So while spontaneously rewatching the first season, I think I have finally put my finger on the number one reason I love this show.
It’s simply the progression.
Castle has never been, nor does it truly profess to be a police procedural. The creators themselves talk about the show as if it is a “love story.” If it were about the cases and not the people, it wouldn’t be called “Castle.”
There’s been a lot of talk recently about how this season isn’t as good as the first or people miss the way Castle and Beckett used to interact. To the first point I wholeheartedly disagree. This season is different than the first, which was different than the second, which was different than the third. This is my point. Each season feels different. And to the second point, it is unrealistic and quite frankly poor writing, for Castle and Beckett to act completely the same toward each other for four years. In real life, people change how they interact as they become more comfortable with each other. He annoys her less, so she isn’t as feisty with him. She loves him, so she doesn’t tease him as much. He loves her, so he doesn’t push her buttons in the same way as before. They care about each other, they are familiar with each other, they love each other. So they act differently.
This is exactly why I am super confident that the show will be just as good when they actually get together. That will add a different flavor to the show. Just like with each individual season. It’s ok that they are different, they should be different. The show would be tired if every season was the same. I like how I can watch season 1 for Feisty Beckett, season 2 for Flirty Beckett, season 3 for Teasing Beckett, and season 4 for Love Eyeballs Beckett.
That progression keeps me coming back. You can watch these characters fall in love in spite of themselves. You can watch their characters grow as people as they each have an effect on each other. Beckett becomes more confident and learns to open up to people. Castle finally starts acting like an adult and learns what it means to really care about someone. When they first met, they were incompatible on so many levels. Over time, they learned to work together and formed a partnership. That partnership grew into something more and now it’s not about the books anymore.
Progression. Castle’s doing it right.
You nailed it.
