A man stumbles into a church carrying a baby boy before dying from gunshot wounds. When Beckett's team investigates, they discover that the victim was involved in a hostage situation and rigging the lottery.
- All for Nothing: Played for Laughs. Ryan bought dozens of tickets to win a lottery for his daughter, but Castle sadly revealed that it was rigged. Once the case is closed, the lottery is rolled back, giving Ryan a chance to try again with his shredded lottery tickets... which are in the dumpster, according to Esposito. As Ryan bolts off in panic, Espo reveals that he has Ryan's tickets, but decides to let him swim in the dumpster for an hour.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just as the crooks are about to escape and murder Paul, Beckett and a SWAT team arrive in the nick of time.
- Brick Joke: Castle reveals that his family had a Thanksgiving tradition of wearing costumes at dinner, with him dressing up as Miles Stanish and Alexis as usually a Pilgrim or Native American. In the end, Beckett comes into the dining room dressed as a Native American. Castle confesses that he was just kidding about the costumes, but Beckett gets him to put on a Pilgrim outfit anyway.
- Everyone Has Standards: Cameron was pressured into the rigged lottery scheme under the threat of his boss firing him and was promised no one would get hurt. When he learned the gang was actually going to kill the Vail family in a staged accident to Leave No Witnesses to their crime, he backed out and tried to save the lottery presenter's kidnapped husband and son.
- Gilligan Cut:
- Castle declares himself the "Baby Whisperer" when he offers to take the baby home for the night. Cut to Castle immediately regretting his decision as he desperately tries to calm the baby down.
- After successfully changing the baby's diaper, Castle says that all he and Beckett have to do is get him to sleep. Cut to them passed out on the couch in the morning, having given up and handed him over to Martha.
- Honor Among Thieves:
- Cameron Ducane, in the sense that he was still a good man despite his criminal past. He'd tried to save both Paul and Benny Vail, but could only get Benny the baby to safety before dying to the culprits' gunfire.
- Though Wolfinski was angry once upon a time, he remained loyal to Cameron and never gave him up.
- I Have Your Wife: Gender-Inverted. Cameron's associates kidnapped the husband and infant son of the lottery draw presenter to force her to pick the suitcase with the rigged lottery balls before the draw.
- The Joy of X: This episode is called "The Good, the Bad and the Baby", using a memetic pattern "The Good, the Bad and the X".
- Nostalgia Filter: Castle offers to take the baby during the case partly because they bond, partly to help Beckett become a baby person, and partly because in thinking about the future, he remembers being a single father because Meredith wasn't around much, and he wants to see if he would have to do that again. However, he also loves being a father and taking care of Cosmo is the perfect nostalgia trip. Next morning, though, an exhausted Castle and Beckett walk in chugging pints of coffee.Castle: I forgot about this part.
- Parents for a Day: Castle and Beckett have to parent the baby found at the crime scene while trying to find his rightful parents.
- Practically Different Generations: Discussed. Alexis overhears Castle talking with Beckett about having kids together one day and suggests that her future siblings could grow up alongside her own future kids at the same time. Naturally, Castle shuts down the conversation right there.
- Reformed Criminal: Cameron secretly used to be a getaway driver until his partner Wolfinski got hung up in a bank robbery, forcing Cameron to leave him behind for the cops. Afterwards, he cleaned up his act and became a limo driver, and was even Happily Married.
- What Year Is This?: Alexis is extremely confused when she comes home to find Castle and Beckett passed out on the couch and Martha swaddling a baby.Alexis: How long have I been gone?
