Castle (TV Series) Reckoning (2015) User Reviews

Intense!

[richard-abeysinghe428 · 10/10 · 17 February 2015]

We've all known fr some time that Kate Beckett is one girl that doesn't need saving. She will save herself (apart from where Castle helped solve her mother's murder & she ended up marrying him), but if there was any doubt it was definitely vanquished by that sheer look she gave Dr. Nieman once she got herself untied (and also offing the evil doctor & standing next to her pool of blood with a bloody scalpel like a serial killer from a horror movie helped too!). All in all this stands as one of the best Castle episodes and certainly as THE best 3XK episode.

• Gate's close work with Rick was well appreciated. Her character has grown a lot despite the relatively short screen time received & was instrumental to the turnaround of Rick's fortunes in finding Kate.

• Talking about Rick, I felt Nathan did some amazing work in this 2 parter, and the writers did well to bring up Rick's disappearance.

• Were Martha & Alexis really shopping abroad once they heard from Rick that everybody was safe? Stress-shopping?

• Imagine a fake Kate coming to live home with Rick (like in Fringe where Peter spent months in bed & at work with an Olivia from another universe without fully realizing it) and the season ended in a cliffhanger where Rick finds out she is fake? Would be a genius move!

This is what I've been looking for...

[cotc95 · 10/10 · 17 February 2015]

Wow. Just wow. With everything that happened prior to this episode: ('3XK', 'Kick the Ballistics', 'Probable Cause', 'Disciple', and then 'Resurrection') the writers created a storyline that kept the audience wondering: "How will this unfold? Will they ever take Tyson (and Nieman) down?" The writers created a storyline that gave a sense that there would be a climactic finish. And by golly, they did NOT disappoint.

The way the writers tied everything together, while also keeping true to the storyline and characters, while carefully minimizing plot holes and not cutting corners, very much impressed me. There were so many moments of intensity, anxiety, and darkness in this 2-parter - especially in 'Reckoning'. The dialog between Castle and Tyson was amazing at times, and the chess-match that took place between them kept me guessing throughout the episode. The themes of darkness, intensity, and intelligent development in storyline are why I am calling this episode my favorite of the entire series.

I'm hoping to see other episodes with similar quality as the series moves forward, because this is the stuff that keeps me coming back.

Breathtaking.

[akzzzsid · 9/10 · 17 February 2015]

Castle continues to amaze me still after 6 seasons.And this episode,it just made it stronger.With Beckett's whereabouts unknown,Castle is forced to transform from the witty guy to a man who protects or at least try to protect his family no matter what.

I would say Nathan Fillion and the rest of the crew is transforming to the characters still. The way Nathan Fillion enacted the sad husband was so realistic.The conversation with 3XK was the most highlighting of them All.The expression,the mystery,it all just spiced up the episode to a whole new level.I hope they continues or make much better episodes in the future.

Outstanding

[superangelofglory · 10/10 · 19 February 2015]

I had to say "finally" two times after watching this episode: for catching 3XK and for Castle's return to the team. However, I have to say, as a hardcore Castle fan, I got a little sad. Why? Because it is very hard to believe that it is possible for them to make an even better episode than this one. All 3XK episodes are great, but this one, well, this one is not just the best 3XK episode, it is the best episode from the entire show. It was so good I didn't even notice the 555 blunder (still, seriously, I am almost developing an allergy to the movies with American phone numbers containing this sequence - such a cliché). This is a bit of a reverse situation comparing to the previous episode. That one started with a funny situation (Alexis' joke about joining an escort service) and ended with an extremely dramatic situation (Kate being kidnapped) while this one starts with a dramatic situation (the events after Kate being taken) and ends with a funny and happy twist (Rick being sentenced to community service after assaulting Tyson but having to serve that with Kate). But I must say the gold moment of the episode was not the end, not even when they took down Tyson or when Rick revealed to him that he is the one who fell into a trap, the gold moment is the little chat Gates has with Castle in the booking room, telling him to find the story. It was such an intimate, intense moment I almost expected a kiss. 12 out of 10 from me!

Best of the best

[VCg45 · 10/10 · 21 February 2015]

When I was asked if Castle's season 7 would be as interesting as others were I thoughtlessly answered No. But I've realized that it's not only that it is on the same level, it is for me the best season of this show. And in this season we (of course) had a "3XK" episode; well, in fact, two of them. The first one, really good, with nice twists and stories. But this one, "Reckoning", it was the best of the best. It wouldn't be right to say that this is the best episode in the entire show because the base of it are the typical "funny" and "twisty" episodes with no relation with their stories, but it is indeed one of the top episodes.

I won't make too much spoilers of this chapter, but I'll talk about a few points. Firstly, it seems that "3XK" is definitively dead. But, haven't you thought about the idea that maybe he really was Mike Boudreau, and now 3XK is free to kill? It is not a crazy theory. And my other theory, a bit more close to a Castle's one, is that Beckett is not really Beckett, and Nieman has operated someone else to imitate Beckett. A bit crazy, isn't it?

Yes, an amazing chapter and an amazing season. That's what we all want to see. And we have all the Castle's disappearing yet. We are looking forward to it. Wow, the best of the best.

This two parter actually felt like a great thriller movie!

[jcaynon-91303 · 10/10 · 14 September 2015]

With '3XK', 'Kick the Ballistics', 'Probable Cause', 'Disciple', 'Resurrection' and now 'Reckoning', the Castle writers have managed to keep us on the edge of our seats for several years on how Castle and company could possibly beat a pair of villains who knew how to manipulate the police procedure used by the NYPD.

In Reckoning, we find out how the heroes manage to overcome this challenge and see an unlikely someone who's slowly become a fan of Castle to step into the mentor role to get him to approach the problem by using his strengths rather than his emotions (as his Dad had to chastise him for before in Season 5 and 6) or the procedural process Beckett might use. In this episode we see Castle be a typical badass action hero (which doesn't get him any results) then a deductive reasoning, mystery writer badass (which does).

Finally, we get a glimpse of the rarely tapped Xena-Warrior-Princess-murderous-rage badass nature of Beckett in all of its terrifying glory. The tiny portion we see along with its aftermath is effective because it leaves it to the viewer's imagination to envision the lengths that Kate would go to survive and how the realization of that horrifies her.

By far, this episode rates as the best of Castle and should be watched starting with '3XK' throughout to this satisfying finale of the arc.

Is this a movie ? because it was great !

[yogiho2 · 10/10 · 17 February 2015]

"1 tiny spoiler"

my thought through this whole episode was "is this a movie or a TV show ? "

this episode was perfect, you don't expect from a show on its 7th season to give such quality and you really have to give it to the writers of the show on there excellent ability to get more creative with the characters on an new level every new episode

i watched a side of castle i never sow before, in 6 seasons castle Rarely ever held a gun if not never, and the acting is top notch castle character evolved in 30 minute more then most characters do in a season. even tho beckett had few lines through the episode it

the support cast was phenomenal and gates character finally "showed up" instead of being a "plot device" the episode lacked Lanie but esposito was more then enough,ryan had emotional value and felt connect to the story more then anyone else

and the villeins oh the villeins !, man did 3XK deliver and beyond, and dr. kelly nieman was fantastic cast for the role,

This episode is better then your average crime drama movies, what a fantastic show that's keep getting better and better

How predictable - Part II

[omero-omero · 7/10 · 14 September 2022]

It has some good adrenaline moments, but the only interest kept alive in the audience is, at this point, all centered on how will the main characters manage to achieve that Reckoning, hinted in the very title of the episode.

Slightly better than the previous episode, yet the plot still evolves in a too much railroaded course.

At least here the good guys are (finally) shown to actually do something to contrast the bad guys moves, instead of being always outclassed by the villains who are always a step ahead in ways too unrealistic to accept, even with some effort at suspension of disbelief.

A few key moments involve bare fingers feats that even The Bionic Woman would have had troubles accomplishing.

Even if worth watching, this episode only delivers a long overdue conclusion to a story arc the show did not need anymore.

Best Wishes

[flaysour · 3/10 · 9 July 2021]

I have loved this show, including the cheesy over-acting of Castle's mother and the awful Gates, the ridiculous improbabities, because the two leads and two main supporters did a very good job. Now the show has reached the end, and not a moment too soon. After this season so far, I am glad to see it go, because it has become sheer tedium. The trend of procedurals was to have series-long story lines, in which the kitchen sink inevitably makes an appearance. At least they are not going to die the ignominious death of CSI, where the producers actually injected Ted Danson, who is the Ted McGinley of drama. Goodbye Stana and Nathan. All best.

Good episode but....

[jamellbest · 7/10 · 25 November 2023]

This was a really good episode. One of the best in a long time. The only thing I did not like was how easy they mess up by doing stupid things, i.e, kate going by herself to talk to Amy instead of having her go to the precinct. Why did Javi wait till Castle gained consciousness, have a whole conversation between castle and 3XK before shooting? What if they were in another room or in the basement? The fact that they know they shot the 3XK killer and never once thought to look at his chest for the gunshot wounds. That literally should've been one of the first things to do to prove that he was not Michael Budreau. It's dumb mistakes like this that they make in season 7 that gets tiresome and hard to keep on watching.

how the mighty have fallen

[p_bourha · 1/10 · 19 February 2015]

Castle should have bowed out after season 4. Season 4 was mediocre compared to previous seasons and it has gone downhill from there. I'm sick an tired of everyone getting abducted and targeted in this show, I'm sick and tired of irrational mysteries and dramatic music carpets. Castle was once witty and funny but now it's just another soap opera.

The Castle couple gets involved in yet another abduction situation, seriously how many times has it been by now, because as it is well known by now they are so very special and everyone is so jealous of them. The bad guys can scheme all they want but as melodramatic as they are the Castle couple can do better. No one delivers pompous, melodramatic, meaningless lines like they do so don't even try you'll just embarrass yourself.

Predictable, tedious and downright annoying. Both Fillion and Katic can do so much better.