BVHE
Release date: Sept 22, 2009
MSRP: $39.99

Stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jon Huertas, Seamus Dever

Nathan Fillion has been a regular on numerous television shows. Some good, some less than stellar, but none were around for the long haul. Castle appears to have the potential to make him a star.

In Castle, Fillion plays Rick Castle, a “bad boy” crime writer whose life is turned upside down when somebody uses the murders from his books in real life. He is brought on as a consultant for the police (much to the frustration of detective Kate Beckett) and actually plays a role in solving the crime. Beckett says goodbye, only to find Rick has convinced the powers that be to allow him to follow Beckett on the job for research. Having killed off his regular character, he is not looking to create a new protagonist and has decided Beckett will be his inspiration.

The stories are hardly original, but the dialogue is often snappy (When it looks like their time together is over, Castle attempts to pick her up. When it fails, he tells her it could have been great. She whispers “You have no idea” .) and the actors seem to have fun. Nathan’s Castle is likable as well as annoying. A charming guy that knows he is charming and uses it to get his way. Fillion is able to walk that fine line without becoming a total pain in the ass.

One of the strongest aspects of season one is Rick’s relationship with his daughter. While he often acts like a big child, his daughter is very straitlaced and serious. Their scenes are not only entertaining, but also sweet. Seeing Rick’s love for his daughter softens the character and makes him more human..

The only thing keeping this show from becoming really great is the writing. The crimes are generally simple enough and often feel as though they are simply there to fill space. The season ending left some really nice possibilities as far as storylines go.

Overall, CASTLE is an entertaining show and certainly worth owning.

Order season one of CASTLE.

Jeremy Lynch
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.