Castle: "Disciple"

Castle: Season 6, Episode 9

ABC, Mondays 10pm

By Nicole Sandoli

This episode, “Disciple,” is the BEST episode of the season thus far. Although I loved the The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure-esque episode, this one takes the series to a whole different level. We are left with more questions than answers, something that rarely happens in these episodes.  What makes this episode so great is that a second plot line has been introduced – or so it seems.  When Kate was investigating her mother’s murder, parts of that investigation were intertwined with the regular cases we saw each week. In this episode, we are basically left standing on a cliff.

            When the show starts, we see a marina security guard discover a young woman hung by fishing wire.  At Castle’s house, Castle and Beckett are discussing wedding and honeymoon plans.  This gets you excited right from the start because we haven’t heard them talk about actual wedding plans in a while.  As they talk in the kitchen, Castle organizes a bunch of fruit in a smiley face for Beckett –another thing to get excited about. Has Pi, Alexis’ healthy boyfriend, started to rub off on Castle?

            Castle and Beckett arrive at the scene and realize that Lanie is a bit shaken up, and she has a right to be.  When Ryan shows them the body, the victim looks IDENTICAL to Lanie. Lanie doesn’t have a sister, so immediately we’re wonder who this woman is and why she is a clone of her.   Lanie examines the body back at the lab, and she calls Beckett to come down to the lab – alone.  She tells her that the victim, Pam Hodges, got cheek implants to get the same facial structure as Lanie. What continues to shock us is the identical tattoo on the victim’s hip, which is the same location that Lanie has her new tattoo.

            Castle and Beckett question Pam’s uncle and learn that she used to work the streets. He says that she had recently gotten a good job offer and has turned her life around.  When Castle and Beckett go to her apartment, they find it to be huge.  She has expensive coats hanging in the center of the room, which leads them to believe she was someone’s mistress.  When they find out that rent is being paid for by “Greg’s Baker,” an untraceable account, it furthers their theory.

            They trace the serial number on the cheek implants to a Dr. Kelly Nieman. Castle and Beckett pay her a visit, and she says that Pam brought her a picture of who she wanted to look like. Back at the precinct, Esposito questions Lanie about the tattoo. This is also a confirming moment because we find out that Espo and Lanie are still seeing each other. He tells her you could only see her tattoo if she is naked and asks her if she has been with anyone else.  She says she hasn’t shown anyone except him, but says she doesn’t remember getting home one night after going to a bar.  This leads them to thinking she could have been drugged.

            In a deleted picture found on Pam’s camera, they see it’s taken in front of a boat at the marina.  They trace the boat and the owner, and Ryan and Espo head to the location.  When they storm the boat, they find a man with his back turned.  He’s hung in the same way that Pam was, and Ryan goes to see his face.  Pale as a ghost, Ryan tells Espo to stay back because the man is IDENTICAL to Espo.

            Daniel Santos, our new victim, moved to NY from Georgia and used to be a stripper.  Exactly like Pam, he told friends and family he had a new and better job.  The team also found out he was going to a speech therapist.  Castle and Beckett meet with the therapist who has a recording of what Daniel wanted to sound like.  He plays the recording, and to no surprise it’s Espo’s voice.

            Ryan and Espo go to Daniel’s apartment, and a neighbor tells them that a limo would pick him up occasionally.  We then find out that he’s been visiting Dr. Nieman. When brought in for questioning, she tells us they had a “strictly physical” relationship that Daniel referred Pam to her.  With no substantial evidence against Dr. Nieman, she tells them it’s clear she is being set up and gives Kate her card as she walks out of the room.

            They trace the security cam outside of Dr. Nieman’s apartment the night of Daniel’s death, and he is seen getting into a red car. They trace a parking pass on the rearview windshield to Carl Matthews – the security guard who found Pam Hodge’s body. The team thinks they have their killer, but naturally, Castle takes it one step further.  He thinks Carl has a partner and that it could possibly be Jerry Tyson, an escaped criminal from a previous season. Castle goes with his hunch and gets Beckett to let him sign out the “3XK” files. The files had been signed out three days earlier… by Esposito.   The real Esposito gets defensive when accused, and Beckett gets a call that all the DNA samples from those cases were signed out too… by Lanie. It looks like it was the work of Lanie and Esposito’s doppelgängers.

            They locate Matthews at a motel, and he’s checked in to room #47.  This is also odd because it’s the same room number that Tyson was checked into when he was being investigated.  Castle waits outside as the team goes to his room, but Castle sees Matthews and tackles him. He’s brought in for questioning, and confesses to the murders too easily.  Castle and Beckett know he is working for Tyson. The suspense of this episode is high throughout, but the ending truly reaches the climax. Ryan brings the team records from the prison where Tyson was kept, and they find out that Dr. Nieman was the nurse that was treating him. Immediately connecting the two, they speed to Nieman’s office, except it is completely empty.  There are no traces that a business even existed.  The only thing left is a pen and note saying “Better luck next time.”

            At Castle’s house, he plays with the pen and discovers it is a USB drive.  He plugs in into the computer, and a song starts to play.  The singer starts “We will meet again” and Kate’s face is spooked and filled with emotion.  Castle and walk slowly towards each other in silence. Now, we have no idea what this song triggered.  It seems to affect Beckett more than Castle, but we don’t know why.  The murders or the doppelgangers are left unsolved, and we are left confused after the rollercoaster ride we have just been on.  It’s brilliant to bring a past criminal back, and I think this plot line will spark interest in some audience members who are getting bored with the series.  This was one of the more serious episodes because it was heavier on content. This whole episode just screams “PLOT TWIST!”

How I Met Your Mother

Season 9, Episode 12

Starring Josh Randor, Jason Segal, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders & Neil Patrick Harris
CBS, Mondays 8pm

By Nick Palumbo

With 22 hours left before the wedding, we are brought in to see that Barney is handcuffed to a pipe in a security office. However instead of panicking he is asking the guard to push the button on a monkey toy on his desk. Robin tells the guard not to hit the button in an angry tone. She is furious at Barney because their rehearsal dinner started 10 minutes ago, and instead of being there they were waiting for the cops to come get Barney from the laser tag office he was in. Knowing Robin is mad, Barney tries to plead his case to the security guard explaining how he was suppose to have a surprise laser tag rehearsal dinner.

A few months earlier, Barney had one of his genius ideas to have a laser tag rehearsal dinner. The gang immediately jumps on him and tells him that it is one of his dumbest ideas yet, and that was saying something. Robin also reminds Barney that their marriage is about compromise, because she agreed to have the wedding in New York when she wanted to have it in Canada. Barney finally agrees to have a normal rehearsal dinner, but he doesn’t seem to want to let the idea go just yet. Ted begins to talk wedding ideas for the rehearsal dinner and says he would like the play the piano as their wedding gift. Both Barney and Robin say no, but then Ted offers to dress up as Liberace. Immediately Barney and Robin agree to allow it. A few days after Robin pulls off Barneys surprise bachelor party, Barney declares the wedding is off and that he thinks Robin should move out. Seeing how serious he was Robin went to grab her suitcase, only for it to be filled with puppies. It was a total prank on Robin to get her back for the surprise bachelor party.  Because of this prank, Robin now told Barney to stop pulling pranks. The gang then agreed with Robin, but Barney insisted that she was doing an even bigger prank on him.

With the rehearsal dinner about to start, Barney was still convinced that Robin was trying to pull off a surprise laser tag rehearsal dinner. When the ice machine breaks and Robin needs more ice, Barney volunteers to go get more ice believing that it is all apart of the plan. Robin says no to him and makes him promise he is not going anywhere. Barney, even after he promises to stay, immediately leaves as soon as Robin leaves the room.  

 Meanwhile, Lily is distraught that she is in the dark about the rehearsal dinner because of her inability to keep secrets. Ted agreeing she cant keep secrets, Lily reminds him that she has been able to keep her mouth shut about his move to Chicago and points out that he has broken his promise to play piano at the wedding rehearsal dinner dressed as Liberace as his piano lessons had not gone well. Lily then tells Ted and Robin about her plan to Italy being in shambles because Marshall took up a judgeship without asking her. Ted is angry with Marshall for his selfishness, but Lily knows that her husband would never intentionally hurt her. But then Robin receives a phone call and must deal with Barney after learning that he went to the laser tag arena and is currently awaiting arrest after threatening one of the staff after realizing there was no surprise rehearsal dinner. When Robin leaves, Ted comforts Lily and says he knows she is good at keeping secrets. He then offers to tell her one more, and he leans in to whisper. Lily then stands up to announce to the guests that there is going to be a change in venue.

Back in the security office, Barney is still convinced that there is one massive surprise and just wants to go to his surprise dinner. Robin however keeps telling him there isn’t one and that their marriage isn’t about playing pranks on each other. Barney then breaks out of his handcuffs and hands her a pair of ice skates. Barney then goes into telling Robin he may lie to her once in awhile, but only if it means an amazing surprise. Snow begins to fall and then the office walls lifted up, for us to see them standing in the center of an ice rink with all their friends and family. Barney tells Robin that if they couldn’t be in Canada for the wedding, he wanted to bring Canada here for her.

Alan Thicke and James begin to sing, and Lily turns to Ted and thanks him for letting her know the secret even though it was almost done. Ted then admits he didn’t take piano lessons but instead took ice skating lessons for this. He jumps on the ice only to fall flat on his face. Robin tells Barney how much she loves him, and promises to get him back for this.

            Overall this episode, even though not moving the plot foreword with meeting "The Mother", really solidified Barney and Robin’s relationship. Throughout the entire season, both Barney and Robin have been finding out many things that could possibly make their wedding not work. However at the conclusion of each episode them seem to find a way to make it work. This episode shows something a little different. This shows how Barney and Robin are actually meant for each other. Barney confesses that he might not always tell the truth, but that his lies are for the greater good and possibly something truly LEGEN-WAIT FOR IT-DARY. Even though as a fan, I still am waiting for "The Mother" to make her appearances I couldn’t help but love this episode. But tune in on December 16^th for the episode called, “Bass Player Wanted”. Maybe we will see "The Mother", remember she is a bass player!