Hey! I’m the anon who asked you about the scene. It’s from 7x22, when Danny Valentine flirts with Kate and she flirts back a bit. I think she does it because she's excited and Kate tends to act a little different when she's in fangirl mode, but I'm not comfortable with that interaction. I know it comes from my own insecurities if a situation like that occurred, cause from my baggage I would think that my partner would leave me for that crush... Silly? Yes, but I can't help it. So I would like to know your point of view.
Hi Anon, so in keeping with the trend, apologies for how long it's taken me to answer you.
I don't want to be insensitive to you with this answer, since you have said you're bothered, and it is absolutely valid to not love the scene for any reason, of course, but I don't think we can always apply our own personal comfort levels for situations to the characters. After all, for some, the entire premise of the show is something they would not personally want to experience, but they can put that aside to enjoy the story we're being told.
Personally, I don't have a problem with the scene. It's a little bit of hero-worship/fangirl (similar to when she met 'Captain Max' in the Final Frontier), which is a totally normal thing in general, but also an established reaction for Beckett, so nothing out of the ordinary or indicative of any desire she has to look elsewhere. I would also throw out an idea for another aspect of what we see in the scene: Beckett playing a part to get information from the guy who's flirting with her by returning the flirtation. We've seen her do that before as well - think Last Call, for one. She knows how to work a person for information, and sometimes, that involves a little bit of femininity and flirting.
Another thing you can do is look at the situation from the characters' point of view. How are they reacting? Beckett is flattered and a little flustered. Castle seems surprised that it's happening but not upset at her. He gives ol' Danny a nudge to the chest when he gets closer than necessary and kind of side-eyes Beckett as they're walking out. And part of his reaction with the side-eye could come from the fact that Beckett teased him about his long-time schoolboy crush on Kat Kingsley and the gaga eyes he was making at her not that long ago (in Last Action Hero), and/or about the fact that she was unimpressed when strippers flirted with him (in Bad Santa), but is a bit flippant this time. Or he could be reacting to the fact that she entertained the flirting at all, when Beckett used to be literally all business all the time and only "flirted" as long as was necessary to get the information she wanted.
Either way, his reaction doesn't seem like he's especially upset with Beckett or concerned about it having lasting effects on their relationship. Maybe he's a little miffed, but even saying that, with the exception of one line later in the episode when they think Valentine is involved (the moment when Castle says, "Oh ho ho. I knew it. That smug, no talent playboy is up to his neck in this." which is classic Castle when he feels like they've found their killer and it just happens to maybe be someone who dissed him), it's mostly forgotten after that moment. There doesn't seem like there's any discontent between them; from what we see, they are good. Which is what matters, right?
Anyway, this is long and like a million years late, but I hope this maybe helped a little bit!
