Season 5 poster
24 episodes

Castle - Season 5

First aired Sep 24, 2012Season 5

Now that Castle and Beckett have finally given in to their true feelings for each other, how will it affect their work together? As they try to keep their new relationship under wraps from their co-workers, the unlikely duo must track down the murderer of Beckett's mother, find the perpetrator of a major conspiracy and untangle a line of investigation that links Castle to a ritualistic killing.

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Reviews

Community reviews for Castle, shown here with its season details.

P

PolyWogg

Richard Castle is a successful best-selling author, twice married and twice divorced, living in a spacious Manhattan condo with the single actress mother (Martha) who raised him and a bright teenage daughter (Alexis). He has money, toys, and rotating women, but he’s bored. So bored in fact that he has killed off his best-selling character, Derrick Storm, a rogue prone to danger. Castle’s looking for something new. Enter Kate Beckett, a strong forceful female homicide detective. The fact that she’s also hot is irrelevant to her, but not to Castle. A serial killer is committing murders and staging them to look like kills from Castle’s books, so Beckett needs to interview him. He’s all play, she’s all business. She doesn’t think that he’s likely involved, but she has to interview him anyway. Castle is hooked. He convinces the mayor to “let” him work the case as a consultant/advisor, much to Beckett’s dismay, and the game is afoot. Castle helps solve the case, and the successful partnership continues so Castle can do research. As the opening narration reveals, every writer has his muse, and Castle thinks he’s found his. He even bases a new character on her — Nikki Heat. A strong forceful female homicide detective who works with a roguish mystery writer to solve cases. With a small difference — in his books, the two are lovers, which Castle wants to replicate with Beckett. But like I said, she’s all business. Season 1: Beckett brings the serious, Castle makes it fun. 4/5 Season 2: Season 2 starts with Beckett and Castle on the outs, as she’s pissed at him for looking into her mother’s case at the end of season 1. By the end of the season, Castle is starting to give up the romantic chase, just as Beckett starts to think she likes the chase. 3/5 Season 3: This is the season where Castle hits its stride. Beckett and Castle are in a good place after the first couple of episodes, they’re in their groove, and they’re even making progress on the conspiracy that claimed Beckett’s mother. 4/5 Season 4: Building off Season 3, this season really starts to gel in certain areas. Which is odd, because the characters are written so they are NOT gelling…Castle finished off Season 3 with a big pronouncement, and Beckett says she doesn’t remember it. So they are at odds for most of the season. They have their moments, and then they have stumbling blocks. While a lot of Seasons 1-3 were about Castle growing up a little, finding something to care about besides being a playboy writer, this season is about Beckett growing as a person, finding something to care about other than her job. 4/5 Season 5: I really want to love this season, and there are some seriously good episodes, like Ryan going undercover or the Rear Window episode. And while the average is higher for individual EPs, driving the season up to 4.0 overall, my overall satisfaction was down — the backstory just wasn’t working for me any more around Bracken, 3XK, Beckett’s mom, and the wildside of Castle’s Dad’s story (great premise, not awesomely executed). 4/5 Season 6: The season starts off with Beckett working in Washington, and the whole dynamic just doesn’t work. I like the 3XK stuff, and a Carrie-like prank. I’ll even accept the wedding episode. But not a great season overall, one of the lower average scores so far. 3/5 Season 7: As I watched the episodes, I frequently felt, “Okay, last season”. Quite a few Eps seem like repeats of story ideas they’ve used before or promising ones that go nowhere. I was initially skeptical of the “Castle as P.I.” plot device, but it isn’t completely batty in its execution, and it does work for the most part. Washington? Not so much. 3/5 Season 8: There is an episode near the end (E19) that is one of the best of the series…it is funny, it is interesting, it is vintage Season 1 and 4 all together in a big bowl of mystery with comedy sprinkled on top. A complete palate cleanser from all the Eps filled with Angst. Yet by the time I got there, the first half of the season was almost making me wonder if I would continue watching. Definitely near the bottom of the seasons. 3/5

R

Rob

8.0

This is one of those series in which you don't really care too much about the stories you just love to follow the characters. Nathan Fillion is perfect as Castle. If you like it when you can't stop grinding right through a show this one's for you. Oh, you might want to think twice about watching the last season though. I don't know if the writers were handed a huge pay cut but, oh dear!

Episodes

After the Storm still

Episode 1

After the Storm

8.1
Sep 24, 201244 min19 votes

Picking up the morning after, Castle and Beckett now have to decide if they're a couple or was it just a onetime deal. But before they can tackle that, they must deal with those responsible for Kate's mother's death who are now a threat to Beckett.

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Episode 2

Cloudy with a Chance of Murder

7.0
Oct 1, 201243 min20 votes

On Beckett's first day back from her suspension, she and Castle are thrown into the salacious world of local TV news when WHNY's veteran weather girl is found dead. As if navigating an industry full of backstabbing and ruthless ambition weren't difficult enough, they have to do it while hiding their new relationship from their coworkers

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Episode 3

Secret's Safe with Me

7.7
Oct 8, 201244 min17 votes

A repossessed storage unit, treasure seekers and Manhattan socialites all come together in the case of a woman inexplicably murdered. Castle decides to enter the storage unit auction to see if anything inside might have led to her killing.

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Episode 4

Murder, He Wrote

7.1
Oct 15, 201244 min21 votes

Castle and Beckett’s plans for a romantic weekend in the Hamptons are interrupted when a dying man stumbles into Castle’s backyard, collapsing into his pool. Unable to escape the lure of the investigation they join up with the small town’s well-intentioned, but inexperienced sheriff to find the killer,

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Episode 5

Probable Cause

8.3
Oct 29, 201244 min18 votes

While investigating a shocking ritualistic murder, Beckett and her team uncover surprising evidence linking Castle to the killing. As the evidence against him mounts, loyalties are tested. And when surprising revelations come to light, Beckett begins to wonder how well she really knows her new lover and partner of four years

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Episode 6

The Final Frontier

8.1
Nov 5, 201244 min19 votes

When a body is found at a sci-fi convention, Castle and Beckett are warped into the heart of fandom -- a world of egotistic celebrities, diehard costumed fans and enough drama for two galaxies.

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Episode 7

Swan Song

7.4
Nov 12, 201244 min20 votes

A documentary crew follows Castle, Beckett and the team as they investigate the murder of a rock band's lead guitarist.

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Episode 8

After Hours

7.7
Nov 19, 201244 min19 votes

In the aftermath of a disastrous "Meet the Parents" dinner, a bickering Castle and Beckett are sent to retrieve the only witness to a murder, but they get ambushed and are forced to take the witness on the run. Stranded in the middle of the night in a bad part of town, with no phone, badge or gun, Castle and Beckett must find a way to protect him from a team of mobsters -- that is, if they don't kill each other first.

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Episode 9

Secret Santa

7.8
Dec 3, 201244 min20 votes

Castle and Beckett investigate when a bearded man named Kris Kringle falls from the sky in Central Park; Beckett and Castle work on a Christmas list together.

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Episode 10

Significant Others

7.3
Jan 7, 201344 min18 votes

When a powerful divorce attorney who only represented women is murdered, Castle and Beckett are confronted with a plethora of angry ex-husbands, any one of whom could be the murderer. Meanwhile, Castle's ex-wife (Darby Stanchfield), Meredith, moves into the loft to take care of Alexis while she recovers from Mono, and to make matters worse, Beckett is also forced to move in while her apartment is being fumigated, causing tension, humor and more than a little awkwardness

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Episode 11

Under the Influence

7.3
Jan 14, 201344 min19 votes

When an up and coming DJ is killed at a pop star's album release party, Beckett and Castle must dive into the raucous world of New York's music industry. Then, when the investigation leads to a troubled teenager, Esposito takes the kid under his wing, hoping to put him on the right track before it's too late.

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Episode 12

Death Gone Crazy

7.4
Jan 21, 201341 min20 votes

When Beau Randolf, the founder of hit adult video franchise "College Girls Gone Crazy," is murdered, Castle and Beckett are confronted with a lengthy list of husbands, fathers and ex-college girls who all have motive. So to find the killer, they must delve deep into the victim’s life, where they find surprises at every turn. Also Alexis starts a video blog, but Castle is not happy that personal and intimate details about her life are being made public.

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Episode 13

Recoil

7.9
Feb 4, 201344 min19 votes

While investigating the murder of a young woman, Castle and Beckett find evidence that links her death with Senator William H. Bracken (Jack Coleman), the man responsible for Beckett's mother's murder. Determined to finally bring Bracken to justice, Beckett soon realizes that things are far more complicated than they seem.

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Episode 14

Reality Star Struck

6.9
Feb 11, 201344 min21 votes

Castle & Beckett get an up-close-and-personal view of a "Real Housewives"-esque reality TV series, "The Wives of Wall Street," when they investigate the murder of the show's rising young star. Meanwhile, Castle's attempt to give Beckett a Valentine's Day gift goes horribly wrong.

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Episode 15

Target (1)

8.0
Feb 18, 201344 min20 votes

In the first of a two-episode story arc, Castle and Beckett begin a murder investigation that also exposes a plot to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy Middle Eastern businessman. FBI Agent Harris, an even-keeled professional is brought in to help find the kidnappers.

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Episode 16

Hunt (2)

7.8
Feb 25, 201344 min20 votes

In the powerful conclusion of a two-episode story arc, when the FBI fails to get his daughter back, Castle takes matters into his own hands, reaching out to a shadowy fixer to help him recover Alexis. But Castle soon learns that his daughter's kidnapping may be part of an even more sinister agenda.

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Episode 17

Scared to Death

7.7
Mar 18, 201344 min19 votes

When a young woman appears to have literally been scared to death three days after watching a "haunted" DVD, Castle and Beckett delve into one of their creepiest cases yet. To make matters worse, Castle becomes convinced that he too is marked for death when he accidentally watches the cursed video.

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Episode 18

The Wild Rover

7.7
Mar 25, 201344 min19 votes

When a man is found dead in an industrial cake mixer, Castle and Beckett trace the murder to an Irish gang in Staten Island and a beautiful bar owner named Siobhan O’Doul. Much to everyone’s surprise, Detective Ryan has a complicated history with Siobhan and the Staten Island crime family from his days working undercover in narcotics. When the case hits a dead end, Ryan must go back undercover to expose the killer, complicating his relationship with his wife.

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Episode 19

The Lives of Others

7.5
Apr 1, 201344 min22 votes

In the show’s 100th episode, Castle finds himself in the unfortunate position of NOT being able to work a case. While he’s holed up in the loft with a broken leg, Beckett goes off to investigate the death of an IRS agent without him, leaving Castle miserable and bored. But when he thinks he witnesses the murder of a young woman in the apartment across the street, he is thrown into a "Rear Window"-esque murder mystery that hits much too close to home.

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Episode 20

The Fast and the Furriest

7.4
Apr 15, 201344 min18 votes

When Castle and Beckett find giant footprints at the site of a vicious murder, the team is forced to confront the unlikely theory that Bigfoot is the killer. But as they trek into the world of primate research, big game hunting and mythological creatures, they realize that finding the man (or beast) responsible may put them on the endangered species list.

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Episode 21

The Squab and the Quail

7.3
Apr 22, 201343 min19 votes

When Beckett is assigned to protect Erik Vaughn, a charming billionaire entrepreneur whose life is in danger, she's forced to reflect on her relationship with Castle which has begun to plateau. Meanwhile, consumed with jealousy, Castle goes to extraordinary lengths to solve the case and separate the two of them.

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Episode 22

Still

7.5
Apr 29, 201344 min17 votes

Beckett's life is on the line when she steps on a pressure sensitive bomb. While the team searches for a way to disarm the explosive, Castle distracts Beckett by arguing with her about who fell for whom first.

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Episode 23

The Human Factor

6.7
May 6, 201344 min18 votes

When Homeland Security inexplicably seals the crime scene of a car bombing, Castle and Beckett find themselves with two mysteries on their hands: who murdered the victim, a government whistleblower, and why are federal agents trying to take over the case? The plot thickens when they discover that the victim wasn't killed by a car bomb but by a missile from a military drone.

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Episode 24

Watershed

7.4
May 13, 201344 min19 votes

In the season finale, an interview with a high-profile federal law enforcement agency forces Beckett to reconsider what she wants out of her job and out of her relationship with Castle. Meanwhile, the body of a young woman is found floating inside the water tank of a skid row flop house, but as the team investigate, they discover that her final resting place is just one of many strange things about her death.