Newbie said:

I like it!

Can you tell us which author is James Patterson?

I have really like all the promos & trailers that I have seen.  

Patterson is the gentleman with dark hair and glasses. His Alex Cross books, actually all of his books, are very entertaining. I usually read his stuff cover-to-cover.

Who was the OTHER author at the poker table??  I recognized Patterson right away and was stoked he was appearing because I love his work.  I just didn't know the face of the other author…. anyone???

Castle said:

So… did everyone see it?  What were your thoughts?

I've seen a lot of discussion around the web which is a great thing, most of it very positive and for the rest, most of them are at least hopeful that they'll grow to like it more as the eps continue.

If you missed the ep when it was on, you can watch online vai the ABC full episode player, you can read the recap or you can watch it again when it airs again on ABC on Sat 14th March 10/9c

As a writer (as yet unpublished – possibly the worst kind) and a big fan of Nathan Fillion, Joss Whedon, and the old Firefly series, and let me add not a big fan of sci-fi, I probably have too much to say, but here goes.

Cinematography – 3 out of 10 stars, looked like it had been shot from a closet with a Sony camcorder; musical score – 1 out of 10, dull, canned, and emotionally unconnected; supporting cast – stilted, wooden, overacting or not acting at all, mostly window dressing – I won't break it down as to who did what, 3 of 10; Fillion. 6 of 10 – he worked with what he'd been given; writing, eek. One of my former professors would describe it by saying instead of a story it's a sequence of events, and OMG the deus ex machina reasoning and the weak rabbit out of the magician's hat ending, 3 of 10.  

If you want to see how good cinematography and a riveting yet simple musical score can be woven together to tell a story using a couple of booms and dolleys, rent the movie The Fugitive.

There was no tension – no sexual tension between the detective and the writer with the exception of a little near the end, and no tension building to find the killer. The conflict between them should have been more pronounced, and she should have been unequivocal in her rejection of him for it to be an ongoing theme. Making him out as a player in the beginning took away from his integrity as both a writer who understands people and the psychology in human interaction, and as a legitimate suitor for her.

Can it be salvaged? Yeah, but there's so much to fix, and who'll fix it? Start with a crucible of complex emotionally charged people working at cross purposes and turn up the heat, then stand back and let the actors act.