Post by java on May 8, 2015 23:27:50 GMT -5
LOVED the note Kate wrote to Rick. I really hope she told him what she wrote in it.
I loved the role that Gates played throughout the episode, but especially in the beginning. She was concerned for Kate and offered to take the heat if Kate didn't want to do it - a really fine leader. She also continued to do everything in her power to get Kate back and worked well with the guys. One of my favorite moments was when she opened the conference room doors and stated that they had a situation, drawing Ryan and Esposito in to help with the case. I also liked how she handled Castle. She showed a measure of empathy and welcomed him to work with the team.
I'll admit that I didn't think of Vulcan Simmons myself.I read the guesses that people took on that thread and I thought it was likely that he could be the returning character. In his first appearance he was an evil jackass so the part was perfect for him and it set up the issue of blowing Kate's cover perfectly. I thought that the real Elena was going to show up and be the one to blow it so that was a great twist. Later, tying Simmons to Bracken was also a great twist because they didn't really add a new story arc that way. This feeds the existing one without having a direct confrontation yet. I'm sure that'll be the case the next time though, since the debt has been repaid.
I'm so glad that there was a bit of Caskett happiness! The opening scene was downright sexy and I loved Kate relishing being in her PJs at 2:00. The letter, marked with her own blood, was gut wrenching but beautiful. All this season we've seen Kate happily in love but this reflected the very depth of her feeling for Castle and it was so satisfying to hear. I hope we get to hear her say something like that directly to him sometime. Nathan didn't have much to do this time but he did pull off the worried sick demeanor quite well. While the ending was a bit overshadowed by Bracken's presence and the continued fear that he's keeping score with her, it was still lovely to see Kate so passionately tell Castle that it was the focus on her future with him that kept her going throughout the ordeal - she was not alone. Back at the loft, for a fleeting moment, I feared that Castle was going to kiss her head and then walk away, leaving her to reflect alone at the piano and I was ready to scream, "NO! Don't leave her!" Thankfully, we saw the extended hand and, "Come to bed." They'll find a measure of peace and security in each other's arms tonight.
Excellent!
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CASTLE”S 6x17 – BELLY OF THE BEAST, gives us a lovely, sweet, sexy, and fun opening scene with Kate and Rick still in pajamas at 2:00 PM, no goals except the selection of and “what we both need--a really good font”!!!
To Andrew W. MARLOWE and David AMANN, writers; to Rob BOWMAN, director; to every member of the CASTLE cast, crew, and team—thank you for a truly extraordinary episode!!! In truth, I love them all!!! For IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST, incredible and inimitable—painfully intense and horrifyingly suspenseful—cinematic—utterly captivating—stellar and superb are not exaggerations!!!
Rick/Nathan; GATES/Penny; ESPO/Jon; RYAN/Seamus; and Martha/Susan—everyone was right on and fabulous—their devotion, determination, perception, empathy—in CASTLE, all *are* their characters!!!
Stana/Kate, *always* *brings BECKETT to life,* never more extraordinarily than in 6x17, IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!!! She ranges from playful lover, who had intended to be home in a couple of hours for wine before dinner to dedicated, Russian-speaking cop—to endangered, undercover officer/playing drug courier then assassin for hire to tortured, nearly murdered survivor, who recalls clues vital to identifying the criminal Lazarus aka BRACKEN, whom she had previously saved and who, Kate now realizes, has allowed her to live, leaving them even for their next encounter!!! Stana/Kate gives us BECKETT’S fear, courage, fortitude, heartbreak, and resourcefulness, including her observations, manipulations; leaving her blood and her letter to her partner and relationship, “the best thing that’s ever happened to me;” her setup of her target victim’s “murder;” her struggles with the BRACKEN henchman, ordered to kill and bury her—and makes believable her rescue by a killer for hire, who admires her!!!
Certainly, soon aware that “something is not right,” right-on Nathan/Rick *is* partner, fiancé, lover, asset to the investigation—knowing that his focus and support are paramount!!! Stana/Kate vows to her mirrored reflection, “I will get out of this alive;” and assures Rick that she was never alone, as he was always with her!!!
Also loved Rick's GATES interfering with our domestic bliss comment and the contrast with his staring at BECKETT'S empty chair, calling back Kate's past sad looks at CASTLE'S empty chair; Kate's comment to FOWLER about interfering with her dinner plans; GATES telling "Mr. CASTLE" herself about Kate's situation; Kate's slow, terrifying descent down the stairs; and that we hear Vulcan SIMMONS' creepy voice before we see him!!!
What bookend sweetness and love our DD reveal as, back at the loft for the IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST end scene, together for now, Rick offers Kate his hand, "Come to bed;" and she processes her terror and their strength and love, as she smiles up at him!!!
This show—and its creator/show runner, cast, team, and crew deserve what they have long had from their fans--their network and industry support and awards!!! Stana, absolutely--pitch perfect—comic-witty-dramatic-tragic-every nuance and layer—all the superlatives and all the awards!!!
Andrew Marlowe commented on the special feature on the season 3 DVD set about making the LA episode that Stana was game to do all of her stunts. I wonder if she did all of the torture stuff or if a stunt woman did part of it, especially that final drop to the floor. It sure looked like her most of the time. I can't wait to see if there's anything about this episode on the next DVD set!
Kate knows she has Bracken now. He made a fatal mistake. He should have killed her when he had the chance. He is like one of those Bond Bad Guys who want you to know what they are doing and dare you to stop them. Consider Bracken's arrogance. He keeps Kate alive to fight him another day and he knows now that she knows what he is up to. He has to make a run at her. He must know that Elena can't stop her. But we know that Elena is good...."heart attack the next day"...very nice touch. She could do some damage at $50000 a week. So the race is on.
Bracken truly believes that he acts for the good of the common man. That narrow minded attitude makes him both vulnerable and dangerous. He feels that Kate can't beat the Bracken Machine. He is just too big and powerful. So he grants her a stay of execution and keeps her on death row. What I do like is the mutual respect between the two. But Bracken is going to get it. Now the playing field is level and Vulcan Simmons is a target. And trust me, he will squeel when Kate starts to turn the screws. I think both Kate and Castle now know the way to get to Bracken is through his "Friends". You can't fight Lazerus. He keeps coming back from the dead. So you take his people down and he falls apart as his defenses crumble and his dealings and shortcomings become exposed.
So the die is cast. Its Castle and Beckett vs Bracken and 3XK. What a way to finish this wonderful series. Bracken's demise will have major implications as his house of cards will fall and shake up a nation and no one will even know that Jerry is dead because he already is. This is great stuff. It's like the one armed man on the fugitive grew a new limb.
Great show tonight. One of the best. So well written and directed. What a treat. I felt I was under the water with Stana. Great camera work. Amazing.
I liked Vulcan Simmons the first time he played with Beckett.This time I knew him even before he opened his mouth.Great bad guy for the series.Now that Beckett and Bracken are even it's anyone's guess which way the creative team will go with the story. I'd bet it will be breathtaking.
tycho657;
I too felt it had all the makings of a great two parter.
Top work all around by cast and crew. Excellent work by Ms. Katic. I find it nearly impossible to believe her talents aren't used more by the industry at large. She never fails to put that something extra into every role she plays.
Why is it I feel that Jack Hunt, or whatever Castle's father name is, is going to be part of Bracken's demise?
"Hi Mr. Simmons....my name is Jack Hunt and you are going to tell me what I need to know....."
No place to run Vulcan...no place to hide. You woke the dragon this time and her name is Bad Ass Beckett.
The chess game begins. Pieces will be taken off the board.
Why is it I feel that Jack Hunt, or whatever Castle's father name is, is going to be part of Bracken's demise?
"Hi Mr. Simmons....my name is Jack Hunt and you are going to tell me what I need to know....."
No place to run Vulcan...no place to hide. You woke the dragon this time and her name is Bad Ass Beckett.
The chess game begins. Pieces will be taken off the board.
I think we are in for quite a ride the last 2 or 3 episodes this season. Next week we need the fun Ninja episode to give us a breather before the last few episodes.
I've been waiting all day to come and post my thoughts on this incredible episode. I knew it'd take me a bit to type out my thoughts and I've been chomping at the bit all through work just to now finally get home and come share.
HOLY SMOKIN' ROLLERCOASTER RIDES!! This episode was awesome, every part. The acting, the writing, the lighting, the camera angles, the direction. Top notch, hit it out of the park, cue Kate in season two motioning a home run and fanning her hands making the crowd goes wild sounds. Top cudos to Andrew and David for the writing. Just love the way they went back to season three and tied in some loose threads with the story as they affirmed what we all suspected in the connection with Simmons and Bracken. I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT! Just had to be. Really explains what we all were thinking in how things were but thought wait, how'd they get to Bracken being the dragon that easily. And Stana, she never ceases to amaze me with her talent. She always brings her A game and last night she showed us just how good she is. From all the ups and downs in emotion, from the physical pain and difficulty in making sure she survived...stellar performance. Nathan, bringing home the worry, the fear, the anxiety over his other number one girl. Penny, Jon, Seamus, Susan, all backing it up to show how the events affect everyone. Rob on the direction. Just wonderful.
Does anyone else wonder if this was Bracken setting up Kate, hoping she'd fail, hoping she'd cross the line and do something illegal or something that looked illegal enough to get her canned, just to neutralize her and take her out so he could do his dirty deeds? I do. Think about it. Detective narco guy comes to the 12th specifically looking for Kate for this undercover job cause she's the only one that fits the looks and speaks fluent Russian. Really? Really? Out of the 35,000 to 40,000 law enforcement personel (yes I checked the real stats), in NYC, Kate is the only one who fits the bill? Not likely. No, I don't trust that narco cop guy, or who he may work with. Bracken has his spies and minions all over town, all paying them off so that he can maneuver people out of his way to accomplish his goals of absolute power. If he has to pay off narco guys and make more dirty cops just to get to Kate, he will.
This is how I see it. Back in the early 90s Bracken, as we were told, was in the District Attorney's office as ADA. Just like that former ADA who got killed running his prostitution ring out of the office, Bracken had his little crime ring too, except it wasn't hookers, it was drugs and laundering the money he has used to make him what he is now. He knows Simmons is running drugs in Washington Heights and sees how profitable it is, but needs money to do what he needs to get power, and decides to make a deal with him instead of prosecuting him. If Simmons gives him a certain cut, Bracken leaves him alone and they both benefit. Drawing in Simmons this way, he automatically draws in Raglan because Raglan was already running drugs for Simmons. In order to get more money and get more out of it, and in a sense, take control of Simmons himself and his drug business, Bracken, gets Raglan, McAllister, and rookie Montgomery to start kidnapping mobsters and handing over the "ransom" money. Undercover agent Bob Arman is killed during their kidnapping and they cover it up and at the same time cover up the link between them, Simmons drug business and Brackens control over it all. In 1998, Johanna Beckett takes Pulgatti's case and ends up bitting off more than she can chew. Her, her two collegues, court clerk Murray are all killed in 1999 by Dick Koonan, who was paid off by Bracken. All this time, Simmons has continued, and upped his drug business and continues to launder and funnel funds to Bracken. Simmons is the dragon's number one go to guy, his next in command. Koonan, the guy who killed the girl in Dial M for Mayor and was about to spill the beans, Lockwood, Raglan, McAllister, Roy, Maddox--all the dragons children. I knew, I just knew that the drugs, the money, Simmons, and Bracken had to all go together. It wasn't as simple as the kidnapping mobsters stuff and getting that money. Simmons and the drugs had to go in there too, and now with this episode we have the link.
Simmons, I'm sure was surprised at the change in Kate. Three years ago, when Kate dragged him in, he ran the interview. Kate was symbolically only a teenage Siberian tiger with lots of growing to do. Badass enough, but not enough to totally take him down. Now, Simmons met the full blown, full grown Siberian tigress, a mama tigress in a way, as she is protecting her cubs of people and things that are important to her. Just love that scene as Simmons talks in the same voice, the same cadence, similar words and phrases to that scene in Knockdown. Wonderful scene. Simmons may have been in charge, but he didn't get Kate's goat this time. She dealt him a blow by standing up to him in cool confidence, not fear like she did before.
Now for Elena Markov. She's another hired killer doing the dragons work. But now the dragon believes he's Lazarus, the dead man risen from the tomb to live and do what he thinks benefits mankind. But remember the story, Lazarus was raised from the dead, but eventually he died just like everyone else. He wasn't holy, he wasn't changed into some immortal. Thus, Bracken, likening himself to Lazarus will one day die as well and he won't rise again. Kate will make sure the dragons head is cut off and he never comes back. Elena will eventually get her due punishment as well. Those that live by the sword die by it. I did some checking on what her name means and this really adds to the character. Elena is a form of Helen, or Yelena, meaning "light or bright, or spirited". Markov is a patronymic name, or a name made from the first name of the father with an ending meaning "son of". In Slavic names, ones name is given as the first name, the patronymic name and the surname. For men the patronymic is their fathers name with the ending -ov, or -ic and for women her fathers first name and the ending -ova or -icova. The endings mean son of or daughter of. Thus Markov or Markova means son or daughter of Mark. Mark is derived from Marcus, which probably originated with Mars, the name of the Roman god of war. Thus, Elena Markov means the lighted or spirited one who is the son of war. She certainly was about war, she fought and killed people. Notice how her first name is ironic in that she isn't about light, she's about the dark dealings of the dragon, about the darkness of killing and notice how her last name is given as the masculine version which suggests she has the power of a man in her killings. You could also apply the idea of a "mark" with the last name too, a mark of course being the person that is being targeted and hunted down by a hired killer. She carries out the hits or marks on the orders of Bracken.
I also think Daniel Hugh Kelley's brief appearance of his attorney character is important. He play McCormick in Hardcastle and McCormick, a show that was about a judge (Hardcastle) having to work with a con (McCormick) to get convictions on cases that were thrown out on technicalities and bring the wrong-doers down. An attorney does the same thing. Notice that he had no idea what was going on. I believe him so far. However, he did say that he handled trusts, worked civil matters. Hmmm....trusts, as in keeping tract of money so it can be used by being handed down? Hmmm... civil matters like maybe civil rights matters, like Johanna did? Notice is name is Potter. A potter molds clay into something. Is he doing any molding in matters for Bracken and knows too much so that's why Bracken put a hit out on him? Or is he the clay, being molded, manipulated, by Bracken by being targeted, so Kate has to do the mark and she goes down and is taken out of the equasion? Considering Daniel is a known actor, I find that his brief appearance wasn't enough for having him in the episode. I think we'll see him again as this attorney because he somehow fits into Bracken's scheme.
But I just love how this whole episode went. Just love that we got to hear Kate's internal monologue about her and Rick. Such a sweet, light scene in the midst of darkness. Just love her words. "This is your letter, Babe. Our partnership, our relationship, is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you. Always." I about teared up. So beautiful. And then the end at the precinct telling him that he was there with her and getting her through it. How excited she was about their wedding, their lives together and that's what is important to her. What a turn around there even back to beginning season 5, certainly end of season 4. Then she was so hung up on taking down those responsible for her mom's death. Now, tossed back into the lions den, down that rabbit hole again, down into the belly of the beast, she didn't let it get to her. She had Rick there. Then that great end with her trepidation seeing Bracken on the screen, she let it go as she snuggled in that comfy looking, top and smiles as she takes Rick's hand and they go off to bed. She has seen deep down into the inner most workings, the belly, of the dragon. She knows what runs him. She knows how to get to him; take down those that are his servants and he fails cause he starves to death.
Such a great episode. Will enjoy watching it again.
Good point. If, in fact, he is like the character in the book that did pretty much the same thing in the hospital and turns up alive, could be a great twist. But, that would mean Smith is just as much a bad guy as Bracken and he wouldn't have Kate's best interest in mind, as he seems to have. Roy wouldn't have put such trust in someone that he would send those files to him and entrust Kate's safety and life in him, if he even had half an inclination that he would turn. It would also mean that Smith is running Simmons and the money laundering and then where does that leave us.
But good point considering we all suspect Smith isn't dead and who else would rise again from the dead, but him.
Let me freak you guys out for a bit...and then make some interesting observations.
And compare, especially note similar lines done in roughly the same order, and how Kate reacts in a similar way, but she controls herself and not just because she's handcuffed. Also note that Kate takes control at the end of the first scene with slamming Vulcan against the mirror, and how Vulcan takes control at the end of the third scene when Kate has been slammed into the water for the last time and is tossed to the floor:
Notice the wall and the chains in the second. Remind you of anything? The wall is the same type of bricks that Kate and Rick chisled and broke through in Cuffed when they found the tiger. The chains invoking the same idea as well. Simmons says the last time they met, she nearly put him through a wall. Yep, literally and figuratively. This time though, she has no walls of her own to break through like she did in the first scene. This time she'll break him, take him down, through his own walls of sin, just like she promised to do in the first scene with her "remember your old life Vulcan, savor it, cause I'm going to take it all away." She will too cause she now has the strength in so many ways to do it. The chains hanging loose and that same brick wall all are reminders that the tigress has been unleashed, brought out, freed to do her damage, her hunting and eating. Guess Vulcan should take his own advice and not tease or feed the animals cause he might get eaten.
She has seen deep down into the inner most workings, the belly, of the dragon. She knows what runs him. She knows how to get to him; take down those that are his servants and he fails cause he starves to death.
Kate much like Bilbo, has found Bracken's bare spot. Armed with what she knows she now has the ability to send that proverbial black arrow flying and take down "the dragon" once and for all.