Castle – Recap & Review- Murder Most Fowl

photo: abc

Castle
Murder Most Fowl

Original Air Date- Nov 8, 2010

Alexis P- Reviewer
Alexis@thetwocentscorp.com

In this week’s episode, Castle and Beckett end up trying to solve two intertwined cases. Their investigation into the death of a subway worker in Central Park leads them to a child abduction where time is of the essence and clues are few and far between.

It’s pretty dark in Central Park and two BMX bikers literally run into a body. Dude! Castle meets Beckett at the crime scene the next morning after Alexis introduces him to Ashley’s pet rat Theodore that she is pet-sitting. “What is the strangest pet you’ve ever had?” he asks Beckett. “You,” she replies.

The victim was shot in the chest at a fair distance and then in the back at close range. Seems like he was hunted down and killed. They search the victim’s apartment and find high quality microphones, night vision devices and a G.P.S. map for the very location he was killed. A note with the initials B.H.S is also seen on the map.

The dead guy was a subway worker who everyone called Light bulb Len. Turns out he changed light bulbs in the subway system, invented a power box system to help safely change the lights and according to a co-worker, was an unsung hero of the city. Bad things happen in the dark. Beckett and Castle discover that Len suspected his supervisor of stealing old bulbs and selling them. When they confront him about Len he admits he was stealing bulbs and selling them in Costa Rica but he didn’t murder poor Len. His alibi checks out.

They then discover what B.H.S. stands for. “ Bronx High School, Big Honking Stereo, Boys Have Shoes? “ Castle guesses. Nope the initial stand for Bryan H Singer who leant Len his spy gear. They bring Singer in and the guy rambles on about sightings in the park of a couple and how he told Len where to find them and that he saw them first. What is this guy going on about? Turns out it’s not about faithless lovers but nesting Red Tailed Hawks. This explains why Len was in the park and why he had a feather in his pocket. Everything except why he was killed.

Castle goes home to find poor Alexis has lost Theodore the Rat and in helping her look for him has a brainstorm. Inspired by Sherlock Holmes point of view, finding what isn’t there, Castle concludes there must be a camera. And low and behold there is a camera up a tree at the scene. When they get the pictures off there are lots of bird shots but then the last shot was the last thing Len saw. His killer. Captured on film is a man shooting at Len while the mystery man is abducting a child. This case just got even more interesting and a whole lot complicated.

The precinct is focused on finding this boy since the chance of finding a kidnapping victim alive after 48 hours is slim and he has already been missing for 36. Ryan and Esposito follow leads and come up with too many possibilities. They notice the child was wearing soccer gear and they identify him as Tyler Donegal. The distraught, remarried mother is brought in to help shed some light and it seems the father Dean may have kidnapped his son. The hunt is on. Castle sympathizes with the mother telling Beckett about the time he lost Alexis in the mall when she was 4 and how all the worse case scenarios played through his head until they found her safe and asleep. He still dreams about it.

They track down the father but he doesn’t have the son. Says if he tells the cops the kidnappers will kill Tyler. But Dean has no choice but to get the cops to help him before it’s too late. He receives a video message from Tyler and then instructions from the kidnappers. What do they want? Access to the building where Dean works as a janitor. Tyler had said at the end of his message, Don’t forget to feed Ace.” The boy has no pets so he must be sending them a message. Time stamps lead the team to the discovery that the video was sent from a spot with bad signal and that A.C.E stood for tunnels in the subway system. So it’s back to the underground for Beckett and Castle while a team rigs Dean to go in to meet the kidnappers.

Castle and Beckett make their way through dark corridors but they can’t find Tyler. Dean meets the crooks when they get on the elevator demanding to be taken to floor 39 where a financial firm has offices. Castle and Beckett find a locked room and Castle slides his phone under the door and snaps a pic. Tyler is in there with one of the kidnappers. They need to cut the power to surprise the bad guy and get the boy back. They turn and stare at one of Len’s power boxes he invented. Like it was meant to be. They kill the power and Beckett shoots into the dark.

The next day at the precinct we see the family is happily reunited with their son and the abductors were caught and confessed. They were former bond traders who wanted to get access to financial files that would be worth millions to the right people.

And finally back at Castle’s, Alexis is saddened since she couldn’t find Theodore and is comforted by her dad. Ashley comes over and she confesses about his pet. In a sweet moment he tells her that he cared about the rat but he cares for her more. Then grandma shrieks from her room. Castle raises his hand. “Found him.”

I liked the twist in this episode from one case to another and the tension that was evident with everyone wanting to find the boy in time. What did you think of this week’s episode? Like it or leave it?