Criminally Underrated Castle Scene Will Make You Appreciate Nathan Fillion Even More
In one of the most iconic scenes of Castle, Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic brought a heady combination of tension, frustration and confusion to audiences – even though (at the time) the two actors couldn't stand each other.
It's long been said that Castle was an underrated show, and it certainly never achieved the viewing figures that some others managed. But this single scene was enough to make at least one viewer (me) go out and buy the entire box set.
The scene in which Castle revealed that he had hidden the truth from Kate in order to protect her and make sure she stayed alive is brimming with the depth of feeling. And those feelings (on both sides) are ones of turmoil, anger and love.
It is, you could argue, a masterclass in how to portray a relationship that is both bubbling under and boiling over simultaneously.
Of course, Fillion and Katic are both top actors and received several awards for their respective roles in the show, but this particular scene is one that can only heighten your appreciation for both.
In it, we saw just how much Castle cared for Kate – and that she understood that too. But Kate didn't want protection. She wanted the truth. Because the quest to find out who killed her mother was the most important thing in her life.
At least she thought it was. In a scene where the balance of power shifted from one to the other, and in the subtlety of every movement – as well as the way each line was perfectly delivered – we discovered the inner conflict Kate was facing.
Was this investigation the most important thing in her life? Or was it Castle?
The genius of the acting performances came from both stars getting inside the head of their character. Both were desperate to hold back, but also filled with an uncontrollable emotion that they wanted to share. But that simply wasn't the time – as Kate informed Castle after he let slip that he loved her.
This wasn't a conversation she was prepared to have at that moment. But as Castle departed, the look on her face showed that she knew she'd just let a good thing slip away.
From the body language, to the facial expressions, to the performance of each actor, everything about the scene was perfect. The chemistry between them flowed right out of the TV and into the hearts of viewers, making them feel those same conflicting emotions that both characters were grappling with.
And to think that this came at a time when the actors weren't even talking to each other offscreen makes the whole thing even more admirable.