Castle – Season 3 (TVR00003)
Overview
This is the season where Castle hits its stride. Beckett and Castle are in a good place after the first couple of episodes; they’re in their groove and they’re even making progress on the conspiracy that claimed Beckett’s mother.
Episodes That I Liked
For me, almost every episode hits the mark this season. For 16 of the 24 eps, I rate them four stars or higher. E01 starts off solid with Castle as a potential suspect, particularly as he’s back in town and not calling. We move on to psychics (E02), steam-punk (E04), extra bodies in coffins (E05), strippers (E07), the X-Files (E09), an actress wanting to be Nikki Heat (E11), magic (E12), terrorist threats (E16 and E17), dead jurors (E19), and Beverly Hills (E22).
But the four stand-out episodes are a little bit different. We have the Triple-X K killer, with twists and turns galore (E06). Then a ho-hum mystery (a subway lightbulb changer gets killed) but expertly done (E08). And E24 is a huge reveal on the conspiracy around Beckett’s mother’s murder and how it all ties in. Yet I think my favourite one of the season is a softer one about speak-easies, pubs, and a modern take on an old mystery (E10).
Episodes That Were Watchable
Two episodes really just “walk it in” at the mid-point for quality. E03 deals with an old partner of Beckett’s and E13 “almost” has a reveal for the conspiracy.
Episodes That I Didn’t Like
So here’s the weird part. After a huge batch of awesome EPs, there are a full 6 that are yawners, all in the second half of the season. We have lottery winners (E14); an old school chum of Castle’s (E15); soap operas (E18); pizza wars (E20); swimmers and steroids (E21); and a beauty pageant murder (E23). Bad plotting, obvious suspects, and not very interesting dialogue.
List of Episodes from Season 3
| Episode | Episode Title | Review | Rating |
| S03E01 | A Deadly Affair | Castle’s back, and standing over a dead body? Kinky | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E02 | He’s Dead, She’s Dead | Castle’s right — the psychic didn’t see it coming | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E03 | Under the Gun | Beckett’s old partner comes back around, but not on the job | ★★★☆☆ |
| S03E04 | Punked | Steam-punk, revolvers, and a death in the park | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E05 | Anatomy of a Murder | Extra body in a casket, jail breaks, and drug dealers | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E06 | 3XK | Twists and turns, turns and twists…and then another twist | ★★★★★ |
| S03E07 | Almost Famous | Stripper in cop uniform leads to business fraud | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E08 | Murder Most Fowl | How many lightbulb changers does it take to witness a murder? | ★★★★★ |
| S03E09 | Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind | The truth is out there, and MIB too | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E10 | Last Call | A speak-easy beckons, along with a modern day mystery | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E11 | Nikki Heat | Wannabe Nikki actress does Beckett better than Beckett | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E12 | Poof! You’re Dead | Abracadabra, jackass, and the hunt for magic is on | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E13 | Knockdown | Raglan is about to talk, and then he gets whacked | ★★★☆☆ |
| S03E14 | Lucky Stiff | A lottery winner with a guilty conscience? Yawn | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E15 | Final Nail | Never trust old school chums | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E16 | Setup | Syrian cabdriver mystery goes radioactive? Call in Homeland | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E17 | Countdown | Survive a freezer, let’s try aiming for a dirty bomb | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E18 | One Life to Lose | Death on a soap opera? Usually it’s not permanent | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E19 | Law & Murder | Dead juror? No end of suspects and intrigue | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E20 | Slice of Death | Pizza wars? Not terrific, or authentic, or even interesting | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E21 | Dead Pool | Swimmers and steroids? It isn’t rocket science | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E22 | To Love and Die in L.A. | Beverly Hills Cop, Beckett style | ★★★★☆ |
| S03E23 | Pretty Dead | Beauty pageant murder? Blackmail? Definitely not pretty | ★★☆☆☆ |
| S03E24 | Knockout | Hitman Lockwood escapes, Beckett makes progress finding 3rd cop | ★★★★★ |
The Bottom Line (★★★★☆)
Beckett and Castle are in the groove
