Castle (TV Series) Swan Song (2012) User Reviews

Docu-dramedy :-)

[VetteRanger · 9/10 · 24 January 2023]

When a prominent member of an emerging band gets murdered in his RV, Castle, Beckett, and the team arrive to find a documentary with a film crew already on the scene and intruding everywhere. While there may be some discussion about whether they should allow the documentary crew to continue filming as they investigate the case, forget all that. The result is hilarious.

Except for Becket, who is thoroughly unimpressed with the entire experience, EVERYONE else mugs for the camera, even the Captain. It's lots of fun and I'm sure the actors had a great time going over the top.

The case itself? It has the normal number of false leads to suspects who don't pan out before the real killer is unearthed. But this episode isn't about the mystery, it's about the fun. :-)

Great!!!

[benas-plentas · 10/10 · 19 November 2012]

I'm watching Castle from the beginning and what I love about it is that they constantly doing various tricks with how they deliver the story. I know, that there are people who don't like the changes in general and they prefer to stick to the same old style of how story is told, but that's not me - I like this "camera man" thing so much in this episode. It changes the way we perceive the view, it also changes the way we digest the story - it places us as spectators into shoes of actors, we become part of a story and this rapid change is simply great! :) Of course, it shouldn't be something to be repeated in each episode, but for one episode it works just great. It could be even more trans-medial, I guess :)

Just... no!

[akicork · 1/10 · 11 June 2023]

I think this may be the most irritating episode in the entire, otherwise enjoyable, Castle series. In other countries we stand aghast at the possibility that a purely political entity such as City Hall might be able to meddle in a police investigation to the extent that non-forensic camera crews could be allowed on a crime scene. Any notion of whatever might be an episode plot is lost in the muddle of the "documentary following". I found myself so distracted by the "documentary techniques" that I completely lost track of what the characters were actually saying. So now I will have to watch the episode again, and filter down the forty minutes of paddling to the five minutes of actual story.

Whew....even for Castle the lack of realism was too much to take on this one.

[tles7 · 2/10 · 6 August 2020]

Castle was an extremely entertaining show. You could also nickname it as Castle and Beckett. It is amazing that they got away with 4 seasons of no romantic relationship in the traditional sense. The whole premise of Castle is a total fantasy. The show is filmed in L.A. and mixed in with 2nd unit film footage of NYC. The camera stays low outdoors because buses, street signs, street widths, empty lots, etc...would make it very obvious that it is not Manhattan on the exteriors. Let's face it, there's no way a civilian would be put in danger as often as Castle is placed in dangerous situations. I have done ride alongs with a buddy in the NYPD, you are not allowed to do anything. Some Castle episodes are excellent, some are not, and some are downright stupid....this one may be the worst. There is no way documentary footage would be allowed in every conversation or every situation. First of all, you'd have to digitize every person's face in the interrogation room and at the precinct. It would just be too revealing and against civil liberties. Lastly, for what is supposed to be a live event through the camera's eyes....how does the view through the camera jump to different angles and shots? That would be AFTER editing, in real life, the camera would be roaming from one person to another if there were closeups on each person in a conversation. You have to accept a lot of non-realism in Castle but this one went to far...it was just plain dumb.

Ridiculous

[zombiemockingbird · 1/10 · 2 August 2022]

There is absolutely no way on earth this would happen. Outsiders filming the crime scene, the interrogations, the investigation, the evidence? They would have to get everyone to sign waivers or some kind of consent to be filmed and recorded. When the case came to trial it would be thrown out immediately for improper procedure and the defendant would walk. They could also never select an impartial jury. This is so silly it hurts.

Unbelievable! Worst episode of the entire series.

[ANannyMoose02 · 1/10 · 8 January 2022]

This is the one and only episode I ever had to completely skip. I watched the first 5 minutes and got a headache from the incredibly shotty camera work. The plot was a blatant rip off of Spinal Tap. I skimmed through to see when they went back to using a normal camera crew and it never happens. How was this awful episode ever aloud to be aired?

Fifth season need to be reconsidered

[zaqzaq131 · 1/10 · 13 November 2012]

I couldn't watch more than four minutes, I forwarded to avoid the cameras but it is the whole episode, we liked this series in first four seasons, the fifth seasons is different, is that because you're looking for new fans, you might loss the old fans whom watched the whole first four seasons

what I like about this series is the mixture between the daily crime investigation and Kate's mother investigation and her feeling a bout her case, castle when he's supporting her in her case, I like to go with her mother case more than daily crimes, the daily crimes are repeated in different way, it would be more interested if the fifth was connected to the main case Kate's mother, the dangerous surrounding Kate's team, specially after we know who behind her mother murder, I thought that season would be about her investigation to collect info about the file they lost, Kate's team had been watching, the senator use his power to separate her away from the 12 th precinct and NY, or try to send her to somewhere she might get shot, Kate and the senator might meet together or she has to protect him, he might be a witness in a crime she investigates, or one of his family killed so Kate tries to find led to put him as only suspicious

I wish for you all the best, I really enjoy this series, this is first series I interestedly watch since long time and I watched more than once

Shaky cam makes it unwatchable for me

[stesch · 1/10 · 14 March 2024]

I do not understand who thinks these kinds of episodes are a good idea? I hate them on "The Rookie", I hate them here.

But this episode is even worse than most other documentation style episodes: It has an annoying shaky cam.

Mixed with unnecessary closeups, this introduces nausea.

And what is up with throwing everything overboard that we learned about police work for the last 4 seasons? The documentation camera team is contaminating the crime scene. How is this possible on this show?

We don't want absolute realism. Having a novelist as a partner on a crime show is something that would never happen. The viewer knows that but can enjoy the show anyway.

But this episode is just unwatchable.