Castle Review: XX (Season 8 Episode 2)

Things are not okay. Of all the directions Castle could have gone after the way it ended last season, this is definitely not what we expected.

On “XX,” we see what Beckett has been up to and we see her consumed once again by the mystery that surrounds her mother.

Season 8 has started with a tone that feels a bit off, and it’s lacking the lightheartedness that makes the show easy and fun to watch.

As much I think a break from form is important, I wish we had gotten more simple, slice of life kind of moments after the time jump. I was so looking forward to seeing Beckett establish herself as captain, and to find out how exactly she ended up in that position. Instead, we’re thrust into an intense storyline that has offered uncharacteristically bloody scenes and that ultimately ends in heartbreak.

That said, I still think we’re headed somewhere great.

Beckett’s obsession with her mother’s murder truly is a part of her, so I’m glad to see that story continue. It also makes sense to me that her obsession would affect her relationship with Castle, just as Bracken warned Castle it would in the previous episode. What’s been set up now is the opportunity for more character development and new dynamics, which is rarely a bad thing, right?

Beckett and Castle have also both found themselves interacting with new characters, which has potential for character development as well. We’re all resistant to change, but we wouldn’t keep watching if everything remained the same.

And as much as we want to see these Castle and Beckett be happy and just enjoy their lives together, they have to go through trials if the show is going to continue to last. I’m not saying I’m happy that Beckett chooses to leave, but I think it makes for a useful plot device. Besides, that scene is beautiful, no matter how heartbreaking it is.

It’s just too bad that the season started out this way. I think the audience still needed time to adjust after Castle’s disappearance and after his stint working as a P.I. rather than as Beckett’s partner. It’s disorienting to begin the season this way, and it seems like too much is missing.

The quirky, fun element may not be as prominent, but thankfully, it is still there. What better way to catch the bad guys than with secret rooms and guns that fly up out of desks? Yes, Richard Castle is very cool.

What did you thin of this episode of Castle? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Castle airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.