Castle: "Nanny McDead"

There's not much to say about the plot of "Nanny McDead" -- it was (good) standard-fare procedural drama with the requisite amounts of twists and turns -- but there's quite a bit to say about the characters. And through the characters, Castle feels like it's finding it's groove. Or at least, has a good idea as to what it's groove should be.

For all of the flaws that comprise Richard Castle -- the ego, the narcissism, the smartassiness (yeah, that's totally not a word - sue me), the sheer inability to follow direction -- he's thankfully not a character built solely on flaws. Much to his surprise, I think, he genuinely feels for the real-life victims and their families, and he even has a bit of sympathy for the perpetrators. Much to our surprise, he's a pretty fantastic father in spite of the aforementioned peccadilloes. His daughter sincerely loves him and is proud of him, and when he's with her, it's easy to see why. This element gives the character a good deal of depth and reminds the audience that he's not just a fast and furious one-liner spouting blowhard.

Richard Castle also has talent. He's clearly a good writer and watching him "narrate" the possibilities of the case early on was a delight. It gave the audience an interesting angle of insight into the case, and it allowed Castle to have some purpose beyond shadowing (and annoying) Detective Beckett. That's an element that needs to remain for this show to continue to work.

And speaking of Detective Beckett, she showed a little more depth herself. Clearly, she's been damaged by love, but she still appears to be a romantic which is surprisingly sweet. And somewhat unexpected. Thankfully, too, the writers appear to have lightened up her personality ever so slightly. She's not as humorless as she was in the pilot, and by allowing her a few opportunities to actually indulge in her amusement of Castle, it not only opens up their relationship but allows the audience to see Castle as less of a nuisance. Her modest acceptance of him is a gateway.

On a smaller note, I was thrilled to see Jayne Brook. She's one of my favorite television go-to actors, especially since her astounding turn on Boston Legal as Rachel Lewiston, Paul's recovering addict daughter. I even loved her as Meg on Private Practice, and was desperately hoping she'd stick around. And that's saying a lot because she was paired with Pete and generally, Pete pisses me off. My only wish was that Castle had been a better showcase for her. Next time...

Thoughts?