A screener was released on Feb. 28 for this coming Monday’s episode of “Castle,” and episode seventeen of this season is bound to be an unforgettable and much talked about episode for a good long while, if only due to the graphic nature of the content and emotions it’s sure to elicit upon viewing. This is not a fun, comedic episode with romantic fluff, and there is no happy ending to this particular case of the week. You could say it’s only the beginning of something bigger and far more threatening to Castle and Beckett’s future.
“In the Belly of the Beast” is intense, dark and gritty, stomach-churning at some points and heartbreaking in others. It’s an episode that highlights the dark side of the New York City underbelly and political corruption, the very real danger that Beckett’s life as a NYPD detective presents, and how that affects her and the people who love her. It’s not often that an episode of “Castle” brings me close to tears, but this one did fit the bill. Truth be told, I felt kind of awful at the end of it. It was a rough 43 minutes and not at all what I was expecting (but in a good way.)
Here’s a few more specific spoilers to whet your appetite until Monday:
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Not everything in the episode is cloaked by a dark, gloomy cloud. Giddy, day-off-from-work Beckett is a sight to behold, and a stark contrast to unemployed Beckett. But, as always, duty calls just as things get good and a cute Caskett moment at the start is interrupted. Poor Castle. You can’t blame him for being frustrated, especially this time as Beckett saucily teases, “[…] it’s clear to me what we both need right now is a really good font.” Katherine Beckett, I swear.
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Beckett goes through some serious hell during this undercover ordeal though—far worse than what Ryan and Esposito went through during “Knockdown”—and it’s really painful to watch. But not as painful as…
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a scene around the halfway point that is reminiscent of Beckett facing her mortality in “Still”. It’s a scene with voice over from Beckett as she sets about trying to leave some trace of herself behind for Castle and the others to find in case things go even further south for her with the op. Unfortunately, this screener was another rough cut and it wasn’t Stana Katic’s voice heard in the voice over, but it’s still a powerful moment and probably one that will have many grabbing for their tissue box. I seriously can’t wait to hear/see the final result after ADR completion. It’s a doozy.
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No Lanie or Alexis in this one, but we briefly get Martha. Gates is awesome as always, the boys help Castle keep his composure throughout (he gets rather riled up at one point) and there’s a scene of Castle looking at Beckett’s empty chair that hurt rather well. The episode is pretty Beckett heavy as far as screen time goes.
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Lastly, as has been revealed elsewhere from the press, familiar faces make a return in this episode, but one of them might not be who you’d expect to see again. We’ve been specifically asked not to reveal this information, and for very good reason. Here’s hoping it’s kept a surprise for you.
Before the screener, I mentioned on Twitter that this episode might become my favorite of the season if it pans out well enough. I’ve only watched it once so I may have missed something, but there are some issues with the plot in this one that just don’t add up or work for me, and those flaws earn 6×17 some minus points in my book. So, it doesn’t earn the favorite episode spot. However, in terms of episode tone, “In the Belly of the Beast” beats “Disciple,” in my opinion, for best dramatic episode of the season. Stana Katic is a total rockstar and we get a phenomenal performance from her in this episode. Ultimate praise for her. She did some fantastic work.
That’s all from me for now. Strap in and prepare yourselves for one hell of a ride on Monday, folks. See you for the live tweet then.
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