Wednesday, May 7, 2014

TV Show Review: Castle

Hey there everyone. I am here to do the first TV Show Review, and I have chosen to talk about the Crime Dramedy that is Castle.



Castle is an ABC show that started in 2009 with the premise of following Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a well-known crime novelist that experienced writer's block, who was presented with the window of opportunity that was brought upon an investigation of a copycat murder based on his novels, meeting Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and shadowing her in the NYPD, and become effective and efficient "partners" to solve crimes.

The show follows a timeline, starting with a background look into the victims/situations at hand, Beckett calling Castle into the scene of the crime (aside from the first couple seasons where he would just appear without prior notice), investigations, interrogations and false ramifications ensue, and then the killer gets caught with the in-depth questions, answered. Don't count out the little nudges and winks between Castle and Beckett. That's really where the story poses on: the partnership that grows everyday for the years they have been working together, and in the process, learning about each other and loving every bit of it. 

The one thing that I really enjoy about this show, despite some similarities to most crime mystery shows, is the unconventional method and idea that a mystery novelist has good theories that are more or less useful in each investigation, and how in some situations, Castle rethinks the crime and the Modus Operandi of each suspect, and he realizes who commits the crime by piecing  it together with his everyday life (with his daughter Alexis and mother Martha) . With the added comedy aspect in the series, Castle is a mix of light-hearted and realistic crime expectation in a very busy city that is New York.

I can mostly relate to Detective Beckett because of her determination to solve the crimes and the analytic approach she does to get to the bottom of all her questions. Also, she is very ambitious and determined to do the best in everything she tackles. She is quite reserved in some aspects of her life because of different tragedies she had encountered and that is what keeps her strong and motivated to be the best. 

PROS: The show is upbeat and every second is intriguing in itself. The characters all have been developed fully and easy to understand where they are all coming from. The progression of the show is continuous and continuity is pleasing. The chemistry between Beckett and Castle is undeniable. The musical score is amazing and on point (I especially love the music when comedic dialogue is exchanged). A lot of known actors guest starred. 

CONS: A character that was involved in a scandalous circumstance and have to pay with life. When Castle pretends he does not like Beckett and he flirts with every other woman; same goes with Det. Beckett. Some story lines take time to develop and drag some episodes along. 

VERDICT: If you are into Crime Shows, with the involvement of the Police Department rather than the FBI for the most part, this is one show you will not regret starting and finishing. Every episode is filled with intrigue and it even might make you take on your own investigation and conduct theories (out loud too!) about the crimes. So if you have not, it's worth the time to catch up all the way to season 6. 

Let me know how you think and feel about the show in the comments below :)

Pen Review: Papermate Gel 0.7mm black and colored ink and Pilot Acroball Pure White 0.7mm black ink


Another day and another review. Today I am bringing you a review on something that most people wouldn't really think of reviewing, but for me I am OBSESSED with pens. I collect a couple of them from time to time depending on how they write. So today I will give you a review on the Papermate Gel 0.7mm fine point in black and colored ink (green, orange, and blue *my sister took the red one*) and the Pilot Acroball Pure White 0.7 mm fine point.
I am usually not a fan of fine point pens because I don't like the way my handwriting looks when I write with them. For me the Papermate Gel 0.7mm works really well. The black ink is very clear but it lacks the deep black color I usually like to see when I am writing. For the colored inks the orange and blue inks were very faint and didn't write very well. The green was a little better to write with but just like the black ink it lacked the pigment that most medium or thick point pens give. As for the Pilot Acroball Pure White 0.7mm, I was not happy with this pen at all. You can see in my sample of my handwriting the ink gives out as you write leaving letters unfinished. The way the pen wrote was not very smooth. These pens are really made for people who write small or have very straight penmanship. 
(From left to right) Papermate Gel 0.7mm Orange, Papermate Gel 0.7mm Black, Pilot Acroball Pure White 0.7mm, Papermate Gel 0.7mm Blue, and Papermate 0.7mm Green


Just a sample of my handwriting with each pen


Final Thoughts: Keep: Papermate Gel 0.7mm in black ink 
                               Return: Pilot Acroball Pure White 0.7mm.