Castle “Last Call” 

Lesson I learned live tweeting through an episode of Castle: Don’t do it. I get too easily distracted and can’t pay attention well enough to write a recap. Apparently, I’m a terrible multimedia multi-tasker.

I finally hit re-watch on “Last Call” and it turned out to be very enjoyable. Once again, I wasn’t shocked by the identity of the murderer but the road to nabbing the evildoer was really fun. The episode was part Raiders of the Lost Ark, Boardwalk Empire, The Social Network, Cocktail and Glee. Yes, I said Glee. That last little bit when most of the characters (sans Lanie, unfortunately) belted out Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” was so great, wasn’t it? I’ll break it down:

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Beckett even referred to Castle as “Indy” as they started their search through the sewer system below New York City. Everything was old and musty although instead of snakes we did hear rats and Castle seemed to have a big fear of alligators. All that was needed was a hat a lot like Harrison Ford wore in the Indiana Jones series of moves. I bet Castle could totally pull it off.

Boardwalk Empire: All the talk of murder and the Prohibition era just gave “Last Call” that kind of feel.

The Social Network: Castle and Beckett questioned an internet millionaire named McGoo. He had a Jesse Eisenberg-type ‘do (the ‘do he had in TSN); a bunch of moochers hanging around in his loft; and a snarky attitude. I was with Castle. The fact that he mixed the $26,000 Scotch with root beer was just madness.

Cocktail: Castle got all fancy when he ended up making a drink for his mom. He twirled, juggled and then poured the perfect drink à la Tom Cruise in the 1988 film. Somehow I enjoyed Nathan Fillion’s brush with being a bartender much, much more.

Glee: Like I said before, the cast broke out to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” It was a nice little moment to end the first half of the season. Speaking of which, I can’t believe we’ve hit the winter hiatus. At least we won’t have to wait too terribly long. The next new episode airs on January 3, 2011.

More “Last Call” Randomness

-A plethora of former daytime soap stars populated this episode alongside regular cast members Fillion (Joey Buchanan, ABC’s One Life to Live) and Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Billy Cooper, NBC’s Another World). Nathaniel Marston played the first suspect, the dockworker Beckett and Castle dragged into the police station. Another One Life to Live alum, Marston played two roles (Al Holden and Michael McBain) on the show. Don’t ask. And how good was it to see Sam Page? He was the bartender that flirted with Beckett. He has done a lot since leaving ABC’s All My Children including Mad Men and Gossip Girl. One complaint about “Last Call” is that it needed more Sam Page. Alexis’ childhood friend that made a goth-y change was Jillian Clare aka one of the Abby Deverauxs from NBC’s Days of our Lives (another former Abby is currently on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars).

-Castle’s love of history really came out in this episode and it was great to see. He was an expert on the Prohibition era and he knew Jimmy Walker’s story. No, not the actor who played JJ on Good Times, but the former mayor of New York City. He would get this almost orgasmic look on his face every time the vintage bottle of Scotch that became the murder weapon was mentioned. He even called the whiskey that was sold at the auction house, “the Holy Grail of Scotches.” It was just fun to see that he is as passionate a student of History as he is about English.

-Beckett’s quick makeover before heading into the bar was so funny. All she had to do was put on some lipstick; let down her hair; and let more of her cleavage show and she was in flirtation mode. Wish it were that easy for everyone!

-Pick-up Pete was kind of hilarious.

-It’s pretty amazing how observant Castle is which is why he’s so successful a novelist. Just by watching (and being jealous of) the bartender, he deduced the guy was skimming off the profits.

-Is it just me or does Oliver Muirhead, the actor who played the auction house’s associate director (and the murderer), always play stuffy? He’s usually the stuffy professor or the stuffy Maitre D’.

-Beckett referred to her boyfriend but, once again, we never saw him. Where are you Victor Webster? Where are you?

-At the auction house I loved Nathan bidding on the vintage bottle of liquor by holding up a marker with the number “187” on it. That’s code for murder as we procedural fans know well.

-Beckett has a tattoo. Is that new intel? From Castle’s reaction it seems like it.

-Martha brainstormed naming Castle’s possible new tavern Rick’s Café Americain. I liked his “Castleblanca” option better.

-Not only did Castle manage Casablancareferences, he also worked in a Jaws reference too.

-And Castle actually did buy the Old Haunt. I wonder if we’ll be seeing that place again?

-Why would the auction house dude just leave the murder weapon down in the room full of the 1875 Scotch? I know that room was top-secret but still.