An undercover mission goes awry, and puts Beckett's life in danger as she is mistaken for a contract killer,
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- A Bloody Mess: What looks like blood spatter from two bullets to the head turns out to be ketchup and beet juice.
- Busman's Holiday: Gates calls Beckett in on a rare day off to get her involved in the case.
- Call-Back: Vulcan Simmons recalls the time Beckett slammed him into the wall of the 12th Precinct's interrogation room the last one they met.
- Dirty Business: Averted. It briefly seems like Beckett has killed the target she is assigned in order to remain undercover, but in reality she used a combination of ketchup, beet juice and holding of breath.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: The signature move of the real Elena Markov.
- It's Personal with the Dragon: Vulcan Simmons returns and it's confirmed that he's definitely working for Lazarus as the head of his drug organization. The real Lazarus wants Beckett left alive for some reason, with the implication being that it's Bracken.
- Makes Us Even: Discussed. Beckett assumes that the only reason she was saved was because Bracken felt he owed her from back when she saved him from an assassination attempt, and that next time she'll have no such protection.
- The Man Behind the Man: After she's saved by the real Markov on orders from "Lazarus," Beckett realizes that Vulcan Simmons was not Lazarus. He was actually The Dragon for the real Lazarus, strongly implied to be Senator Bracken.
- Mistaken for Imprisonment: Beckett believes she is being kidnapped to be held hostage, when actually she is taken to a safe house and offered a job.
- Motive Misidentification: The NYPD believed Markov to be a scared, low-level drug courier; she's actually a contract killer working for Lazarus.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Fearing for her life, Beckett writes a letter in which she addresses Castle as "Rick", a rare instance of using his first name instead of "Castle" or "babe".
- Trail of Bread Crumbs: Beckett leaves a smear of blood in an obscure location on the off chance the NYPD finds the house. She uses it to hide a letter for Rick in case it goes badly.
- Truth in Television: Political campaigns are a great way to launder money and turn it into legal bribes. Legally, a poitician can't spend the money on personal things, only for their campaigns, but this gets them political power which lets them channel money to donors through laws and contracts. The donors then turn around and redonate to the political campaign. Channeling his drug money through multiple superpacs lets Brackett hide its origins and use the money for political power which will also let him gain even more legal financial resources while also maintaining his criminal empire.
- Villainous Rescue: Beckett is rescued from the brink of assassination by the real Markov, on orders from Lazarus.
- Water Torture: Vulcan Simmons does this to Beckett.
