YouTube has the trailer for Nathan Fillion’s next TV triumph…we hope, called Castle. He plays a mystery novelist who is the unwelcome assistant to a New York PD detective played by Stana Katic, who had been on Heroes and will be in the next James Bond movie. The trailer is the pilot condensed into about three minutes, but we get all the necessary ingredients for a pilot. There’s a mysterious crime, and a frustrated police detective named Kate Beckett looking for answers. Nathan is Rick Castle, the "bad boy" of mystery writing who thinks going to parties is boring, but signing his name on women’s chests is not. He also has a daughter, a mom (Susan Sullivan) and friends who try to keep him in line.

Anyway, Rick crosses paths with Beckett, portrayed as a by-the-book detective who doesn’t like Rick’s sassy attitude. She points out, for example, that he once stole a police horse…while naked. This is supposed to suggest they’ll eventually be sexually attracted to each other, which I doubt. Some people have also suggested this show may be one part Bones and one part Moonlighting.

But back to the story…Beckett only needs Rick to help her solve the crime, but doesn’t want him actually solving it. She even handcuffs him to the police car at one point, but his involvement gets deeper when it’s apparent the killer is a big fan of Rick’s. Seeing Nathan as a guy with a lot of macho swagger and a carefree attitude that wasn’t in Firefly is quite different. I didn’t like Stanic because she resented his help from start to finish. In fact, she seemed to be the only cop in the city who doesn’t want him around. I know this is just a starting point, but it would be fair to know what makes her tick than just put her out there as a clichÈ. Let’s hope that’s in episode three or four, if it gets that far. Also, they don’t have to be a potential couple. He can still "do research", but with different detectives. He should also show he has some background in criminal investigation, despite that "Lord Godiva" episode. Maybe his dad was a cop or attorney, he couldn’t quite follow in his footsteps, and that writing books was the next best thing.

The trailer for Castle is a good start, but they can do a lot more with this idea, and let’s hope ABC will give them the chance.