Bones vs Castle

[deird1]

So they're both the same show, for one thing.
- The lead male actor used to star in a Joss Whedon show.
- The man is a loving single father, with a kid he'd do anything for.
- The woman's mother died under mysterious circumstances, leaving the woman emotionally scarred.
- The cop is teamed up with a civilian who tags along on their cases.
- The civilian writes very successful crime novels, broadly based on their own life.


That being said...

Castle is better, because the police investigations are way more exciting and less dry and boring.
Bones is better, because watching the nerd squad get excited over nerdy forensic science is really fun.
Castle is better, because it's snarkier.
Bones is better, because it has more emotional heart.
Castle is better, because his family dynamics are so interesting.
Bones is better, because they spend so much more time solving the crime, rather than getting into the characters' family lives.
Castle is better, because they get at the heart of the crime's story, and think about what makes sense.
Bones is better, because they really look at the science and facts, rather than getting distracted by story.
Castle is better, because Beckett is so snarky.
Bones is better, because Brennan wears SENSIBLE SHOES rather than Beckett's ridiculous heels.
Castle is better, because the characters annoy each other in such entertaining ways.
Bones is better, because the characters have a background that predates the show, so it's clearer why they care about each other.
Castle is better, because it has more silly fun.
Bones is better, because it has more explosions.



In summary: These shows are identical. And they're both better than each other.

Comments

[lirazel]

Lol

Neither one is my thing but I love the heck out of this post

[deird1]

Thanks!

I don't love these shows, but they are both very good mindless television when I'm stuck at home (lockdown again, dammit) and sick of my children.

[slaymesoftly]

LOL That was a fun comparison!

[deird1]

They really are so similar.

[lyr]

There are a lot of parallels! But I generally come down on Castle is better because Bones got weird in later seasons. I tapped out after the whole cannibal apprentice business.

[deird1]

Yeah, the cannibal thing was weird, and not very well done.

On the other hand, I got rather sick of Beckett's mother's murder, and the on-again-off-again nature of Castle and Beckett's relationship.


(I really do enjoy both shows, however.)

[out_there]

And this might be why I love both of them! (And why they used to be successful over here, one screened after the other on a Sunday night.)

[deird1]

Totally! They are both quite fun.

[shadowkat]

Fun post.

I didn't realize they were that similar? I admittedly preferred Castle - because I liked the actors better. But I didn't stick long with either.

It is a popular television formula though. Moonlighting and Remington Steel were also somewhat similar, I liked them better though.

Moonlighting, Castle, and Remington Steel are all have one thing in common that Bones doesn't. The leads hated each other by the end of the series. And I do mean hate. Castle ended because the leads refused to work together, Remington Steel had similar issues, as did Moonlighting. (But they definitely had chemistry.)

Bones is the only one that the leads were best friends and got along very well. Although Bones had its own issues centered on the male lead - scandal wise.

Yeah, I understand the appeal of mindless television all too well - I'm binge-watching Friends on HBO Max.

[deird1]

A very popular formula, yes. And quite an enjoyable one - although I get bored with it after a while. (I'm mostly watching with one eye while editing grammar with the other.)

[shadowkat]

Agreed. It's enjoyable up to a point, then gets boring...yet, a great show to watch while doing something else.