ACF said:

Josh seemed to be the perfect-on-paper boyfriend.  He was the ideal that Beckett found while nursing her bruised ego and possible broken heart.  I don't think she was really in love with Castle back then but she was going to put herself out there and the circumstances (her seemingly being happy with Demming and Castle's own ego/loneliness) made for a bad ending to the season for us and for *both* of them.  So she went for another one of her superficial relationships, of which I think she probably had a few over the years.  It put salve on her wounds and bonus! kept Castle at arms length.  I don't think she wanted to flaunt Josh in front of anyone but the woman looking at her in the mirror every day.  When Castle brought him up, he was jealous and Beckett being Beckett and needing that extra bit of salve to her own choices, rubbed in the differences, as much I think to needle Castle as to convince herself that it was the right choice. But she really had no way of finding out if he was any more than an impressive credential wrapped in a nice package because (knowingly or unknowingly) she chose to enter a relationship with a man who was as busy and committed to other things as she was, who put her second as she put him second.

I think Will was probably the same kind of relationship.  He (and Demming and Josh) were the guys she should be attracted to in a world where everything works out the way it does in the romance novels.  All square-jawed, man's men, committed to justice/ helping the downtroddened, blah blah… boring to my mind.  One other thing they have in common – none of them really got to know her, the Kate she kept hidden, *and* also challenged her to be more for her partner – not second but first.  It's ironic ( I hope I'm using that correctly) that the man with the two failed marriages has challenged her to attempt the most grown-up of all her relationships (that we know of) so far.

So now we have to think why Castle was able to get to her, into her mind and (later on) into her heart that easily?

Was it because he was a "not-so-perfect-guy-on-a-first-look"? With what exactly did he impress her that deep? What made her realize that she wasn`t up to "perfect-on-paper"-guys? What was she missing in her relationships that she wanted now? What made her realize that she wouldn`t settle down with such "perfect" guys? Nice but uncomplicated, not committed, not reaching her, her heart, and not understanding her soul.

Yeah, and you`re right,… it`s really a bit ironic that only a "not-so-perfect-on-a-first-look"-guy with an "actor-persona" himself stripped on and two failed marriages manages to get through to her soul.

Thank you for including Montgomery little eve. What I was really conveying was that we know Beckett has the fortress like walls that she working at breaking down. These signify to me that they compartamentalise her heart and soul. You are right, Montgomery is in the compartment of men who made her feel really deep down, and someone whom she really appreciated in her life. The first day when he saw her going through her mother's files, and seeing the light in her soul, and letting her continue her quest, she knew she could lean on him. Yes his betrayal really kicked her in the gut as did Royce's (but she seems to have made her own peace with these). It was a hard battle by all accounts. As you say, when Castle's betrayal comes to light, it could knock her again in a big way.

little eve said:

wish4always said:

I like the character of Royce because I think he saw into her soul. He recognised that Beckett and Castle have a very deep bond and that this is whom she is meant to be with. Sorenson, Demming and Josh might have seen a glimpse of her heart, but to me Castle and Royce look into her soul.

I like your thought here…she are the two men she has been able to rely on when it came to her mother's case. Although, I would add Montgomery. She was never in love with him, but they shared a deep emotional connection. They do seem different for her from the other men she's actually dated. Which makes me worry, because Royce betrayed her and so did Montgomery. She did forgive both pretty quickly and she even risked her life to find Royce's killer, but Castle's lie will at first appear more of a betrayal to her. I'm worried she might do something really drastic initially. She's been hurt before…by someone very close to her (well, twice if you count Montgomery)

sn02py said:

wish4always said:

I have a question though. Why do we see Castle getting "physical" with the ladies in his life ( Ellie, Meredith, others I might have missed). 

 I think the writers are smart enough to know that the audience (at least the shipper section of it) have no interest in seeing either one of them in bed with someone they actually care about…unless it's with each other. 

Speaking for the shipper section: you're right. It wasn't nice for me to see Castle with Meredith and Ellie but it was worse seeing Castle kiss Gina, even though he was being really nice when he apologized to her, bought the balloons and everything.

GhostWriter wrote:

I have to disagree with the statements above, particularly the one in bold.  There's precisely one time where she "flaunts" Josh and in the context there's very little flaunting involved.  It's in the discussion at the beginning of 3.05 (Anatomy of a Murder) about what Josh did this morning vs what Castle did – and even then Castle starts the conversation off, tries to make jokes about what sort of doctor Josh is and eventually she shuts him down. Otherwise, she doesn't really mention him at all, except in response to a question about him from Castle.  (C: "Where's Josh?" B: "Off saving the world" or C: "Plans with Josh tonight?" B: "He's on shift")

 

You are right! And her "showing off" in the hospital was probably an answer to Castle's stupid behaviour. I thought she mentioned him more often later on but like you said, she didn't.

Little Eve said:
Which makes me worry, because Royce betrayed her and so did Montgomery. She did forgive both pretty quickly and she even risked her life to find Royce's killer, but Castle's lie will at first appear more of a betrayal to her. I'm worried she might do something really drastic initially. She's been hurt before…by someone very close to her (well, twice if you count Montgomery)

Oha. I never thought about that. And that is why I think that Castle should hurry up and tell her about his secret, although Royce's betrayal was probably worse, he lied to her for selfish reasons, Castle thinks he's protecting her.

JayT -  I totally agree with your post. I've always loved Kate's wild side. I think part of her really likes to tease Castle but some of it might actually be true. When they investigated the murder of the domina she loved teasing him with her knowledge about bondage and we (and Castle) never found out if that was simply due to that investigation in Dungeon Alley she mentioned or if she had personal experience. BTW in the episode and I think in another one Castle mentions a "new, imaginary boyfriend of yours", I've never understood why he'd do that? Because she went out on a date in one episode?

BTW last Friday "Food to die for" aired here and that episode showed clearly why Kate chose Demming. He was the safe option, he wouldn't break her heart, but like Castle said, "The heart wants what the heart wants".

JayT said:

JayT -  I totally agree with your post. I've always loved Kate's wild side. I think part of her really likes to tease Castle but some of it might actually be true. When they investigated the murder of the domina she loved teasing him with her knowledge about bondage and we (and Castle) never found out if that was simply due to that investigation in Dungeon Alley she mentioned or if she had personal experience. BTW in the episode and I think in another one Castle mentions a "new, imaginary boyfriend of yours", I've never understood why he'd do that? Because she went out on a date in one episode?

 

I think he was just teasing her again. He can see she's attracted to him and that she's doing her best to smother it under a mountain of sarcasm and aggravation. The cheeky imaginary boyfriend line is his way of saying; 'you don't fool me. Pretending there's someone else isn't going to work'.

But she wasn't pretending anything at the time.  Her comment about Jennie meeting Ryan at the station was just a statement of what she would or wouldn't do in similar circumstances – "I wouldn't bring my boyfriend in here".  The statement does not say she has a boyfriend, just that she wouldn't bring one into the station to meet the boys etc. It is, in fact, an accurate statement.  In season 4, she didn't bring Josh into the station and she didn't intend for him to meet the boys – he brought himself.  

Castle's reaction tells much more about him & how much he thinks about her than anything real about her. 

GhostWriter said:

JayT said:

JayT -  I totally agree with your post. I've always loved Kate's wild side. I think part of her really likes to tease Castle but some of it might actually be true. When they investigated the murder of the domina she loved teasing him with her knowledge about bondage and we (and Castle) never found out if that was simply due to that investigation in Dungeon Alley she mentioned or if she had personal experience. BTW in the episode and I think in another one Castle mentions a "new, imaginary boyfriend of yours", I've never understood why he'd do that? Because she went out on a date in one episode?

 

I think he was just teasing her again. He can see she's attracted to him and that she's doing her best to smother it under a mountain of sarcasm and aggravation. The cheeky imaginary boyfriend line is his way of saying; 'you don't fool me. Pretending there's someone else isn't going to work'.

But she wasn't pretending anything at the time.  Her comment about Jennie meeting Ryan at the station was just a statement of what she would or wouldn't do in similar circumstances – "I wouldn't bring my boyfriend in here".  The statement does not say she has a boyfriend, just that she wouldn't bring one into the station to meet the boys etc. It is, in fact, an accurate statement.  In season 4, she didn't bring Josh into the station and she didn't intend for him to meet the boys – he brought himself.  

 

Castle's reaction tells much more about him & how much he thinks about her than anything real about her. 

I agree with both of you.  The fact that Castle couldn't help but tease and probe makes it clear how much he likes her and is thinking about her.  But the reason he is able to goad her like he does is because she likes him and is attracted to him.  And since he is good at reading people, he can tell she likes him and is suppressing it… which makes him want to push even more to force a reaction from her.  

*Nod* Though I think Castle's habit of making smug assumptions about Beckett's feelings had already taken a knock when she picked Demming over him. Josh was, ironically, little more than the coup de grace.