MAILING TOOB MISSING LINK - "THE GOOD FIGHT" & "CASTLE" (BY WAY OF "MISSING") [REVISED]

Being the Curator of Ye Olde Toobworld, I can't do the job without your help.  I've only got two eyes and even the fact that they've got a touch of the "elam" about them, they still can't see everything.  So I'm thankful whenever you good folks of Team Toobworld write to me with theoretical crossovers you've seen.

This week, I was lucky to hear from author Brad Mengel

Hey Toby,

I was watching 'The Good Wife' spin-off 'The Good Fight' last night (Season 2 episode 5) - "Day 436".  They are dealing with a news story about the sexual improprieties of Kip Dunning, a big name movie star.  They show an image of Dunning in the movie “Storm Warning”.

There’s nothing to suggest that the movie is based on Richard Castle’s novel of the same name, but it’s possible.

Brad Mengel

I would say it's more than possible!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post about the newest fictional New York City mayor of new series 'Instinct' (Mayor Meyers), the NYC mayorship, as with the American presidency, can determine whether or not a TV series remains in Earth Prime-Time or if it must "slide" over to an alternate Toobworld.

In the case of 'Castle', author Richard Castle was a friend of the NYC mayor, which is how he was able to work with the homicide detectives in the 12th Precinct.  But that mayor was not the same as the one in the main Toobworld - that is, the real mayor of New York City.  So off it went to its own TV dimension.

But we know Richard Castle does exist in the main Toobworld and is still an author....

'Missing'
"Tell Me No Lies"
When Becca and Dax visit Martin Newman (Keith Carradine), Dax reads the back cover of one of Newman's novels. The camera focuses on a review of the book by "Richard Castle". Richard Castle is the title character of another of ABC's series. 

Rather than pulling the ten episodes of 'Missing' into the alternate dimension of 'Castle', I prefer to consider the Richard Castle who wrote that blurb as being the doppelganger from the main Toobworld.

We've seen that TV characters from the main Tooobworld have counterparts in other TV dimensions - especially in the Tooniverse and Skitlandia.  (Examples - 'Gilligan's Island' animated series & 'Star Trek' on 'Saturday Night Live' respectively.)  So it stands to reason that TV characters in alternate dimensions would have counterparts in the main Toobworld.

As Brad pointed out, the action movie "Storm Warning" could be based on Castle's book.

From the 'Castle' wiki:

["Storm Warning" is] One of Richard Castle's very successful Derrick Storm novels.

It is referenced in "Fool Me Once" (episode 2.4) when Castle and Beckett meet a CIA agent, Agent Gray, whom Castle interviewed for research on secret agents for the book. As the three talk, Gray uses the expression "Transparency gets you killed," a quote which Beckett recognizes as having been used in the book. 

I'm not exactly sure if this next section from the wiki had to do with the TV show or the actual novels that have been written in Castle's name here in the Real World:

When Derrick Storm’s close friend, Attorney Sam Strummel, is murdered in cold blood in a cemetery outside of NYC, Storm launches his own investigation to bring the murderer to justice. While investigating Strummel’s business dealings, Storm exposes a murder-for-hire syndicate that has just made him their next target.

So in the main Toobworld, a movie was made from that novel.  But it may not have been the first Derrick Storm film.  It could have been part of a franchise in which Kip Dunning had become a big name by playing Storm in those earlier flicks.

Here is a description of the episode of 'The Good Fight':

A beloved action star, Kip Dunning, is threatening to sue the network the firm represents if it runs an exposé on sexual assault allegations against him. The clock’s ticking as Diane and Adrian meet with the actor’s lawyer, Burl Preston (F. Murray Abraham, reprising his role from The Good Wife), and defend the story against the defamation charges. 

When Derrick Storm’s close friend, Attorney Sam Strummel, is murdered in cold blood in a cemetery outside of NYC, Storm launches his own investigation to bring the murderer to justice. While investigating Strummel’s business dealings, Storm exposes a murder-for-hire syndicate that has just made him their next target.

NAOMI NIVOLA: The list of prominent men accused of sexual harassment continues to grow, even six months after Harvey Weinstein.  Now the biggest and potentially most explosive name has been added to the list - Kip Dunning. Kip Dunning is an actor with a reputation rarely matched - in the Hollywood firmament.

BURL PRESTON: Pause.  You use a still from an action movie to suggest Kip is aggressive to women.

That would be the image mentioned by Brad.  Note: If anybody has CBS All-Access, I'd love to get a frame grab of Kip Dunning in "Storm Warning".  (Oops - see below.)

So in a way, since the official 'Castle' is in a different dimension, this isn't a full crossover.  But I'll take it.

Thanks, Brad!

O'Bservation:

I've known Brad online since the early days of 'Charmed'.  (We'd email about the ramifications of the Halliwell spells and storylines.)  Here's his bio from Down Under:

Brad Mengel works in Australia’s criminal justice system.  His book "Serial Vigilantes of Paperback Fiction: An Encyclopedia from Able Team to Z-Comm" (McFarland, 2009) was the first book to examine vigilante fiction of the 70s and 80s.  He has also contributed stories to "Tales of The Shadowmen" #3 & #7, "Pro Se Presents" Nov 2012, "Charles Boeckman Presents Johnny Nickle", "Pulp Obscura: Senorita Scorpion" and "Blood & Tacos" #4.  Brad has also worked for Pro Se in the past as an Editor. 

If you see a possible connection between shows, let me know!  I may already know about it, but why take the chance?  There's a manifest destiny to the expansion of Toobworld!

UPDATE

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.  I asked for a copy of the pertinent screen shot and my IDD friend (We are known as "Iddiots".) George Reed obliged.  As you can see, the title of the movie was "Stern Warning" not "Storm Warning".  I assume it went by too quickly on the screen for Brad to fully grasp it. 

Oh well.  It was a nice televisiological theory while it lasted....