CASTLE “The Lives of Others” recap

I’ve been dying to talk about “The Lives of Others” since I saw it last week. Trust me guys, it was a kind of sweet torture. Andrew Marlowe & Terri Edda outdid themselves with this one, their 100th episode of the series.

The stars aligned in the perfect confluence of opportunity – the airdate being April 1st, Richard Castle’s birthday and April Fool’s all wrapped up in one. Pair that with the landmark milestone of the 100th episode, and apparently – magic.

The main story was not the ‘real’ murder. It focused on Castle as he sat alone in the loft, watching a murder unfold in an apartment across the street. He got more frustrated as the events progressed, while he tried to get Kate, Ryan, Espo, and Alexis to believe him. They investigated his claims, letting him know that they had nothing to go on – only his word.

Rysposito questioned the ‘murderer’ while Rick watched through his binoculars. He was rewarded with a shrug from Kevin, and a report of no wrongdoing found. Kate talked to the man supposedly having an affair with the victim on the street between the two buildings, and again told Castle she’d come up empty. Alexis (most likely called in by Kate) was pulled in by her father, the duo watching the neighbors while eating popcorn.

The story culminated when Kate – dressed up and ready to take Rick out for his birthday (amazing dress by the way) gets waylaid by another incident viewed by Castle. She is frustrated and decides to confront the man to lay things to rest once and for all. Rick watches as Beckett is apparently put in mortal danger – so he calls it in to Ryan and Espo. They arrive at the apartment to find a surprise party, where Castle gets choked up by the ‘best birthday present ever’.

That night, he thanks her by calling her gift ‘epic’, and vows his revenge. This entails sweeping her off to his bedroom in his wheelchair. So sweet and romantic! The fans have been asking for this sort of thing – Castle & Beckett in bed (spooning fully dressed, but yeah, in bed), kisses with good lighting, and more sexy banter. I think they got everything in “The Lives of Others”.

The first time I watched, I didn’t see the surprise party coming until just before the reveal. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I figured Castle’s ‘Rear Window’ murder was a set-up. When I watched it again, I caught some subtle hints. Kate’s quirky smiles behind Castle’s back, the way she and her team talked about Rick and what he saw, even Martha leaving and Alexis siding with him so quickly. They did a masterful job of setting Castle up – and in return, the viewers.

There was also a murder case, which was entirely separate from the A-story. They connected briefly in the end, when Castle inadvertently hands Kate the line that leads to her epiphany – but instead of running off to arrest the perp, she stays with Rick and celebrates his birthday.

The murder was standard – nothing to write home about, but it allowed for some interaction between Kate’s team. They discussed Rick’s situation throughout and set us up to eventually take the fall along with Castle.

There were so many callbacks and in-jokes peppered along the way there’s absolutely no way I could list them all. If you’re a loyal viewer, you most likely recognized elements from previous episodes – as well as a cameo from the creators of the series. You may have recognized veteran actor Sal Viscuso (Tommy “The Shark” Valentino), or at least his voice. He was on many episodes of M*A*S*H as the disembodied P.A. announcer.

Unfortunately, we’re getting a rerun next Monday – however, it’s a good one. “Final Frontier”, directed by Jonathan Frakes. He’s also the director for the next new episode, “The Fast and the Furriest”, airing April 15th.

PS: I *adore* the RC Helicopter. I loved seeing it’s return, however brief. I can only hope there were survivors.