19. The Lives of Others

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.

Plot summary and ending

Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.

Complete story — includes the ending

When an injury leaves him house-bound and bored, Castle becomes convinced that he has witnessed a murder — but with no body, no evidence and no other witnesses, Beckett begins to wonder if his writer's imagination is getting the better of him. While Castle enlists Alexis to help in his off-the-books investigation, Beckett is left to take the case of a murdered IRS agent on her own. Castle's murder case is ultimately revealed to be an elaborate surprise birthday present staged by Beckett, which inspires her to take a closer look at the evidence in her own case.

Sources and content license

Source and revision history · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Castle season 5. HTML formatting and reference markers removed. · Content license