Castle - After Hours

The murder of priest in an abandoned building that tracks back to a mob enforcer (Tony Denison) leads Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) to a witness (Patrick Fischler) to the crime who is being hunted a pair of mobsters (Devin McGinn, Bryan Friday). Relieved of their phones and wallets (not to mention and Beckett's gun, badge, and car), Beckett and Castle manage to escape with the witness but find themselves on the run in the wrong neighborhood with no way to call for support.

The situation isn't helped by the lingering friction of the disastrous dinner with Martha (Susan Sullivan) and Beckett's father (Scott Paulin) that leads to Beckett and Castle sniping with each other the entire night, which certainly doesn't help calm their witness. With Castle and Beckett missing the worried parents become Captain Gates' (Penny Johnson) problem as the pair descend on the precinct demanding to know what happened to their children.


Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Esposito (Jon Huertas) try to uncover the reason behind the mobster's argument with the priest that lead to his death hoping it might lead a clue to finding Beckett and Castle who are holed up in a basement in the middle of Harlem with hope slowly dwindling away. An agent of the FBI (Jamison Haase) lets the detectives know know that the mobster they believe to be the killer was in custody at the time of the murder agreeing to give evidence to take down a rival gang. However, on learning his old friend had been killed he returned to the streets not looking for a witness but the man who shot the priest. It just so happens that it's the same man Castle left Beckett alone with while running for help.

Castle and Beckett's continued argument while on the run helps keep things interesting  although the outcome between their parents disagreements was easy to see. The late twist works well, and gives the final few minutes some added tension. However, it's really the humor of the episode that helps sell it including our heroes' bickering, Gates' fear of dealing with their parents, and Ryan's nervousness over having to question a nun (a nice cameo by Chuck's Bonita Friedericy).