Question: When is the only time this scripted television junkie approves of reality TV encroaching on our hallowed primetime schedule? Answer: When it provides the writers of CASTLE with fodder for what sure sounds like a hilarious send-up of the genre. Or at least that was our takeaway from these just released photos from the upcoming January 23 episode that feature a suspect list a mile long following the death of a famous dog trainer. Could a charismatic reality TV star played by WHITE COLLAR’s Hilarie Burton really be the culprit? Or how about her good-for-nothing boyfriend played by SMALLVILLE’s Justin Hartley? Hit the comments with your best guess after checking out these first look photos from “An Embarrassment of Bitches” after the jump.

In the ABC drama series CASTLE, Seamus Dever portrays Detective Kevin Ryan, a role which has become more complex as the show explores the inner psyche of who Detective Ryan is beneath his loveable, funny-guy exterior.  CASTLE is a cop show that embraces comedy and levity in the most absurd investigations, but which will also delve into the darker side of murder, cop killers, and sociopaths.  Sliding seemingly effortless between the agile comedy and finely-tuned drama, Seamus is a chameleon on screen.  In an exclusive interview, Seamus shared what drives Ryan and the relationships he prizes above everything else.

In your mind, who is Detective Kevin Ryan and what do you think epitomizes who he is in his soul?
SEAMUS:  Whoa, deep.  Wow.  I think Kevin Ryan is a nice guy who is always under-estimated about what he really knows.  I think he is quiet and I think he is a smart-ass.  He grew up with two older sisters, so there’s always been an interesting relationship with older siblings that he has.  I think what epitomizes who he is, is his loyalty to his partners and his loved ones around him and how he would protect them regardless of the cost.  I think that’s my answer. [Laughter]

Over the past two seasons particularly, we have seen Det. Ryan take increasing risks and make harder decisions when his fellow officers’ lives are on the line.  What lengths do you think he’ll go to, to protect those he cares about?
SEAMUS:  Well, it’s been one of those things — we had an episode last season where Ryan and Esposito are being tortured to find out some information that would compromise and harm Beckett and Castle — Beckett in particular — and it was one of those things that we were willing to bite the bullet and be tortured and take all this punishment rather than tell them what they wanted to hear.  So I think it gets to the point where you get to the point — and Ryan comes from the neighborhood still — where you don’t squeal on the people you’re protecting. He’s not a rat.   He’s going to protect the people around him.  We saw that in his response to torture.  But on the other side, it’s one of those things where he has an idealistic sense of what the job is — because there was the whole predicament last year that we were playing with Captain Montgomery and it was like, “Do we tell anyone about this? Or do we sort of do the right thing and let him die in peace and not reveal that he was a dirty cop?”  And it was always one of those things that Ryan was in favor of letting everyone know and Esposito was in favor of letting him die in peace.  So it was one of those things that we sort of carved out how everybody feels about those particular moral situations.

With those kind of moral issues and ethical issues facing them on a regular basis now, do you see it causing ripple-effects in Ryan’s relationships with his co-workers or will those always be steadfast for him?
SEAMUS:  Well, it is interesting.  The nature of drama is conflict, so there is no way there will not be conflict.  Here and there, there have been arguments that he has with his partner, Esposito, who feels differently about things than Ryan, like Castle.  But with Beckett, he seems to see eye-to-eye with her on a lot of things.  It is one of those things that we sort of like to play with once in awhile:  “What if they were having an argument?  What if they were disagreeing?  What if they were mad at each other about something, with him and his partner?”  I don’t know.  It’s sort of one of those things I love to play with.  The nature of our show is that everything has to reflect the mystery that we’re trying to solve.  So a lot of times we can’t delve into those real psychological aspects without getting back to the case in the very next scene. So a lot of that stuff has to sort of counterpoint what’s going on.  So we don’t ever really get to get that deep into that aspect, but it would be nice someday to have some episodes where we do that.

This is kind of a deeper question, but of all the people Ryan works with, who is the one who sort of mirrors who Ryan is in their work situation?  It is not always their partner, it could be somebody else at their office.
SEAMUS:  I actually think it’s Beckett.  I think Ryan’s always wanted to be a better cop and he’s always looked towards her leadership and the way she is and the way she thinks and the way she is creative about problem solving.  We had an episode earlier this year, “Kick the Ballistics” where we got to partner Ryan and Beckett together and it was neat because I think we got to see a little bit how they are similar — how they are driven when they want to be.  So I think he is closest to Beckett and I think he looks up to her in the way she sees things.  I also think he looks at Castle in a different way too because we get to see the side of him that’s curious about things and Castle is so different than anyone that Ryan has ever known, that he looks to him for different things too.  But I think he wants to be most like Beckett.

How do you think Ryan sees Castle and how he is always involved in the precinct and all their cases, particularly over such a long time span now?
SEAMUS:  One thing we are sort of playing with are these “Castle Jr.” scenes.  We all talked with the writers this year.  Jon and I went and talked with the writers as a group and talked about ideas about where it is headed this season.  And one of the things that was fun that we sort of discovered that Ryan — at the very beginning he decided to embrace Castle’s viewpoint on things, particularly as it can be beneficial in being more creative in thinking as a detective — and so he sort of welcomed Castle and was happy that he was around, and also becoming a fan of his books.  So something we are always playing with is he looks up to Castle as sort of this very creative person that people respect and wants to be like that too.  And we had some scenes last season where he’s all of a sudden quoting Shakespeare in the middle of looking for a perp and Esposito tries to take him down a notch by calling him “Castle Jr.”  I think that’s something that happened once again this year.  It’s something fun that they are playing with the dynamic.  There was a scene I shot with Nathan yesterday where we’re reading the journal of a private detective and it sort of comes to an end and we’re both compelled by “what happens next?” and he doesn’t know and it’s exciting.  So Ryan and Castle get to sort of geek out over this mystery.  It’s fun.  So he’s similar to him in that respect.

Finally, what can you share about Ryan and Jenny and their relationship which is going to be explored in this next upcoming episode?
SEAMUS:  Ryan is getting married and it’s heading down the aisle, if you will.  So this episode that is coming up is dealing with the preparation for the wedding and where it is going to go.  Ryan is on a cleanse with Jenny and their cleansing themselves presumably to make themselves pure before their big day and look their best, and so everyone gets to taunt Ryan about the fact that he is excited to go on this voluntary cleanse. But I’m drinking this nasty green liquid the entire time which is actually filled with some lime juice and cayanne pepper, in real life and I drank a lot of it.  So everyone gets to throw stones at Ryan that he is doing this and Esposito is also eating a lot of donuts around Ryan, who is not eating at all.  He’s just drinking this liquid.  So, at a certain point, there is information that turns up that Jenny is involved in the case, that they discover, and Castle and Beckett hold this information back from Ryan in fear that it is going to affect his decision about going through with the wedding.  So there is some drama there that happens, as well, which gets resolved at a certain point.  But you’ll have to tune in and find out!

And on that last teasing note, to find out whether wedding bells are still in Ryan and Jenny’s future, be sure to tune in for an all new, fun-filled episode of CASTLE on Monday, January 9th at 10PM on ABC (CTV in Canada)

Are you one of the millions of loyal CASTLE fans convinced that Castle and Beckett’s relationship couldn’t get anymore complicated this season? Well, brace yourself, because it’s about to in a big way. Although this time taking the hit won’t so much be their personal relationship, but rather their professional one during the January 16th episode of CASTLE entitled “Dial M for Murder” that will see when the dynamic duo’s crime-solving partnership comes under fire when a woman is found dead in a car that traces back to Castle’s longtime friend, the Mayor of New York City. More first look photos of which can be found after the jump.

New episodes of CASTLE air Mondays at 10PM on ABC (CTV in Canada) and stars Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Molly C. Quinn, Jon Huertas, Tamala Jones, Seamus Dever and Penny Johnson. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.

This week in Awesome: Not only did PARKS AND RECREATION have Leslie taking a page from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ Coach Eric Taylor (“Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose”) in an effort to inspire the troops, the episode’s final scene that saw her hard-working staff dedicate the next few months of their lives to her election campaign was this close to having us standing up and cheer, “I serve at the pleasure of the President.”

You’re a Mean One, Mr. NBC: Indeed, nothing says cruel and unusual punishment like forcing fans to watch another exemplary episode of COMMUNITY all the while knowing full well that this may be the last time we see it on the air for God knows how long!

Most Controversial Moment: Despite the internet being fiercely divided over this week’s highly contentious episode of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER that removed the possibility of Robin ever having biological children of her very own, there is one thing anyone would be hard-pressed to argue about: Having attracted the show’s highest ratings in two years, the show’s writers must be doing something right.

The Biggest Loser: Judge Nicole Scherzinger, who after crushing the dreams of 14-year old Rachel Crow on Thursday’s edition of THE X FACTOR couldn’t muster even a word or two of an explanation. Weakest link much?

Biggest Head-scratcher: While we’re usually the first to commend those smarter-than-your-average-showrunners over at THE GOOD WIFE for sharp storytelling and believable character development, we feel the need to take them down a peg based on Sunday’s comedy of errors in which daughter Grace was presumed kidnapped having accidentally butt-dialled mother Alicia. To borrow a line from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’s Seth and Amy, “Butt-dialing… 12 times… Really?”

From the Department of Thou Shalt Covet Objects From Thy Favorite TV Set: Is anyone else obsessed with the Victoria’s Grayson’s mesmerizing black and white chair on REVENGE? Or are you — as you should be — too busy counting down the days until the new season’s guiltiest pleasure returns?

Most Unexpected Moment: Question: When is the only acceptable time for a transgendered person to get into a fight with two grown men? Answer: On Tuesday’s hilarious RAISING HOPE, which now that BETTER OFF TED has been put to bed, is quietly solidifying itself into the funniest show you — yes YOU — aren’t watching.

Occupy Ustream: A company with far too much disposable income on their hand has apparently offered Octomom Nadya Suleman six-figures to star in her own weekly internet show to be broadcast on Ustream.

Adding Insult to Industry: Despite announcing that the incredibly unfunny MAN UP! is being yanked from their schedule, ABC has yet to throw COUGAR TOWN a bone. Deciding instead to fill the space with repeats of Tim Allen’s LAST MAN STANDING. Ouch!

And the Award for the Hardest Working Man in Show Business Goest To…: Mark Pellegrino, who following stints this year on CSI:MIAMI, BEING HUMAN, BREAK OUT KINGS, THE CLOSER, SUPERNATURAL, and LOCK & KEY will end the year by infusing a little ruthlessness into CASTLE’s 1940′s film noir episode. Speaking of which…

Funniest Moment: Five days after the fact, we’re still chuckling over Castle’s suggestion to Beckett that the only way they’re going escape being cuffed together was for her hand to be sawed off 127 Hours-style because “it’s smaller.”

While we’re usually the first to gripe about yet another classic HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER misdirection, or bemoan the convoluted way in which the show’s writers continue to torture us loyal viewers by diabolically failing to deliver an answer to even the simplest of questions, we find ourselves in an uncharacteristically charitable mood after watching and re-watching last night’s controversial episode. Why? Because the simple fact of the matter is that following six plus seasons of — as fellow TV Addict @gmmrtv so eloquently tweeted “waiting for the other shoe to drop” — we had absolutely zero expectation that Robin was actually pregnant. And while we sure as heck didn’t see her inability to have kids coming (not to mention the unexpected guest appearance by NEWSRADIO alum Vicki Lewis as her doctor!), we honestly feel that the beautiful way in which the episode ended — with Ted making sure Robin knew that whatever happens he’ll be there for her — didn’t just make up for any bitterness we felt over the episode’s twist, but really reinforced what this show is about. Which is to say, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER isn’t so much about the identity of the mother, but rather the remarkable friends you make along the way.

For those in the mood to feel old and by “old”, we mean “really super old,” in case you missed it, Lemon Breeland’s absentee mother on HART OF DIXIE last night was played by none other than… wait for it… former DAWSON’S CREEK star Meredith Monroe (Andie McPhee). Told ya!

Question: How does a writing staff possibly manage to deliver an episode that defies expectations following weeks of hype surrounding last night’s CASTLE midseason finale that saw Kate Beckett and Richard Castle physically cuffed together for the better part of an hour? Answer: By penning a script filled with so many memorable one-liners that we’re completely willing to forget the fact that the star-crossed lovers won’t be changing the status of their relationship on Facebook any time soon. But hey, don’t take our word for it, head on over to TVLine to check out what the always-on-the-ball Matt Mitovich tallied in terms of the night’s best soundbites. No word of a lie we’re still reeling from Castle’s suggestion that they escape from their cuffs 127 Hours-style and that Beckett be the one to cut off her hand because, “It’s smaller.”

Just to give you an indication of how disappointing this season of DEXTER continues to be following yet another hour spent watching an increasingly uninteresting Miami Police Department continue to remain one step behind this season’s serial killer du jour, we’ve find ourselves having a somewhat unexpected change of heart. Translation: We’re officially now rooting for Travis to finish the job!

Can’t wait until Monday December 5th for CASTLE’s much-buzzed midseason finale that sees our intrepid investigators wake up in bed, handcuffed together, in a locked room with no memory of how they got there? Neither can we! Which is why we thought we’d help you get through this Fillion-free week with a sneak peek of “Cuffed.” Check it out for yourself, after the jump.

New episodes of CASTLE airs Mondays at 10PM on ABC (CTV in Canada) and stars Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Molly C. Quinn, Jon Huertas, Tamala Jones, Seamus Dever and Penny Johnson. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.