Beckett needs to go undercover and impersonate an assassin to stop a drug ring. A cover she was told was just a drug currier by her handlers before she went under. Has she been forced to do the unthinkable, kill someone to keep her cover?

****SPOILER ALERT****

From the funny, flirty open we are and Beckett is ripped away and given a choice and a short time to make it (without Castle). The Feds have rare intel on a new drug ring that has violently moved into the upper westside of NYC. They haven’t had any leads as this new group is very careful to keep all the parts of the operation separate from each other (nobody can rat on anyone else as they don’t know who anyone else is). A currier had been made by the Feds and she confessed her story of woe. Short on cash she took a package/drug delivery gig, but once she was in she couldn’t get out. Beckett is pulled in as the only cop that could pass for Elena (the currier) based on the general description Elena’s drug bosses have of her (i.e., Age, hair color and fluent in Russian. Who new Beckett was fluent in Russian?…Cool.).

Beckett goes in for a “simple” meet as Elena was supposed to be getting a promotion, with possible access to the higher ups…hence the Feds eagerness to take advantage of this opportunity. A little too eager, the Feds didn’t know the correct story on Elena. She was actually the assassin taking the old drug ring out by skillful swipes to the neck of anyone in the way of the new gang. Beckett has to be light on her feet to not get caught and Ryan and Esposito rush to question Elena to hopefully help save Beckett’s life in this escalated situation well beyond a meet and, “I should be home for wine tonight Castle.” Elena’s in the wind. And Beckett is dead when she turns up.

At this point I thought the writers did something great. They could have played into a Castle formula and have Castle figure out some little quirky key thing that saves Beckett’s life, but instead (but not before Beckett is interrogated and tortured with a large bucket off ice water in a deadly game of “Bobbing-For-The-Bottom-of-the-Bucket”; see picture below) she is saved by her own selfless past deed to save a Senator Bracken in an earlier episode (Recoil, S5E13). Senator Braken, who had been involved secretly with Beckett’s mother’s death, and who “Will do anything it takes to get the job done!” is officially exploring to run for U.S. Presidency. He must be Lazarus (the mysterious, unknown leader of the new drug ring), as Elena stepped in and saved Becket’s life at the insistence of Lazarus. Now they are even and the gloves are off. [BTW- Beckett improvised tomato sauce and beet juice to pass her assassin test in the top most pictures, lucky the mark didn’t argue and could lie still enough to fool the drug dealers].

When Beckett and Castle are reunited, Beckett says the only thing that kept her going was the thought of him, their wedding and their future together. That is great but as this episode foreshadowed there is a showdown a-commin. Beckett/Castle vs. Braken/his crew of evil doers (who say that the ends justifies the means and if a few innocent nosey people get bumped off, that’s the price one pays for government that gets it done.). As I mentioned the structuring of the episode to avoid falling into a formula  set up a more realistic arc (for me at least) of events. Not just episodes that rap up super neatly by the end. Yes we will get murders with a beginning middle and end…but this Braken looms to keep us on the edge of our seats. And just when you relax…wham…who’s dead? Beckett and Castle will give him a run for his money and although possibly close in the episodes to come, they will be standing when the dust settles…happily married…and 6 months pregnant……..with twins. You heard it here first. Just a guess. 🙂

Notable Conversation:

[Font-choosing for their, “Save the date wedding cards.”].

Beckett: “Ooou…I like that one. You?”

Castle: “Ehhh…not really feeling it. I guess you could convince me [slyly, suggestively].”

Beckett: “I bet I could.”

Castle: “Yeah, I mean you’d have to work pretty hard to win… me… over. But ah..”

Beckett: “Well, I’m prepared to do just that. Because it is clear to me what we both need is a really good… font!”

Castle: “Yes, we do. That is so true.”

[They both run toward the bedroom before interupus by the phone ringing…it’s Captain Gates and Beckett needs to come I right now].

Caskett Moment (from quotes above, about to “font”):

Next Episode: “The Way of the Ninja” (Mar 17th)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giJJqcSonC0

To catch this episode and/or the earlier episodes for this season, click here at the ABC’s website or app: http://abc.go.com/shows/castle

What did you think of the this episode? Did you think it was going another way? What did you like most? Let us know in the comments. Also, check out my exclusive interview with Nathan Fillion at the Kusewera Charity Event. Follow us on twitter for more exclusives at:

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