Castle: The Complete First Season

This crime series adds a jolt of personality and a lighthearted air to the usually grim tone of the typical murder mystery, largely through the playful energy of its main character. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is neither a detective nor a specialist in any particular area of crime-fighting science; he's a bestselling author of murder mysteries who gets a taste of real detective work and loves it, applying his freewheeling creativity to actual crimes by looking at every case as a plot and searching for the motivations and structure that would make it a great story. Castle uses his fame and connections to secure a spot as a consultant with a special-detective unit, where his boyish enthusiasm and complete lack of discipline lead to clashes with the tough and sexy squad leader, Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), providing the setup for banter right out of an old Hollywood romantic comedy. While Katic may look like a model (you could cut yourself on her cheekbones), she has the presence to hold her own against Fillion's devil-may-care energy in the 10 episodes compiled here from the 2008-09 first season. Creator Andrew W. Marlowe says he took his inspiration from ‘70s detective shows such as The Rockford Files, and he pays tribute by casting its creator, Stephen J. Cannell, in a few episodes and feting him in the featurette “Castle's Godfather” and the tongue-in-cheek “Write-Along with Nathan Fillion,” in which Cannell teaches the actor how to be a writer … or at least look like one. Other DVD extras include audio commentaries, and a bloopers and outtakes reel. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)