Nathan Fillion’s 173-episode crime procedural is so good, it even has the author of the Bosch crime novels hooked on it. Fillion has had a quietly, massively successful career, starring in multiple beloved, acclaimed, or cult hit TV shows. From Firefly to The Rookie, he’s been a staple of television, always eliciting a “Hey! It’s him!” whenever he appears on-screen.
His success isn’t just limited to television either. He’s appeared twice in the DCEU, once for a short but memorable stint as The Detachable Kid in The Suicide Squad and now for a more permanent part as Guy Gardner, or, Green Lantern. It still never feels like Fillion gets quite the respect he deserves.
One guy happy to give it up for Fillion is Michael Connelly, the author of the Harry Bosch novels. In an interview with TV Guide, Connelly said he was a fan of Fillion’s show, Castle, and viewers may even remember that the prolific author has appeared a handful of times in the series as one of Castle’s (Fillion) poker buddies.
Castle is an eight-season police drama that ran on ABC from 2009 to 2016. In it, Richard Castle is a best-selling mystery author who encounters a case of writer’s block around the same time he is brought into his local NYC police station for questioning regarding a murder that appears to be based on one of his novels.
While he’s there, he meets Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and the two strike up a professional friendship, with Castle using his unusual theories to help solve Kate’s murder cases. Over time, the pair develop a romantic attraction while also working to solve the overarching mystery of the murder of Kate’s mother from years before.
Nathan Fillion’s Castle Is An Underappreciated TV Procedural
Castle is a very underappreciated police procedural and should be held up with the best of the genre. Katic and Fillion are a winning combination whose chemistry drives the series. The will-they-won’t-they tug of their relationship is typical of the genre, but it also works well.
The series blends the mystery elements, the series-long plots, the romance, and the comedy into an excellent fusion that flows together. While not every season of Castle is made equal, they are each sturdy enough to stand on their own and provide an enjoyable and worthwhile binge-watch.
Bosch Author Michael Connelly Has Called Castle “A Fantasy Version Of What I Do”
Connelly referred to Castle as “A fantasy version of what I do” in his interview with TV Guide, referring to his Bosch novels as well as the Prime Video series that adapts them, which he has an executive producer credit on. His meaning is that Bosch is a grounded, painfully real show at times.
Castle, on the other hand, exists in a more fantastical version of the world. In Castle, a mystery novelist can become an integral part of the New York Police Department, and still find a way to keep things light and romantic with his partner along the way. That “fantasy” ideal is what has drawn a lot of viewers to Castle.
- Release Date
-
2009 – 2016-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Andrew W. Marlowe
