Castle (2009–2016): Season 8, Episode 19 - Dead Again - full transcript

Customer service. May I help you?

Yes. I'm here. Alan Masters.

It's account number 34697721.

You guys recently added
the Adventure Channel,

and I paid to get it,

- but my screen is all wavy, so...
- Wrong department, sir.

No, what do you mean, wrong department?

- I pressed 3.
- Please hold.

Don't you put me on hold.
I've been on hold for 45 min...

Wow.

Mm-mm!

Your call is very important to us.

- Please continue holding.
- Hello, hello, hello, hello!

Sorry about that, sir.

I can connect you to the
correct department now.

Sir?

Are you okay? Hello?

What are you doing?

Watching you sleep.

Is that creepy?

Mnh-mnh. I think it's sweet.

I took some pictures.

Less sweet.

They're part of a series.
Usually you don't wake up.

And now it's creepy.

Hey. I've been thinking...

Oh, no.

Oh, relax.

I'm over that whole sex-in-zero-g thing.

Good, 'cause that was just an
accident waiting to happen.

Seriously, though.

I think it's time we shake things up.

Move to Paris, you know,

search for buried treasure in Nepal.

We could fly a hot air
balloon across the Sahara.

You know what?
I love all of those ideas,

but I just became captain,
and you have your P.I. business.

And then there's LokSat.

Exactly.

We have responsibilities, right?

But what if we didn't?

Hold, please.

Um, I might need that.
That might be a homicide.

The victim's not gonna get any deader.

Listen.

Let's say we find LokSat
and take him down...

Without getting killed.

Mm-hmm.

What then?

You're not gonna be captain of
the 12th Precinct for very long.

You're on a rocket. Sky's the limit.

So you know what happens then?

Mnh-mnh.

We become normal.

No, Castle,
you're never gonna be normal.

I'm serious.

- Think about it.
- I will.

What do you got?

Alan Masters.

All signs point to poison...

Dilated pupils,
bluish discoloration around the lips.

That's a giveaway,

but I'll know for sure
after the autopsy.

Who called it in?

Customer-service operator
for his cable company.

She was on the phone with
him when it happened.

What a way to go.

Poisoned or on the phone
with the cable company?

Well, at least the poison was quick.

Looks like our killer
jimmied that window open.

Neighbor thought she heard
somebody on the fire escape

last night around 8:00.

How was he poisoned?

In his water.

The filter underneath the kitchen sink

was tampered with.

Ironically, he works for the
city as a safety inspector.

Mm.

You know, if I were an expert
on character, which I am,

I would say that Alan
was a bit of a dreamer,

spending his days on the
ground inspecting things

but his nights in the clouds,

fantasizing of adventure.

Tragically, his life was cut short

before he ever truly lived.

Hey.

What's going on?

Or not.

What are you all doing in my apartment?

Um, Lanie.

Don't "Um, Lanie" me. That man was dead!

Well, he's very much alive now.

He had no pulse, no breath sounds,

and his pupils were dilated and fixed.

Was there rigor mortis, lividity?

No,
but he'd been dead less than an hour.

Lanie, hey.
Is it true that our victim was...

He was dead, okay?
I know how to do my job.

Okay, calm down.
It's all good. I just...

No, no, no. It's not all good.

I almost stuck a
thermometer in his liver.

Uh, so is he stable?

Well, I'm still running tests,

but he seems completely healthy

despite having ingested a
deadly dose of tetrodotoxin.

Hm?

TTX.

It's a neurotoxin found in
several species of fish.

It's extremely potent.

And yet he survived,
so do you have an explanation.

No, but your husband sure does.

You are a modern-day Lazarus,

risen from the grave to
answer the eternal question...

What's on the other side?

I'm sorry. Who are you again?

You'll have to forgive him, Mr. Masters.

He's very excitable.

Well, excuse me if I find
pulling back the curtain

on what happens when we
die just a tad exciting.

Was there a white light or
is it more of a tunnel thing?

The last thing I remember,

I was taking my pills,
trying to get my cable fixed,

and then I woke up to an
apartment full of police.

So, no out-of-body experience?

Do you have any enemies?

Me? No. I'm an average guy.

I go to work, I come home.

But you dream of so much more,
don't you?

How do you know that?

Did you read my diary?

No, I saw your pictures on your...

Wait, you keep a diary?

As a grown man, call it a journal.

What about work?

Have you upset anyone there recently?

Yeah.

There is this guy that works for me...

Well, used to work for me...
Dave Barton.

I had to fire him because he was letting

serious infractions slide
with just a warning.

Was it for money?

That was the rumor.

And he did seem a little
miffed when I let him go.

I'll play you the
message that he left me.

You slimy little maggot.

I'm gonna stab you with a rusty spoon

and strangle you with
your own intestines.

Or better yet,

I'm gonna force-feed you
your toes one by one,

and then I'm gonna light you on fire.

First, I'm gonna paralyze
you with a claw hammer

and then cover you with ants,
you son of a bitch!

And it goes on and on
like that for a while.

And you never thought
to call the police?

On Dave? No!

He's just got a big personality.

What can I say? I have anger issues.

And a gift for murderous creativity.

Threatening to
"nail Alan to the ceiling by his feet

and pi?ata the hell out of
his face with a Fungo bat."

It's all just talk.

I actually get nauseous
at the sight of blood.

Oh, is that why you decided
to poison Alan last night?

Hey, I was home last night

with my wife and my mother-in-law,

which, believe you me,
is no good for my anger issues.

I mean, that woman drives me crazy.

Sometimes I just think about getting

a blender and a trowel and...

Kidding.

Well,
you better hope your alibi holds up,

'cause you had all the
motive in the world.

You want motive?

We're safety inspectors.

You think we're making friends

handing out millions in fines?

We're not getting any Christmas cards.

Especially Alan.

What do you mean, especially Alan?

The guy's got a rep for
being a real stickler.

He doesn't let anything slide.

Oh, is that what you did...

Let things slide in
exchange for a payday?

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.

Doesn't make me a killer.

The point is that Alan
refuses to play the game.

And that pisses off a lot of people.

Hey.

Did Lanie really
declare a live guy dead?

No.

Well, yeah,

But do yourself a favor...
Don't mention it to her.

So, you got something?

I might have broken open LokSat.

You found them?

Unfortunately, no,
but I did find someone else.

Based on Castle's discovery
of the exact time and date

LokSat flew into L.A.,

I've been scrubbing footage

from all the Los Angeles area airports.

Look who showed up.

Caleb Brown?

But he was traveling under an alias...
Peter McCaffery.

So, Caleb must have gone to
L.A. to meet with LokSat.

But who's driving the S.U.V.?

I don't know.

I can only read part of the plate,

but I'm generating a
list of possible matches.

Captain.

Dave Barton alibied out,

but we're getting a list
of all the companies

that Alan has either fined or shut down

for violations recently.

Then we're gonna run the list past Alan.

Whose would-be killer
is still out there,

so what precautions are you taking?

Squad car just brought him
home from the hospital.

We got a uniform posted
outside his door,

which makes his only real
concern your husband.

Yeah.

So, you have died and been reborn.

What are you gonna do now?

Going to bed.

I have a full day of
inspections tomorrow.

I need to be focused.

You can't just go back to
work like nothing happened.

You had a near-death experience.
That's a wake-up call.

Get out there.

Live this life you've
always dreamed about.

Just because I have a
few pictures on my wall

doesn't mean I'm not happy with my life.

Right. Your drab, solitary life.

It's not solitary.

So there's a Ms. Safety Inspector?

Not exactly.

But there is a woman I have my eye on.

She's funny and smart.

Doesn't know you exist?

No.

All clear.

I'll be right outside
if you need anything.

Great, thanks.

You should really call this woman.

Okay, I will.

And you honestly don't remember
anything about being dead?

Really don't.

Who does that?

Who gets a second chance like that

and just goes to work the next morning?

I would. I like work.

Whoa!

Alan!

Someone rigged the bed
to electrocute him.

Is he dead?

Sorry, Castle, but this time,
he really is dead.

What a waste.

To be given a second chance

and have it taken away like this.

He was just gonna go back to
work like nothing happened.

What?

If I hadn't been so
focused on his rebirth,

I might have noticed that wire.

I could have saved him.

You can't beat yourself up, Castle.

I was starting to think he was
some kind of medical miracle.

Turns out, he was just lucky.

And in the end, his luck ran out.

Forget lucky.

Somebody cooking barbecue?

He's immortal.

S08E19
Dead Again

- He was definitely dead.
- That's what you said last time.

He was dead the last time, too.

Uh, sorry.

Um, can we have a minute, please?

- Of course.
- Thanks.

I'm sorry. I'm just rattled.

You know,
people can come back from being poisoned

and from being electrocuted,
but both in the same day?

So, is there an explanation?

I can think of two.

Either I'm really bad at my job

or Castle's right and
this guy is immortal.

He is not immortal,

and you are a genius at your job.

We just got to keep looking for answers,

starting with who wants
to kill this guy so badly.

Is there any forensics
on the second attempt?

No. The bed must have been wired

after the apartment was already released

from being a crime scene,

which means the killer had
about a two-hour window

before Alan and Castle got there.

Hey.

So, the toxin that should
have killed Alan, TTX,

is a controlled substance,

available through only a
few pharma supply companies.

CDC is sending us over a list right.

So, finding the buyer
might lead to the killer.

Any idea how our boy
Alan is still with us?

Uh, no. But Castle has a theory.

You are a superhero.

No, I'm really not.
I'm just an ordinary guy.

You were an ordinary guy, Alan.

That's how most superheroes start out...

Mild-mannered weaklings, and that's you!

Wow, thanks.

Relax.

It's all to maximize
your transformative arc.

If I agree with you,
will you leave me alone?

Don't be silly.
We're just getting started!

First, we need to figure out

what triggered your transformation,

your origin story, if you will.

Why?

Because the origin story is everything!

What, there's, what,
nine Spider-Man movies about it?

Yo.

We got a lead.

We need to come up with a
superhero name for Alan.

No. No, we really don't.

How about... Safety Man?

No, that's terrible.

Well, does he have any other powers?

I don't know.
We should really run some tests.

Um, you said something about a lead...

Right. Yeah, we've been checking
into your inspection history

to see if there's somebody
you might have pissed off.

I think we have a winner...
Zantium Labs.

You just hit them with
a six-figure fine.

Yeah,
they're a biopharmaceutical company.

I threatened to shut them down

after they had a bad
chemical spill two days ago.

Whoa. A chemical spill?

Mystery solved.

Exposure to dangerous
materials is the most common

superhero origin story there is.

Sorry. The spill was L.A.H.

It's an inorganic compound
used as a catalyst

to make other chemicals, which...

The point is, it can be explosive,

but there's nothing about it
that would ever turn anyone

into a, I don't know...

Captain Cool?

No. But keep trying.

Hey, who's on the hook for that spill?

The lab manager, Frank Patchett.

He begged me not to fine him.

He said the lab was hemorrhaging money.

That sounds like motive.

Come on, Castle.
Let's go talk to this guy.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Maybe I should come with you.

Why?

No reason.

The girl.

The one who doesn't know you exist.

She works there, doesn't she?

No.

Yes.

Her name is Gwen. She's in marketing.

Sorry, Alan. You got to stay here.

If there's someone at Zantium
Labs trying to kill you,

I'd be the worst cop on the
force if I took you there.

Don't worry, Alan.

I'll put in a good for you with Gwen!

No, no! Please... Please don't!

I can't believe someone would
try and do that to poor Alan.

He's such a sweet man.

- So you do know him?
- Of course.

People around here kind of hate him,

but, I don't know,
I think he's really funny.

Oh, I'll tell him you said that.

Oh, that's Frank. Hey, Frank.

Thank you.

Mr. Patchett. I'm Detective Esposito.

I need to ask you a few
questions about Alan Masters.

Is he doing okay?

I heard someone tried to kill him.

Twice.

How's the cleanup going?

Oh, well, we're almost done here.

Accidents happen.
Luckily, nobody was hurt.

Nobody except Alan.

You think what happened to
him is connected to the spill?

Maybe.

So why don't you get changed,
and we can go talk about it.

Okay. Locker room's over there.

We'll go with you.

Actually,
I'm gonna go take a look around.

Origin story.

Oh, wow!

Hey.

Oh.

- Excuse me.
- Yes.

Can I help you with something?

Yes, as a matter of fact,
you can, uh, Mike.

Look, um, if you had to pick

something in this lab

that would turn somebody
into a superhero,

what would it be?

I'm... I'm sorry. What?

Radioactive spider,
secret alien technology,

super-soldier serum...

Yeah,
we don't have anything like that here.

Then what is... What about this?

What are you working on right here?

We've discovered an accelerated method

for growing hair cells in the mice.

Accelerated cell regeneration?

That could be the key to immortality.

I've been supervising this cleanup

for the last 48 hours.

Even if I wanted to kill Alan,

I didn't have the
opportunity or the energy.

But you did have the motive.

You begged him not to fine you,
and he did anyway.

Yeah.

He's a pain in the ass,
but the damage was already done.

Killing him would have
accomplished nothing.

You know, something odd did happen

when I walked him out
to the parking lot.

Odd how?

There was someone hanging
out at Alan's car,

but he took off when he saw us coming.

I didn't think much of it at the time,
but...

Does your parking lot
have security cameras?

- Yeah.
- Let me see him.

Mr. Hume,
so you're an operations manager

at a plastics factory that
Alan recently shut down.

Is that correct?

I didn't do anything to Alan.
I'm innocent.

Innocent men don't usually stalk
their victims in parking lots.

I just wanted to talk to Alan.
That's all.

I needed to find the right moment.

We had to be alone.

Okay.

What did you want to talk to him about?

Mr. Hume, if all you wanted to do

was talk to him,
then why did UNis find you

with two suitcases and
a ticket to Mexico?

Because I don't want to die.

They came after Alan and I'm next.

Who's "they"?

If you know who went after Alan,
you need to tell us.

Was it someone from your company?

Are you a whistle-blower, Glen?

Is there something
you're trying to expose?

Is that why you wanted to talk to Alan?

The NYPD can protect you,

and if someone really
is trying to kill you,

you're a lot safer in here with us

than out there, on your own.

Okay.

But it's not someone from my company.

It's the mob.

What would organized
crime want with Alan?

Waste management.

Yeah.

They strong-armed me into
giving them the contract

for my factory's
hazardous-waste disposal.

They've been doing the
same thing all over town.

And they just dump the
stuff into the landfill.

So,
why would they target Alan before you?

Because Alan fired Dave Barton,

the only inspector that they could buy.

So Alan was becoming a big problem,

and their only solution was to kill him.

The mob is trying to kill me?

Trying and failing. But do you know why?

Because I'm... I'm, what, Rogaine Man?

Yuck. Worst name yet.

But it does explain why you
keep coming back to life.

Your cells regenerate
at an amazing rate.

Except they don't.

What?

Just got the test back.

No sign of abnormal
regenerative activity

in blood or tissue cells.

In fact,
no sign of anything abnormal at all.

Told you. I'm Boring Man.

Except for the contract out on my life.

Just to be sure, maybe we should

cut off one of his fingers,
see if it grows back.

What?

Just the tip.

Okay, I'm done.

Whoa, whoa. Where you gonna go?

Home. Or not home.

Somewhere safe.

Where is that?

My place.

We have yet to unlock the
secrets of your powers.

Lanie's a doctor.

She can strip you down
and check you out.

No!

Forget it!

Come on! You owe him!

No. No, she doesn't!

Castle, it's been a long day.
I am very overwhelmed.

I just want to go back to my life.

That's too bad. You can't.

Spidey couldn't go back after the bite.

Hulk couldn't go back after the bomb.

The Ant-Man couldn't go back after...

I can't remember.

Point is, you have an obligation.

With great power comes
great responsibility.

Let's go to my place and
get some pizza on the way.

There is no way I'm
going back to your place

to eat pizza and explore my superpowers.

I'll tell you what Gwen said about you.

Okay.

Hey. Where are we on the
waste-management company?

It's a new entity called Bullseye.

We're not sure who's running it,

but rumor is it's a new
player on the scene.

I don't know.

Electrocution and poisoning
doesn't sound like the mob.

No.

Unless they're trying
to keep a low profile.

The best way to stay off our
radar is to fly under it.

Yeah, true.

Why don't you guys head
down to the second floor,

see if Organized Crime has any insight?

Okay.

We know you can survive
poisoning and electrocution.

Now it's time to see if you
can survive penetrative wounds.

How about if we start with some smaller,

like a paper cut?

Okay, this is all a little overwhelming.

I understand. All right.

Let's...
Let's test for some other powers first.

Telekinesis.

Try to move the piano with your mind.

Oh. If I try this,
will you tell me about Gwen?

Deal.

Ow!

What the hell?

That was a trick.

I was actually testing for Spidey-sense.

I don't have it!

Clearly.

Can we take a break, please?

Fine.

Ah, no, no. I don't drink.

All right.

Do you want to know what Gwen said?

Yes. Finally.

All right. I'll tell you.

Well?

I'm telling you with my mind.

- You're not getting it?
- No.

Okay.

Well, bad news is no telepathy.

Good news is I think Gwen is into you.

She told me she thinks you're funny.

Really?

Funny ha-ha, not funny strange?

Yeah.

- Yeah, what?
- Exactly.

So are you gonna use your double death

as a wake-up call and
finally ask her out?

What if she says no?

What if she says yes?

Okay, I'll do it.

That is the spirit, Alan.

Well,
I didn't think you meant right now!

Alan, there is no time like the present.

Mm! It's ringing.

This is very exciting.

Oh, my God. I'm gonna be sick.

I don't know what to say.

- Just be yourself.
- Be myself.

So, something like,

"Hi, this is Alan Masters

from the City Department
of Safety Inspection,

- badge number 62475...
- New plan, new plan.

Do not be yourself. Say this...

Hi, Gwen. Hello.

This is Alan Masters of...

Yes, that's right.

I'm much better, thanks. You?

Oh, nothing.

I was just calling to see

if you wanted to have dinner with me.

Oh.

Okay. I'll see you there.

Bye.

She said yes.

Well done, Alan!

Now all we have to do is
plan the perfect date.

How much time do we have?

Well, we're meeting at
Botticelli's in 30 minutes?

Tonight? You said yourself
it's time to start living.

Yes, I just thought it would
be after we apprehended

your would-be murderer.

I know. I will just embrace my powers.

Maybe this is my origin story,

and my dinner with Gwen

will be the beginning of
something really terrific!

That's the spirit, Alan.
And I'm going with you.

Please don't.

The first two attempts on your life

were meant to be anonymous, quiet.

It's very unlikely they'd try
something in a public place.

Exactly.

Well, they did fail twice.

They may try to kick it up a notch.

What are you saying?

Don't order an appetizer.

You found something.

Yeah.

I ran the partial plate

from that S.U.V. Caleb Brown got into,

generated a list of names.

Guess who's on it.

Brooks.

Guy with the bag of spiders

who tried to take down Castle and me.

If Brooks picked up
Caleb at the airport,

then this ties Caleb directly to LokSat.

Well, look, it's a start anyway.

A start? It's photographic evidence.

Of what?
That he got into a car with a bad guy?

Caleb's a public defender.
He represents bad guys.

He was using an alias.

We can use this to go at Caleb,

get him to reveal LokSat's identity.

Until he alerts LokSat
that we're onto him,

and then we're all dead.

No, we got to wait until we
have something more concrete.

Fine.

Caleb's alias... Peter McCaffery.

I'll look into and see

what other trips he's
taken under that name,

see if it leads somewhere
more definitive.

Look, I know this is frustrating.

But we're getting close.

We just have to tread carefully.

There she is.

She looks nice.

This is a huge mistake.
I'm a safety inspector.

That's not even a little sexy.

This is so much scarier than dying.

You are Alan Masters, superhero.

Chicks dig superheroes.

Should I tell her I'm a superhero?

I wouldn't open with that.

Okay.

I'm going in.

Wish me luck.

Good luck.

Hi, Gwen.

Hi.

- Wow, you...
- Good to see you.

- Oh.
- You look...

- Oh!
- You look great.

Thanks for having dinner with me.

I was surprised that you called,
after the day you've had.

- What a day, right? Crazy.
- Yeah.

Just nuts. I...

I-I-I'm a superhero.

What?

Nothing. I sneezed.

You... You sneezed, "I'm a superhero"?

Yeah. Allergies.

Superhero! Excuse me.

Hey, Ryan.

We I.D.'d the owner of
Bullseye Waste Management.

He's a guy named Horatio Spate.

That's a good supervillain name.

This is not a joke.

Spate is suspected of
executing over a dozen people.

I texted you his picture just
to put him on your radar.

Whatever you do, don't leave the loft.

Don't leave the loft. Got it.

Wait, what's that noise?

Uh...

Crap.

- Hello, Alan.
- Do I know you?

Sorry to interrupt your romantic dinner.

Careful, Alan. He's your archnemesis.

Seriously? I have an archnemesis?

Is that how they dress?

Alan, you're cute and I like you,

but this is all a bit much.

You say that you're a superhero,
and he's a supervillain.

So does that make you his sidekick?

Sidekick? Please. I'm the mentor.

And I'm his date.

Or at least I was.

I'm sorry. This is just weird.

And she thinks I'm crazy.
Thank you so much.

This is all your fault.

Actually, it's his.

Alan, meet Horatio Spate.

He's the new owner of
Bullseye Waste Management.

So,
you're the one who's trying to kill me?

Hardly. If I wanted you dead,
you'd be dead already.

Well, what do you want?

An arrangement.

One that would benefit both of us.

Twice someone's tried to kill you.

And you're still with us.

How long before Lady Luck abandons you?

Oh, let me guess.

A man like you can offer protection.

More than offer. I can guarantee it.

In return,
all I ask is that you adopt a more

laissez-faire interpretation
of your inspection policies.

This is a moral test.

Every superhero is presented
with a moral dilemma

by the villain, trying to corrupt him.

Horatio Spate, my answer is no.

Gun, gun.

Relax, boys.

It's ginkgo.

Just started taking it.

Here's what it does.

It improves memory,
it sharpens brain function,

and it helps a person make really,
really good decisions.

Perhaps you should try one,

then you can rethink your answer.

Careful.

Dangerous out there.

It's as if he stepped off
the pages of a graphic novel.

You should have been there
to see him in person.

Yes. They should have.

Not you, and definitely not Alan.

Now,
tell me how dangerous it was for you

to take him out in public,
'cause I know that you knew.

He's in love, Beckett. And I love love.

And I'm sorry, and I won't do it again.

No, you won't, and you know why?

Because I've had him
sent to a real safe house

until we track down Horatio.

Boss, I know we were talking
about flying under the radar,

but that really doesn't
seem to be Horatio's style.

I mean, he solves problems with bullets,

not poisons and elaborate
electrocution traps.

So why would he guarantee protection?

Oh, maybe he knows the actual
identity of our would-be killer.

And stopping the hit could benefit

his waste-disposal company by
giving him leverage on Alan.

Are any of Horatio's associates
recent buyers of TTX?

'Cause that could help us narrow
down who's trying to kill Alan.

We've got the list right here.

Wait a minute.
Lucky Dragon Herbologists?

Horatio had a pillbox
with a dragon logo on it.

That's it. That's the same logo.

It says here that it's a front

for the White Lotus Chinese Triad.

Okay, so how does an international gang

get cleared to possess TTX?

Because Lucky Dragon is
a legitimate business

and there are small doses
of TTX in Eastern medicine.

Hold up. This doesn't make sense.

According to Intel,

the Triad sees Horatio as a
threat to their territory.

They're gearing up for war.

So, no way is Horatio
guaranteeing Alan's safety

with the Triads.

Unless...

Horatio said he just
started taking ginkgo.

What if the two empires
are hammering out

some kind of an alliance?

An alliance that Alan
unknowingly stumbled onto

and put him right in the
cross hairs of the Triad.

But what could bring two warring
gangs together to join forces?

Well, get a search warrant
for Lucky Dragon Herbologists

and find out.

Hey.

Uh, Caleb.

What are you doing here?

I hate to bother you,

but I could really use
your help with a client.

Can I borrow you for a quick minute?

Yeah, sure.

So, who is this client?

I think you're familiar with him...

Peter McCaffery.

Uh, no, it... It doesn't sound familiar.

No?

Let me fill you in.

So, there's this overzealous cop.

You know the type.
She never knows when to give up.

And she has her tech guy

look into Peter
McCaffery's recent travel.

Okay.

Yeah, well,
Mr. McCaffery's a very private person,

so he set up some unexpected
digital trip wires.

That's bad news for the
tech guy and his boss.

And so this cop,

she keeps marching
toward this kill zone,

and unless she makes an about-face,

it is not going to end well.

I don't get it.

You served a full term
in the Peace Corps.

You worked for the EPA.

You brought legal action
against corrupt corporations.

What's your point, Kate?

What happened?

You used to make a difference.
Why did you sell out?

Look.

My client is forced to work
for a man that he cannot fight.

And take my word for it.
Neither can you.

Let's help each other out here.

We can bring down LokSat.

I'm giving you a second
chance to make a difference.

Captain, just do yourself a favor, hmm?

Heed my warning.

No, you heed mine.

You have until 8:00 tomorrow night.

Then what?

I'll expose you.

And then we'll both be
looking over our shoulders,

waiting for LokSat to tie up loose ends.

Because once they find out
that your cover is blown

and I'm onto you,

then you're gonna be as dead as I am.

Seven minutes, Kate.

Seven minutes.

That's how long the brain
continues to function

after the body dies,

and as all of those synapses
slowly stop firing off,

that's when they say that our lives

flash before our eyes.

Now, when your seven minutes come,

I sincerely hope that you
do not flash to this moment,

when you had a chance to
live and you chose not to.

Hey.

Hey.

Do you want me to handle that?

You're on edge this morning.

On edge? Why would I be on edge?

Because LokSat's henchman
knows we're onto him

and assassins could come
through the door at any second.

I mean, why aren't you on edge?

Well, Caleb is a lot of things,
but he's not suicidal,

and working with us
is his only recourse.

He threatened your life.

Because he was scared.

Trust me, Castle. I turned him.

I'm positive he's gonna come in today.

Oh, yeah, I think he's coming in, too.

Well,
either him or LokSat's kill squads.

- Hey.
- Hey!

Geez.

So, Judge Kober just denied
our search warrant request

for The Lucky Dragon.

A suspected Triad front.

Does she know that we like them
for two attempts on Alan's life?

Says we still need probable cause.

Okay,
we got to go at this a different way.

You know, if Horatio and the Triads

are working together,
this is something big.

Guys.

I know how to get in.

Stick to the plan.

Relax. I totally got this.

Welcome to Lucky Dragon
herbs and remedies.

Can I help you?

Surprise safety inspection.

FYI, sir, he's holding out a badge

that says Department
of Safety and Health

and he's got a serious look on his face.

Very serious look.

Okay. But why two inspectors?

Uh, because he is my trainee...

Trainee.

And it helps to have
a second set of eyes.

Not that one set of eyes

or no sets of eyes is a bad thing.

Bring all the eyes you would like.

I'm sure you'll find my medicines

violate none of your Western laws.

We'll be the judge of that.

I ask we stay together

so I may address your
inspection concerns.

Of course.

I'll cause a distraction.
You slip to the back room.

Here are some of my most precious herbs.

Impossible to grow in this country.

Oh, you mean these herbs right here?

Your assistant's very clumsy.

Yes, he is.

Which is why the sooner we get
out of your way, the better.

Take us to your back room now, please.

But of course.

Wait. I sense something.

Something powerful.

An unnatural presence
in the order of things.

What kind of presence?

What kind, indeed?

When is a man not a man?

When his life-force
cannot be extinguished,

when he cannot die.

Then he is a god.

I think he senses your powers.

Yeah? You do?

Either that or he's
buying time while his guys

get the contraband out the back door.

You guys drop the cases.

NYPD. On your knees, fellas.

What the hell is this?

Heroin.

Since when does heroin look like that?

Since it's synthetic heroin,

an opioid manufactured to
replicate a heroin high.

In fact,
this stuff actually improves on it

because,
according to the analysis I ran,

it's laced with TTX.

The same poison that almost killed me?

What, heroin isn't dangerous enough?

Because that poison works
by blocking synapses.

In small doses,
it's a powerful analgesic

specifically used for the
pain of heroin withdrawal.

So it makes the drug more addictive

by reducing the painful side effects.

So more addictive heroin

that doesn't have to be smuggled
into the country because...

Because it can be made right
here in the good old U.S. of A.

That explains why the Triads and Horatio

are willing to put
their difference aside,

because synthetic heroin
could be worth billions.

What does this have to do with me?

Why would anybody want me dead?

Well, clearly this stuff
is made in a lab somewhere,

and your job is to inspect laboratories,
so...

You know, this shade of
yellow looks very familiar.

What is it that gives it this color?

An inorganic catalyst
commonly referred to as L.A.H.

Lithium aluminum hydride?

That is the same chemical that spilled

when I was inspecting Zantium Labs.

This is why they wanted you dead.

When the synthetic
heroin hits the streets,

it'll come out that it
was made with L.A.H.

And since you knew the lab had purchased

large amounts of L.A.H...

They couldn't take the risk

that I might see something on the news,

put the pieces together,

- and report it to the authorities.
- Which means...

Someone at Zantium Labs
is trying to kill me!

Someone at Zantium Labs
is trying to kill you!

Oh, my God. Is that what we sound like?

Certainly hope not.

I mean,
it was cute but just overly cute.

Alan.

Huh?

Do you know who ordered
the L.A.H. for Zantium?

I do. Mike Lin, the lead chemist.

I remember seeing his name
on the purchase order.

He's probably the guy
who's trying to kill me.

He could be very dangerous.

We need to get down there
and figure something out

before he hurts someone else.

No. We have to be very smart about this.

There is no way that Mike, a chemist,

would be working alone here,

so we have to get a court order
to impound the entire laboratory

and make sure that nobody
destroys any of the evidence.

Well, how long will that take?

Don't worry. We'll get this guy.

Oh, Castle. There you are.

We got the warrant. Let's go.

Yeah. Where's Alan?

I thought he was with you guys.

Oh, no.

Gwen!

Alan. What are you doing here?

Come with me if you want to live.

Alan, what is going on?

Mike Lin is secretly making
synthetic heroin in the lab.

He's the one who's trying to kill me.

Oh, my God. Alan, are you sure?

Yeah. But don't worry.

The cops are on the way,

and until then, I'll protect you.

This'll work.

Yeah, if that old blind guy
could use it, so could I.

Or... Or that's actually better.

Wait. Why do you have a gun?

- I'm gonna kill Mike.
- No.

No, no, no. The cops will arrest him.

That's what I'm afraid of.

Mike is the only person here

who knows that I'm running
this drug operation.

What?

Wait, you're the one who poisoned me?

And electrocuted you, yeah.

I was trying to be discreet.

I mean, my boyfriend Horatio

said I should just shoot
you in the head, but...

Hold on! Stop everything!

Wha...

Horatio is your boyfriend?

So I guess a second date
is out of the question?

Aww, Alan.

You seriously thought a guy
like you had a shot with me?

Ow.

I thought dying twice was painful.

Well,
maybe it won't be so bad the third time.

- Police!
- Nobody move! NYPD!

Right now! Put up your hands!

Get 'em up!
Get your hands where we can see 'em!

Hands. Hands.

Any sign of Alan?

No, not yet.

I'm sure he came here.

See if you can find Gwen's office.

Alan!

Oh, no.

This is my fault.

I forced the superhero mantle onto him.

I filled his head with crazy
ideas of being invulnerable,

and then, like some superhero Icarus,

he flew too close to the sun.

Alan, I'm sorry. I am so sorry.

I let you down!

Thank you.

Don't mention it.

Alan! You're alive?

Shh! Not so loud.

I've got a splitting headache.

I'll, uh, call an ambulance?

Relax. I'm fine.

I just need a couple of Advil.

What? What is it, Castle?

You...

Did I get shot in the head?

Right in the middle!
I mean, how did you even...

Wait,
that means you've seen your killer.

Who... Who was it?

You're never gonna guess.

Yo. I took her down

just before she put a
bullet in Mike the chemist.

Why the hell won't you die?

I never thought she was right for you.

Coolest thing ever.

As you can see,
the slug pierced but didn't penetrate

the vertical plate of Alan's skull.

- Really?
- Mm-hmm.

I realize it was only
a .22-caliber revolver,

but it was fired at point-blank range.

Hey, you sound a little
upset that I'm still alive.

No. It's just... Oh, come on.

I don't suppose you have
an explanation this time.

Well, considering he's already
died three times in 48 hours,

does it even matter?

Welcome to the club.

Alan,
it's my professional medical opinion

that you're the luckiest
man who's ever lived

and kept living even after he died.

Thanks, Doc.

How you feeling?

You know, I'm grateful.

Especially for the new friend I made.

I sure hope we could stay in touch.

Are you kidding? You and me?

This is the start of a beautiful...

I don't think he's talking to you.

Hey, maybe you have a few

secret powers we haven't seen yet.

Which is what I've
been saying all along.

But perhaps discovery of those abilities

is best left to a medical expert.

Buh-bye, Castle.

- Get to stepping.
- Thank you.

Okay, yeah, thanks.

That was Vikram.

The DEA just arrested Horatio
and a few members of the Triad.

So, what's wrong?

Caleb's deadline has come and gone

and Vikram's said that he's disappeared.

He gone off-grid.

He's running.

Too scared to face LokSat,
too scared to work with us.

Which means we just lost our only lead.

So, what do we do?

I don't know. Maybe you're right.

Maybe it is time for a change.

I hear Paris is nice this time of year.

So long as I'm with you,
I'll go anywhere.

Oh, don't... Don't shoot me.

I might spill my Scotch.

I think you mean my Scotch.

And my most expensive Scotch.

It's worth it.

You had a change of heart, Caleb?

You know, every morning we wake up

and we choose who we want to be.

I wake up and I ask myself,
"Why are you choosing this?"

Because you're right, Kate.
I was a good guy once.

And you still can be.

Who is LokSat?

- I don't know.
- Oh, come on. You work for him.

Yes.

But I started out
working for his partner.

- Senator William Bracken?
- Mm-hmm.

So, what, LokSat inherited you?

It was more like drafted.

After Bracken's murder,

I received this on my
doorstep with a note.

And I quote, "Mr. Brown,
you now work for me.

This cellphone is enabled with
GPS and will only function

at the northernmost end of Astor Park.

Be there every third Monday
of the month at 8:00 a.m.

to receive your orders.

Kate, it's yours.

And hopefully you can
trace LokSat's next call.

Mnh-mnh. They're gonna know I'm not you.

We don't have a conversation.
The phone rings, I answer.

An electronically modified
voice gives me instructions.

It lasts no more than 60 seconds,

so have your best people ready.

Where are you going?

Um...

I'm gonna go to the same places
that I always go... work, home.

I'm gonna act as if nothing has changed.

Yeah, but it has.
And we can protect you.

All I want from you is your promise

that you will see this thing through.

And remember who I chose to be today

because nobody else will.

That's a damn fine Scotch, Rick.

This is it. It's our one shot at LokSat.

Yeah.

And when the time comes,
we're gonna make it count.