Betrayal is in the air on CASTLE’S “Backstabber”

By Geannie Bastian
 
In the midst of a particularly turbulent time for Castle fans comes this week’s episode, which gave us more insight into the background of Hayley Shipton.

Attempting to help out an old friend from her spy days, she participates in what she thinks is a simple recon mission, and ends up being accused of being a terrorist. The team has to work fast to clear her name.

It turns out to be a plot by a former partner who was tortured to insanity. He had taken revenge on those he felt had abandoned him to his fate. When he was caught, he threatened to kill her or himself. Then he forced her to shoot him in self defense.

Castle Betrayed Beckett In Her Dreams

When Castle went in for a morning kiss from his favorite detective, he was denied. It seems she was in a rather unpleasant mood, because she had a bad dream in which he betrayed her. While they were saved by the call for a dead body, Castle fails at finding out exactly what he did to land on Beckett’s bad side.

It turns out she might’ve mentioned something to the guys though, because they’re rather annoyed with the writer, giving him no end of grief. They would never do THAT to her, although what that is, they are sworn to secrecy about. But they think that Beckett might just be subconsciously picking up on something Castle has done that he needs to come clean about.

While that may seem like a startling assumption on the part of Ryan and Esposito, it turns out, Castle was keeping something from Beckett. He’s had her beloved motorcycle taken from storage at her father’s, and fixed up. Then got his own bike and took lessons so that they could ride across country together. It’s a sweet moment that shows how deeply these two love one another, and how important that love has been to the show’s story.

When Things Go Wrong, Count on Each Other

The general message of Hayley’s story in this episode was to stick with those with whom she had found a home, to stand and fight for what mattered to her when all seemed lost. That seems a fitting message to Castle fans this week.

Though the show faces an uncertain future, I have loved every moment I have had with the show and its fans and that will always be true. We have been here for the story, and I hope that story may find a fitting end, whenever that may be. All the love to cast and crew past and present who have made the story possible.