This week’s Castle episode was hands-down awesome.
They took a breath last week with a rather light case, especially after the two-parter that left us thankful that Alexis made it out alive and shocked that we had met Castle’s father. But this week, the spotlight is off of Kate and Rick, and instead shining on the supporting cast. Now in a show like this, too often the main two characters can overshadow their supporting group. This is very true for Castle. Hell, when Ryan mentioned that Esposito was special forces I had to take a moment and try to remember when they even introduced that or elaborated on it. Detective Kevin Ryan has been in the background for a while, he’s Kate’s trusted ally, Esposito’s best friend, but he’s never really had an identity of his own.
This week’s episode we get to see him in action all on his own. So when a dead baker shows up, the gang investigate. Turns out he was an informant against the Irish mob and subsequently killed by them. The episode uses this murder to get Ryan’s backstory in the door. They bring in a woman named Siobhan (which Esposito and Castle have a funny moment about. I know guys, I could never pronounce the name either) who won’t budge on interrogation. As they’re walking her out, she spots Ryan, and runs into his arms, calling him Fenton and planting a kiss right on his lips. Great. Except that Jenny is there and asks Ryan who she is, and the whole thing topples down.
Turns out Ryan worked undercover seven years before this in the Irish mob as a man named Fenton. He had a relationship with Siobhan, but left her and the mob under the pretense of escaping the cops. Since then Siobhan turned rat and went to the cops as an informant. With her knowledge of the mob boss, Bobby S, and her access to his safe, she could get “the Bible”, a book that is filled with evidence that could put Bobby and his whole outfit in jail. Upon realizing that Siobhan is now going to be found out, Ryan has to go back undercover in order to expose Bobby S or else Siobhan will be found out as a rat and killed.
Going undercover requires that Ryan change himself completely, and after a haircut and a new wardrobe, he is back to being Fenton. And may I say, he should keep the look. When he goes into the pub with all of the mobsters, he’s not exactly welcomed back into their arms. Strong armed by Bobby’s new second-in-command, Liam, they go to the basement to see Bobby again. Seeing Ryan in the new environment is completely different from the one we know. He’s serious, he’s bad, he’s taking control. He manages to get Bobby back on his side and proceeds to try and get his hands on “the bible”.
There’s friction between Esposito and Ryan, as his Javi becomes protective of his friend, but Ryan toughs it out, pushing aside Esposito’s concern. The two have a rough moment in a diner, where Ryan confesses that he’s going to grab “the bible” while he’s over at Bobby’s house playing pool and that Siobhan has the combination. Going to see Siobhan is another heartfelt moment. He left her without a single word, just a note on the dresser, and seven years later it’s clear she’s still in love with him. It seems unfair to Jenny, but I totally like Siobhan more. But she only knows him as Fenton, and that’s not enough. Giving him the combination, she waits for his safe return.
At the house, after a game of pool, Liam gets a message and tells it to Bobby who leaves the house. Ryan takes this opportunity to make a dash to his wall safe and grab “the bible”. After a close encounter of almost being caught, Ryan manages to make it out of the room and gets downstairs where Liam is waiting. Not letting him get his phone or his stuff, they wrestle for a moment before Ryan goes willingly with him. They drive up to the docks where they are met by Bobby and the snitch that he’s found. Siobhan! Yes, it was long suspected, and finally confirmed. With her in his grasps, Bobby encourages Ryan to kill the rat. Unable to do it, he turns the gun on Bobby and blows his cover. For a moment, it seems like the stupidest thing he could do, until he reveals what’s happened. In his brief struggle with Liam he called Beckett and left the phone on leading the team to their location at the docks. Back up arrives and Ryan is able to save the day.
Oh and Jimmy? Killed by Liam’s wife. All in a Lady Macbeth manner in hopes that framing Bobby would put him in jail and Liam could ascend the ranks. Oh and now Siobhan can enter protective custody while all of Bobby S’s crew gets hauled away with the help of the evidential “bible”.
Back at home, Ryan meets up with his sad wife, who was obviously worried about him. Afraid that he had taken the undercover job because he was insecure that the two were unable to have children, she has good news for him. She’s already pregnant! The two rejoice and are cutely happy. On the Beckett/Castle front, there’s small development as we learn that the first thing that Castle was ever applauded for was actually a paper he paid someone else to write; confessing to Beckett that he has been writing hard ever since to earn the applause that he has gotten.
The episode ends and we get a great insight into Ryan’s character. Next week, we have the 100th episode of Castle with an awesome homage to Hitchcock’s Rear Window!
English