# Castle: The Complete Sixth Season - DVD Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26649[/img] 
*Title: Castle: The Complete Sixth Season * 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :3stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*78




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26657[/img]*Summary*
“Castle” is one of those series that doesn’t rely too much on serialization and is basically the epitome of light and fluffy entertainment (under the guise of a police procedural). Nathan Fillion is the main focus of the show (yes I know Stana Katic is gorgeous and they have great chemistry, but we all know we watch it for Fillion’s antics), and he hams it up with all his goofy, glorious charm that we all know and love. “Castle” started out as police procedural that was almost a pure comedy. Beckett was the straight man to offset Castle being a totally loveable nut job who just so happens to be brilliant at catching the criminal insight. As seasons progressed it tried to throw in some series drama and be a bit more serialized, with more focus on Beckett’s mother’s murder and some political machinations. It seemed that last season this tactic had run its course, for the show does a quick 180 and dives headlong back into the light and fluffy action/comedy genre once more, with good results. 

Last season we were left with the bombshell that Beckett (Stana Katic) was leaving New York for DC to work for the FBI and with Castle proposing. Picking up right where we left off we get the answer that everyone knew as coming and the volatile pair now have to learn how to live with a long distance relationship….for all of 4 episodes before Beckett gets fired and comes back to New York to resume the pair’s investigations into the criminal underworld of their home town. The season tends to lean back towards self-contained episodes where Castle and Beckett, with the help of Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Ryan (Seamus Dever), catch their bad guy by the end of the 43 minute runtimes. Although there are a couple of two part eps where we finally wrap up the issue of her mom’s murder (finally!), and there’s the obligatory dramatic episode where things get tense, but for the most part the series stays firmly in the comedy genre. This comedy is never amps up as the season goes along, leading up to a wedding episode rife with mayhem, mirth and missed opportunities (and unfortunately a cliffhanger that is annoyingly stretched out). 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26665[/img]
Although the finale leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, there’s some amazing episodes earlier in the season as Castle has to learn to live with his daughter, Alexis (Molly C. Quinn), growing up and moving in with a fruitarian hippie, who just won’t leave him alone, and of course, his ever meddling mother (played by Susan Sullivan) prattling on with never ending advice, some of which is actually good advice. The highlight of the series is “Time Will Tell”, guest starring Joshua Gomez as a time traveler (or nutjob) who’s bent on protecting the future from time travelling villains. Poor Castle is beside himself with glee over this turn of events and the episode is a fantastic mix of “Castle” meets “Continuum” with lots of laughs. 

I’m actually really glad that the show delved back to its comedic roots, as the show was starting to stagnate with the drama. The first two seasons were just goofy and full of Nathan Fillion’s boyish (and rakish) charm, and the season does an admirable job at getting back to those roots. The individual episodes lose some of the angst that was plaguing later seasons and just feels lighter and tongue in cheek as Castle loses his worried and troubled persona and gets back to being a fun loving assistant once more (and still a pain in Captain Gates neck). It doesn’t live up to the first two seasons, but it certainly is good fun for those of you who like “Castle”, even with the weak season finale. The chemistry between the main stars is sizzling as Beckett and Castle turning their relationship from a cat and mouse to the struggle of dealing with an ACTUAL romantic relationship and Esposito and Ryan charm the screen with their bumbling, yet skilled “Starsky and Hutch” act. Castle's mother has taken a back seat the last season or so, and here is no different, although she still adds her own brand of looney to the mixture and Alexis is as adorable and smart as ever. 






The episode rundown:

*
Valkyrie
Dreamworld
Need to Know
Number One Fan
Time Will Tell
Get A Clue
Like Father, Like Daughter
A Murder is Forever
Disciple
The Good, The Bad and The Baby
Under Fire
Deep Cover
Limelight
Dressed to Kill
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Room 147
Belly of the Beast
The Way of the Ninja
The Greater Good
That 70's Show
Law and Boarder
Veritas
For Better or For Worse
*




*Rating:* 

Rated TV-14



*Video* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26673[/img]“Castle” has had a very stable run of home video releases, with most seasons looking pretty much the same picture quality wise. The show is in your standard 1.78:1 aspect ratio encoded on DVD with the mpeg2 coded and it looks surprisingly good for a show with only 480 lines of resolution. There are only a few instances of macroblocking and the standard softness that goes along with a standard definition release, but the actual transfer is very impressive. The one thing that I noticed off the top of the bat is that the crushed blacks that have always been present in the previous seasons look a LOT better, as there is plenty of fine detail during those scenes where I would have expected a black mess. Colors are nice and natural for the most part, with the show taking a decidedly teal color grading to it. Contrasts and skin tones look beautiful and I really can’t complain about anything to do with the picture except the rather bland Menu that ABC tends to give to “Castle”. 










*Audio* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26681[/img]The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio is also a bit of a step up over previous seasons. The show has always been a bit front loaded, but the engineers did a nicer mix with this one, giving it a bit more dynamics and some heavier surround usage this season. There’s always been some mild usage of them during some of the more frisky moments in the show, but I noticed some better directionality and immersion in this season. Dialogue is great and stands out as clear as a bell on the discs. Nothing to complain about really, besides the standard front heavy track. 










*Extras* :3stars: 
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=26689[/img]
• A Few of Our Favorite Things
• On Location with Stana
• Audio commentaries
• Castle Karaoke
• Bloopers
• Deleted Scenes





*Overall:* :4.5stars:

What makes “Castle” unique among police procedurals and keeps it going for so long is the chemistry between Castle and Beckett and the fact that the show is just lighthearted fun for the most part. Nathan Fillion’s charms are many and the series is a place that he can showcase his boyish sense of humor and play around with guns, knives, hot detectives, basically every guy’s fantasy. It doesn’t take the serialized episodes TOO seriously and has way too much fun and charm to ignore for the “baddie of the week” episodes. Definitely a recommendation from me and certainly a no brainer for fans of the previous 5 seasons. 

*Additional Information:*

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, John Huertas
Created by: Andrew W. Marlowe
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 MPEG2
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Studio: ABC Studios
Rated: TV-14
Runtime: 1032 minutes
DVD Release Date: September 16th 2014



*Buy Castle: Season 6 DVD on Amazon*


*Recommendation: Watch It!​*







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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for the review. This series while it is still running and all, I have never heard of. I must have never paid attention to this one. Will have to check season 1 on this one. Thanks.


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