Too hot to handle.

Is this where we talk about Blacklist?

Because I just figured out why I'm so annoyed by the turn that the show is taking (beside my general hatred of everyone on the show except Red, Cooper, and Dengue). It's like Hannibal. The female FBI agent falls under the spell of the charismatic devil, then goes dark side and starts killing people and "becomes" him.

Of course, I don't know how they're going to redeem Keen with the FBI without some deus ex machina BS.

At least the Hannibal TV show had the novelty that the FBI agent falling under the spell of the charismatic devil was male.

Actually, I was talking about Hannibal the book. Guess that the trope springs eternal.

Well, the csi finale was not what I wanted, but that probably wasn't its job.

Minority report and the player discussed here? Or MR in boxed set?

I think MR in boxed set. What is the Player?

Saw the first two episodes of Castle (0r maybe it was a two hour opener divided into two parts). I think this was the worst season open ever for Castle and maybe the worst episode(s). Castle at its best, IMO, consists of absurd plots carried off with style and panache and weird quirky minor characters who the writers and actors make us believe. This had no style, no panance, not much humor, but not any stylish Noir to make up for the lack of humor. They got the unbelievable plot down well, enough, but not the rest.

The London PI was stylish, but she was not enough to redeem the episode. I wonder if she will turn out to have been working for the conspiracy all along in the future, or to be working as a double agent joining the conspiracy in order to infiltrate it. Unfortunately, the completeist in me won't let me stop watching.

And I don't care if this was a setup for Castle to start driving Beckett crazy again. A two hour season opening should be interesting itself and not only set up the pins to be knocked down. Plus at this point, even with the pins nicely lined up I'm not sure I trust this show to not not bowl gutter balls.

I did appreciate the use of Checkov's Gun as an actual gun played for laughs at the beginning. Good deflection to not expect it.

I stopped watching Castle a couple of years ago, because it started taking itself too seriously. I know it's hard to run a long-term show on froth, but that's what made the show unique. And the minor characters were a major selling point: odd, quirky, and it was so nice to have significant characters who weren't the killer. On other shows, the guest stars are either the victim or the killer, they never waste time on red herrings or grace notes.

I didn't even object that much to Beckett and Castle getting together, though I wondered at the appropriateness of police partners being romantic partners from an official standpoint. The biggest hurdle became wondering how NYPD was legally justifying having the presence of a civilian in these investigations. How many defense attorneys called shenanigans on Castle's involvement? But then, cop shows long ago stopped at the arrest/confession/death of the perpetrator, they don't show how a competent defense would throw the whole thing out. (I so want to see Jethro Gibbs being cross-examined by a defense attorney who knows their stuff)

The gun bit was well-played. The bookshelf business was also cleverly done - I appreciated that Castle's extra interior design flairs all got put to practical use.

The only part I really mind is Kate leaving - it looked like she was taking off to pursue the Truth or whatever, but then the previews for next week look like business as usual just, what, they're separated? I suppose it may make more sense next week.