BWW Recap: CASTLE and Beckett Finally Get Some Action

Finally---the playful, sexy side of Rick Castle and Kate Beckett, the first couple of crime-fighting, is back.

The darkness of the first two episodes of the seventh season of CASTLE was lifted this week with "Clear and Present Danger". In the episode's second scene---right after the vic gets killed---this time around by an unseen force that skewers him on a pool cue---Castle (Nathan Fillon) and Beckett (Stana Katic) flirted with each other. He wants to---you know---and she wants to---you know---but both have been backing off because neither thought the other was ready to. But, boy, are they ready. And of course, just when they're about to---you know---the phone rings and they have to go and investigate what turned a pool shark into a pool cue kabob.

The screwball sexiness of CASTLE has been missing because of the aftermath of wedding interruptus, so it felt good to get a break from all the unanswered questions surrounding Castle's disappearance and see them just be Castle and Beckett again---flirty, funny, playful. This is the CASTLE we all know and love. But, being CASTLE, there's a murder to solve and that takes precedence over---you know.

This week's murder was as circuitous as ever. Was the pool hustler killed by a mad mark, or was something more sinister afoot? Security footage and other accounts suggest that either the devil or the invisible man is the killer. Castle loves that idea. Isn't it adorable the way he can wholeheartedly swallow the wackiest possible scenario?

The invisible man/devil theory gains more credence when Castle and Beckett go back to the murder scene to retrieve a possible clue and they are both attacked by an unseen force that tries to choke Beckett and slams Castle's head against the floor.

That scene leads to more playful, sexy fun. Castle and Beckett go back to his place to pick up where things left off and---you know---when they both get paranoid. If an unssen force attacked them, could an unssen force be watching them right now, in bed, as they're about to---you know. Let's just say they come up with a creative way to make sure they're alone. Or are they?

By the time the credits were ready to roll, Castle and Beckett had solved the murder, caught the murderer, and were finally alone and ready to do some after-hours under-the-covers work. And this time, there were no interruptions, and Beckett was able to utilize her own powers of invisibility to Castle's drooling delight. And then what happened? I think we all know

"Clear and Present Danger" is the kind of episode fans expect from CASTLE, and it bears out the hope that the mystery surrounding Castle's disappearance will be the show's new running thread, just like Beckett's mother's murder. For six seasons, the show would go weeks without ever mentioning it and then it would crop up with whole episodes devoted to adding another piece of the puzzle. That would make sense.

Random Musings of the Night

1) Ryan is moonlighting as a bodyguard at a men's strip club. Isn't that a waste? Wouldn't we rather we see him go all FULL MONTY onstage, instead of just protecting the talent?

2) Castle and Beckett set quite the booby trap for their suspected invisible voyeur. Who has that much cookware? And can they all really be hung securely with dental floss?

3) Was it even possible to not let loose with a great big "Awwwww..." when Castle brought Beckett her coffee and the foam was in the shape of a heart? Awwwww...

What did you think of tonight's episode? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Colleen Hayes | ABC