'night, detective.

Surprisingly this ep also left me with A METRIC CRAPTON OF RYAN FEELINGS so I’m going to exorcize them now, okay? KEVIN RYAN, LET ME LOVE ON YOU.
I love everyone in this immediate family. They are four distinct personalities, but there is a bit of a dividing line, with Beckett and Esposito on one side and Castle and Ryan on the other. They’re opposites, which is what makes the B&C and E&R partnerships work so well: Kate and Espo are very practical and action-oriented and guarded, whereas Castle and Ryan are more thoughtful and sensitive and open. The fact that Esposito and Ryan would have Beckett’s back is never in question; how they go about having her back is a different matter. Esposito takes that literally: he is going to follow Beckett around and make sure she’s covered. Ryan, on the other hand, wants to think things through: having a plan that will protect her will negate the need for physical back-having (shut up, I’m rambling). Ryan doesn’t want to go to Gates because he wants to get Beckett kicked off the case or because he wants to expose Montgomery’s past. He doesn’t want to, but he knows going to Gates is the smartest thing, the best way to have Beckett’s back. He keeps looking at Castle like he should back him up because he knows Castle only wants to keep her safe, too, that letting her and Espo run headlong into danger will only end badly.
And when they do run headlong and his hand is forced, he goes to Gates because he needs to save his friends, promises be damned. He goes to Gates because it is right and smart and damned if that decision doesn’t literally save Beckett’s life. But that decision also costs Esposito and Beckett their badges. And Esposito’s too close to it - his way didn’t work, he didn’t have her back - to see that Ryan did the right thing. All Espo can see is that Ryan betrayed them, Ryan tattled on them. And DAMMIT, Seamus’ face when Espo and Beckett walk out of the precinct, when Javier flat-out ignores him, just breaks my heart.
Because he’s so fucking ALONE right now. Castle: left. Beckett: quit. Esposito: suspended.
Ryan saved his friends and what does he have to show for it.

Surprisingly this ep also left me with A METRIC CRAPTON OF RYAN FEELINGS so I’m going to exorcize them now, okay? KEVIN RYAN, LET ME LOVE ON YOU.

I love everyone in this immediate family. They are four distinct personalities, but there is a bit of a dividing line, with Beckett and Esposito on one side and Castle and Ryan on the other. They’re opposites, which is what makes the B&C and E&R partnerships work so well: Kate and Espo are very practical and action-oriented and guarded, whereas Castle and Ryan are more thoughtful and sensitive and open. The fact that Esposito and Ryan would have Beckett’s back is never in question; how they go about having her back is a different matter. Esposito takes that literally: he is going to follow Beckett around and make sure she’s covered. Ryan, on the other hand, wants to think things through: having a plan that will protect her will negate the need for physical back-having (shut up, I’m rambling). Ryan doesn’t want to go to Gates because he wants to get Beckett kicked off the case or because he wants to expose Montgomery’s past. He doesn’t want to, but he knows going to Gates is the smartest thing, the best way to have Beckett’s back. He keeps looking at Castle like he should back him up because he knows Castle only wants to keep her safe, too, that letting her and Espo run headlong into danger will only end badly.

And when they do run headlong and his hand is forced, he goes to Gates because he needs to save his friends, promises be damned. He goes to Gates because it is right and smart and damned if that decision doesn’t literally save Beckett’s life. But that decision also costs Esposito and Beckett their badges. And Esposito’s too close to it - his way didn’t work, he didn’t have her back - to see that Ryan did the right thing. All Espo can see is that Ryan betrayed them, Ryan tattled on them. And DAMMIT, Seamus’ face when Espo and Beckett walk out of the precinct, when Javier flat-out ignores him, just breaks my heart.

Because he’s so fucking ALONE right now. Castle: left. Beckett: quit. Esposito: suspended.

Ryan saved his friends and what does he have to show for it.