Musing Mary Ann

ABC’s “Castle” – Muse and Murder January 13, 2010

Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion of ABC’s “Castle”

Edging over to the lighter side today to talk about one of the best TV shows to come along in a long time, “Castle” on ABC.   Now in its second season, “Castle” follows the exploits of a New York City homicide detective Kate Beckett who, due to the Mayor’s friendship with crime novelist Ricard Castle, is saddled with said writer as a long-term drive-along.   Being a writer, I liked the idea of a writer tagging along with a homicide detective and the potential for the comedic collision of a charismatic novelist with a by-the-book detective.

As with most crime shows that have stood the test of time, “Castle” is more character-driven than plot-driven.   Taking a look back at “Homicide: Life on the Streets” and other classics such as “Magnum, P.I.” and even more contemporary shows like “NCIS” and “CSI: NY” the web of solving the case at hand takes a backseat to what we learn about the characters along the way.  The character of Kate Beckett is rather secretive as the onset and the interaction that is woven between she and Castle is what makes the show.

Initially there is some negativity as Beckett resents having to babysit the well-known playboy yet interestingly enough, as time passes she realizes that his knowledge of crime scenes, his personal connections and his often smarmy charm serve them both well when attempting to solve a murder.   As the second season develops they begin to interact socially more frequently and it appears, based on last night’s teaser for next week’s episode, they are going to be working closely together on an assignment that Beckett considers to be the most important of her career.