Not only was the victim of this week’s CASTLE an actor portraying Hamlet, but the story of his murder was pointed out by Castle to be “most Shakespearean in nature”. The victim was a Hollywood superstar currently taking a break by trying out Hamlet in a piece directed by a very prestigious director. But, it turns out he didn’t quite have the chops for the part. After finding him stabbed with a pen, the team goes to his apartment and finds none other than Martha Castle!
Don’t worry, they were not “bed-fellows” as the Bard himself would say, she was just giving him acting lessons and, when he didn’t show for their scheduled appointment, she fell asleep. The team also approaches his ex-girlfriend — a fellow actor who happens to be playing Ophelia in this production, but she alibis out.
When it seems like the case is a dead end, Espo discovers the victim had a step-brother who apparently went to prison for a heist the two pulled together a few years back, and he’s been mad that his brother got off and became a big star while he stayed behind bars. But, when they interview the brother he reveals that his brother apologized and was going to set him up for life. The only problem is that the brother also revealed that the victim owed a ton of money and was going to be broke in a few months. In the interrogation he did say, however, that his brother had been working on something to ensure a huge payout.
This “something” is connected with a Mexican drug cartel. After the team finds footage of the victim meeting with someone involved in one of Mexico’s biggest cartels, they realize that the case may go a lot deeper than some Hollywood scandal.
Unfortunately, before they can investigate much further, Castle is kidnapped in a parking garage and taken to a secret house by none other than the cartel boss himself. Though the meeting starts off intimidating — with Castle tied up — it ends with the boss revealing he wants Castle to write a screenplay and the two end up drinking fine wine and laughing. Apparently the boss had offered the victim the opportunity to direct and write a movie — a biopic — about his life. It would have been a huge investment and opportunity. But unfortunately, the boss-man said no.
Once Castle is inevitably rescued — but not before tripping up the cartel boss and ensuring his arrest — they do some more digging and realize that the victim had promised the directing job of the cartel boss’s movie to someone else before eventually taking it back for himself. This wronged woman turned out to be the very director who gave him his shot on stage as Hamlet. The two had worked together in acting school, but as he became successful she was stuck doing off-Broadway plays. This was supposed to be her big break into film — an industry that she points out as being notoriously difficult for women to break into — but instead he took that away from her.
They arrest the woman, and Ryan gets a chance to channel his inner-director by helping his daughter with her pre-school show (an adorable little song/dance about flowers) and Rick and Kate get a quiet date night in with Chinese food. That is until someone drops off a package from El Hefo. Castle is worried that he is being blamed by the most dangerous man in the world for being the one responsible for his arrest, but the box is nothing but script notes and biographical info — apparently El Hefo still wants Castle to write his screenplay. The only catch is a note tucked inside that says acts one and two are in the box, but act three is still to come and it starts with a “bang”. Not to be overly wary, but the timing and phrasing makes me very nervous for the safety of our favorite crime-solving duo, especially given the knowledge that actress Stana Katic will not return for Season 9.
Here’s hoping that Becket makes it through the season alive!
Catch an all new CASTLE on May 9 at 10 PM ET/PT on ABC!
