- Title: Castle – Once Upon a Crime
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“You get cute when you get angry, but not when you get angry with me.”
When a young lawyer is found dead, apparently mauled by an animal and wearing a Red Riding Hood costume, and another victim dressed as Snow White, Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) are put on the trail of an elaborate serial killer with a fairy tale fetish.
Tracing the costumes used to dress the victims, including one for an intended third victim, leads to a dead end as they were shipped unkowingly to an old woman (June Squibb) with an extensive doll collection that freaks Ryan (Seamus Dever) out. A little investigation turns up the victims were being blackmailed $50,605 each for an unsolved murder which occurred after a party seven years before.
The brother (Taylor Kinney) of the original victim admits to the blackmail but denies any involvement in the murders. The real killer (Meghan Markle) has a far more personal connection to that night seven years ago and vested interest in protecting a secret that would destroy her life.
The episode’s B-story involves Martha (Susan Sullivan) hiring a ghost writer to help write her one woman show which takes more than a few liberties with both her, and Castle’s pasts. The episode ends in her encore performance that leaves Castle squirming but Beckett amused.
The fairy tale element works well, even if Castle’s usually wild theories are a bit tempered. The show, and Beckett, each have fun with the similarities of Martha’s fictional recreations and Castle’s musings on Nikki heat which leads to a very simple final shot that fans of the show will no doubt enjoy.
