Castle “Always” Review – Wow! What an Ending!

If you put a gun to my head earlier this year and made me try to predict all the various ways that I thought this season of Castle would end, I NEVER would have come up with what happened in the last few minutes of tonight’s finale, called (of course) “Always.”

Tonight was one of those episodes where there was very little funny and a whole lot of serious and I must say that I loved every single solitary minute of it. Any hour of TV that ends with me crying usually gets my vote but this one went above and beyond.

The show starts with a murder as it always does but things get interesting when they discover that the man who died had just broken into Montgomery’s apartment. Not only that, but he was hired by someone to break into the apartment and steal Montgomery’s old case files. When things start to point in very dangerous directions (like Kate’s shooting and her mother’s death), Castle gets a warning that he needs to pull her off the case. But of course Kate wants nothing to do with it. Even when he tells her the entire truth about everything he knows and why he’s fighting her so hard, she still doesn’t want to listen.

So what does she do? She decides to go off – just her and Esposito without backup – and try and take down a man they discover is involved. Maddox proves to be more than she can handle though and Beckett finally has a moment of clarity when he nearly kills her. Hanging off a roof, she wants nothing more than Castle and even thinks that she hears his voice calling for her.

After that, things went in a very predictable direction for a bit. Kate and Espo are forced to give up their badges, Alexis gives her (very moving) speech, Ryan tries to apologize and gets the cold shoulder from his partner. All of it made perfect sense to me, right up until that moment when Kate went knocking on Castle’s door and my little world blew apart. Kate and Castle consummating the relationship that we’ve been watching them dance around for years was not even on my radar. I mean that’s the point. That’s been the point for all these seasons. They dance around it but they never DO anything about it.

But now they have and it makes me wonder where that’s going to bring them come next season. We can assume that Beckett will get herself back on the force. Will she and Castle be able to work together? Will we find out later that what they had was just a one night thing that they both will try to forget?

Sigh…it’s gonna be another long-ass summer.

My favorite bits..

Whoa! What a way to start an episode.

“Either this is the most boring dream I’ve ever had, or you can’t sleep either.”

Castle telling Alexis to set her sights lower, like on Twilight. Haha!

“That is so insulting. If you must know, I was naked underneath.”

I’m with Espo, there’s no way this is a coincidence.

Beckett asking Castle to say something reassuring. Great little moment there.

“I wake up sometimes and wonder how the hell am I still alive.”

The ultra-serious opening title card. Whoa.

Castle reminding Beckett that she wasn’t in this alone, and holding her hand.

Everyone finding out that the DNA matched Beckett’s shooting.

Castle suggesting that maybe Kate *should* be taken off the case.

Ryan and Esposito calling each other by their first names made that whole conversation so much more serious.

“I can’t control the situation if you can’t control her.”

“I think it’s clear we’re over our heads here.”

“Speak for yourself bro.”

Castle warning Beckett that she was going too far with Marisol.

The look of terror on Castle’s face when they found the man on the church’s camera.

Castle finally telling Beckett about his part in everything.

“How the hell could you do this?”

“Because I love you. But you already know that, don’t you? You’ve known for about a year.” – Wow, just…wow.

I’m so with Castle on this, of COURSE Beckett should know that she can trust him.

Castle talking about how Kate was the most remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating person he’d ever met.

“If you care about me at all, just don’t do this.”

Beckett pointing out that everyone they sent for her was dead and she was still alive. Man, she does have a point there.

Castle refusing to stick around and watch Beckett throw her life away. That entire scene…there are no words.

“Everything you know, everything you will know.is what’s true for you.” – LOVE that.

Literally gasping out loud when I saw that Maddox was being played by Tahmoh Penikett. Awesome casting.

Loving how Ryan keeps siding with Castle while Espo keeps siding with Beckett. Amazing how both partnerships are being torn apart at once.

One of the most intense action sequences with the chase that ended on that roof.

“You’re wasting your time, detective. You have no idea what you’re up against.”

“Neither do you.”

Beckett whispering Castle’s name in those moments when she thought she was dead.

Oh..my…gawd. *tries to stop beating heart.*

Realizing that it was Ryan and not Castle that saved Beckett and that Castle’s voice was just in her head.

Alexis’ speech over Beckett packing up her desk and leaving the precinct. *wipes away a few tears*

“Javi, I had to.” – OMG seriously? Javi? He called him Javi? *even more tears*

Alexis’ speech ending with “always..” *gives up trying to hold it back and simply bawls like an idiot*

“He got away and I didn’t care. I almost died and all I wanted was you.”

Wait. DID THAT JUST HAPPEN???

What did you think of this episode of Castle? Got any favorite bits or least favorite bits of your own? I’d love to hear from you!

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