Charlie 2
A brief synopsis
I know you are likely looking for another chapter, sorry. It's just that I've gotten a number of questions about why this and why that?
Soooo, Rick was given a contract. IF he helped Kate solve the case of who murdered him, he could come back as a human. If he didn't than he remained as a dog.
Read that again very carefully this time. The key points are KATE HAS TO SOLVE THE CASE AND IF RICK FAILS HE REMAINS A DOG!
Every contract has fine print that most of us don't read. Do you read the fine print when you purchase an airline ticket? You would be amazed at the amount of rights you have handed over to the airline if you did. Anyone remember the movie Santa Clause? Not Santa the person, the CLAUSE that was in the card when he put on the suit.
Why didn't Rick try harder to convince Kate that it was really him only in dog form and try and explain what the contract entailed? He couldn't, since it was in the fine print. All he could do was bark and make other dog sounds as well as do dog things.
Why did it feel like Kate knew what Rick was saying when he barked at her statements? Think about it. It is Rick in dog form and Kate is in love with Rick and has been by his side for years. Her walls are down and her heart is open. Kate knows what Rick would say to her comments so that when Rick barks, she responds as if Rick had talked. It's a subconscious "I love you" thing. Rick is a bit of a klutz and Kate knows this, so sees a little of Rick in Charlie when he does things. Kate however doesn't consciously see any of this because of her grief. Give her more time and she might actually work it out. Maybe.
The stakes in this deal are indeed high, very high! Rick was killed while in dog form, so if he failed he would be dead. Events would have continued just as they were and Kate would be in a mental institution. Very high stakes indeed.
Why did it take Jordan telling Kate that she had solved the case with Charlie's help? AGAIN it is in the fine print. HE (God, Alien, Mother Nature, call it what you will) knew Rick had helped. However it required a third party to confirm that Kate had been the one to solve the case. In this case it was Jordan who said it. It, per the contract, could have been anyone. Standing next to Kate or not, just so long as someone said it. (fine print)
Sure Kate had help (Ryan, Karpowski and others), however that was to be expected. The deal wasn't that Kate solves the case ALONE. Only that she solved it with Charlie's (Rick's) help.
As for whom the dog is at the end? Take your best guess. Is it still Rick? A clone of his soul if you will. Is it Roy Montgomery? Come back to help Kate when she needs it most. Remember he did want Castle there to help Kate even if Kate didn't see it. Is it Johanna Beckett? She has the most to gain. Keep her daughter out of a mental institution and keep her married to Rick so they can have kids and live her life and be happy. Just what would a loving parent NOT do for their child? Or is it just a dog that barked because it got attention? All dogs love their owners unconditionally. In his eyes Rick and Kate are his owners. And who says it's a boy dog this time?
Why a Collie? I thought that was evident enough. There really was a collie named Charlie in that movie and it gave Rick something to talk and think about as to why a dog suddenly showed up to save him and allow him to live his life as a human. Now does Richard Castle strike me as a collie type? All I know is what he isn't and that removes a whole lot of breeds from the equation.
As for my ending? I couldn't see how anyone was going to believe that Rick died, had an autopsy performed on him by Lanie, was missing a few internal organs and then suddenly comes back to life 2 weeks later after his case is solved. So what would you have done so that the rest of the planet, let alone his friends, didn't notice a thing?
Plus there was nothing in the contract that said Rick would remember being killed and coming back as a dog to solve his own murder. Or the contract or who he made it with. Was there a devil involved with this. Of course there was! The devil was in the details like always. (fine print)
Just a few of my thoughts. Happy reading.
Gary