So let’s be honest here. The “Sneak Peeks” that ABC have been releasing for the past few episodes of Castle have been more than peeks – try gaping holes. While the sneak peek for “Pretty Dead” was less than revealing, the clips for “To Love and Die in LA” and this Monday’s Finale “Knockout” have been glimpses of some of the most intense and emotionally drawn moments of the episodes. And many fans are not happy.
While I’m lucky to have skipped both the LA and Knockout peeks available on ABC.com and Hulu (largely due to the outcry of SPOILER! on twitter), some fans haven’t been as lucky. “I wish I hadn’t watched that sneak peek,” has been a reoccurring theme on twitter and fansites. Even series writer Terry Miller revealed, via her twitter (@terriedda), the creators have no say in the sneak peeks revealed, and that she prefers to watch television episodes without any spoilers.
I’ve never been a big fan of spoilers or sneak peeks. While, yes, they can get you excited about an episode, they can also ruin it for you. Anyone who has seen a too-inclusive trailer, a revealing clip or sneak peek, or a spoiler filled TV Guide article knows the feeling. You’ll know that “Caskett” moment is coming, and you build up the anticipation, waiting for what you know gave you a small thrill the first time you saw it. Then suddenly the scene or the moment is there – and gone. And you think “Where’s the excitement? The heart racing feeling I felt the first time I watched this? Why does it seem so…cold?”. You try to build up that feeling you had while you watched it the first time, but it’s never the same. Your moment to feel their moment is gone. Even worse, if the scene was at a crucial turning point during the episode, you spend the entire episode waiting for the moment and lose the excitement and build that the rest of the episode brings.
That’s not to say that all of ABC’s sneak peeks have been poorly chosen. The recent sneak peeks for “Pretty Dead” and “Slice of Death” were tastefully chosen; they were little “peep holes” into the episode. The 2-3 minute clips introduced the episode, enticed the audience with some classic Castle wit and humor, and took the edge off of the “I have to wait a whole week for the next episode?!” feeling. But when a peep hole expands into a hole big enough for us to squeeze our heads into, we find we can’t get our heads back out. What we’ve seen can’t be undone, no matter how hard we try.
So if you’re the kind of person who loves spoilers, or who can pull your head back through the hole, more power to you. I envy you. But if your like me, and want the whole experience the first time, I’d encourage you to stay away from ABC’s “sneak peeks”…at least for now. Hopefully ABC will wise up over summer, and have a talk with their promotions experts (who could also take a note on what they reveal in their 30 second promos and TV guide articles…but that’s a whole other argument).
**Avoid spoilers for this week’s finale in the comments.
These Aren't Just Words 