Welcome Back, Castle!

It’s been a long summer away from the Castle crew, but never fear, the new season starts this Monday, September 24, at 10 p.m. on ABC with “After the Storm.”  After the season 4 finale, I can’t wait.

Storms figured heavily in the last episode so this is a particularly fitting title. Not only was there a literal rainstorm, but there were also several metaphorical storms. Here’s the quick guide of what you need to know to start the season right:

• Detective Kate Beckett has survived another potentially deadly encounter with super bad guy, Cole Maddox. He’s still determined to kill her to prevent her from finding out why her mother was murdered.
   
• Esposito and Ryan’s beautiful friendship has broken down because Ryan betrayed the team and told Chief Gates they were disobeying orders.  Ryan’s “betrayal” wound up saving Beckett’s life, but Espo saw it as a breach of loyalty.
   
• Gates put both Beckett and Esposito on administrative leave for going against orders. Beckett decided that she would rather turn in her badge and resign.
   
• Rick and Kate finally admitted their feelings for one another, held hands, and walked toward the bedroom in one of the most anticipated scenes in recent TV history.

So, what will season 5 bring? The teaser promo (below) doesn’t tell us too much . . . but it does say, “Last season they had the best night of their lives. Monday, September 24, they’ll find out if it was the biggest mistake they ever made.”

Here are just a few spoilers for those of you who can’t wait (highlight the text below to see them):

• This season is about Castle and Beckett together as a couple.  That’s going to change the dynamic not only between them but also with the other team members.
• The Ryan/Esposito rift is not going to disappear quickly. Both of them think they are right. Ryan saved Beckett’s life by telling Gates the team was still going after Maddox. Esposito cannot get over the betrayal. This causes a lot of tension and it’s going to change the team dynamic just as the Beckett/Castle relationship will.
• Cole Maddox is not going to give up easily. He is determined that Beckett has to die and he’s committed to making it happen.
• Just because Alexis is going to college, doesn’t mean she’ll be far. Columbia is pretty close by, just close by enough for her to drop by anytime she wants. How will she react to her father’s new relationship? She hasn’t been super excited about the crime fighting lately as it is.
• Did you see that explosion in the promo for the first episode? Well, someone dies there.
• Episode 2, called “Cloudy with a Chance of Murder” (Isn’t that a great title?) involves the death of a TV weather person (she’s a woman but I refuse to use the term, “Weather Girl.”)
• Episode 7, called “The Final Frontier,” this episode takes place at a sci-fi convention (think Comic-Con) and promises to have several references to Firefly – a cult fan favorite show from Joss Whedon that starred Nathan Fillion. Jonathan Frakes (William Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation) directs.

It’s easy to catch up on the season finale. ABC.com has the last few episodes of Castle online, so you can watch it again. Our Criminal Element recap is here.

If you are looking for more, head over to Twitter where there is an active Castle community. Rumors, photos, and spoilers abound. You can follow @NathanFillion, @SeamusDeaver, @Castle_ABC, @CastleArtDept, @stania_katic, and @mollequinn93 just to name a few.  My favorite little trick is tweeting anything with #Castle in the line. You will get a tweet back at you with a quote from the show from a user named, “Insane Castle Bot.” It’s loads of fun.

Are you anxious for Castle’s return? What do you think of Caskett (the couple and the name?) What are you looking forward to this season?
 

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Deborah Lacy likes speakeasies, yellow heirloom tomatoes, and crime fiction. She blogs over at Mystery Playground and Criminal Element. You can meet her on Twitter @quippy.

Read all posts by Deborah Lacy for Criminal Element.