History Castle / TropesAToD

* ArtisticLicenseAstronomy: "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind" features a radio astronomer involved with SETI. One plot point is that the victim was following an anomalous signal that turns out to have been a [[spoiler:Chinese spy]] satellite and thinks it might be an alien signal. Radio astronomers have to be careful to eliminate satellites first thing and have a number of ways to do ''just that''. No professional astronomer would be confused, titillated, or even momentarily stymied by a satellite. Well, maybe titillated. For giggles. [[spoiler: The plot did also involve her being subject to various mind-games, truth drugs and fake abduction techniques, however, which might have explained her disorientation and confusion.]]

-->'''Castle:''' [''claps hands''] [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments She hated]] [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Obama]]!\\

'''Ryan:''' ''[Crushed]'' [[Funny/{{Castle}} I was just beginning to accept his death.]]

** Lanie (Tamala Jones) is absent in a few episodes, replaced by the grumpy male ME Pearlmutter.

*** Alexis and Martha (and of course, their portrayers Molly Quinn and Susan Sullivan) have had several absences throughout the series (and probably have more non-appearances of any of the series' regulars, with Penny Johnson-Jerald's Captain Gates coming quite close); both actresses appeared in almost all of the episodes during the first season, with an increasing number of absences during the later seasons. Incidentally, this coincided with the beginning of the shift in storylines from a primary focus on Castle and Beckett's investigations and a secondary focus on Castle's family life to more of a focus on the former and less on the latter, a situation that became more prevalent from season five onward as Sullivan and Quinn mainly appear in only one or two brief scenes in the episodes they ''do'' appear. And even then, the two of them rarely appear together in the same episode, let alone the same scene, compared to earlier seasons.

** While not necessarily the normal definition of a cast showoff, "Kill Shot" gives Jon Huertas (Esposito) an opportunity to show off his military training and knowledge.

** And, in fact, there's a scene in "Tick, Tick, Tick..." of Martha watching an old role of hers--Susan Sullivan in the pilot episode of ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk''.

* {{Adorkable}}: Most prominently, Castle and Ryan. Castle, because he often gets giddy for the dorkiest reasons, and Ryan in general, because he's awkward, but in a cute way.

** The allusions to ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' have reached this level by now. While the show itself has never been named, Castle has claimed to have learned Chinese from a TV show he used to love in "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind", dressed up like a space cowboy in "Vampire Weekend" about four years before the show started, and when asked what sci-fi shows he liked in "The Final Frontier", he listed, among others, "that Joss Whedon show." One wonders what he thought of the lead actor. Or if Detective Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) from "Headhunters" (and as of the season 5 episode "Reality Star Struck", Penelope the reality star -- played by Gina Torres) looked familiar to him.
** In "Cops and Robbers", one of the bank robbers' code names is "[[Series/DoogieHowserMD Dr. Houser]]". Thing is, the star of that show was in Joss Whedon's ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' opposite, um, Nathan Fillion. Even Creator/SummerGlau appears in the Season 8 episode "The G.D.S".

** In "Cops and Robbers", one of the bank robbers' code names is "[[Series/DoogieHowserMD Dr. Houser]]". Thing is, the star of that show was in Joss Whedon's ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' opposite, um, Nathan Fillion.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: In "Murder Most Fowl", Ashley's pet rat is stated to be five years old. This is ''technically'' possible, but the rat seen on the show must be ''far'' younger to be that active.

* BlackBestFriend: Medical examiner Lanie, Kate's first friend seen in the show, is a sassy black woman.

* TheCoroner: ME Lanie Parish, who is also Beckett's BlackBestFriend. Also, a different, grumpy coroner named Perlmutter was introduced in "The Double Down." He appeared several times in Season 2 and once or twice in every season since.

** Notably, neither Lanie nor Perlmutter appear in the episode "Headhunters". Instead, there's a different coroner in the morgue, whom Detective Slaughter (played by Adam Baldwin) hits on.

* AmnesicsAreInnocent: Played a part in "Like Father, Like Daughter"; while investigating a man on death row that his daughter Alexis believes is innocent, Richard Castle learns that [[spoiler:the man believes the murder he was arrested for was actually committed by his younger brother, who suffered minor brain damage after a car accident the older brother caused that gave him irregular amnesia, so the older brother believed his sibling genuinely didn't remember committing the crime and blamed himself for the original injury]].

** Beckett also somehow manages to get a Big Board in "To Love and Die in L.A." whilst in a fancy hotel in Los Angeles from Maurice the magical concierge.

--> '''Brad''': If she went to the producer, I could be fired from the show. I'd be [[Series/AmericanIdol Brian Dunkelman]].
--> '''Beckett''': Who's [[ThePeteBest Brian Dunkelman]]?
--> '''Brad''': Exactly.

--> '''Castle''': And they weren't about to let him play [[Music/GeorgeMichael George Michael]] to their Andrew Ridgely.
--> '''Esposito''': Andrew who?
--> '''Castle''': Exactly! So, they pick up a guitar and Creator/{{Wham}}!

--> '''Castle''': The storyteller inside me craves an explanation far more....\\
'''Becket''': Farfetched?\\
'''Castle''': Yeah.\\
'''Becket''': Pirates' booty, cold fusion? ''Alien cadavers''!\\
'''Castle''': No, those are all ridiculous theories....\\

-->'''Castle''': You know, I have one; not as cool as you'd think.\\
'''Esposito''': Yeah, but they're hella fast.\\
'''Castle''': As fast as any other car in rush hour traffic.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Richard Castle. Justified, since that's only his writing pseudonym. Detective Ethan ''Slaughter'' on the other hand, makes you wonder why the writers even bothered to give him his RedBaron nickname -- The ''Widowmaker''.

-->'''Castle''': [[LampshadeHanging Sounds made-up.]]
-->'''Hunt''': It is.

--> '''Esposito''': Saw him perform a couple of weeks ago. Awesome, awesome show. We loved it.\\
'''Castle''': 'We'?\\
'''Esposito''': [''cornered''] Yeah... me and my buddy... Ray.\\
'''Ryan''': [[PullTheThread You have a buddy named 'Ray' who you went with to a magic show?]]\\
'''Esposito''': Yeah. What about it?

--> '''Alexis''': She did the whole 'ugly duckling became a swan' thing, shortened her name and became a model.

-->'''Castle''': Don't you mean a --\\
'''Alexis''': Save your breath, I've been correcting her all morning.

-->'''Castle''': Well. Thanks for keeping it real.

-->'''Random''': I wasn't running away. I was jogging.\\
'''Beckett''': So what were you doing climbing down the side of a building?\\
'''Random''': Cross training. Better cardiovascular workout.

* BrainBleach: From "Once Upon a Crime":
-->'''Martha''': Honey, you know I've always loved younger men, they have so much energy, enough to keep up with me... Most of the time.\\
'''Castle''' [''Haltingly'']: I'm... I'm going to erase that image from my mind with a bottle of scotch.

-->'''Castle''' [''after Beckett tries to tell him he's overreacting'']: How am I going to ''unsee'' that?

--->'''Castle''': I never pegged you for a magic fan. You know any good tricks?\\
'''Beckett''': I do have this one thing with ice cubes.\\
'''Castle''': [''steadies himself against a display window'']
*** At the end of "Scared to Death" it is implied that she finally shows Castle what she does with ice cubes.
** For a non-Beckett example, see DidIJustSayThatOutLoud.

-->'''Castle''': She can spell, Detective.\\
'''Ryan''': Probably better than you!

-->'''Castle''': [[AnAesop Well, we both learned a valuable lesson today]]. You learned you can expand your horizons and grow. ''I'' learned that [[OverprotectiveDad if that involves short skirts and boys]] ''[[SpoofAesop I'm not gonna like it]]''.

* TheChessmaster: Alexis spends most of "Under The Gun" trying to get Castle to get her a scooter. In the end, she tells her dad that she no longer wants one after realizing she would have to sell a childhood memento to do so. Castle is much relieved and though he will not buy her a scooter, he will buy himself a scooter and maybe she can borrow it. To which she happily accepts and adds a:
-->'''Alexis''': ...and when you're using the scooter, I can borrow the car!
** [[spoiler: Jerry Tyson, aka 3XK]] in "Probable Cause". The episode is one big XanatosGambit. [[spoiler: [[TheBadGuyWins And he pulls it off, again.]]]]

* ChinaTakesOverTheWorld: In "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind," the killer was working for a Chinese intelligence agent looking to obtain U.S. military secrets.

--->'''Powell''': ''[smugly]'' Now we're even.

** The season 6 episode ''That 70's Show'' has the entire Pricinct 12 dressed as 70s heroes and villians to jog the memory of a retired mobster who was mentally stuck in the period. Including Esposito and Ryan as StarskyAndHutch {{Expy}} types, and Lanie as Film/FoxyBrown. All curated by Martha, of course, who even drafted in extra actors to add to the mood.

-->'''Beckett''': Okay. Here's the deal. You're going to contact Rathborne with a contract on Vong. You're gonna tell him that the police are taking him to the DA's office for a deposition, that he can't make it there alive.\\
'''Coonan''': It doesn't work like that. He wants his money up front. It's 100 grand, non-negotiable.\\
'''Beckett''': A hundred grand? The city is never gonna agree to that.\\
'''Coonan''': Look, you wanna catch her killer, the price is 100 grand.\\
'''Beckett''': I can't just shoot that kind of money out into space without any hope of getting it back.\\
'''Castle''': You can't. I can. This one's on me.

--->'''Beckett''': Someone on this end had to know which boxes contained the drugs.\\
'''Ryan''': ''[Absently]'' And which boxes contained the secret path to financial independence.''[Everyone looks at him; he realizes]'' ... What?

--> '''Lanie''': I can do the chocolate, I'll even do the whipped cream bikini, but caramel? I prefer slippery to sticky.\\
'''Castle''': ... Does she know we can hear her?

--> '''Castle''': ''[wondering]'' Just like I dreamed it! ''[Beckett stares at him]'' DidISayThatOutLoud?

-->'''Ryan:''' You can't pick up on honeys while wearing the eternal symbol of my love and commitment to Jenny. DidIJustSayThatOutLoud\\

-->'''Beckett''' [''with her back pressed to Castle's front before they push'']: You better not be--
-->'''Castle''': --enjoying this? I'll let you know in a minute.

-->'''Ryan''': "Good thing he reads Russian literature. If the guy was a Creator/NicholasSparks fan, he'd be dead."

-->'''Castle''': "You want to take advantage of a guy, knocking him unconscious kind of defeats the purpose. Best way? Just ask."

** Beckett's former partner turned bounty hunter Mike Royce in "Under the Gun" throws it all away for a rumored buried treasure. [[spoiler:Still, when he turns up murdered in "To Love and Die in L.A.", she chases the guy who killed him across the country.]]

** Surprisingly averted with [[spoiler: Captain Montgomery.]] After explaining how and why he did what he did, and that his entire career has been an attempt to atone for his actions, he performs a HeroicSacrifice in order to TakeAThirdOption, and the only people who know his past decide to keep it quiet in honor of the man he became.

** Following his discovery in "47 Seconds" that Beckett remembered her entire gunshot ordeal, including Castle's admission that he loved her, Castle came away very hurt that his partner and love interest could have deceived him about it as long as she did. This has led him to pull away from her, which everyone at the precinct seems to notice (except for Gates, who likely doesn't give a damn). In "The Limey", Lanie appropriately calls her on her BS before it becomes apparent (read: Castle pulling up to a crime scene in a sports car with a hot blonde) that Beckett has missed her window (note: most of this info appears in the promos for the episodes, so spoilers don't apply).
** A less emotionally-gutting version appears in "The Final Frontier", when Beckett encounters the various stars of her favourite sci-fi TV show ''Nebula 9''. The star who plays the dashing heroic captain turns out to be a sleazy egomaniacal alcoholic lech, and she seems almost genuinely hurt when the actress who plays her favourite character reveals she has nothing but contempt for the show. [[spoiler: And then it turns out the actress did it.]] Played with, however, when she proudly declares that although the actors may have feet of clay, the ''characters'' are who really inspire her.

** "Murder, He Wrote" has Esposito trying to find out who Beckett's new boyfriend is, [[spoiler: not knowing that it's Castle]]. He goes through each of Beckett's {{romantic false lead}}s from previous seasons: Josh (the doctor from season 3), Demming (the detective from season 2) and Sorenson (the FBI agent from the first season).

** In the season 6 episode "Need to know" we finally get to hear what happened to the "Nikki Heat" movie. [[spoiler: The production was so bad it went direct-to-DVD]].

-->'''Castle:''' [''claps hands''] [[CrowningMomentOfFunny She hated]] [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Obama]]!\\

** In "Scared to Death," the victim of the week was apparently scared to death exactly three days after watching an ''incredibly'' creepy video (''TheRing'' shout-outs abound). Castle watches it and spends the entire episode really freaked out. Beckett is less affected. But when she asks him to, Ryan declines to watch the video for clues. Surprisingly, Esposito also declines.