Beckett and Vikram receive help from an unexpected source while on the run. Meanwhile, Castle and the 12th Precinct continue to follow their trail.
- Batman Gambit: Castle loudly announced his plans to expose the conspiracy live on television. When Loksat's agents arrive at his office to finish him off, Ryan and Esposito emerge from the secret room and taser them.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: After ruminating over her last conversation with Rita, Beckett decides to leave Castle and their life together to keep him safe while she goes after Loksat, with the hope that he'll be willing to take her back when all is said and done.
- The Cavalry: Rita saves Beckett and Vikram from two mercenaries who caught them trying to escape the safe house.
- Chekhov's Gun: The hidden desk gun comes in handy when a third assassin comes in with Hayley as a hostage and nearly foils Castle's plan.
- Call-Back:
- Castle's father Jackson is mentioned again as Rita's husband.
- The Loksat conspiracy is introduced as being masterminded by one of Bracken's partners.
- Continuity Nod: To celebrate Beckett's return, Castle makes her smorelettes.
- Driven to Suicide: Allison is found in her hotel room dead from a self-inflicted gunshot after being exposed as the mole.
- For Want Of A Nail: The whole conspiracy was set in motion all because a secret memo on Bracken was declassified in error. It got picked up by an old search Beckett set up during her time as a federal agent and was then noticed by Vikram.
- Framing Device: As Beckett recounts what happened to her over the past day to Rita, we see the events of the season opener from her perspective, beginning with the mysterious phone call in the morning.
- He Knows Too Much: Loksat has Bracken killed in his prison cell after he was seen talking to Beckett and Castle.
- I Work Alone: Rita and Jackson work separately and alone to avoid their relationship being used as leverage against each other. It's with this justification that Beckett eventually leaves Castle to pursue Loksat on her own.
- The Mole: The assistant AG Allison Hyde was Loksat's pawn inside the AG's office. Previously, she falsely accused Vikram of being the mole to throw Castle and the NYPD off her scent.
- Nebulous Criminal Conspiracy: One of Bracken's partners in the CIA wishes to keep his identity and involvement secret and is willing to do anything to make that happen. The only clue to their identity lies in a mysterious word on a redacted memo: "Loksat."
- Once More, with Clarity: The first part of the episode depicts the events of the previous episode from Beckett's point of view, interspersed with present day events.
- Spanner in the Works: Castle didn't count on a third mercenary bringing Hayley in at gunpoint, and his plan would've failed if not for the hidden desk gun and his quick reflexes.
- Remember the New Guy?: Rita introduces herself to Beckett as Castle's stepmother.
- Rule of Symbolism: As Beckett leaves Castle behind to hunt LockSat, the celebratory smorelettes he was making her go up in flames behind him, unnoticed.
