Mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is blocked for ideas when the New York City police request his help. Murders have been staged to mirror those in his books, and Castle is paired with Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to investigate. After the success of that case, Castle decides Beckett is the perfect model for a lead character for his new series of novels. Reluctantly, she allows Castle to tag along on investigations and their bickering only increases the sexual tension between them as time progresses.

CRITIQUE

On television, many things stay the same. Though they may now have to share more and more air time with the reality genre, scripted shows still often focus on the inner workings of certain professions, like cops and doctors. A combination of police procedural and bantering romance is the trademark of Castle, which entertains in its first season despite being a little overly arch in its tone.

The first thing to be commended about this show is the cast. As he also proved on the unjustly-cancelled stellar Joss Whedon series Firefly (a personal favorite of mine), Nathan Fillion is a performer of copious charm but also disarmingly sneaky skill. He gets you caught up in the strength of his expression before you even realize it, and this is a happy circumstance for the viewer on a show like this.

Stana Katic is also more than adequate both as a lead actor, allowing Beckett to be focused on her job with no apologies, and as a partner for Fillion, sparking off him enough for the audience to want them together. Though Bones, a similar series in many ways, does this sort of pairing and does it a bit better, there is still plenty of entertainment from this aspect of Castle. I also enjoy the supporting players, such as Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas as cops who work with Beckett. And, of course, Susan Sullivan is always a treat.

In the area of plot and scripting, there is a definite formula to this series that limits its originality. The dialogue can snap every so often, though, and the cases covered each week catch the viewer’s interest enough to engage for an hour. There is a sort of comfort to be had in the fact that it is established early on that there will come a moment when Castle has a brain wave and figures out the case in every episode. It eases the disbelief that a novelist would be allowed this level of involvement in police work. The chemistry between the lead actors and the extended plotline about the murder of Beckett’s mother are enough to leave the audience wanting to see season two.

Castle has a first season of predictable formula but also wonderful performances and a nice mix of romance and crime-solving.

THE VIDEO

Castle is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The saturated, brightly-lit visuals are transferred quite well.

THE AUDIO

Castle is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround that delivers an excellent audio track. There are no other language tracks; however episodes have French and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

Misdemeanors: Bloopers and Outtakes: Brief but quite funny, this gag reel shows many actors on set and having fun, though lines are blown and jokes are made. Worth one watch.

Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle: All the actors and creator/writer Marlowe give fun interviews that make up most of this making-of doc. Though it’s filler, the personalities of the actors (particularly Fillion) is enough to make this short bit entertaining. I like when Fillion talks about his on-screen daughter, saying she is so intelligent she will ”kill you.”

Write-Along with Nathan Fillion: Shot in a sort-of mockumentary style, this extra follows Fillion as he spends a day with Steven J. Cannell, a mystery writer who began writing and producing for television decades ago. There are hilarious moments here, mostly due to Fillion’s gift for comedy. I love the bit at the end that spoofs Cannell’s famous logo.

Castle’s Godfather: Television legend Steven J. Cannell is the focus of this brief set of interviews with Cannell, creator Marlowe, and director Rob Bowman. The history between Cannell and Bowman is very cool and nostalgically recounted by the two, while the three men clearly have a productive working relationship.

Audio Commentary on 3 Episodes: Tracks for the pilot, episode 5, and the finale all get commentaries from creator/executive producer Marlowe, executive producer (and sometime director) Bowman, and actors Fillion, Katic, Molly Quinn, and Jon Huertas. The finale also gets a separate track from Huertas and actor Seamus Dever. There is clearly a lot of fun to be had on set, and there are plenty of discussion among them about the characters and the emotional impact of certain scenes. This is especially true for episode 5 and the finale, as they contain central moments dealing with Beckett’s mother’s murder. There’s a cute moment in the pilot where we see exactly how scenes shot in New York and Los Angeles were edited together into one coherent scene. These tracks are worth listening to at least once.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The first season of Castle benefits mightily from its talented cast, who bring to life the bickering romance and police procedural in an entertaining way. There is a definite formula to the show, but it is one that charms the audience anyway. This 3-disc set will be a must-own for fans of mystery on television, and fans of Fillion as well. Many will enjoy watching Castle and Beckett solve cases and get on each other’s case!