Castle – Complete First Season DVD Review – Win Yours Here

When I first took a look at Castle, I was a bit nervous about the delivery, and the back-and-forth sort of angle the writing seemed to be using. The pilot's inclusion of a scene with famous novelists sitting around with the show's main character left a bad taste in my mouth, and Nathan Fillion's main character looked as though we were possibly going overboard with the smarmy charm.

After a few episodes, the pace and direction of the show settled into an entertaining drama with a light touch breaking up the serious nature of the standard crime investigation. Perhaps somewhat akin to The Mentalist in this respect, Castle, once it got its legs under it, proved a nice combination of fun, drama, and side story. It even worked out that looking at the elements of a crime through the lens of piecing together a workable plot, which seemed horribly "gimmick" in the beginning, actually proved an interesting and entertaining plot device.

This is a show that I really recommend catching up on, and I think current fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed with the DVD release. That's somewhat self-serving, because this is a show that I really hope doesn't get lost in the wave of new fall shows, because I think it really deserves to carry on for a good while.

A bestselling novelist (Nathan Fillion) and a New York City detective (Stana Katic) delve

into real world crime, starting with a copycat killer who recreates the murder scenes

depicted in his novels. Finding true life mysteries more stimulating than fiction, writer

Richard Castle continues to offer his professional insights to Detective Kate Beckett—

whether she wants them or not. Sparks fly and a hint of romance hangs in the air as

these two strong personalities investigate some of the most puzzling crimes on the

NYPD’s docket.

The first season DVD release is now available, and it's a nice package with plenty of extras.

• Misdemeanors: Bloopers & Outtakes

• Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle –The show’s creators talk about the genesis

of Castle, including insights into how the great fictional detectives and mystery

writers of the past have influenced the show.

• Castle’s Godfather - Meet frequent Castle guest star Stephen J. Cannell.

• Write Along with Nathan Fillion – Spend a day with Nathan Fillion as he

shadows a real-life mystery writer.

• Exclusive Commentaries

The commentaries are quite a bit of fun, especially considering the show's unique approach.

Be sure to check out my initial review of Castle, and the show's homepage.

Own it Today on DVD!

Take a look at a preview clip for the new season. Leave a comment on this review and include the word, "Win," for your chance to win a copy of the first season on DVD. U.S. and Canada only. Winner will be randomly chosen on October 31st.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Castle: Season One (popsyndicate.com)
• Castle: Deep in Death (season premiere) (tvsquad.com)
• Castle: The Complete First Season (cinemablend.com)

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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