Castle & Castle is a good series. From the dramatic ambience at the eponymous law firm to the tangents at opposing firms, all, in a way, connected to Mr. & Mrs. Castle. The Suits-inspired series has the authoritative stamp of Nigerian peculiarities to keep it fresh; and in a country rampant with lawlessness, it is fresh to see how the law tangoes with itself, albeit fictionally. Two seasons in now, the legal drama proceeds, more factions have splintered, new romances blossoming, new betrayals, too, all brewing within the auspices of the luminaries, Castle (Richard Mofe Damijo) and Castle (Dakore Akande).
What makes Castle & Castle special is its attentiveness to its characters, and its deliberate focus on exploring their individualities. It also helps that there are a number of good actors on the series’ payroll. Beyond characters are the cases that accompany new episodes, cases that could only be Nigerian—the man suing an herbalist for his missing penis; a northern teenage bride who has murdered her rapist husband; the lesbian in a lawsuit against her father to keep his surname; the abused house help suing her ‘madam’; the Igbo widow who has sued her deceased husband’s family for his properties: Castle & Castle is an unforgiving reflection of Nigerian idiosyncrasies with the care of not getting carried away by the thrill of novelty.
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Delve deeper to find the intra-workplace disagreements of varying degrees; egos clash, talents outdo themselves; a thriving ecosystem of competitiveness. The swashbuckling Stella (Anee Icha) manning the entrance to the firm, the sesquipedalian Mr. Monday (Kevin Ushi), Blossom Chukwujekwu’s hard-boiled Maliq Mustapha who, evidently, now has a soft spot; the guile Kwabena Mills (Deyemi Okanlawon); and Nneka (Eku Edewor); together, on scrutiny is a firm that does its best to represent as many Nigerian tribes as narrative scope can allow. On face value are the clash of idealism and pragmatism between Tega and Remi, below them are the workers who must find ways to align their views, whether conforming or opposing, to the defining powers of their law career. It is a breeding ground for legal drama. And further down are the fringe characters; Captain (Jude Chukwuka), Morenike (Ade Laoye); but the structure of the series permits that nobody stays at the fringes permanently. Their day—or episode—always arrives.
All aboard then for the recently released second season, a blowback of murder, betrayal, infidelities and ambition. The core to Castle & Castle remains present, albeit, in its fashion, with the fringe character, Captain, at the front of affairs now. There is growing confusion and angst amongst the characters, with Morenike and Remi Castle declaring at different times, “I don’t know what I want anymore”, and Ben (Denola Grey) battling with guilt and a new determination to choose his own path. What comes of this, expectedly, is stuff for dramas. There will be revelations and it has already become obvious, a tad predictable, where the show is headed. But still, Castle & Castle remains good.
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