Observations while rewatching Tick, Tick, Tick

I’m a bit tardy posting this… Went to see Deathly Hallows Part II last night, and wanting to see it again. The best Harry Potter movie of the whole series. But this isn’t about that.

This was the first two-parter for us, and one of the best episodes of the series.

The opening scene with Rick walking into the station bragging about the Nikki Heat movie is similar to the opening of Knockout where he was similarly bragging about the Derek Storm graphic novel. If they do this again, I’ll start to expect a momentous episode any time Rick enters bragging about some spinoff from his books.

Everyone plays along with Rick’s casting imagination game, except Kate. She’s still not totally comfortable with the notoriety.

At first the crime scene, Kate is very comfortable with Rick’s presence. He is relatively restrained in his observations.

I still am trying to describe the face that Rick makes when Martha breaks the news about Chet’s invitation for Martha to move in with him.

In the morgue, Rick comes up with “kinki”, while Kate gets “nikki”. They may be working well together, but their minds still go in different directions. Not too surprising, given the events of Mistress.

The music at the carousel is still creepy…

How & why did the FBI get there so quickly?

Rick is starting to feel some responsibility for the killings – more than in Flowers. Kate notices and tries to let him off gently.

When Jordan Shaw shows up, it is obvious that she is even more of an alpha female than Beckett is. What starts out as a professional turf conflict becomes a personal one over Rick’s attention. But it’s short-lived. Kate shows some possessiveness over Rick’s attention when he gets all starry-eyed with the FBI’s ‘toys’, and Jordan’s professional track record.

Watching Kate & Jordan talk about Rick in the Suburban is still funny. Jordan has our DD pegged – almost. I like how Rick is playing with the instruments while listening. It (his curiosity) becomes helpful shortly…

At the station, seeing Rick theorizing with Jordan with Kate in the unfamiliar ‘outsider’ position, she looks kinda green – a bit of jealousy beginning to show?

When the threat to ‘Nikki Heat’ becomes known, Rick begins to feel even more responsible, not only for the killings but for the danger to Kate. Martha tries to reassure him, but it doesn’t work.

When he goes to Kate’s apartment, she lets him in for a bit, not knowing he is being protective. When she starts to reveal her jealousy, he calls her on it, she denies it. Rick will be the first to confess having some of his own, but it will take him better than another year to do so. When he says he is not leaving, she calls him ‘Mr. Castle’. We haven’t heard that since Flowers, if I remember right.

Next morning, not only is Rick still there, he is “making pancakes”. It seems that that means something to Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and even Jordan. I’ve never heard that myself, but it makes for some fun moments – my favorite being “Witness refuses to cooperate.” But the tension between Kate and Jordan has eased. I think it's because she is more confident in Rick’s loyalty to her.

And in the morgue again – Lanie’s “So cute the way you two do that.” Is cute.

When they finally get to Ben Conrad’s apartment, Rick is leaning in close to listen in on Kate’s phone call. She’s OK with it this time.

After Rick realizes that they didn’t find the real killer and makes the mad dash to her apartment, why did he stop the moment before the “Boom”?

And here is our first Beckett cliffhanger. How will she survive?

I love, love, loooooove Tick, Tick, Tick/Boom. I think I liked it better than Setup/countdown. Not only was it a great story, but the chemistry between all the characters was amazing. I liked how the interaction between castle/Beckett/Jordan ebbed and flowed b/t jealousy and respect. If BOP was not as successful as it is I would love to see the return of Special Agent Jordan Shaw… Especially so she could re-evaluate our DD.