I have to accept that this is a very amusing episode. The Slaughter character is so over the top that we have to laugh at him, and it shows Castle the dangers of working outside the team of which he has worked so hard to be a part. Except that the events of the last decade or so have made Slaughter perhaps not so over the top - there may still be too many police officers with Slaughter's mentality. I've realised that what turns me off this episode is the presence of Slaughter. I was bullied at school, and have come across bullies in later life - I have come to be able to deal with them. To be presented with an entitled bully like Slaughter is a trigger to which I react badly. He reminds me of too many of the real people I know who infest society, and against whom it must be defended. Castle is right in taking a stand.
5 Reviews
A Great Performance By Adam Baldwin Leads To A Great Episode
MichaelSeese23 April 2012
What an amazing episode of "Castle." (I was going to say, "awesome," but I'm a grown man.) The writers really worked a tightrope, teetering between dark and light. You had Slaughter's rough-housing of suspects and informants, balanced by Esposito and Ryan seeking favors from Castle in exchange for their help. The final scene, with Castle and Alexis racing for the ice cream, let us end on an up beat.
First of all, give a ton of credit to Adam Baldwin for his portrayal of Detective Ethan Slaughter. He was intense. (Though at the end, when she confronted Vales, Beckett showed that she could be intense, too.) As over-the-top as Slaughter was, the character easily could have been a caricature. Credit Baldwin for not letting that happen.
They gave him so many juicy lines:
Two scenes stand out in my mind as being particularly engrossing and entertaining. First, Beckett's scene with "Counselor Worf" was great. Have you noticed that in her early therapy sessions, she sat and hugged herself, and now she paces and gestures? But the best was the entire scene in McCrawley's Bar when Castle:
1. Yells "NPYD" (yes, that's what he said) and then nearly get trampled.
2. Has his fight with Shea, all the while Slaughter is calmly holding Brian Reilly (the victim's father) at gunpoint and cracking peanuts.
3. Knocks out Shea with a beer bottle and, rather than make some sort of macho gesture, faints.
4. And (though it was not quite the same scene) struts into the precinct like he was a member of the Magnificent Seven.
Which leads us to "the looks." - Beckett's disbelieving stare at Castle's triumphant entrance.
Though Slaughter would be too much as a regular, I certainly hope they bring him back for at least one curtain call.
First of all, give a ton of credit to Adam Baldwin for his portrayal of Detective Ethan Slaughter. He was intense. (Though at the end, when she confronted Vales, Beckett showed that she could be intense, too.) As over-the-top as Slaughter was, the character easily could have been a caricature. Credit Baldwin for not letting that happen.
They gave him so many juicy lines:
- The aforementioned disparaging of "awesome."
- "I'm guessing 32s?" (Complemented by the camera panning up from the bullets to the medical examiner's...)
- "You got a skirt that says 'writer' on it, too?"
- "Real man land."
Two scenes stand out in my mind as being particularly engrossing and entertaining. First, Beckett's scene with "Counselor Worf" was great. Have you noticed that in her early therapy sessions, she sat and hugged herself, and now she paces and gestures? But the best was the entire scene in McCrawley's Bar when Castle:
1. Yells "NPYD" (yes, that's what he said) and then nearly get trampled.
2. Has his fight with Shea, all the while Slaughter is calmly holding Brian Reilly (the victim's father) at gunpoint and cracking peanuts.
3. Knocks out Shea with a beer bottle and, rather than make some sort of macho gesture, faints.
4. And (though it was not quite the same scene) struts into the precinct like he was a member of the Magnificent Seven.
Which leads us to "the looks." - Beckett's disbelieving stare at Castle's triumphant entrance.
- The medical examiner's panicked "no" nod when Castle asked to ride along with Slaughter.
- Slaughter's glare when Castle offered him a cappuccino.
Though Slaughter would be too much as a regular, I certainly hope they bring him back for at least one curtain call.
Another special one!
Khaela15 October 2021
A gem in it's own
wiebkereckmann3 October 2022
Even if you don't really watch Castle, this episode you should not miss. This episode had me laughing so hard. Just reading all the amazing quotes again had me laughing out loud.
Seeing Castle working with an badass cop is an interesting concept in itself and the way the show handled it is amazing.
The reason for Castle to team up with Slaughter is that he has been hurt so badly by Becket's actions and this also brings some emotional depth to this episode.
The case seems not really promising at first, but as the minutes get by we learn that not everything is one-dimensional.
PS: I love that we got a comment on Castles writer vest.
Seeing Castle working with an badass cop is an interesting concept in itself and the way the show handled it is amazing.
The reason for Castle to team up with Slaughter is that he has been hurt so badly by Becket's actions and this also brings some emotional depth to this episode.
The case seems not really promising at first, but as the minutes get by we learn that not everything is one-dimensional.
PS: I love that we got a comment on Castles writer vest.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
