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Friday 25 May 2012

Castle - 1.10: "A Death in the Family" Review


Castle looks into the murder of Beckett's mother, even after she warns him against this, whilst they investigate the death of a plastic surgeon. Alexis goes out on her first date.

A DB is towed away in a car.   Castle (Nathan Fillion) asks a reknown forensic pathologist, Clark Murray (Robert Picardo) to look into the death of Beckett's (Stana Katic) mother.   He comments Castle usually contacts him to ask about a head in a microwave.   It's a ten year old cold case.   Martha (Susan Sullivan) asks what 'Dr Death' was doing here.   Beckett doesn't know what he's doing and Martha tells him to drop it as it's Beckett's private business.   Castle tells her there's no reason to say anything until he knows something for certain.   It's not like he's snooping in her underwear drawer.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) announces she's going to the Prom with Owen.  Castle hasn't even met him yet.

Beckett refuses to do a background check on Owen for Castle.   Ryan (Seamus Dever) claims he should be more worried that Owen is a teenage boy.   Esposito (Jon Huertas) wouldn't let his daughter out of the house.   Castle wonders why no one noticed the car had 6 parking tickets, or looked inside.   Hey no one even stole the car either.   Castle notices the plastic bag and duct tape used to kill the Vic.   Which Beckett says makes the killing personal.   Lanie (Tamala Jones) finds his finger nails were removed and his fingers were broken premortum.   The DB, Dr Leeds had a fiance, Courtney (Carrie Southworth) who he was meant to meet to sample cakes.   Ryan says there aren't any security cameras on the street.  His office was mid-town so what was he doing in Harlem.   Castle thinks he might have secrets his fiance didn't know about, like being involved in black market organ harvesting, which is a great idea so he has to write it down.

Castle asks Beckett if she's thought about re-opening he mother's case.   They can work together on it, he has resources.  Beckett threatens to send Castle packing if he does that.   She memorized every line in the file and worked on it all her free time for 3 years.   Spending a year in therapy.   She had to let it go.   At the Doctor's office, Beckett asks what it is with men and boobs.  Castle replies it's biological, they can't help it.   Beckett comments even if they're not real.   Castle: "Santa's not real - we still like opening his presents."  But they're not from Santa.   Got my suspect here, as soon as they got to the staff.   They think of Jacey Goldberg (Delane matthews) a patient who had 3 facelifts and sued Dr Leeds.   She was committed for psych treatment and Dr Leeds testified.  Look at Maggie casually standing by and not saying anything.

Esposito wonders how anyone can do that to themselves, when looking at Jacey.   Castle thinks she's escaped from the Island of Doctor Moreau.   Ryan's got Castle's book again.   Castle makes pouty lips when he sits in on the interview.   Castle: "Well if you wanted the surgery so badly, why didn't you see another lips...lip doctor?"  Her alibi checks out, she was having surgery.   Captain Montgomery (Reuben Santiago-Hudson) asks what else she had left to have surgery on.  Beckett replies they can do plenty 'down there'.   A surgeon with broken fingers means someone's sending a message.

Alexis goes dress hunting and tries on a pink number that looked straight out of Beckett's closet.  Castle is upset Martha's trying to give Alexis "body image issues," which Martha says everyone has.  Castle recalls Alexis looked beautiful in a pink tutu and tiara.  No wonder he said she looked good in that awful pink dress.  Esposito and Ryan check out Leed's office, he didn't even have any porn on his computer, an oft used line in this show; and Ryan notices the wedding file contained patient records.   The nurse doesn't know about his secret.   He didn't use regulars for a nine hour operation.   Castle mentions one place where you can get info from is the billing department of a hospital.

Castle is going home to a long-standing tradition of torturing the boyfriend.   Ryan recalls at his Prom, the girls' father checked his wallet for condoms and showed him his gun collection.   Esposito locates the wire transfer to pay for the operation was from the US Attorney's office.   Beckett says the operation was to change soemone's ID.   He had to be in witness protection.   Castle and Beckett pay a call on 'Hard Candy', Candace (Ion Overman).   When they don't get any answers from her, Castle suggests they ask the other side, they should know who was out to kill Leeds.   Beckett asks if this is a Mamet play.   He forgets she reads plays.   Castle knows a capo with one of the families, who owes him a favour.   Sal (Robert Costanzo) tells him, Jimmy 'the Rat' (Joe Martinelli) turned state's evidence on the Spolano family.   Castle reminds him of his novel, Storm Warning, where the hitman had a signature style.   That's something Sal says Jimmy would know.

Beckett thinks they should talk to Will (Bailey Chase).   Castle: "tall, brooding and judgemental." Castle's not the one he's trying to get back together with.   She takes Will a donut with sprinkles.   Beckett says he should think of the doctor that was killed cos of them and give her the info for him, not for her.   Castle dresses in a bloody coat with severed head in hand.   Martha and Alexis want him to put it away.   Martha comments at least one child has grown up, meaning Alexis.   Castle does an imitation of Chris Walken, which Beckett doesn't recognize when she calls him to tell him about the meet with Jimmy.   Where was Beckett taking her files and bag, she doesn't need those.   Castle refers to the garage meeting as being cliched, and how the car will be a black suburban with tinted windows.   Someone's been watching too many Bruckheimer films.   The bag over the head is Jimmy's MO so someone's sending him a message.

Castle informs the others cos of them, Jimmy refuses to testify.   Captain tells Beckett the van was fired on and Will's in hospital.  Esposito says they used Teflon rounds which went through the door.   They were followed.  Beckett: "If I were a better cop..." she'd have known.   Oh finally, she admits she's not  a good cop.    Castle tells her she cares and never gives up, that's cos she has his help now and has to follow the leads he provides her with!  Castle waits up for Alexis and tells her he won't be doing that for much longer and if a gold digger steals his money, then he'll come and live with her.  

Beckett's been at work since 4 and called the others in at 6.   After what Castle said to reassure her, he didn't want her going all Beautiful Mind on him.   Out of all the  staff, Mario  was the last one to join the office.   He was working late at the office, Julia was alone and Maggie started work there a few months ago.  Maggie, I got her as soon as they showed her in the beginning, stole someone else's ID.   They arrive at the hospital before her, while she attempts to kill Jimmy.   Castle tells her they knew she was coming.

Maggie turns state's evidence too.   Beckett tells the Captain, "I don't think I could have done it without Castle," finally another admission from her she can't do her job without his help.  Murray gives Castle the results of his analysis and that her mother was stabbed and the knife was twisted.   The other marks were just for show.   This wasn't random and not an isolated incident.  Martha tells him he has to let Beckett know even if he doesn't work with ehr anymore (yeah that'll happen.) Castle tells them he's on the last chapter of his book and Will lets Beckett know that Castle likes her.   He's meant to tell Beckett about her mother, but seeing as this is the final episode of season 1, that'll have to wait for season 2.   Unless you've already seen season 2 and were watching repeats here, like many were.   Or if you can't wait, you can always read up on it, watch the DVD.

Beckett gets to say what I've been saying all along, that she's not that good a cop and she needs Castle's help!  Will getting shot was obvious and again Beckett couldn't tell on their way there whether they were being followed or not and didn't take any precautions for this eventuality.   She told Will they were responsible for getting the doctor killed, but she was responsible for getting them both shot.   Castle has been investigating Beckett's mother's case, as we know, but it's only mentioned here again since it'll be continued over as a cliff hanger.  

Beckett was naive, thinking he wouldn't look into it just cos she told him to back off, he doesn't listen to her and she knows that.   Also after saying she couldn't have done it without Castle, she refuses to let him help with her mother's case, is it out of guilt, embarrassment she didn't get anywhere with it, or just that she doesn't want to be indebted to him, as she knows he's more than capable of getting to the truth and solving the case; something she couldn't do and had to let it go for her sanity.   Others would have persisted until they made a breakthrough  and not think about themselves.

The title could be a reference to the family as in mob family or refer to Beckett and her mother.

In 1.20 Red Sauce episode of The Mentalist, the team investigate the mob style killing of a man in witness protection.   Patrick (Simon Baker) tells Lisbon (Robin Tunney) not to be grumpy.   The interrogation of Jacey reminded me of the season 2 episode of CSI:NY, Grand Murder at Central Station, which involved the death of a plastic surgeon.   His patients were suing him for surgery gone wrong.   One patient they come across resembled a cat.   The patient asks Flack (Eddie Cahill) what type of animal she resembles and he replies without hesitation.   He even tells one woman who has over-botoxed lips, that she's "got something to smile about," that she's going free.   Here Castle can't resist bringing up Jacey's lips and the expression on his face says it all.  Whilst he's happy for other women to have their surgery for boobs etc, he doesn't want that for Alexis.

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