Castle: The Complete Fourth Season

ABC's hit crime series—starring Nathan Fillion as mystery novelist turned freelance NYPD “consultant” Richard Castle and Stana Katic as police detective Kate Beckett—has always scored stronger on character, banter, and ensemble chemistry than on writing, and this fourth season is no different. The opener finds Beckett recovering from an assassin's bullet and Castle dancing around his love for her (she resists all emotional complications), while they adjust to working under newly installed Capt. Victoria Gates (Penny Johnson), who's a stickler for procedure and is wary of civilian Castle's involvement in the squad. Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever click as Javier and Kevin, member of Beckett's team; and Castle's home life is as entertaining as his detective work thanks to Susan Sullivan in the role of Martha, Castle's actress mom, and Molly C. Quinn playing his smart and centered daughter, Alexis. The cases are as inventive as ever, and the self-aware scripts cleverly tease the audience with wild clues and unexpected twists. Fillion's energy, charm, and easy chemistry with every cast member pull it all together. While not the smartest crime show on TV, it's one of the most appealing and a fan favorite. Compiling all 23 episodes from 2011–12, extras include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers, and two radio versions of episodes performed by Fillion and friends. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)