When the assistant to Modern Fashion Magazine’s dictatorial editor Matilda King (guest star Franes Fisher) is found murdered, Castle and Beckett are thrust into the glitzy, ruthless world of high fashion in their search for the killer. Meanwhile Beckett’s history in the modeling world gets her access to a very special wedding surprise.

****SPOILERS BELOW****

So this week we join Castle to track down the murderer of Matilda King’s assistant AND we need to find a venue for Caskett to get hitched before old man winter returns (I forgot being in LA that he is still here, sorry everywhere else).  Ella, the assistant, is found in a dumpster strangled.  Which traces back to the plum job she had just been fired from recently at Modern Fashion magazine under Mrs. King.

She had been fired for messing up Matilda’s appointments, a fatal mistake figuratively and literally it seems. Beckett and crew track down Ella’s last hours. Apparently she was going  drop a bomb of scandalous information on the magazine that just fired her to “Chic Magazine,” Modern’s rival. But they alibi out, even the special ops security personnel for Modern who bugged Ella’s apartment was clean. And just when you think we’ve figured it out… Matilda… no. She was having drinks with Oscar Della Renta at the time of the Murder.

Who who who would kill an assistant? Perhaps a designer named just “Umi” in this cut-throat world of fashion to get credit for her designs, and keep her quiet? Well it comes down to actually the weasel middle man Julian Bruckner. He approved the stolen designs for Umi and they would have all gone down if it had gotten out. Silly Julian.

This episode wasn’t huge for happenings (the main crew can’t get shot, poisoned or burried under a burning building EVERY week), but was a solid case of who done it. It was nice to see some of Beckett’s modeling past. I really liked Martha giving words of wisdom to help with the possible tortures of planning a wedding. Susan Sullivan always gives a solid performance whether a two second hello or through-line A story. The wedding planning and the scene of Beckett’s momentary cold feet- cold feet not because she didn’t want to marry Castle, but because she realize all of a sudden  with a thud that her deceased mother wasn’t there to plan the wedding or experience the nuptials- was very touching in all respect to me.

On the epilogue… it was entertaining. We see Beckett enter her old apartment (she still has that?) and she is stunned a bit by a huge package sitting in the middle of her living room. Did anyone else think of when her apartment exploded before (“Tick, tick, tick,…” S2E17)? I did. As she crept up to the giant box  in her apartment, is it a bomb? Well played Matilda? No, just her couture wedding dress. A gift from an old friend so Beckett can look fabulous.

An episode a bit more butch, where I won’t use the word “fabulous”….

Next on Castle (In 2 weeks; Feb 17): “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Castle goes back to solve a murder at one of his old alma maters. Someone has been killed, pretty standard For Castle. But murdered through telekinetic powers, not so standard.

Memorable Quotes:

#1

Beckett:  ” ‘Umi’ what?” (A designer’s name).
Esposito: “Just  ‘Umi’. I guess if you don’t have a last name, you can charge more.”

#2

Castle: “Goodnews is Umi cut a deal to avoid charges. I guess ‘murder’ is not his kind of accessory.”

#3

Becket:  (After confessing she said no to a choice venue/opportunity because her mother wasn’t going to be able to experience the wedding or the planning) “You know what I wish? I wish she could have experienced you (Castle).”
Castle: “Really?”
Beckett: “Yeah she would have loved you.”