Castle 5.03 ‘Secret’s Safe with Me’ recap: Of monsters and handshakes

Three episodes into the new season and I’m still blown away by how wonderfully Marlowe and Co. are handling Castle and Beckett’s transition from friends to lovers, as well as developing every character with equal care. “Secret’s Safe with Me” had some pivotal moments for the Castle family, and yet the case and the relationship between our two leads was given a (big) chance to shine all the same.

Let’s cover the case first. In true Castle fashion, the murder of Wendy Dupree included several twists and a hilarious resolution moment between Rick and Martha.

Wendy Dupree, 25, is (was) a waitress from Philadelphia who’s found murdered in a seedy motel room with $4,000 in cash and what looks like the word LIE, but is actually the number 317, written on the floor — in her blood. Lanie finds a partial print and a trace of DNA in the room, which allows the team to rule out their initial suspects — Wendy’s boss, her (dead) twin brother Wendall, her twin brother Wendall’s partner in crime, and Wendall’s boss Angelica Henley. Henley is very much involved in the case, though, however indirectly.

It turns out, Wendy was trying to solve her brother’s murder, who in turn was trying to solve their parents’ death in a car accident years prior. They were hit by a car that never stopped — had the driver pulled over, they would still be alive. Wendall found out that the person responsible for their death was Henley’s butler. Unfortunately, the butler (no, I can’t believe I’m actually typing this out either) caught wind of this and murdered first Wendall and then Wendy.

In the wise words of Captain Gates, worthless bastard.

But the best part about the episode were arguably Castle and Beckett’s handsex (shut up, it is a word. At least it is after today’s episode), their obvious trust and openness with each other — major props to Fillion and Katic for their skill at conveying this closeness — especially when she tells him the story of a little twig figure Jim and she made the day of her mother’s funeral, and Castle and Alexis’ combo when he dropped her off at her college dorm. Oh! And Gates giggled. At Castle. Farfetched, huh? Sure, she went right back to hating him when he broke one of the creepy porcelain dolls she collects, but we got a glimpse of a human Gates who’s a Rook&Heat fan.

I see what you did there, Marlowe.

This episode gets a solid A- in my books.

Memorable quotes:

Martha: “Before Alexis leaves, don’t you think you should have the, uh, talk with her?”
Castle: “The sex talk? Mother, I covered that ages ago. I learned so much.”
Martha: “I mean the you and Beckett sex talk.”

Beckett: “We all need our stuff, Castle. It’s comforting. Reminds me of my past.”
Castle: “Your kinky past?”
Beckett: “I’ve got that box too.”

Castle: “Long Island Expressway, Literary Institute of Excellence, Love Is Everything. Ohh did I just say that? Gettin’ soft.”

Castle: “I so wish I could kiss you right now.”
Beckett: “Yeah, I know.”
Castle (holding out his hand to shake hers): “This is me, softly touching your face, pulling you in for a long, slow kiss.”
Beckett: “And this is me, kissing you back, running my hands through your hair.”
Castle: “Best handshake ever.”

Alexis: “Hey, Dad? I know it’s been a while, but… could you do it? One last time?”
Castle (kneeling down and looking under her bed): “No monsters.”