I've fallen into a familiar pattern with Castle this season. Everything has solidified, from the plots to the characters, but the one thing that has been consistently missing from the show since the beginning--and continues on today--is the inability for the writers to shake up the normalcy, aside from the two-parters that come every once in a blue moon. I like watching the episodes and seeing things unfold, but there isn't anything to look forward to, the possibility that something will change. In comparison, The Mentalist and Bones have both shown to be capable of going outside the box several times a season and not just for special occasions. Now in its third season, Castle should be able to do the same, stretching its wings a bit, but it doesn't.
What I'm getting at is that my motivation to review the show has severely plummeted. After tonight's episode, I asked myself what I could say about the episode. The pizza guys were funny, the Keyser Soze homage was cool, and the Alexis stuff was solid as usual. But did anything really catch my attention? No. I've come to expect these things from Castle, and the format for "Slice of Death" is the same as a majority of the episode. Castle and Beckett investigate a crime of an unusual setting, there are some puns, pop culture references, lots of suspects, and the arrest. Alexis and/or Martha have a problem in the meantime which seems large, Castle consults Beckett who adds her two cents from a female perspective, and the problem is resolved happily. Depending on how I feel next week, this may be my last regular review of Castle.
Alexis's line last week about her friend situation being complicated caught my eye last week, so I was pleased to see the writers follow up on that. Her "friend" Lauren tries to make her life miserable, and Alexis eventually fights back. According to Alexis, they "hug it out" in the end, so it's a happy ending. Thematically, it's not deep. as nothing on the show is, and we already know high school has plenty of bitches, but it once again allows for some good scenes between Castle and Alexis.
Score: 8.6/10
