whatever! UNMASKING!). For all my Not Knowing about comic books I DO know that the big unmasking is a big big deal. Very meta. Very cool. Very nerd.
And then of course there’s the twist. Suspect #4 is actually a promising female cop, a very pretty one that Beckett immediately starts to mentor (with very ARE YOU KIDDING ME dialogue about letting go of your past – yeah, nice swerve away from the mirror, there, bigshot), a bit of a vigilante with a boyfriend ready to go to jail for life to protect her. (Girl, where did you find him, and slip me the address?) And because she’s so goshdarned earnest, we believe her when she says there’s yet ANOTHER copycat Lone Avenger running around in tights.
Anyway, it turns out Suspect #1, with the L carved into his butt, was our guy, and we get to watch Blondie McAwesomeCop smooch the smooch of Righteous Liberation as she descends in the elevator. This girl is just too influential. Series addition? Occasional guest foil?
Not the best episode of Castle, but not the worst, either. Lots of meta cred, lots of romantic sparkage, too little awareness of all the Big Things That Happened To Them Over the Summer.
Grade: B
[itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chickenfoot-iii/id460334775" title="Linkity Link"]YO[/itunes]
What did you think? Will Castle and Beckett ever suck it up and suck face (I said suck face twice now – no, three times – in one article. Nerd score)? Were you SO SHOCKED that Alexis saw the error of her ways and had decided to take her own classes by episode’s end (I was! I thought she was headed to a life of identityless crime! Shame.) Will Castle’s mother ever stop being wacky, that card?
