#Castle episode 8.12 - "The Blame Game"

“The Blame Game”

Castle is captured and forced to work with strangers to solve deranged puzzles and mind games, while Beckett and the 12th Precinct must race against time to rescue Castle and catch a killer. Amy Robach (“GMA”) guest stars as Lila Campo, a TV news producer.

Ep 12:

Woman puts on lipstick in her bedroom. Puts on a blazer. And there's a target on her mirror! She's shot!

Castle with Martha and Alexis. Wow, Alexis's hair is intensely RED. Castle talked to Stephen King's PA. He wants to talk about a collaboration. Alexis says it's he still mad about the baseball thing? Castle says obviously it's water under the bridge. Wish me luck, ladies.

Kate arrives at the crime scene. Lanie says time of death is between 9 and 11. Next door neighbor said a van was parked outside. Kate says check the FBI to see if the symbol on the mirror matches their database.

Castle at the address. Kate calls how it is. Castle enters a closed apartment building. Lights go out closer and closer to him.....

Boys had no luck so far. Espo brings in the vic's coworkers. Kate is going to a forensic tech seminar. Castle texts Kate URGENT with the address.

Coworkers says Emma was sweet. Had just gotten a promotion. But this week, she was acting a bit off. She'd gotten some proof of something, and the time wasn't right to reveal it. Buckley was pissed about Emma getting the promotion. Ryan asks if he drives a white van. Yeah, he does.

Castle wakes up in a classroom for kids. Am I in kindergarten again? Man next to him wakes. And a third. And fourth. They all have sore shoulders. Phones are gone. How did we get here? 143 Nicholas Street. People were lured there. But whom? Room is a cell. There's a camera watching. One man starts freaking out. Castle says if they wanted us dead, we'd be dead. Someone went to a lot of trouble designing this. Look around. Castle finds a lockbox. Salvation lies within. There's a bee. One man is allergic. He smacks it on his arm. Castle says there's a bee on the box. Need the password. Letters with bees over them. Castle gets it open. Injects the man with the epi pen, except it's POISON! It was a trick. Man is dying. Castle opens his collar and sees the bulls-eye symbol - the one that was on the mirror of the dead woman in the beginning.

2 will cure, 1 will kill. Man finds a box of vials. Castle says it's too easy. Maybe a combo of 2 vials makes the antidote. Clock is stopped. Hands are at 1 and 3. He combines the vials. Sure about this? Gives it to the dying man. He coughs. Breathe, just breathe.

Buckley brought to the precinct. Espo and Ryan interrogate him. Where were you between 9 and 11 last night? At O'Malley's Pub. He says Emma lied all the time. I caught her digitizing VHS tapes in the editing bay. Kids sitting around with round symbols on medallions. Ryan asks for copies. Yeah, on the server.

Men exchange names. Castle says if we can figure out why we were brought here, maybe it's our way out. A minister, a teacher, owner of a boxing gym. The men want to break out. Castle says rummaging around might activate another trap. Let's be smart about this. Castle grabs the clock. The key will release you.

Hayley asks where's Rick? Alexis tells her he was meeting with Stephen King. She calls the assistant's number and it's disconnected. Where's my dad?

Bickering won't help. Ax handle is the key. Reveals a handgun. Last one standing will be freed. 3 bullets, 4 of us. Castle says there's power in not playing. Tells the camera. Video plays of another room with their significant others, including Beckett.

The women see the video, too. Kate asks who is the 4th man? There are only 3 women. Kate spots the mark. One woman doesn't have it. Kate says that's a trap. Let's finish the puzzle and see what happens. Black woman says this seems familiar. Asian woman finds cigarettes. Kate takes it away. This could kill you. Smells like peanuts. Woman is allergic. Captain Beckett saved your life. How about you start being a team player?

The man with the glasses doesn't have a wife or girlfriend. Castle figures what if the people with the symbol are important and the rest are leverage?

Hayley has security video of the address and sees Castle enter the building. Alexis spots the white van. Man put a man into it. Was that my dad?

Ryan and Espo watch the video. Kids solving puzzles for hours. Girl is scared. Please, let me out. Espo's phone rings. Alexis. Dad's missing and I can't reach Beckett's cell.

Kate uses the handle key. The last one standing will be freed. Gun with 2 bullets. Kate puts the gun back. 3rd woman grabs it. Survival of the fittest.

Video feed shown to the men. Husband grabs the gun.

They appeal to Meadow. Kate had the bullets in her hand.

They appeal to Simon. He pulls the trigger. But he dies. The barrel is sealed. The gun is rigged.

Kate ties up the woman. Video turned on. Sees Simon. Kate is sorry. Woman says your husband killed him. We don't know that. Kate wants to change the rules.

Vikram got a name. Northcliff. There was a break-in the night before Emma's murder. Ryan and Espo talk to the secretary. Northcliff's daughter hung herself. She has a twin brother. Did the Northcliff's use their children as test subjects? They push on Rose to tell what she knows. She says she didn't know the experiments were harmful. Brandon fled the country and became a recluse. She hasn't seen the Northcliffs since yesterday. Hayley says the van is registered to Northcliff.

Castle says we need to work smarter. Beating on the door does nothing.

Kate making a small bomb. Kate puts it in the door cubby and hides behind the desk with the other women.

Men trying to pry the door open.

Women get out of their room. Kate in the lead with the gun. Sees a shadow. It's Castle! Don't shoot! it's rigged to kill the shooter. He hugs her. Pastor says we should keep moving. There's a door to the outside. And it closes. Locked in again. There's a clock counting down. Less than 5 minutes left. Kate finds a clue. Only your better half can survive. Only 3 levers. Pastor says we have to have faith, and pulls a lever. See? Faith. Who's staying in here with me?

Northcliffs are tied up. Video feed of the couples. Mr. Northcliff says there's a building hidden in the trees at the bottom of the hill. Their son did this.

Castle chooses a lever. Kate's not letting him stay alone. She pushes a lever. The rest leave. We'll send help. Door closes again.

Pastor says I thought we could run out the door. Castle and Kate say we know it's you. He grabs a shotgun. What gave me away? When you ran into this room. And then you didn't hesitate. Or when Simon pulled the trigger. Shotgun's real. He says one of you has to die, that's the rule. Kate says let us help you. He says I talked to a cop. They sent cops from the 12th Precinct and they talked to my parents for 5 minutes and walked away. Everyone let us down. Why did you choose Emma? She wanted to expose my parents and that's not enough! But when one of you goes free and you tell the world, then they'll finally understand. Castle says I'll choose. Who, then? No one dies. Kate gets the shotgun. Boys and Hayley and Alexis arrive. I can't leave you alone for 5 minutes. She hugs Castle.

Hayley asks Alexis if she wants to come out for some fun. Nope. Alexis worries a lot about him. Hayley says he always comes home. He's really good at what he does. Alexis asks if he's as good as you? God, no. Come on, we're going to get you dolled up and in a tiny bit of trouble.

Kate pondering the kids. They're having wine on the sofa in the loft. Rick wanted to collaborate with Stephen King. Kate says when he does call, at least you have a hell of an ice breaker. They kiss.

Next ep - Castle and Kate about to learn a very big lesson.