As writer and cop explore their new status quo, they must take on the forces responsible for Beckett's mother's murder that now threaten Beckett's life.
This episode shows examples of...
- Affably Evil: Bracken claims to be serving the greater good and helping people, and the occasional murder is just the price that has to be paid. He maintains the act even when he's responding personally to blackmail.
- Ambiguous Situation: Does Bracken really think he's helping people or does he just want wealth and power?
- Blackmail: Beckett against Senator Bracken, the man responsible for the death of her mother, bluffing that she has Montgomery’s evidence and will release it if Bracken comes after her or her loved ones.
- Blatant Lies: Beckett, Castle and Esposito's attempt to hide their unofficial investigation from Gates is unconvincing to say the least, but she can't prove anything.
- The Bus Came Back: Officer Hastings (Lone Vengeance) is still on the force and she lets Beckett into Bracken's press event.
- Call-Back: See The Bus Came Back. One of the only street cops who would have a personal reason to help Becket happens to be working Sen. Bracken's event and lets her through the lines.
- Catapult Nightmare: Castle has one at the very beginning of the episode (following a Previously on… montage that ends with someone threatening to kill Beckett), and then is worried that he woke up alone in his bed, until Beckett enters, wearing his shirt and holding two coffee cups.
- Closet Shuffle: Due to still wanting to keep their relationship a secret, Castle all but shoves Beckett (over her objections) into his walk-in closet just in time to avoid his mother catching them in bed together. She tries to return the favor when Ryan shows up at Beckett's place later, but Castle points out that, unlike before, they're not naked and it's not necessary.
- Continuity Nod: Castle tells Beckett she was right, "I had no idea."
- Early-Bird Cameo: Bracken shows up in a TV ad for his campaign, with Gates complaining that he downsized the force, two acts before he's revealed as the Big Bad behind the murder of Beckett's mother.
- Foreshadowing: Beckett asks Esposito if he has a backup piece. S few minutes later, Maddox will also have a backup piece.
- Friend on the Force: With Beckett and Esposito suspended, Ryan briefly serves as this for the episode, as he's still active on the job and can pass them information.
- Groin Attack: Played for Laughs. The episode ends with Beckett reinstated, but having to serve out the remainder of her suspension. When Castle asks what she'll do with her free time, she smirks, he jumps, and the elevator doors close.
- Implausible Deniability: Castle, Beckett, and Esposito claim they happened to be passing by when they spotted Maddox. Gates doesn't buy it.
- Pet the Dog: Gates pulls back from her hard-ass position and decides to let Beckett and Esposito back on the force (although still insisting they complete their suspension). She also reveals that she's figured out that they're covering some sort of secret for Montgomery but she's content to leave it alone and not tarnish his memory.
- Relationship Upgrade: Castle and Beckett officially get together this episode.
- The Reveal: We finally learn who “The Dragon” is: Senator William Bracken, a former Manhattan A.D.A. who used the money from the ransoming scheme Montgomery, McCallister, and Raglan were involved in to finance his first political campaign.
- Sexy Shirt Switch: At the start of the episode, Beckett is wearing one of Castle's shirts.
- Smug Snake: Even while Beckett points a gun at him, Bracken is sure he's in control of the situation, even justifying his actions and seemingly trying to claim the moral high ground to the woman whose mother he had murdered. While Bracken is right that Beckett ultimately won't kill him, when she convinces him she has blackmail on him, his smugness vanishes behind a look of impotent fury as he has no choice but to concede and even not retaliate when she hits him.
