found this summary for 4x16 – linchpin

“CASTLE” – “Linchpin” – In the explosive conclusion to a two-part story arc, Castle & Beckett race to find the “Linchpin” in order to stop the first domino in a chain of events which will plunge the United States into war, on “Castle,” MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). Also in the episode, Jennifer Beals (“The Chicago Code,” “Flashdance”) continues as Sophia Conrad – a smart, commanding and sexy CIA operative who was Castle’s inspiration for Clara Strike in the “Derrick Storm” series of books; and Josh Stamberg(“Drop Dead Diva”) is back as intelligence officer Martin Danberg.

http://www.tvovermind.com/abc/…../121661/4/

Preventing wars. Now there is a worthy cause if ever there was one! I think I'm going to have to make some room in my list of favorites for another pair of episodes. Dang but this is sounding good.

I think I'm going to bow out of the Pre 15-16 threads so I can enjoy them as the writer intended with no sneak peeks or inflated expectations.

Wow. Shut the windows, pull the curtains, lay in a supply of snacks. These are going to be multiple watches.

BeckiesChoice said:

I hope it is a fluffy first domino (like an affair between foreign ambassador's wife and an Army general or something) otherwise think sometimes the writers go too "over the top" with these premises.  Sounds spectacular for certain British secret agent but a bit much for the NYPD and writer whose secret weapon is scream like little girls. 

I mean dirty bombs, Chinese spies, Dragon conspiracies and now this?   It does nothing to make me want to watch.  

I'm just watching for the professional and personal interaction between Castle and Beckett.  The crime is really secondary so a simple well written murder does just fine and much more plausible.

That's understandable, and I think a lot of people would agree that they watch for Caskett, but the show would not be what it is without crimes.  I think this two-parter is going to have a lot more emotional ramnifactions because of the things that have not been said, and what can happen when put in danger. One positive is that there is no DMB or Gina to screw things up. I love the two-parters and I can't wait to see what happens in treacherous waters.

He-Touches-Things said:

BeckiesChoice said:

I hope it is a fluffy first domino (like an affair between foreign ambassador's wife and an Army general or something) otherwise think sometimes the writers go too "over the top" with these premises.  Sounds spectacular for certain British secret agent but a bit much for the NYPD and writer whose secret weapon is scream like little girls. 

I mean dirty bombs, Chinese spies, Dragon conspiracies and now this?   It does nothing to make me want to watch.  

I'm just watching for the professional and personal interaction between Castle and Beckett.  The crime is really secondary so a simple well written murder does just fine and much more plausible.

Isn't that part of what makes it so much fun to watch? We have such likeable and believable characters, caught in some totally unrealistic situations that are played with varying degrees of seriousness and levity. And yet none of them are so 'over-the-top' that it simply becomes another Car 54.

At the rate that they keep uppin' the ante, I'm expecting an alien invasion for next season's two parter, including guest appearances by MIB.

He-Touches-Things said:

BeckiesChoice said:

I hope it is a fluffy first domino (like an affair between foreign ambassador's wife and an Army general or something) otherwise think sometimes the writers go too "over the top" with these premises.  Sounds spectacular for certain British secret agent but a bit much for the NYPD and writer whose secret weapon is scream like little girls. 

I mean dirty bombs, Chinese spies, Dragon conspiracies and now this?   It does nothing to make me want to watch.  

I'm just watching for the professional and personal interaction between Castle and Beckett.  The crime is really secondary so a simple well written murder does just fine and much more plausible.

Isn't that part of what makes it so much fun to watch? We have such likeable and believable characters, caught in some totally unrealistic situations that are played with varying degrees of seriousness and levity. And yet none of them are so 'over-the-top' that it simply becomes another Car 54.

That's my thought too.  I love the fact that they don't take themselves too seriously and can have fun, but can also do "what happens next" suspense.  They can go from funny to super-serious, and from simple murder to "save the world".   The cases and situations in which they find themselves are just another layer of the the Castle "cake" that makes it so enjoyable for me.  I'm not terribly concerned with plausible.  It's the characters for me, not whether the cases are "real life".  Even the most "serious" procedural shows don't seem to be able to do plausible, so why not go all out and enjoy "we need to save the world" once in a while?  It's entertainment.  

Is that Beckett smurf? [Image Can Not Be Found]