In the last few episodes of the fourth season of "Castle," Rick began to confide in Kate, and she began to confide in him. With the two characters confiding in each other for the first time, what purpose will Martha and Dr. Carver Burke have moving forward? The main purposes of these secondary characters have now been nullified.
Martha's Purpose
Rick's mother has always been one of the two characters used to ground the writer and bring him back to reality. Alexis shared this role with her grandmother, but has moved into an ever-evolving role as she explores what type of job she wants to have and begins to experience the same heartbreaks as adults. In the past season, Martha has been the main person to keep Rick's head on straight and encouraged him to either finally go after Kate or drop his quest forever.
Dr. Burke's Purpose
During the past season, Dr. Burke did for Kate what Martha did for Rick. The doctor helped Kate to break down the walls that kept everyone out and worked with her every step of the way until she was finally able to come to terms with the feelings she had for Rick. If it were not for the doctor, Kate would have never been able to make the final connection with Rick that she did in the season finale.
Each Other
One of the keys to seeing the changes in Rick's character and Kate's character will be the progression of their confidence in each other. Instead of needing other people such as Martha and Dr. Burke, the two main characters on "Castle" need to rely in the other and must bare their souls exclusively to the other. The last few episodes of the season proved that the characters are almost to that point, so the roles of Martha and Kate's doctor have become obsolete.
Moving Forward
The creators of "Castle" are now stuck with a few conundrums. Dr. Burke has obviously served his purpose. Either his character will have to fade into the background or they will need a new purpose to keep Michael Dorn's character on the show. The decision will also have to be made if Martha is going to simply become a colorful background character or if she is going to take a different type of role on the show. Since Rick's mom has been a fan-favorite since the beginning, hopefully the creators can find a new way to explore her character.
More from this Contributor:
'Castle': The Importance of Dr. Carver Burke
'Castle': How Castle and Beckett Gain Insight is Significant to Characterization
