—article from Phil. Daily Inquirer

Fun, tantalizing riches abound in this ‘Castle’

By Tatin Yang
Philippine Daily Inquirer

07/17/2010

I’ve been converted from a nonbeliever into the ultimate fangirl
ONE
OF MY favorite sections in a bookstore has always been the “Movie
Tie-ins” shelf. I’ve formed the habit of reading the book first and
watching the film adaptation next, to see which was better and to see if
the reels live up to what I had imagined while flipping the pages.

When
I first heard of “Castle,” a TV show about a crime novelist with
writer’s block who finds an unlikely muse in a real female police
detective, shadows her for research and gets to help solve crimes in the
process, I thought it was a rehash of a tired plot.

I mean, I
did grow up to Sundays with my mom watching “Murder, She Wrote,” a show
about a crime novelist who helps out the police solve real-life murder
mysteries.

I was watching too much TV as it is, and I felt I had
no more space in my brain or schedule to add “Castle” to the list.

And
then Richard Castle the fictional crime novelist came out with a real
book. An honest-to-goodness murder mystery novel (in hardcover!) being
sold in the shelves right next to James Patterson’s latest collaborative
whodunit and Stephen King’s thriller. It even reached #6 in the New
York Times Bestseller list after four weeks.

Sure, it was a
marketing ploy, but it was a very clever one. It piqued my interest
enough that I had to watch the first episode of “Castle.”

After
two straight days, I have now finished all the episodes both from the
first and second season, and have been converted from a nonbeliever into
the ultimate “Castle” fangirl.

Snappy dialogue

It
was crazy of me to have ignored the series for so long. “Castle” is a
TV show lover slash bookworm’s dream. The story revolves around Richard
Castle, a famous novelist who had just killed off his main character
from his serial novels and is now being pressured by his publishing
company to produce another bestseller.

A case that copycats
murders from his books leads him to NYPD’s Detective Kate Beckett, and
together they work to find the copycat before he kills again. Her badass
attitude and good looks serve as inspiration to Castle and he patterns
his next character after her.

With the help of his regular poker
buddy, the mayor, he gets permission to follow around Beckett through
other cases, both to do research and lend his crime writer’s expertise
to see the murders from another angle.

The dialogue is snappy,
witty and downright hilarious. Book lovers who go nuts over their
favorite authors will love the portrayal of Richard Castle by Nathan
Fillion, an arrogant but soft-hearted dreamboat with a sharp tongue, an
overactive imagination and a penchant for correcting everyone’s grammar
(his diatribe about Alanis Morrissette murdering the real meaning of the
word “irony” is to die for).

Meanwhile, Joss Whedon fans will
get a kick out of watching the show’s many Easter eggs related to him,
as Fillion was also one of Whedon’s mainstays for popular shows like
“Buffy,” “Firefly” and his online opus, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along
Blog.”

Electric chemistry

The chemistry
between Castle and Beckett is also electric. It’s fun to watch the
writers do the when-will-they-get-it-on dance,
a tricky negotiation that can make or break a TV show (“X-Files” did it
too late, while “Friends” jumped the gun too soon).

The
secondary characters also add their own blend of humor to round out a
cast with great rapport and comic timing.

Mystery buffs will
surely enjoy the show, because apart from the obvious crime-solving
going on per episode, you also get to watch cameos of famous suspense
novelists at the poker table playing with Castle (he is, after all, in
their league of prolific bestsellers) while helping him get to the heart
of the mystery by hashing out the crime with him as if it were a book
plot.

So far, authors James Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell and
Michael Connelly have been seen at said poker table. Connelly even went
the extra mile by writing the scene he appeared in.

Entertaining
enough

The book, entitled “Heat Wave,” while not a
direct adaptation but rather a defictionalization of Castle’s character,
was written well, though the narrative was not a style I would have
ascribed to Castle’s character. The dialogue and rapport was just as fun
on the page as it was on the boob tube, and the plot was entertaining
enough for me to have finished the entire tome in one sitting.

While
it doesn’t rock your world, it’s enough to keep you riveted and waiting
for the next installment. The entire novel keeps Castle in character
from the dedication page to his equally fictional coworkers down to the
acknowledgments.

Incidentally, the next book, “Naked Heat,” is
set to come out late this year, perhaps in time for Castle’s third
season premiere. Hardcore fans have created several threads speculating
whether the real writer behind Richard Castle is someone famous as well
(James Patterson is a favorite among the guesses).

My whirlwind
foray into the world of “Castle” has left me feeling a little bit like a
kid who had gorged on candy too fast. I wished I had taken the time to
savor it slowly, since it will still be a couple of months before I get
my next “Castle” fix, both on TV and in print.

In the meantime, I
have to satisfy myself with reruns and figuring out who I’m more a fan
of: Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Richard Castle the novelist, or
both.

Catch “Castle” on Star World every Friday at 8 pm. “Heat
Wave” is available at bookstores.

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/…..his-Castle

Any Filipino from the Phillippines that could comment what you find attractive about the show, and what's your take on the characters? I bet it's different than in other countries.

wow,  that was a nice article. Thanks for sharing Xintia…

1892Rojas said:

Any Filipino from the Phillippines that could comment what you find attractive about the show, and what's your take on the characters? I bet it's different than in other countries.

i was hooked on because of the word banter that went on between Castle & Beckett..and the evident chemistry between the two :) and it was refreshingly new for me..it was very fun to watch :) sooner i really got interested in Stana, i found Beckett's character very interesting, and ended up with me now as a hardcore Stanatic

That just my personal liking, i've always liked emotional characters, those that has a background story, such as her mother's murder. Castle's humor made me like his character as well.:)

I've always been a sucker for the male and female banter, which evidently Stana and Nathan play so well. 

One thing about Castle, aside from the amazing cast is that it comes with great music. It really counts a lot for me. 

Nathan Fillion fits his role perfectly but it was Kate Beckett's character that got me more into it. its always a lady's weakness

to see strength in a woman whether on screen or real life. Beckett is an aspirational character. 

Stana Katic is a real scene stealer, the reading scene on episode 1 was a killer. I payed attention to the character until maybe episode 3, and 

saw that the actress playing Beckett is hella good and really pretty, by this time. I looked her up, saw that she's this and that–built respect for her as an actress and person.i think i turned gay over Stana hehe;-)

Now im not sure which one i really love, the show or Stana. 

1892Rojas said:

I gather you're in the Phillippines. Good to know. Is appreciating Beckett's character speak of something that is lacking for women, or professional women in the Phillippines? And what are your thoughts on the rest of the characters in the show?

I first saw the tail end of an episode and thought the lead actress was crazy beautiful she can't be real. I made it a point to catch an entire episode the week after and fell in love with the characters and the actors. Stana is so lovely that I can't take my eyes off her whenever she's on screen (even if she's sharing a scene with lots of other cast members I'd still automatically hone in on her). Nathan is so funny and adorable (even if he's over the top sometimes). Det. Ryan and Espo deserves their own show–or an entire episode at least. Lanie deserves more screen time. Alexis and Martha are great contrast to the Castle character.

I think the strenght of the show is it's writing and casting. All characters are so vibrant and winning that they draw you in even if they're doing silly things. The banter is top grade. If you notice, for a procedural show, they spent most time talking about the case than being involve in car chases, shoot outs or complex lab works. They even have more close-ups than track shots it seems…but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Women are highly regarded in our country (fact: we had 2 women presidents in the past). Chances are, you'll find women holding top tier positions in major companies. I think we recognize both tenacity and nurturing nature of women more—and Beckett exhibit those characters in spades! Like Camille said, Beckett inspires girls of all ages. She got the right amount of spunk and sweetness in her which the Filipinos seem to like. Castle also offer the right amount of comedy, drama and love twists that Filipinos love so much.

Very well said xintia….We all love the show and lets just leave it that way.  Peace!!!

lol kalbaryo

i do love the demming-beckett sparring session

I watched the episode last night.  The way Esposito introduced Castle as his other partner always gives me chills….The Beckett-Demming moments in this episode, may kilig factor din pala….   3 more episodes and season 2 will be over….can't wait for season 3….

Hey yall :)) Castle repeat 2x21 tonight @ 9 on Star World! don't forget to watch :D

oh and later @ 4, they're showing Stana's movie The Librarian 3: Curse of the Judas Chalice on Star Movies, don't forget to tune in!

onga e don't know y.. arg…it would suck so bad pag wala nang replays every sunday