The last time Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin shared the screen together, the former was playing a much different character than he does on Castle. Firefly’s Mal and Jayne might have been different in personality, but they were both their own special version of badass. Rick Castle and Det. Slaughter didn’t share that particular trait, making watching their dynamic very … weird.
I’m a big fan of Baldwin, and felt this guest appearance on Castle was a long time coming. Watching Castle be so subservient to Slaughter – at least in the beginning – was much different than we’ve seen in the past. It was fun, though, especially watching Castle gradually stand up to Slaughter increasingly more throughout the course of the case, especially slugging the detective when Alexis’ name came up inappropriately.
As much as I want to talk about the reunion, that fun was secondary to the greater theme of the episode. Watching Castle realize that his professional life wasn’t the same without Beckett as his partner will be the catalyst to a similar realization in his personal life. These two are circling each other, getting closer and closer to the moment that shipper fans have been waiting for. I truly believe this moment will happen before the end of the season. Castle has known how he has felt for some time now and Beckett is finally — through much more difficulty — coming to terms with her own.
Of course, this could all be leading to another Charlie Brown/Lucy/football moment. Shows have done this time and time again, building specific tension to a result that defines the process as artificial. I have a great deal of faith that Castle showrunner Andrew W. Marlowe isn’t going to do us like that.
Hopefully, I won’t title my last review of this season, “Oh Good Grief.”
The :45 Guess: This week, there really wasn’t a long list of suspects to evaluate. Any of the cops involved being dirty and complicit — including Slaughter — seems a little too obvious, considering the “any means necessary” approach we’ve seen. Glitch’s father, played by Michael McGrady, seems to be too important of a figure to be left out of the endgame, but filicide doesn’t seem to be in this guy’s nature. So the only guess I have left on the table was that the kid who snitched was actually guilty of the crime, trying to prove himself in the gang.
The Answer: Wow, I guess I just gave too much credit to an Irish gangster. Leaving that kind of despicableness as the lasting image of the case certainly takes some of the pressure off of Slaughter.
The Firefly/Serenity References I caught
Notes & Quotes
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Apr 17, 2012 @ 07:49 EST5EDT
Ivey how could you not give the most important quote of the episode! Castle to Alexis: “I guess the question is, do you want it badly enough to get over being hurt” (/cue in I-just-stumbled-onto-something-about-myself face)
*POST AUTHOR*
An excellent catch, Maria. I have a tendency to share only the funny quotes, and not the emotionally poignant ones. I need to get better about that!
References I found:
In Firefly, Mal bartered to get Jayne on his and Zoe’s team. In Castle, he barters with his coat and the offer of help with the Mayor to get onto Slaughters team.
The biggest parallel in the bar fight I saw was [Baldwin]’s resistance to help [Fillion]. With Firefly, Jayne sat back while Zoe and Mal fought, saying that he didn’t fight the Alliance. In Castle, Rick asked for help, and Slaughter just said that he was doing fine.
They argue over a redhead; in Firefly, Jayne wants to barter Vera for Saffron, and in Castle, Slaughter hits on Alexis. Might just be a coincidence, but I thought it was funny.
Another Firefly reference, although maybe reaching, but when Slaughter offers Castle a swig from his flask after their night out, he says somehthing like “this will get you flying straight” or somehthing like that.
Missed some big ones! Just before Jayne and Mal (oops. Castle and Slaughter) confront the Mexicans, Slaughter tells Castle “He likes to keep his options open,” a quote from the opening scenes of Serenity, and then pulls out his pistol in a very Mal-like fashion!