Thursday, October 13, 2011

Castle - Season 4 Episode 4, Kick the Ballistics Recap

Original airdate 10/10/11 ... Episode 4x04

This episode of Castle was actually a lot less focused on it's namesake.  All the key players got some screen time, but this was more a story about Detective Kevin Ryan (Seamus Denver).

The victim is Jane Herzfeld, a young college student who tutored other students on the side. 

Her ex-boyfriend Finn McQueen is the first suspect because they had a somewhat volatile relationship in the past, according to her mother anyway.  But, McQueen's alibi checks out.

It was Ryan's old service weapon that was taken from him during the 3XK investigation last year that was used as the murder weapon.

This now points the finger at Jerry Tyson AKA 3XK.  Ryan takes this as a personal blow because he feels responsible for Tyson getting his gun.  He is frustrated and on a short fuse throughout much of the episode, almost getting into a fight with the second suspect Seth Carver and eventually getting lippy with Captain Gates, who tells him to take the rest of the day off.

Seth is actually an undercover cop himself and tells them Jane was tutoring a fellow student by the name of Ben Lee and was supposed to be an informant about Ben's father, Clifford.  Clifford is a huge drug kingpin and Castle likens him to "The Godfather."  Carver says that the Lees probably found out what she was doing and bumped her off.


The alibi that the Lee family gives for the time of Jane's murder is verified.  They shift the blame back to Carver, saying he is a dirty cop.

Clothing, money, tickets and an asthma inhaler are found in a duffel that belonged to Jane.  She was planning to leave town, with a male companion.

Security tapes show her with McQueen and they seem to be arguing.  When McQueen grabs her by the wrist, a gun is seen sticking out of his waistband.

He comes a second time for questioning but his gun does not match the bullets in the vic.

Castle finds a connection between Jerry Tyson and one of Ben's brothers, Philip Lee.  He thinks that  Tyson set Philip up because when they were both convicts Philip broke Tyson's jaw one day.  They also find out that the inhaler in Jane's duffel bag belonged to Ben Lee.

Now, the theory is Jane was tutoring Ben and they fell in love.  Because Ben was born into an Asian Mafia family he doesn't have any choice in not following the same path in life.  He and Jane were going to run away together.  The family must've found out that Ben and Jane were running away and Philip was sent to take care of Jane so Ben would not leave.

The ex-boyfriend Finn's connection to everything is that he was bailed out of Juvie by Clifford Lee.  Since then he has been working for Lee.

He was the one that recommended Jane for the tutoring position, in hopes of trying to score brownie points with the Lee family. 

Jane tells McQueen that she was going to leave with Ben.  Fearing the family might blame him once Ben leaves, McQueen makes a call to Philip.  He informs Philip of what's going down and Philip took care of Jane by popping two caps in her and dumping her in a construction area.

Ignoring Gates's demand that he go and cool his jets, Ryan actually goes to the library and meets Ben Lee.  Esposito, loyal partner that his is, helps distract the muscle that watches over Ben when he's away from Daddy.  Ryan tells Ben he can help him get out of the lifestyle he has been born into.  He leaves him with a picture of Jane and her bullet wounds to remind him to do the right thing.

Ben does come talk to Ryan.  They decide to wire him and get him to talk Philip into a confession.  Ben does get him to talk a little, but Philip suspects he's wired.  When Ben won't open his shirt to be checked, Philip pulls a gun on Ben. 

The team rushes in with swat back-up because they heard what was going on from their surveillance van, which was right outside. 

While Philip is being held down by cops, his little brother pulls a gun out to shoot him.  The swat team sees the weapon and fires on Ben.  He collapses and Ryan rushes over to try and save him, doing CPR.

Philip tries to get a deal, offering information that would help catch Tyson.  Castle tells Beckett they shouldn't take the deal because the information that Tyson gave him was most likely a bunch of BS.

Ben appears at the precinct, alive and well and getting ready to be on his merry little way into the Witness Protection Program.  After he leaves, the liquor comes out and toasts are made.

Other tidbits about this episode:

Beckett and Castle still have not discussed his admission that he loved her.  He asked Beckett in this episode if she had remembered anything yet about the shooting and she quickly said she didn't.  He had a look that he's starting to wonder about that.

I liked seeing a deeper side of Ryan this episode and I love the camaraderie between him and Esposito.

I just don't like Gates.  I understand that she's a woman in a position that requires her to be strong and authoritative.  But, she's just such a hardass.  A smile once in awhile would be nice.  I get the feeling she'd like to pack up all of Team Beckett and toss them, bringing in fresh new people. 

Next week's episode looks to be good.  Perhaps a bit of jealousy from our favorite detective about a certain mystery writer meeting someone? 

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