Take Two

Take Two is a lighter proposition than "Castle" eventually became--but Bilson and Cibrian are airier presences than their predecessors, and a lack of gravitas suits them. ... Take Two promises to be just that sort of enjoyable show, and if it brings nothing new to the table, that is the meal we have come for. To make too great claims for it would be in a way to insult its not-untasty flavor.

For fans of darker, soapier TV fare, the light-as-a-feather “Take Two” will be a hard pass, but for a light drama it’s entertaining enough, thanks to producers poking fun at TV procedural cliches (while also embracing them) and Ms. Bilson’s likable performance.

Take Two is honest advertising. It’s the second grab at a winning premise, for the same network, no less. You deserve more.

As with Castle, this one will sink or swim on the banter and appeal of the two leads. Bllson grades a bit higher on these curves while Cibrian sucks it up and regularly swallows hard. ... Take Two comes nowhere close to matching the glories of ABC’s Moonlighting or NBC’s Remington Steele, both of whose odd couple crime solvers really rocked. Castle also fell well short of those two, but did pass ABC’s endurance test.

Light as air, not much more substance, "Take Two" is a genial "Castle" redo.

[Take Two] goes beyond light mystery to the realm of weightlessness. [25 Jun - 8 Jul 2018, p.11]

Take Two is Castle in a blender, but not a very efficient blender, so it's just big, gloppy, easily recognizable chunks of Castle, genders reversed.