- Release Date: September 22, 2009
- Publisher: ABC Studios
- Price: $27.99 on Amazon.com
- Rating: TV PG (DLSV)
- Run Time: 430 minutes
- Special Features: “Misdemeanors: Bloopers & Outtakes,” “Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle,” “Write-Along with Nathan Fillion,” “Castle’s Godfather,” Commentaries
- Starring: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Molly Quinn, Susan Sullivan, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Seamus Dever, Tamala Jones, Jon Huertas
- Genre: Crime Drama
As a Browncoat (a huge “Firefly” and “Serenity” fan for those who don’t know the term), I actually looked forward to this crime drama before it aired. You probably know that I am not usually a fan of procedurals so that is quite an accomplishment for “Castle.” After watching the first season, this show quickly became one of my five favorite crime dramas thanks mainly to Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, and the show’s humor.
The Plot: After a murderer starts copying the murders depicted in his books, world-famous crime novelist Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) is enlisted by the NYPD to catch the killer. He quickly finds inspiration for his next book when he is paired with the very attractive Detective Beckett (Stana Katic) and tags along on future investigations for research.
Positives: “Monk” and “Psych” are my two favorite procedurals because of two reasons. First, they have very interesting and fairly original characters. Secondly, they mix in a lot of humor to go with the case solving. “Castle” feels a lot like both of those shows because it has both of those elements. Nathan Fillion is good in everything he does and he makes Rick Castle one of the most entertaining crime drama characters I’ve seen in a long time. Stana Katic is a perfect choice as the other lead.
The main reason I think most CBS crime dramas are average is because they take themselves too seriously and don’t provide any humor at all. Luckily, “Castle” has more than enough humor to hold my interest. I wouldn’t rank it as highly as “Monk” and “Psych” but it’s close enough that I would definitely recommend it for fans of those shows.
Negatives: Like most crime dramas, a lot of the cases on “Castle” are rehashes of the same old stories you’ve seen on countless other procedurals. I would say “Castle’s” are slightly more original but there are a few that I’ve seen before. Also like all procedurals, there is limited character and story development so if you can’t stand shows that basically operate week-to-week, this one might not be for you.
Video and Audio Quality: “Castle” just started airing early this year so it isn’t much of a surprise that the quality of both the video and audio is quite high. The transfers are clear, colorful, and very impressive. The audio is clear and very crisp.
Bonus Features:
- 3 Audio Commentaries-Entertaining to listen to but not the most informative commentaries I’ve ever heard.
- “Misdemeanors: Bloopers & Outtakes”-Pretty much your typical blooper reel but this one is actually somewhat funny.
- “Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle”-A 6-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. Pretty standard stuff but probably worth watching.
- “Write-Along with Nathan Fillion”-A unique featurette that finds Nathan Fillion shadowing an actual mystery writer. The best bonus feature on the set.
- “Castle’s Godfather”-Producers Rob Bowman and Andrew Marlowe talk about how Stephen J. Cannell inspired the show.
Recommendations: Crime drama fans should definitely enjoy “Castle,” especially if you like procedurals with a little more comedy than usual. The show is very similar to “Monk” and “Psych” so if you like those shows, do yourself a favor and check this show out. Recommended.
