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Castle

Flowers for Your Grave

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired 3/9/09

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Episode Summary

Richard Castle is called in to help police after two murders look very similar to murders from his books.

9.0

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Cast & Crew

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Molly Quinn

Alexis Castle
Nathan Fillion

Richard Castle
Susan Sullivan

Martha Rodgers

Fan Episode Reviews (25)

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Premise is a little unbelievable, but the show seems like it will be entertaining

8.0

"Great"

By silvermoore, Sep 19, 2011 Report Abuse

First of all, I LOVE Nathan Fillion. He's a wonderful actor, who is also sexy and charismatic. It's because of him that I've been meaning to catch the show, and now I've finally started watching it on DVD. My first impression of his character is somewhat less than favorable, because he is such an egoist and a bit of a jerk, but I can tell that his character will grow on me. I also felt slightly turned off by Kate Beckett, because she seemed a little too rigid to me, but I warmed up to her when she flirted back at Rick and whispered "You have no idea" in his ear. That was a priceless moment.

I can tell already that my problem with this show is going to be how well can I suspend my disbelief. The whole premise, while it makes for fun tv, would not ever happen in real life. That said, this pilot was really entertaining and I'm hoping it only gets better from here!moreless

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Sexy, sassy and funny. Loved it.

9.0

"Superb"

By whiteraven2005, Aug 24, 2011 Report Abuse

I'm a huge fan of Nathan Fillion and crime novels so this was immediately on my list to watch. Funny, smart, great dialogue, nice soundtrack combined with Nathan's charm, an automatic winner.

Also loved Rick's family, particularly the relationship with his daughter, very well written and played with believable charm by both actors. The mother is a delight as well.

What I find strange is the killer didn't know who Castle was yet knew enough of the book's murder scenes to stage them pretty well. How could he not recognize Castle at all?

Don't know how long the series will last, it's not the most original of ideas, it's relying more on charm and chemistry but I like it. Nathan seems to be unfortunate in not finding series that have a long shelf life, it's a real shame, he's a great actor.moreless

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3 0
Yay, Nathan! Boo, Patterson!

7.0

"Good"

By tjaman, Jul 26, 2010 Report Abuse

I'm started out unconvinced. I mean, I had a lot of enthusiasm for this show. I love Nathan, and his chemistry with Becket is reasonably sound from the get-go. ("Cops Gone Wild" is hilarious, and his delivery is perfect)

But my souffle fell when I saw James Patterson in the opening credits (bastage actually wrote himself into the show?!). Patterson actively sucks, I've never seen a character from him with any depth or dimension at all, and Becket's snarky dismissive attitude, I'm not buying it. She owns all of his first editions? She begins a homicide investigation by having her team read them? Surely there are capably literate officers on leave you can assign that to while the detectives, y'know, detect (that and in theory, she's already read them). That and Fangrrl wouldn't take a tone with him ... she'd whip out a boob for him to sign.

And oh, the storyline potential for his publisher to be his ex-wife, and for his oversexed mother to be living at his place, and what actual father wouldn't be thrilled stupid that his beautiful teenage daughter was doing homework at a premiere party (oh hell, even most Harry Potter premieres are damp children and librarians huddled in a parking lot) instead of carousing with some random drunken boy she found? "Here's some smack, sweetie, go get daddy on some tabloids."

To be fair, this was my reaction after the first 12 minutes (tho to be even more fair, Becket's "profile," delivered in less time than this, made the splashy killer at low intelligence, and what the hell was she basing that on?).

In sitting through the back 30, Nathan ultimately carries it. Even with Becket's initial profile being dead wrong (Castle's magical "author powers" profiled her better than she did the murderer), even with Castle's magical eyes that allow him to see the mouths of victims who are facing away from him and his magical brain that knows the petal forms of the world's vast array of roses and there being no actual reason for the perp to have focused on Castle (except the monomania of the kid he was framing -- good thing it was murder mysteries and not ant farms or weather patterns), the show is helped a huge amount by Captain Hammer and his chemistry with Bones.

It'd be nice, of course, if the literary refs were accurate. When Mom said it was like "Mousetrap" (author Agatha Christie) I'd actually already determined it was much more like the "ABC Murders" (also by Agatha Christie), in which a weak-minded man was framed for a series of murders by a killer who nested a specific target among a batch of red herrings. Poirot figured that one out by "E" or so.

Becket is a puzzle. She's defiant in one scene and vulnerable in the next, while getting little in the way of support. Also, it'd be nice if her boss were a police officer and not some lovestruck fanboi (Oh, Mr. Castle, you're some sort of author writing some sort of novel -- pardon the drool, the mayor's such a fan -- let me set up a private office for you in my police station so as you can peer at my homicide division, involve yourself however you like and while I'm at it, may I interest you in a latte and your new confidential secretary Miss Funzee).

And when was the last time an elbow connecting with a jaw sounded like a gong?

All that being said, I enjoyed Nathan giving his safe-word when Becket had his nose in her fist ("Apples! Apples! Apples!"), and the balletics involved with him grabbing the key with his foot (although honestly, how improbably far did that thing bounce?) I didn't understand why he didn't slip his shoe back on or why, if forced to throw it away, he didn't throw it at the guy he was chasing. If he missed he wouldn't be out anything, and it could've set up a lovely "Austin Powers" reference (Ow! That's gonna leave a mark! Who throws a shoe?)

It's got some potential, and I like it a lot more than I liked Patterson's bleak "Women's Murder Club." Nathan does insouciant very well and Becket will have plenty to play off of. As situations go it's not even a little bit credible, but it could be fun, so I'll give it a shot. :Pmoreless

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Fillion is a God. Shame about the rest of the cast.

8.5

"Great"

By The-A-Man, Jul 26, 2010 Report Abuse

To summarise the rant that will inevitably follow:

Fillion is a gorgeous acting God sent to us magnanimously from above. The rest of the cast simply don't convince me of anything apart from the fact that woodland cannot express itself. The premise of the show is fresh, and will need sharper writing to keep it viable.

Nathan Fillion: Ok - so I am a firefly fan. But this man can act, and he has hit the jackpot once again in his portreyal as a charming, disarming and adolesent spoilt writer.

Cast: Despite the eye candy, no one apart from his ex wife really owned their roles. Even the daughter-mother comedy duo was unlovable and unhilarious. The partner had less emotional range than a leaking teaspoon. Don't even get me started on her "colleagues".

Script: Sharp, but poorly delivered by an astonishingly bad cast. Relieved to see that the series will not follow just one serial killer, as I feared. Some vivid murder scenes, but nothing on the surreal nature of Life or the lollipop insanity of pushing dasies.

I am glad to have Fillion back. If only the support cast makes like yeast and rises to the occasion.moreless

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4 5
Book 'em!

7.0

"Good"

By MovieMark, Jul 21, 2010 Report Abuse

This Nathan Fillion driven vehicle gets off to a breathless, flashy start, with some top-notch performances, a witty script, and just an all-round solid production. It would seem this show was made solely on the basis of Nathan's contagious charisma, as his character, Rick Castle, is only but a southern accent away from Malcolm Reynolds (of Firefly). I was reluctant when this show originally aired to give it a whirl, because, uhm, Whedon alumni sorta have a tendency to sign onto shows that barely make it past the first season. (Which has nothing to do with the quality of the series, but more so due to the PTB, and their monetary concerns). I really enjoyed this pilot. I liked how every character seemed almost Gilmore Girls witty, yet they all had a voice of their own, and the chemistry between the cast is already electric. More, please!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In this episode we learn the title of several of Castle's novels: Death of a Prom Queen - Hell Hath No Fury - Flowers for Your Grave - Storm Fall - Gathering Storm - Storm's Break - When it Comes to Slaughter. Edit
- In the TV show Castle's books are published by "Black Pawn" in reality "Castle's" books are published by Hyperion. Edit
- When the detectives flip open the book of the suspect with the scribbled drawings in it; the title is Storm Fall. This is the book that Castle gives Beckett an advanced copy of at the end of the show. A goof? Or maybe the suspect attended the launch party at the start of the episode, or got the book from one of the guests. Edit
Notes
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- Detective Beckett's hairstyle changes multiple times throughout the episode, as does the length of her hair. This is because the episode was originally filmed as a 37-minute presentation in New York, and then filled out as a full-length episode, with additional scenes, in Los Angeles several months later after the show was accepted by ABC as a series.
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- Music:
  "I Can't Say No" by Rodgers and Hammerstein - Oklahoma! Album. (Martha singing)
  "When I Grow Up" by The Pussycat Dolls
  "Stop and Stare" by One Republic (ending theme)
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- International Episode Titles:
  Czech Republic: Květiny na tvůj hrob
  France: Des fleurs pour ta tombe
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Quotes
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- Beckett:: Well, I guess this is it.
  Castle:: Well it doesn't have to be, we could go to dinner. Debrief each other.
  Beckett:: Why Castle? So I can be another one of your conquests?
  Castle:: Or I can be one of yours.
  Beckett:: It was nice to meet you Castle.
  Castle:: It's too bad, it would have been great.
  Beckett:: You have no idea.
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- Beckett:: What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed.
  Castle:: No the safety was on the whole time
  Beckett:: You know you could have told me
  Castle:: Where's the fun in that?
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- Castle:: Life should be an adventure. Do you want to know why I killed Derek? There were no more surprises. I knew exactly what was going to happen every moment of every scene. It's just like these parties they become so predictable, 'I'm your biggest fan, where do you get your ideas'.
  Alexis:: And the ever popular 'will you sign my chest'.
  Castle:: That one I don't mind so much.
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Allusions
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- One of the cops says that Castle is more fun than Shark Week. This is a reference to the 1988 documentary Shark Week about sharks. Edit
- Martha: That makes about as much sense as Mousetrap. This is a reference to the Agatha Christie murder mystery play which is the longest running show of its type in the world. It has been running in the West End of London since 1952. By tradition, at the end of each performance, audiences are asked not to reveal the identity of the killer to anyone outside the theatre, to ensure that the end of the play isn't spoiled for future audiences. Edit