Castle Review: Episode 4.20 "The Dead Pool"

ABC

Today is not a good day to cancel Castle.

It was another "carrot" episode on Castle this week, which is both great, and horrible. For those of you who have never seen an 80's style workout montage, using a carrot basically means to tempt someone with something. In our case, it the continuation of the will they, won't they of the leads, Richard Castle and Detective Beckett.

And you know what, I did it.

This is why I watch this show. Every week I tune in and couldn't care less about the murder of the week, I want to see the chemistry between Castle and Beckett and that I just hope will be resolved, even if I know it won't this week.

As Jeramy pointed out in his last post, the two of us know a little something about TV, and one of the things we know is that you do not do anything as major as resolving romantic tension in mid-April. Now this time next month during May sweeps, the expectation will change, but not now.

So for what it was, a carrot episode, it was very good. The central story this week centered around the murder of an ascending young swimmer. Everything about this story put me to sleep. This felt like something I could have seen in any one of millions of CSI clones that have come and gone over the last several years. I expect more zany stories from Castle.

Fortunately, the B story of Castle mentoring a young writer, whom Beckett ends up having great chemistry with, is good fun. The resolution feels rushed, but it is sweet enough to keep that us chasing the carrot.

Overall, it was a rather disappointing episode of a usually great show. Even more disappointing is the fact that the show will be preempted over the next several weeks for Royal Wedding coverage.

I will not be reviewing that, but give me Stana Katic over Kate Middleton.

-Blake

(For those of you looking for a star rating, thumps up, or any other ridiculous way of quantifying my thoughts, you won't find one. I don't believe in giving arbitrary ratings on singular episodes. Don't be lazy and infer my rating based on the above thoughts. Critical thinking people, let's be grown ups.)

What is and What Should Never Be

That sound you hear is John Lennon
rolling over in his grave

I echo all the crap my esteemed colleague Blaken Cheeseburger said below. Though, I'd like to make my own claim... a pair of claims, actually. It's not just our professions, but our love of the medium as an art form that makes us qualified. Plus, we're pretty smart. And we own this here blog what you're reading now.

Secondly, it's my opinion that we're currently going through a TV renaissance of sorts. Who wouldn't want to start a venture like this in the midst of such a high point? Rolling Stone did it, and aside from their latest cover, they're doing pretty well. That being said... seriously, Rolling Stone? Snooki? Did Amy Winehouse have an appointment at the VD clinic or are you just filling your yearly goblin quota?

On to the "highly unoriginal questionnaire format:"

What are your favorite genres?
What a great "highly unoriginal" question! My favorite TV genre would have to be drama, though I find myself watching more "sitcom" style shows. I can't say that I like sitcoms as a genre due to the overwhelming number of terrible sitcoms currently on TV (Mike and Molly, Big Bang Theory, Outsourced, Shit My Dad Says, Rules of Engagement, e.t.c.) but, when done correctly, sitcoms can be incredible. Good and bad examples exist for most every other genre and I calls 'em likes I sees 'em.

What are your favorite shows on TV right now?

I'm way better than Blake at choosing images. (NBC)

 1. Community (NBC)
 2. Archer (FX)
 3. Leverage (TNT)
 4. Wipeout (ABC)
 5. The Glades (FX)
 6. Walking Dead (AMC)
 7. Castle (ABC)
 8. Storage Wars (A&E)
 9. Parks and Rec (NBC)
10. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
11. Burn Notice (USA)
12. Psych (USA)
13. Glee (FOX)

Note: Community, Archer, and Leverage are tied for first. I don't know if Walking Dead is appropriate since it won't be back on for what seems like a year. Glee is at the bottom of the list because I loved the first season but was pretty lukewarm (at best) on this most recent season... I may stop watching it when it returns if they haven't gotten their act together.


The best show of all time is...

Bullwinkle Studios

... The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Period. There's never been a funnier show on television. People acted so astounded when Shrek was in theaters... as if Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy invented creating a children's movie that is just as funny to adults. Rocky and Bullwinkle were doing it (better) in 1959. Not only did you have Rocket J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader, but you also got to see Dudley Do Right, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, various Fractured Fairy Tales, and more. It, in my mind, is one of the very few perfect TV shows ever broadcast (another being All in the Family).

Anything else you would like to tell the people?
Well, I greatly enjoyed this questionnaire format and wish there were more questions for me to answer. Such as... worst TV shows ever[1]? Oh, the paragraph I could write. Perhaps we'll get to that another time.


-Jeramy


(P.S. - I'm going to actively try to cut down on the cursing in this blog at my partner's request, though I refuse to censor bad words as they appear in quotes or titles.)


1. For the record, the worst TV show ever would have to be COPS. Not because it's a bad show (it's actually a very good show), but because it showed executives that you could make a ton of money with very little effort if only you'd put terrible people on TV... a system I like to call the "Trainwreck Syndrome". COPS was the only show to do it right... these terrible people were getting arrested. Now they're being lauded as pop culture icons and being showered with undeserved money. COPS is the worst show ever in the same way Hitler's mom was the worst mother ever.

Introduction to Collegiate Studies

20th Century Fox

Stop me if you've heard this one before, two work friends decide to make a blog. Pretty common theme, and also the start of our story. Fortunately for you readers, me and my coworker do not push paper for a living, so you will not be reading about the latest in stapler technology. Nope, we work in TV, and as such will painstakingly give you the benefit of our knowledge.

Or something like that.

The other guy will introduce himself a little later, but since I have the rather auspicious task of being the first, you have to learn about me now. And given the convention that there are very few original ideas on TV right now, I will do so in a highly unoriginal questionnaire format. Yep, this is happening.

What are your favorite genres?
Wow, what a great question, no one. My favorite TV genre is by far the sitcom. Be it single camera or multi camera, I love them. I also really enjoy well done American animation, but the farther removed from the 90's we get, the less likely that I will like it. Finally, although it is not the focus of this blog, I am a horribly cruel sports TV critic.

What are your favorite shows on TV right now?
I think this is a great place for a list!

NBC

1. Community (NBC)
2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
3. The Office (NBC)
4. Castle (ABC)
5. The Mentalist (CBS)

The best show of all time is . . .

ABC

. . . Coach. Was it the most influential show in the history of tv? No. Did it have its flaws? Of course it did. However, the combination of college football, Craig T. Nelson, Bill Fagerbaake, and Jerry Van Dyke was comedy gold. This was a show that never extremely popular, but it did have its heyday around the time I was growing up, so it was the first real hit in my eyes. And what can I say, you always remember your first. The first six seasons were some of the most consistently funny TV, that I have ever seen. Of particular standout was the season 2 episode "Homewreckers" where Hayden (Fox) and Luther (Van Dyke) essentially destroy the typical late 80's white carpeted apartment with grape juice.

Honorable Mentions to Avatar: The Last Airbender and pretty much any
show on ABC's TGIF in the 90's, such as Boy Meets World, Family Matters, Step by Step, and just the whole TGIF set up, which I feel was way ahead of its time in its program within a program format.

Anything else you would like to tell the people?
Nope, I'm pretty sick of talking in such a silly format.
In case you haven't been able to tell, I am not a huge fan of introduction posts, you will learn the most about me by reading my posts everyday.
And you will learn very soon as I debut the first Destined to be Cancelled feature tomorrow and look for my Castle and Mad Love reviews later this evening.
Until then, enjoy a great Monday night of TV.

Sebo