Many of the themed episodes of "Castle" have become the most memorable in the show's run. Entering Season 5, the show is taking a dramatic turn and becoming much more serious as Det. Kate Beckett and Richard Castle get closer to the assassin and each other. While the themed episodes should not be completely eliminated, they should be reduced considerably and used in a different way moving forward.
Lack of Seriousness
The themed episodes have often taken Castle and Beckett down weird paths as they explore secluded or pop-sub-culture lifestyles. The zombie and steampunk episodes, for example, gave Rick an opportunity to unwind and were used to draw in temporary viewers who wanted to see their pastimes on the show. The superhero episode gave a little bonus insight into how the writer spends his extra time and money collecting rare comics, but, like the other themed episodes, did not progress the overall plots on the show to find Beckett's mother's killer or to get the two main characters to finally connect.
Time to Get Serious
The final episode of the previous season found Rick and Kate finally making the connection fans have been waiting for and only a few steps away from the assassin. The fifth season is obviously going to be used to answer the "What now?" questions in the minds of the fans. How will the connection between Rick and Kate impact their professional relationship? What direction will the show take as the hunt for the killer heats up? It is time for the writers to stay focused and limit the amount of distractions in the show.
Speed
The "Castle" themed episodes were used as filler to slow the overall progression of the show. By focusing on the main storylines, the writers can speed up the series and make it a quicker-paced program. The show has successfully been building up to the moments to the Season 4 finale, and the run of the fifth season. The themed shows had been used every other week to distract the viewers, but should now be reduced.
From Here on Out
The only time themed episodes should be used from this point on is if they can be used to directly impact one of the two main stories of the series. Any themed shows should either bring Rick and Kate closer to figuring out their relationship with each other or should bring them closer to the assassin. Once one of these storylines has come to full completion and closure, the themed episodes can be used a little more.
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