By Stefanie Smith
Not a minute into the third season of Castle and we’re left puzzled. Castle and Beckett – old “partners in crime” (pun intended) – are face-to-face ready to aim fire towards the other. What’s most puzzling……is that they both shoot. A jaw-dropping opener for all those waiting to see how the two reunite after last season’s heartbreaking finale. We’re brought back three days earlier to find out what happened.
After a summer away in the Hamptons, Castle has returned to Manhattan to debut his new book “Naked Heat” but fails to contact his old comrades Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito. To their surprise they reunite at a crime scene when the detectives find Castle leaning over a dead body with a gun. After being arrested, Castle finally gets the chance to remind Beckett, and us all, of his charm in the interrogation room. He’s proven innocent when the evidence doesn’t match up and although he wants to stay and help with the case all those he hurt with his neglect send him away.
It isn’t until he sees his daughter distraught over the neglect of a boy she likes that he realizes maybe Beckett and the boys were also hurt the same way. So he takes it upon himself to prove his desire to be with them. Unfortunately, he decides to go investigating on his own and once again is found by the detectives at a crime scene with a dead body. He pleads with Beckett to let him help, and his diligence pays off. She allows him to follow him on this one case, but just this one. That is, of course, until an opportunity comes up for her to possibly keep him around without being the one to give in and ask for his help. After all, Beckett is as clever as Castle.
She bets him that if he finds out the connection between all the victims first he can stay and be her partner. But if she finds out the connection first he must go away and leave her to do her work alone.
They lay out their crime cards to piece together why a sculptor, a chemistry teacher, and a vending machine businessman who all met at a burlesque club would be in business together. Each of them was murdered after depositing the same amount of money in their bank accounts. After many interviews and much collaboration, not to mention almost falsely accusing a boyfriend, Castle realizes what business these three could have: counterfeit bills. And sure enough the money in the victims wallet was fake. (Castle wins!!!)
At the same moment, Castle and Beckett reveal that they know who the murderer was and find the owners of the Burlesque club trying to skip town with all the fake money. One of the owners, a tattoo artist, would be the missing link in how the bills were printed. They used her ink. In an ugly shoot out the two criminals find themselves on opposite sides of Castle and Beckett. We learn that they weren’t shooting each other. They were working together to each shoot one of the murderers.
In a final scene, after Beckett declares Castle victorious in their bet, Esposito appears behind Beckett and simply asks her how long she knew it was a counterfeit game before Castle. Her sly smile shares the truth. And Castle is officially back with the NYPD
