Richard Castle's Walls (Deep Emotional Life Issues)

Richard Castle’s Walls (Deep Emotional Life Issues)

These comments are mine alone, and have been gained through watching the Castle program series at least 3 times completely since 25 December 2012, and being able to share on Twitter with some extraordinary individuals dedicated to really understanding what make Rick Castle and Kate Beckett tick, and who want the very best for them as they continue their remarkable journey in the series.

However

Remember—we are talking about a story here, folks. But for CASKETT fans, it’s the romantic adventure of a lifetime, and is mainly important only from this perspective, and from the perspective which allows us to gain insight into Andrew Marlowe’s genius at weaving the romantic thread throughout the life of the Castle program.

As we approach the end of Season 5 of Castle, there are several things which are in play for the mystery writer and his favorite detective. We have spent 4 years getting Castle and Beckett together, culminating in 4x23(Always) with their being together. During those 4 years, Castle completely unraveled the stoic, hard charging Type A Beckett’s attitude of him from one of disgust(Season 1), to that of complete trust in and desire for him(Season 4). However, as Executive Producer/Writer Andrew Marlowe (AWM) indicated early this year, we saw this ‘peeling of the Beckett Onion’ over this 4 year period, but we learned little about the ‘real Richard Castle’. Season 5 with the new lovers has been spent starting to learn more about Castle, and starting to ‘peel his onion’ or ‘uncovering his real self’. While CASKETT fanatics may not want to go to the level that AWM will take us in understanding Rick Castle, I think it is important for us to truly know this character by delving into his background, which will lead to a much smoother relationship with his love (Kate) for the rest of their lives.

Castle has been shown to be a very complex person, with a brash, self-assured covering, very successful in his endeavor (mystery writing), and therefore very wealthy. His extensive holdings in New York(lovely expensive flat), a Ferrari automobile, an investment in a bar where he began his writings(The Old Haunt), and a very lovely summer home in the Hamptons give him opportunities to do what he wants, without worrying about his ability to provide for his family(Alexis and Martha, his mother). This environment is what Kate Beckett is introduced to in the program. This sets the scene for AWM to start giving the viewers an insight into ‘what makes Rick Castle’.

A basic premise for determining what Rick Castle really is below the brash, self-assured covering cannot start by simply viewing Season 5, however. The viewer has to be aware of all the things that have gone before in all years of the Series. AWM has woven insights throughout the series about different aspects of who Castle is for the audience. For example, AWM introduced as far back as Season 2 of a fear developed regarding having lost a childhood friend in mysterious circumstances. Also, it was revealed that he really grew up alone, being abandoned by his father (introduced in the series in 5x16 Hunt), and his driven mother’s desire to be on the New York stage. These facts gives the viewer some insight into a person who was raised by nannies, spending most of his childhood alone or in the New York Public Library, and ‘setting his own course’ in determining his deep-seeded feelings about life’s deep issues. These have led Castle to develop a deep desire to know things. In those areas of his life which have unknowns that affect him, his loved ones (including Kate Beckett), and his family members, he spends a lot of time trying to keep away from those things which he doesn’t understand. His cover, however, is to delve into these things he doesn’t understand (magic, zombies, vampires, dead people, etc), and murder, if he can control the outcome. However, family and loved ones do come first even over those fears (Alexis being kidnapped in 5X15 Target, multiple times that he saves Beckett’s life in the course of following her), but he never addresses the underlying causes for these fears of the unknown—and he never shares these fears with anyone, including Kate. The audience is left with a complex person who gives on the surface a fun-loving comedic guy who loves all, but down deep has significant issues with fear of unknown, all while greatly succeeding in his writings about murder mysteries. This surface treatment is again a defensive mechanism to keep the real Castle issues hidden, and while they have been successful in doing this, the genius of AWM is afoot to start showing us what Castle really is like below the surface.

While the fear of the unknown has been around in Castle’s life since early childhood, a secondary fear, the fear of failure in marriage or relationships, has reared its ugly head caused mainly by his two failed marriages. He loves Kate Beckett dearly, and marriage is surely an option in his future with her, but he is hounded by the history that he failed in his marriage with Meredith (Alexis mother) and with Gina (his book producer), and because of his intense fear of the unknown (see above), he is hounded by the fear that if he enters into the marriage contract with Kate, it will fail because he simply hasn’t succeeded in marriage, and he can’t push this off with a surface relationship, because he loves Kate too much for that. He has addressed potential solutions for this fear—that of going on, and taking the issues head on as they go (not a direct quote), but I believe this issue is secondary to that of the basic fear of the unknown. However, this marriage fear cannot be properly addressed without the fear issue being addressed, and the relationship with Kate cannot really grow to another level if he doesn’t gain some assurance for himself that, with Kate, there won’t be another failure, since Kate is, as she said “A one and done girl” in regard to marriage.

So it is up to Kate and Richard to address these issues. How can Kate Beckett help address these issues? One way is to address them directly, but in a sensitive way that doesn’t overwhelm Castle and push him away based upon his fears. It appears that AWM is using this approach. Kate is approaching some of these things with him (the Jordan issue that is seen in 5X18) and she seems to be determined to address them, but in an atmosphere which does not seem to threaten him or drive him back into silence. The acting by both Stana and Nathan in this area are exceptional(Just watch Nathan’s face when Stana brings up Jordan in 5x18)—and again shows that mastery of AWM in developing the romantic thread, and portraying them across the timeline of a romantic relationship in a manner that is believable, and is portrayable by Stana and Nathan in this exceptional show. I am not sure exactly what tactics will be used by AWM beyond the basic one of getting Kate into the emotional issue which is “behind his wall”. I am confident that Kate will be able to get there, and that the result will be a more relaxed Castle, and when THAT happens, there will be a realization of it by Kate, and the “I Love You” that all fanatic CASKETT followers dream and pray about each week will quickly follow.

Any comments that you may have would certainly be appreciated.