The series finale of CASTLE (it’s so very weird to type that) aired last night and it was an hour of action and suspense before a few final moments of closure that fans were looking for.
It began with Castle and Beckett staking out the park where double-agent-turned-good-guy Caleb informed them that the cellphone he uses to communicate with the infamous Lockstat is located. When Beckett and Castle receive the call (pretending to be Caleb) and the instructions that go with it, they think they finally have a lead. But, when they go to stake-out the place Lockstat told “Caleb” to go over the phone, it turns out it is a trap, and gunfire rains down on their very vulnerable position. Between the bullets and with their downed communications, it doesn’t look like they have a way out.
At least, until Mason Wood drives in on a fast-food truck to save the day. Last seen in Los Angeles heading the Greatest Detective Society, Mason assures a wary Kate that he is to be trusted, and Castle backs him up. They split up, with Beckett going back to the precinct and Castle getting Martha and Alexis and heading back to his office. They determine that the setup at the warehouse occurred because the real Caleb was killed earlier that day in a car fire (the workings of Lockstat’s right-hand man) and that the new Caleb set them up.
After Vikram told Ryan and Espo everything that has been going on, they begin investigating and are able to track the car of Lockstat’s right-hand man from the scene of the car fire back to his home. Espo and Ryan take a SWAT team to the house, but it turns out it is completely empty. At this exact moment, Rick leaves his office to try and find Beckett at the precinct, and gets in a cab with none other than Lockstat’s right-hand man.
He is brought to a nice building, but strapped to a chair and given a truth serum by this right-hand man, who goes by Mr. Flynn. While the serum takes effect, the real Lockstat comes into the room to ask Rick the big questions. And it turns out Lockstat is Mason Wood. After getting over the initial shock, Rick is forced to give up his friends and family (including Martha and Alexis), admitting they know about Lockstat and are, therefore, going to be “eliminated” by him.
Things just seem to be getting worse as it turns out that Kate was set to meet with Mason and doesn’t know that she will be meeting with certain death if Rick can’t get out and find her. This is exactly what he does, though (with some help from Ryan and Espo). Just before Mr. Flynn puts a deadly dose of chemicals into his veins, Ryan and Espo comes in guns a-blazing and save Castle, while simultaneously holding off the gunfire from Flynn’s serviceman outside. Castle gives Mr. Flynn a taste of his own truth medicine and finds out where Kate is being taken, then escapes through the wall and goes to find her.
Once the pair confront Lockstat, they are able to (despite being unarmed by the room’s anti-magnetic device) take him down and they embrace lovingly after a full day of action. After that nice resolution, the team heads back to the precinct where Martha and Alexis greet a very happy Richard. Ryan and Espo take Vikram out for a drink (at 7 am) and even Lainie is there to greet her BFF Kate. All seems well as Kate and Rick enter their apartment — at least until Caleb comes into frame and out of nowhere puts a bullet in Rick’s chest. Kate comes in and shoots him down, but not before taking a bullet herself.
The two make their way towards each other on the ground, crawling in their own blood and as the camera pans away viewers see the empty room of Castle’s living room. A voice over from the pilot episode has Castle offering to be one of Kate’s conquests should they go home together, and Kate replying “he has no idea”. The fate of our favorite couple is left hanging for only a moment of suspense as the empty room becomes filled again with stuffed animals and cards and the words “seven years later” appear at the bottom of the screen. A smiling Beckett chases what looks like twin boys around the room, while a young girl runs to the table. The Castle family of five sits down for breakfast as the classic “always” is said by both in a nostalgic voiceover.
So, after 8 seasons, fans finally got to see the future Castle and Beckett deserve, full of love and happiness. It has been quite the journey for Castle and Beckett, and for their fans as well, but it has been a good one. Thanks, CASTLE, you will be missed!