Why You Should Watch Castle

I don't have cable. Rather, I have rabbit ears (pause for laughter), which feebly jut out from the mantle in my living room and hover over me while I watch TV. In my ongoing efforts to improve the reception on the three channels (yes, 3) that are clear enough to watch (and that feature programming even remotely worth watching), the antennae often end up at eye level. On more than one occasion, I have very nearly poked my own eye out as I walked past them.

The three aforementioned channels are ABC, CBS, and the LivWell network. The only programs worth watching on LivWell are Motion and Mexico One Plate At A Time (featuring local celebrity chef Rick Bayless, who warrants a blog post all his own). So basically, it's ABC or CBS when I sit down to watch TV at night.

As you can imagine, having essentially two channels to choose from significantly limits one's viewing options. Fortunately, I am the type of person who doesn't like having to make choices, so works out OK. An added benefit is that with so few viewing options, I'm less inclined to watch a lot of TV, and more inclined to get up off the couch and actually do something productive, like read a book or sit out on the porch and stare down passing pedestrians.

But when I do watch TV, there is really only one show that I consider to be "can't missable". That show is Castle.

Now in its fourth season, ABC's Castle has settled into a steady, reliable rhythm of fast-paced, action-intensive episodes packed with all of the classic crime drama tropes--shocking crimes, high-speed chases, collaborative detective work, breathless exposition, diabolical villains, tense interrogations scenes, witty one-liners, agonizing sexual tension, and of course the requisite surprise twists.

The show stars Nathan Fillion as Nathan Castle, a best-selling author of crime novels and wealthy New York playboy who is partnered with Detective Kate Beckett, a hotshot bombshell at the NYPD, while researching a new series of novels based on a female detective. While the premise is beginning to test the limits of plausibility now that we've reached season four, the Castle and Beckett dynamic is the show's greatest strength, and the always reliable "Will they/Won't they?" storyline is the hook that has lured an average of 12 million viewers when it airs each Monday night.

Image via Wikipedia

Castle is great fun, and a hard show to top for sheer mindless entertainment (unless you have more than two channels, of course). I continually find myself pondering the reasons why I tune in each week, so I've decided that making a list might help me to better understand what draws me to this show, and make a case for you to give the show a watch, if you haven't already.

So, here are the reasons I watch Castle, and why you should too...

1. Like I said, I don't have cable. I know that's a lame way to start off this list but I'm confident I never would've given the show a chance had I access to Comedy Central, FX, HBO, and ESPN.

2. While the premise is very high concept, it is a unique take on the usual detective drama, which traditionally features two grizzled detectives partnered together (i.e. Law & Order). Castle features one veteran detective ("grizzled" is now way to describe Kate Beckett) saddled with a brash but charismatic writer on an extended "ride along" (implausibilities be damned).

3. As a (would-be) novelist, I'm drawn by equal parts envy and fascination to the character of Castle, a writer who has made a lucrative career out of writing highly stylized detective novels. He's brash (and initially, arrogant) but also charismatic, and his experience in alternately thinking like a detective and a criminal when writing his novels equips him with a unique ability to analyze each case and provide valuable insights (again, implausibilities out the window).

4. Nathan Fillion is the perfect actor for the role of Richard Castle. I was familiar with Fillion from his role in the 2006 horror romp Slither (and less for his more renowned role as "Mal" in Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity), in which he played the sheriff of a small town overrun by alien slugs. Fillion has the square jaw and winning charisma of Bruce Campbell, an actor with whom he shares legendary status among many sci fi and horror fans. Like Campbell, Fillion exudes personality, and the character of Richard Castle is nothing if not a megawatt personality (even if it's just in his own mind).

5. Stana Katic has earned my allegiance as Detective Kate Beckett. When I first began to regularly watch the show in season two, I dismissed Katic as just another former (or would-be) model cast in a TV role solely based on her looks. But Katic has continually displayed the toughness and grit that are essential elements of Beckett's character. No longer do I merely think she's gorgeous; I'm invested now in her as a character just as equally as Castle. I even find Katic's Canadian accent more endearing now than annoying (Beckett did supposedly grow up in Brooklyn, after all).

6. The supporting characters are likeable, particularly fellow detectives Ryan and Esposito. These two assist Beckett and Castle on each case, following leads and often delivering especially convenient developments that move the plot along. They also provide some additional humor via the requisite one-liners and minor storylines throughout most episodes. The two other prominent supporting characters are Castle's daughter Alexis and his mother Martha, who both live with Castle and exist to give the viewer a weekly glimpse into Castle's home life.

I could probably round this list out at ten but this post has grown rather lengthy so I'll cut it here. After a rerun last week, the show returns with a new episode tonight (10 Eastern, 9 Central). If you haven't watched an entire episode, give Castle a shot. Unlike other detective dramas like Blue Bloods and (gasp) CSI: Anywhere, the show does not take itself too seriously. Castle and Beckett always get the bad guy, and they always manage to have fun while doing it. That's all I want (and expect) from my two channels.