good for you, i couldn't wait, and hope you'll have something on Tuesday

oh no i though you are stronger than that, so did you see the white shirt? jk

Lady Brenlis said:

 

 

 

 

In the season one finale, there's a lot of subtext between Kate and Will Sorenson over sprinkles. She used to love sprinkles, she used to love Will. But now she's moved on. At the end of the episode sprinkles are growing on her and she's spending more time with him and sharing his sprinkled doughnut.

There's a lot of similar subtext going on in Season 2 episode 12, A Rose for Ever After.

WHITE

Prior to ep 12, everyone was talking about how the only time Kate has worn white in season 2, Castle spilled coffee all over her. Kate Beckett in season 2, generally doesn't wear white, so it caught my attention when she shows up in this elegant white top. I see it as representative of passing the torch of the "flame of Castle's love" from Kyra to Beckett.

Kyra's formal wedding dress was spectacularly white, of course, and Beckett was dressed in the romantic colors of fuchsia and red, lest we forget that she is Castle's love interest. (Like that was gonna happen!) In those opening scenes, Castle is overwhelmed with his old feelings of what might have been. [Did anyone else think the shot of him standing there holding a piece of wedding cake was kind of sad?]

Then Kyra meets with Castle, (wearing a romantic red sweater) and they make out. The next morning it's Beckett wearing white. During that day, Castle and Kyra "wrap things up" and Kyra intentionally passes him off to Beckett, justifying Beckett's white top.

When Kyra finally marries Greg, I'm sure no one missed that her dress was black with just a hint of white around the neckline, to remind us that she will always be a treasured part of Castle's history. But the torch has already been passed, and Kyra put the exclamation point on it by tossing Beckett the bouquet.

CAKE

"If you don't get married, is it just a regular old cake?" There's a lot of subtext in this scene and I'm not talking about for Kyra and Greg. What Castle is hearing under the surface of that question is, "We [Kyra & Rick] didn't get married, so is this just a regular old cake?" Castle answers her, it's still a wedding cake. She gives him a slice of cake and he's standing there, holding it through the whole scene, but he doesn't eat it. It's a wedding cake, meant to be shared between a bride and groom.

It speaks to me of his longing for the fairy tale, that he hasn't given up the hope of finding The One and finally having a Happily Ever After. 16+ years ago, Kyra didn't want that, and now she's got Greg… She goes off looking for him.

Beckett shows up and offers him a ride. He offers her what he's been offering her all along. "Cake?" Yet again, she turns him down. "No thanks." But the subtext isn't about cake at all, but a relationship and a future together. So he leaves the cake uneaten and accepts what she is willing to share with him, companionship and a ride.

We have a hint of this undercurrent in episode 11 with the divorced amnesiac. "Do you think they have a chance?" Ryan asks Castle. Castle, who is jaded by his two divorces and mocks his failed marriages at every turn, could easily have given a cynical answer. But he didn't. He is a writer who writes happy endings and, thankfully, he is still looking for his. Otherwise we wouldn't have much of a show would we?

 

COFFEE

I also find it interesting that coffee serves as a barometer for Caskett's relationship. Season 1 Beckett won't touch Castle's coffee. First half season two they're bonding over it, he's making it for her, bringing it to her, and even spills it all over her. (And she doesn't castrate him over it, demonstrating how far they have come.) Then in Episode 12, he shows up with premade coffee, very sweet and thoughtful. She chews him out over the chair and doesn't touch it. I am betting that around the time Beckett figures out how she feels about Rick, she'll start bringing *him* coffee!

Reminds me of the role socks plays in the Harry Potter books. But that is a discussion for another forum.

 

Wow, great reading! I completely agree with all of it and am amazed by how much I missed in the subtext. Nice work! …and I'm really curious about those socks…could you pls post a URL as to what forum you discussed said significance of Potter socks? :)

neodnut said:

Wow that's incredibly deep, and I missed most of it! Thanks for sharing your insight.

ditto.

with regards to the coffee… i recall a scene where beckett actually stole castle's freshly made cup of joe from the just-installed expresso machine right out from under him after he had set it down on her desk. i think he may have whimpered a bit, but did not stop her… anyone care to interpet the symbolism in that?

Interesting discussion!

Anyone notice in Boom that Kate walks down the stairs at the precinct after Castle returns from going home to change…and Castle has come into the prescinct with 2 cups of coffee.  Kate just grabs one from his hand and looks down at it and continues talking.  No thanks or anything!  Is there some meaning there?  Are they just so comfortable in their working relationship and habits that Beckett is taking for granted that Castle brings her coffee?

Yes.  

There'll be interesting coffee moments in the latter 4 episodes, with Beckett's new love interest around.  I can just see Castle showing up with coffee for Beckett, and Tom's beaten him to the punch.  

franckie45 said:

 

Lady Brenlis said:

Was it season one? I don't own the season 1 dvd's so I don't know those episodes as well.  Do you remember which episode?  I know it's not the one where the machine arrives.    My guess it would be prior to episode 1.09, which is the first time Castle brings her coffee, with a bear claw, and she ends up shoving it in his mouth when he manages to irritate her somehow.  I could see that fitting as a precursor to him bringing her coffee.  

 

Harry Potter and Socks:  http://www.hplex.info/essays/socks.html  

A great little article.  

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It was from A Chill Goes Through her Veins. In the beginning of the episode, Esposito brought her coffee at the murder scene as well. 

Right, late in ep 104 Beckett made herself a cup of coffee on the machine, only to be interupted by Castle "Hey!"

 In ep 105 Beckett starts reading about the victim (old case file), Castle sits down with ONE cup of coffee, obviously for himself, he has his hand lying by the cup but hasn't taken a sip yet (as far as we know). While they are talking, Beckett just stretches over and claims it. Castle reacts a little, but doesn't protest out loud.

 The scene might be remembered more for this part, Castle leaning in to point into the case file, Beckett seemed a bit tense, and glances went from case-file to eyes to mouths and back again… "Guess I just haven't met the right girl…"