Castle: Teasing 6×20 “That ’70s Show” **Spoilers**

Now that I’ve had a chance to preview this episode, I have a lot of caveats to throw your way as I write my teaser article.

1. I’m still not sure why they chose *this* episode as a screener episode
2. It will not be my favorite episode of Season 6, nor will it be my least favorite
3. It makes me feel old because they refer to the time period as being “40 years ago” (UGH)
4. Martha is awesome and on the verge of irritating at the same time
5. Ryan (Seamus Dever) is an amazing dancer
6. They may be implying that Espo is taking more than one woman home from the 70s club (??!!)
7. And, last but not least, this episode has an AMAZING guest cast.
   Jon Polito (Homicide: Life on the Street) as Harold Metzger
   Richard Portnow (The Sopranos) as Milt Boyle
   Ray Abruzzo (The Sopranos) as Frank Russo
   Gina Hecht (Night Shift, St. Elmo’s Fire) as Marie Russo
   Dawnn Lewis (A Different World, Futurama) as Yvonne
   Larry Joshua (NYPD Blue) as Michael Carcano
   James Martin Kelly (Jack Reacher) as Robert Decker

So… some of those points might be stretching it, but most of it is true, at least as far as I’m concerned.

Another ‘body found’ cold open – then onto some wedding planning on the part of Martha. Just another scene that’s cementing my opinion that the wedding they’re planning will never come to fruition. Not that there won’t BE a wedding, just that it won’t be the one we’re seeing being planned. 

We move to the case, and the victim is a mob boss from the 1970s, found in a cement slab while a building is being demolished. I’m very happy with how the ID went down on scene, because it shows Castle using his deduction skills to figure out who the skeleton belong(ed) to. Very nice touch – and it’s good to see them using this device again.

A couple of rungs down the ladder leads them to their main witness, Harold Metzger. A man who suffered trauma when his best friend – the victim – was murdered, and is stuck in the 1970s. When he’s confused by anything that’s newer than that, he gets fidgety and agitated, and is no good to them as a clue-giver. (imo, a bit far-fetched – but hey)

That’s the set up for the whole 70s vibe of the episode. It means everybody has to dress and act like they’re living in 1978 in order to keep Harold feeling safe and comfortable. Rick enlists Martha to help dress the precinct – and instead of just making it so Metzger can simply walk through – she ends up writing scripts and hiring actors.

This is about the time I sunk into a dark depression, as I realized I owned outfits like half the people in the precinct were wearing. Although they were child-sized, but not baby-sized. (double ugh) Polyester, Halter tops, Bell bottoms, the whole shebang.

A modern-day attempted mob-hit, guns pulled at a disco, lucky coins, some political maneuvering and a last chance at love later – they figure out who killed Vince. The revelations also pull Harold into the present, and there’s a bit of a ‘celebration’ that’s Polyester-tastic and full of hair-porn.

Not the worst episode ever, but I don’t think it’ll make it into my top ten. Come back next week for my review after the episode airs!