Countdown

I watched setup and countdown back to back, so this review is about both of them. In my opinion the plot is too complicated, and can be confusing at times. I feel like the writers did everything they could to make the original suspects seem guilty, and then were scrambling to prove their innocence, leaving several plot holes behind. What makes these episodes great is all the Beckett/Castle moments we get, the ending is hilarious too.

Okay now, that was too classical a terror plot that only happened to manifest itself as a random murder investigation. So, in spirit, that is not a classical Castle story. However, the team knows what to add to the formula when subtracting a crucial element, hence, we got to see amazing moments regarding the chemistry between Beckett and Castle.

Freezing to death together? Living that classing what-wire-to-pull moment before a bomb? This double episode story had such highlights of tension, and I must say crafted pretty well despite how worn out such clichés are nowadays.

Even though the revealed plot seemed thin for a while, the monologue by the perp reloaded it with credible gravitas.

Well acted, well directed, well written... The only thing that bothers me was to keep seeing Josh around as Kate Beckett's love interest. The way she looks at Castle at this point in their relationship does not really make it credible for someone else to be in her life as a boyfriend.