Recap / Castle S 3 E 24 Knockout

Beckett is at the prison for her weekly interview with Hal Lockwood...only Lockwood's been put into general population. There he kills Gary McCallister, John Raglan's partner and accomplice in the case that led to Beckett's mother's murder. At the arraignment, three accomplices disguised as cops break Lockwood out. A phone call Lockwood made a few days before leads them to the conclusion that he was broken out to continue the cleanup mission, meaning that there's still someone left to be silenced: A third officer.

As they track both Lockwood and the mystery officer, Beckett's mood deteriorates rapidly, diving into the case with abandon and getting more and more frustrated with each false lead: First with a prison guard who was paid to transfer Lockwood to general population, then with nothing forthcoming on the third cop. A small break comes when Castle finds that some police records with Raglan and McCallister in them are forged, but Castle isn't happy with Beckett's disposition, eventually culminating in a fight that leaves her wanting Castle out of the 12th Precinct.

Digging through the archives leads Ryan and Esposito to a retired record room keeper, whom they eventually track down to a cop bar that he owns. He knows of Raglan and McCallister, but didn't hang out with them, although he knows a young black rookie who did: Captain Montgomery, the third officer, who's just been targeted by Lockwood to give Beckett to him to kill. Instead, he uses her as bait to lure Lockwood to an airport hangar, where he can make his last stand, and though Beckett wants to stand with him, he has Castle carry her out. He then kills Lockwood and his men, though he's mortally wounded in the act.

It is agreed by Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan that they will keep Montgomery's role as the 'third cop' secret in honor of the lengths he went in order to atone for his actions. At Montgomery's funeral, Beckett gives a stirring eulogy—but is suddenly shot down by a sniper. Rick Castle's last words to her before she spirals away from him: ""I love you. I love you, Kate."

Tropes

• Anguished Declaration of Love: Castle declares his love over Beckett, who's in shock after being shot.
• Asshole Victim: Let's face it, as a long time hitman, Hal Lockwood was scum that wasn't worth the ground he walked on.
• The Atoner: Montgomery is revealed to be this.
• Broken Pedestal: Ryan and Esposito learn that Montgomery was the third cop and it breaks their hearts. The fact that Montgomery immediately pulled a Heroic Sacrifice is what saves his memory.
• Cliffhanger: The season ends with Beckett passing out after having been shot by a sniper, in Castle's arms as he delivers an Anguished Declaration of Love.
• Cross-Referenced Titles: Its the third major episode in the Beckett's Mother Arc and it, like "Sucker Punch" and "Knockdown", has a title based on fighting.
• Dirty Cop: The episode reveals that Captain Montgomery was the third cop in on John Raglan and Gary McCallister's mobster kidnapping ring, and was the one who killed Bob Armen.
• Face Death with Dignity: When McCallister sees that Lockwood has come to kill him, he stoically accepts his fate, saying he knew it was only a matter of time. Lockwood, seemingly respecting this, says it's okay if McCallister needs a minute. He simply asks Lockwood to make it quick and clean.
• First-Name Basis: "Kate" and "Rick" are used by Castle and Beckett more in this episode than in the rest of the series combined.
• Flat "What": Beckett demands Montgomery get rid of Castle. Montgomery agrees. Beckett's astonished. Montgomery admits he kept Castle around because he brought fun into Beckett's life and he knows Beckett is only demanding he be gone now because she's temporarily upset.
• Foreshadowing: When Beckett announces the involvement of an unknown third cop in her mother's murder, the camera lingers on Montgomery's face with a look of visible discomfort.
• He Knows Too Much: Ryker at the prison accepted a bribe to move Lockwood into genpop, then tried shaking his mystery employers for more money. Took a bullet to the back of the head for his trouble.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: For the first time, the series acknowledges that Nathan Fillion is a lot bigger than Stana Katic, as Castle literally picks Beckett up and carries her away from the firefight between Montgomery and Lockwood.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Esposito pulls a six pack.
  Esposito: Sir, I know we're still technically on the clock...
  Montgomery: Authorized.
  Ryan: [grabbing a beer] Sláinte.
• Ironic Echo: At the arraignment, Beckett says to Lockwood that his boss can't hide from her. He tells her she's got it ass-backwards: she can't hide from him. At the end, in the hangar, Lockwood tells Montgomery that Beckett can't hide from him. Montgomery tells him he's got it ass-backwards: he can't hide from Montgomery. Cue firefight.
• Manly Tears: Ryan cries for Montgomery. Castle, too, as he cradles a dying Beckett.
• Meaningful Echo: Beckett's eulogy to Montgomery gives the line he'd told her earlier: "For us, there are no victories, there are only battles. And in the end, the best you can hope for is to find a place to make your stand."
• Morality Pet: Montgomery and Beckett's father both tell Castle that he's the only one who has a chance to get beckett to back off this case. Castle tries... and fails.
• Mutual Kill: The last shot between Lockwood and Montgomery.
• Nothing Up My Sleeve: Montgomery's last act is to draw a gun he'd hidden in his sleeve and shoot Lockwood dead.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Montgomery's use of "You've got that ass-backwards" in the Ironic Echo above.
• Redemption Equals Death: Montgomery finally pays for his crimes as rookie cop pulled into the kidnapping scheme.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • In the argument in Beckett's apartment, we get two of these, between Castle and Beckett:
    • "Last time I checked, it was my life, not your personal jungle gym. And for the last 3 years, I've been running around with the school's funniest kid, but it's not enough." - Beckett
    • "You know what this is, this isn't about your mother's case any more, this is about you needing a place to hide, because you've been chasing this thing so long you're afraid to find out who you are without it. [...] I know you crawled inside your mother's murder and didn't come out. I know you hide there, the same way you hide in these nowhere-headed relationships with men you don't love. You could be happy, Kate; you deserve to be happy. But you're afraid." - Castle
• Retirony: Montgomery decided to to retire just before Lockwood demands Beckett's death. Subverted in that Montgomery has decided to retire multiple times. Played straight in that he gets shot the fuck to death.
• The Reveal: Montgomery is the third cop, the crooked cop who participated in the kidnappings all those years ago.
  Lockwood: Look at it this way. If you and Raglin and McCallister hadn't sinned so spectacularly, then God wouldn't have sent a punishment like me.
• Taking You with Me: As Lockwood stands over Montgomery, who has been violently shot, Montgomery pulls a gun out of his sleeve and punches a few extra holes into Lockwood in return.
• Tonight, Someone Dies: The advertising made it clear someone was going to die. Montgomery did.
• Trespassing to Talk: Lockwood does this to Montgomery to tell him that if he doesn't do something about Beckett, he's gonna go after his wife and children.
• The Unreveal: We still don't know who's behind the entire conspiracy. And though Montgomery has "seen to it" that "he" supposedly can't hurt Beckett...
• Wham Line: "if you and Raglan and McCallister hadn't sinned so spectacularly, then God wouldn't have sent a punishment like me." Montgomery is the third officer.
• Wham Episode: Captain Montgomery is revealed to be part of the mess that resulted in Johanna Beckett's death, he dies, and Kate is shot by a sniper at his funeral. Oh, and Castle tells the bleeding Beckett he loves her.