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Rating: Country: USA Release Date: September 22, 2009 Distributor: ABC Studios Director: · Andrew Marlowe Cast: · Nathan Fillion · Stana Katic · Ruben Santiago-Hudson · Molly C Quinn · Susan Sullivan · Jon Huertas · Seamus Dever · Tamala Jones Related Sites: · Official site · Fan site · IMDb: Castle Grade: B

Cop shows are a dime a dozen and this particular one never would have interested me were it not for the presence of Nathan Fillion as the title character Richard Castle. Fillion is most famous for his role as Captain Mal Reynolds in the much loved but still canceled series Firefly. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it here, or buy it here.

What sets Castle apart from CSI, Numb3rs, Cold Case, or any of the other crime dramas is the friction/chemistry between its two lead characters. Rick Castle is a rakish mystery writer, a childlike bad boy who isn't very good at following directions.  Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is the stereotypical attractive female cop--hard as nails, by the book, and emotionally unavailable, yet harboring just a touch of raw vulnerability. These two become unlikely partners after Castle helps catch a killer that murders people in the manner of his novels. He decides to base his next main character after Detective Beckett and uses his high-powered connections to gain permission to shadow her on a daily basis. Beckett is less than thrilled. Cue nine more episodes of elaborate murder scenes, Castle acting a fool, and Beckett trying to keep the roguish writer from getting anyone killed. Somewhere along the line, Castle decides to tap into his forensics connections to investigate the unsolved mystery of the murder of Beckett's mother, a choice that may have serious repercussions for the future of their relationship.

Susan Sullivan is Castle's uber-dramatic thespian mother and Molly Quinn plays his teenage daughter Alexis. While it's nice to see a fifteen-year-old playing a fifteen-year-old, Alexis's pseudo-grownup character strains credibility at times. We get that she's the responsible one of the house, but what kind of Manhattan teen bursts into tears over guilt about hopping a subway turnstile one night when she is out of change? Can anyone grow up in NYC and be quite that...innocent?

The acting is decent and there are some funny moments, but the writing isn't particularly inspired or unique. Castle is exactly what it appears to be: a harmless good time. In the end what will keep viewers tuning in is the same thing that kept teenage girls reading Twilight--the 'Will they or won't they?' question. An actual relationship between Castle and Beckett would no doubt be the death knell for the series, so I wouldn't hold your breath for that first kiss to happen anytime soon.

10 episodes on 3 discs are presented in widescreen format with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The entire package runs approximately 430 minutes. Bonus Features are as follows:

Audio Commentaries: Cast and production team discuss three different episodes.

Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle: Cast and production team discuss the making of the series.

Write-Along with Nathan Fillion: Slightly corny, slightly bizarre bit between Fillion and Stephen Cannell (mystery writer and producer) where Cannell is supposedly teaching Fillion to write.

Castle's Godfather: Two producers and the series creator sit around and talk industry and old school mystery productions.  Every bit as interesting as it sounds. Zzzzzzzzz.

Misdemeanors: Bloopers and Outtakes: Do a bunch of shots of various cast members giggling uncontrollably even count as bloopers?