Castle is upset of the lack of the holiday traditions he’s been doing for years. Kate doesn’t want them to exchange presents.
“Santa’s dead?”
Lanie's found a cherry red paint sample under the vic's fingernails. Espo comes down to the morgue to update them as to the vic’s real identity and also to hit on Lanie. Lanie, though, shoots him down so that they’re not one of those sad desperate holiday hookups but afterwards he should call her.
At the apartment, Beckett and Castle meet the “professional Santa’s” neighbors who tell them that he lives the life and tried to help them with their housing situation. Apparently last week, a man, David Dunne, threatened to kill the dead Santa. And he owns a plane. Next our team foes to the mall to talk to their competing Santa at a Santa school.
And we’ve updated the title card with a Christmassy version of the theme, snowflakes, and a candy cane instead of the pen along the side of the ‘A’ in ‘Castle’. Cute!
Santa had to defend himself against killing Santa. He claims he didn’t do it and Beckett points out his unSanta like behavior.
“Maybe it’s time to hang up the fuzzy red jock strap.”
“Is that a euphemism?’
James Edmund Smith, our vic, decided to go Santa because … we’re working on it. But we know he did pull out two grand and called his ex-wife. So he walked out on the ex-wife on Christmas Eve. Ouch. After watching It’s a Wonderful Life. Her ex was on edge the last time she saw him and there was a man on a motorcycle following his cab as he left her apartment. Javie finds some Mrs. Clause themed lingerie and makes a fool of himself in front on Gates accidentally.
Ryan had info that the lawyer Edmund was talking to was on behalf of his neighbors. The only thing that would save the lawsuit they were involved in was a check for twenty-five grand.
“Maybe we should have a movie marathon or some other kind of marathon that makes life wonderful…”
Beckett has to cancel plans with Castle and while disappointed, he forgives her but Kate still feels guilty. Espo hands her info about how the cabby drove the vic to an airstrip, they left, and then went to Atlantic City. The first airplane they find is the same sort of red they found under Edmund’s fingernails and there’s an abundance of fresh blood within the seat of the plane.
The blood is a match to Edmund’s. The plan belongs to man in Hawaii. Anybody with a pilot’s license could take the plane out because it doesn’t even have a key. They ask how much fuel was used and come up with a number that would take them from the airstrip to Atlantic City.
Back at the investigation, they find out where the man was killed based on a set of candy canes and they go to go look at the area. And it occurred to me that the reason Kate took off, is because her mother was killed around Christmas and when she explains this to Castle in an eleventh hour dialogue, he’ll understand and be wonderful as always. Or here’s hoping it plays out that way.
The place they go to works as an insurance type place and what was stolen is a clock worth about the same amount the neighbors need for their lawsuit. Castle is certain that the clock has some sort of hidden meaning.
“Sometimes people do unexpected things.”
And Castle hands Beckett an espresso with a heart on it. Beckett explains that every time she takes the Christmas watch because of her mother’s murder which was on January 9th. She thought she could let it go but … and Castle understands. I’ll bet next that he works it with her.
At the crime scene they found pipe tobacco and Espo is sent after the Santa. Hmmm. The Santa tries to attack him with a giant candy cane which surprises the other Santas to say the least.
“I already told you, I wasn’t there.”
Beckett lays out the plan and the Santa is surprised that the clock is worth that much. They had taken fire during their getaway and Edmund fell out of the plane after his death because the door was left open. A neighbor kid was the one who followed Edmund on the helicopter. The name of the shark that billed the people out of their homes was James Edmund Smith also known as the Santa. Castle tells it best that his was a tale of redemption.
They go to talk to the kid and his mother. The kid tells them that Edmund told him last week and he wanted to kill him but didn’t. The Santa-vic told him he had evidence that could help them but he needed the kid’s lock picking skills to set things right. The files, and the killer, are still in the building.
They con front Mr. Case, the man from earlier, and the clock was put up as collateral by the family next to Edmund. Beckett tells him he has motive, opportunity, and opportunity. And for one last finger pointing, it was the ex-wife who folds like a ten dollar suit. She says the worst part is that for a moment when she saw him, she was happy to see him.
Castle tells Beckett that Christmas is special to him because every year his mother would put on The Nutcracker suite and it gave him hope that things could get better. They walk under some inadvertent mistletoe but don’t kiss.
Ryan is a little reluctant to give his wife the lingerie and says that he’s not sure he’s ready to do what lingerie leads to – kids. Espo tells him that having a family and kids is what keeps it together and that was just the pep talk he needed.
And Castle, his mother, and Alexis settle in for a dinner where they tell him they cancelled their plans and are there all night. Castle admits he was wrong about tonight and there’s someplace he has to be. He opens the door to go to Beckett and there’s Beckett standing in his doorway. Awww!
“For god sakes Richard, invite the girl in!”
And we get our Caskett kiss!
The last scene is of Espo returning the clock to the family next to Edmund. They invite him in for dinner and he accepts.
And my favorite thing about this episode is that it was sweet without being the usual saccharine writers tend to go for. I’ll proudly say, I loved this episode and add it to my small collection of favorite holiday episodes mostly populated by the Doctor Who Christmas specials.
Castle returns in January: You’re not the man I thought I knew…
