CASTLE “PhDead” Review: Castle Refuses to be Frozen Out

Castle’s Back on the Case, and on the Move

While fans are still split on whether the move to split TV’s happiest couple, while Beckett struggles with her need to hunt for Bracken’s mysterious CIA partner, I can’t deny the show feels like it’s been hit with a jolt of electricity. There was a kind of balance that didn’t seem to be lacking until it was found.

The dialogue crackled. The wider cast was put to great effect, with Ryan and Espo still playing the kids caught between Castle and Beckett’s Mom and Dad. Better still, Alexis has been let out of her almost prop-like box to come out and play as a real character again.

And Castle and Beckett? They aren’t solving the issue overnight, but finding their footing slowly. And that’s a bit angsty. In the meantime? The longing of the past meets up with a much more open affection, and a really nice bonus feature: Beckett voicing full on faith in Castle’s contributions to the team, however unexpected.

One last note: Castle’s disappearance has been mentioned in relation to Beckett’s actions on this case in every episode now. That can’t be a coincidence.

Overall, for this Castle fan, it was a solid hour of laughs, sniffles, love, and creepiness. And so, a pretty good hour of television.