A DB found in the lake appears to have been killed by drug dealers, but there's more to this killing than meets the eye. Cue plenty of suspects in the form of the Vic's friends.
A DB floats in a boat in Central Park. Martha (Susan Sullivan) is going to teach an Introduction to Life Coaching Class and she's made cards, quoting Castle (Nathan Fillion) as a client. She's had experience with him since she's told him what to do his whole life. (Well almost his entire life.) Alexis (Molly C Quinn) wants Castle to chaperon on her Washington DC trip.
The DB in the park was Donny (Drew Van Acker) and attended Redding Prep. Castle says he also attended Prep school. Lanie (Tamala Jones) puts COD to a single GSW to the chest and he wasn't killed in the boat. Castle brings up the subject of Vikings burying their dead on boats, but a Viking burial isn't his theory on this case. Donny's parents explain he was always with his friends and this father lost his money. Castle claims that's tough on a teen. Castle knew they'd moved using his keen observational skills, he notcied the Chinese screen was too large for their small apartment. More silly questions from Beckett (Stana Katic)for someone who's meant to be a detective, she's not very observant. Castle: "I've been kicked out of all of New York's finer educational institutions at least once." Why was that not surprising. Now he's rich and famous they want him as alum.
The Principal explains Donny stayed on at school through a scholarship and they don't know much of what happens here since the students are the "tip of the iceberg." They should speak with Donny's friends, who'd want them as friends is the question no one asked. Brandon (Nolan Gerard Funk) shows them a video of Donny and they blatantly lie about not knowing what he was doing in the park.
Beckett lies about going to York Prep herself, to gain their trust, but she didn't lie when she said she's been through something like this, as Castle pointed out in the pilot when he profiled her. Romy says they'd cover his costs for Donny, but "he couldn't handle it." Should've been up on that clue, but at least Castle got it later on. That they didn't pay off the drug dealer for Donny. Castle explains, Donny "can't get into trouble." But his friends can. Castle then talks about Greek tragedies and that the original Greek tragedy means "goat song." They said Donny became a drug dealer and as I've said many times, when the Vic's not around they can say whatever they like about him.
Castle tries to listen in on Beckett's call and she pulls his ear. He wants to see photos of her in her uniform, obviously she didn't attend Prep school, as she couldn't believe Castle would know anything about Redding Prep and what goes on there, even when he says he's been kicked out of them all. She wants in on his poker game now. He likens Beckett Meryl Streep on her performance and she wants to know Meryl streep in Out of Africa or Mama Mia. Apparently the latter as there's so much she misses; makes one wonder how she actually manged to get any collars before he showed up, "with his blue eyes and mysterious past" (or not so mysterious) wait I'm quoting Remington Steele - stop it.
Ryan (Seamus Deaver) tells of a 911 call made from near the bench in the park, nearby there's blood on the ground and Castle notices it's a large pool and so there should be more of a blood trail. The DB was dragged to throw them off the scent and that's the clue, but you see, it didn't work. Castle: "Everything evolves, why not criminals." Cos they'll always remain stupid and thus they become criminals in the first place; is my answer to that one. Mrs Falcigno (Anita Finlay) made the call, Esposito (Jon Huertas) says, when walking her dog and IDs the killer from the mug books.
Scoville was the dealer and Beckett uses quick-fire questions on him. Captain (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) explains she needs to build a case for the DA, it's not about the shooting per se. Now they're trying to show that Beckett knows how to do her job and Castle knows squat about policework. Scoville admits he was running in the park. The Captain explaining again that he puts himself at the CS. He saw Donny, thus "Beckett placed him with the Vic." Donny's friends were also there - knew that was coming, cos just like last episode and the week before there's no such thing as an open and shut case on TV. Castle refers to them as "witnesses who lied."Well they're actually suspects and not witnesses.
Becket questions Donny's friends and there's Brandon being all helpful in wanting everyone to tell the truth. Amanda (Michelle Page) was at the park with the others. Castle doesn't believe anything they said. Again Brandon regurgitating what he thinks they want to hear, leading his friends on and the fools take his lead, like he's 'oh so clever' - not! Brandon's the strong one, so he's the 'leader'.
Romy (Jamie Chung) was nearest and she IDs Scoville from a line-up as the shooter. Castle watches Alexis sleep like he did when she was little and she was adorable. She asks if he's trying to work out how to murder someone in their sleep, not this time. She can tell him anything and everything and he asks if she's taking drugs. Castle uses the Principal's term for her friends too, that they might be "icebergs." Alexis doesn't ever have to lie to him. Alexis knows her friends would be there for her if anything went wrong, thus providing Castle with another clue. This time about Donny's friends not giving Scoville any money, since he only wanted money. Scoville gave them Romy. Castle: "One of them did it." Yankman, Scoville's lawyer comments, Beckett should, "consult the consultant before you arrest the wrong guy." Scoville admits they were all dealing for him, Donny needed money and the others thought it was a laugh. The Mayor called the Captain to thank him for the arrest, wonder how many times the Mayor called the Captain before Castle got involved. Castle comments he knows they're meant to arrest the right man.
Beckett checks Romy's bag and finds enough money to have paid off Scoville for Donny. Romy crumbles, Max (Creagon Dow) shot Donny. But it was an accident, they were playing Russian roulette but there weren't any bullets in the gun. Spencer (Kunal Sharma) brought the bullets, suggested by Brandon. Beckett receives a call Max committed suicide, allegedly, just as Romy fingered him. Alexis admits she lied and she didn't pay to use the subway one day when it was raining, when she couldn't get a taxi home. Beckett thought she was better at reading people, apparently not. Castle comments Max moved his friend's body, which makes him a cold-blooded killer, cos that's what they do, so he wouldn't kill himself. Lanie finds an abrasion on Max's index finger, he was helped in pulling the trigger and he was drunk. Castle: "way drunk." Beckett concludes Max didn't kill Donny but he did shoot him.
Spencer alibis himself and Brandon as being at his father's club. Cue BS from Brandon regarding the video about Donny's shooting. He videoed it. Castle is shocked to see the shooting, not only because he only writes about killing - not actually seen any - as far as we know yet - but that he's also a parent and no one could stomach seeing anything like that happen to their child. Castle: "...not too often you get a murder caught on tape." He was both smart and lucky to have recorded it, so why was that night so special? Cos Brandon needed proof. Beckett was actually defending them before Castle said that.
Donny and Amanda were dating, Donny ended it, so she went with Brandon as he was the only one there for her. Castle: "I bet he was." Brandon told her to film the video. See Brandon is the chief instigator in all this. All had alibis except Brandon and he makes a play for Beckett twice. Much to Castle's chagrin, that Brandon could do that and get away with it, unlike him. Castle: "I hate that kid." Ryan and Esposito report no one saw Max or Brandon on the night in question and Ryan's still reading Castle's books, is he hooked now. He was reading one last episode too, so clearly he's meant to be the Cho (Tim Kang) character from the Mentalist, doing all that reading.
Castle finds another clue: that their phones would have synced cos of the file sharing. Beckett says there would be a record. Brandon confesses he'd like to get under Beckett's blouse. Brandon once again thinking he's better than them, better than Castle, at least! Castle now lulls Brandon into a false sense of security as Beckett did with Scoville to get him to admit he killed Donny and made Max do it. Castle posits Brandon set Max up to kill his best friend. Castle: "sometimes they just have to be led to the truth." Brandon agrees, so they get him for "an admission against interest," i.e. another name for a confession, as Castle calls it. Beckett explains if Brandon hadn't moved the body they wouldn't have known. Castle 's positive he'd have worked it out, not her.
Brandon was my suspect cos he was attempting to be so clever and helpful, wanting them to come clean everytime and having his alibi all ready and he outsmarted himself. He thought he could play them and get away with it - all his money and lawyers, didn't mean anything. Liked the way smooth-talking Castle had to think of the things they did or didn't do, leading Brandon in the right direction and yes he would have figured out who do it and that Donny was moved cos he was the one who spotted the blood pool in the park to begin with. So much for Beckett saying she would have worked it out.
Thought it was the case that two suspects can't corroborate each other's testimony/alibi. An objective third party is needed, also by that stage they were all suspects. If Brandon was with Spencer and at the club, why didn't anyone see them. At the end of the day there's always a girl or woman involved, so much for 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' - this works both ways and men have killed for a lot less.
Great to see Castle's done such a brilliant job at being a father to Alexis, that he actually "guilt's" her into coming clean about her going over the turnstiles. (That was all the rage once upon a time on le metro in Paris, but that's another story.) He's relieved to hear this is all she's done especially after everything he's done in his younger days, as Alexis knows all too well.
The bruise on the finger ploy done in many shows, as well as Crossing Jordan's final season. Still mentioning Beckett being able to say certain things to suspects to make them admit or confess to where they were or what happened.
Alexis gives Castle some ideas, at times and then he passes them onto Beckett.
This episode had many similarities between the season 1.3 Red Tide episode of the Mentalist and it was the same episode number too. Where a drowned surfer girl was actually killed and her friends were suspects, lots of hooking up with boys not liked and Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) confirms the dead girl was actually murdered, as well as her friends lying, drinking etc and not admitting it as they didn't want to get into trouble. Catch being they all murdered her. Brandon was the smart one in this group, making them do what he wanted and covering his back in the process.
In season 1.5 A Man A Mile episode of CSI:NY, Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) feigns attending prep school commenting she didn't really, but 'the girls cut through the attitude if they feel you're one of them.' As Brandon did here with Beckett, at least for a while.
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