History Recap / CastleS3E11NikkiHeat

* MethodActing: InUniverse. Natalie is rumored to have stayed in an crawl space for a week to prepare for one of her roles. It wasn't true. She stayed there a month. She lied to the press so she wouldn't look obsessive. In fact, her preparation for Nikki Heat goes so far that she starts dressing and acting like Beckett to the point where she makes a criminal break in an interrogation and stops the episode's main criminal from killing himself while acting as Nikki.

!!The ''Series/{{Castle}}'' episode "Nikki Heat" provides examples of:

* MethodActing: InUniverse. Natalie is rumored to have stayed in an cot/attic for a week to prepare for one of her roles. It wasn't true. She stayed there a month. She lied to the press so she wouldn't look obsessive. In fact, her preparation for Nikki Heat goes so far that she starts dressing and acting like Beckett to the point where she makes a criminal break in an interrogation and stops the episode's main criminal from killing himself while acting as Nikki.

* SpitTake: In ''Nikki Heat'', Beckett sprays her coffee in reaction to Natalie's question "Is Castle gay?"

--->'''Castle''': She's a civilian! I mean, aren't you afraid she's gonna get in the way and mess up the case?
--->'''Beckett''': [[LampshadeHanging You're kidding, right?]]

* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Beckett eventually becomes embroiled in a (from her point of view) teeth-grindingly awkward conversation with Natalie about the {{UST}} between her and Castle. It gets to the point where Natalie has completely deconstructed the relationship between the two and asked Beckett to give Castle 'permission' to sleep with her (for research purposes, obviously) before Beckett, mortified beyond belief, feels the need to flee:
--> '''Beckett''': I need to go. ''[Points at random]'' Over there. ''[Scurries off]''.

* LadyInAPowerSuit: When Natalie appears as "Nikki Heat", she dons nice business jacket.

* DoingItForTheArt: Done InUniverse in more than one way, apparently; Natalie Rhodes' approach to character acting goes way and beyond the call of duty.

* DoingItForTheArt: In more than one way, apparently; Natalie Rhodes' approach to character acting goes way and beyond the call of duty.

* AbsenteeActor: Both Lanie and Captain Montgomery are absent, presumably to accommodate the high-profile guest star.

** Actually, it culminates in a fight with his girlfriend Jenny, which he rectifies at the end of the episode [[spoiler:by proposing to her]].

* MethodActing: InUniverse. Natalie is rumored to have stayed in an cot/attic for a week to prepare for one of her roles. It wasn't true. She stayed there a month. She lied to the press so she wouldn't look obsessive. In fact, her preparation for Nikki Heat goes so far that she starts dressing and acting like Beckett to the point where she makes a criminal break in an interrogation and [[spoiler: stops the episode's main criminal from killing himself]] while acting as Nikki.

* SpitTake: In ''Nikki Heat'', Beckett sprays her coffee in reaction to Natalie's question [[spoiler: "Is Castle gay?"]]

Meanwhile, a matchmaker has been found impaled on a wrought iron fence, and over the course of the investigation it soon becomes apparent that several of the matches she was responsible made for less-than-happy couples -- and that she went to extremes to make amends.

* HoneyTrap: [[spoiler: The matchmaker used a sleazy private eye and an escort to set these up in order to trap husbands she thought were adulterers, to help their wives get better divorce settlements.]]

Natalie Rhodes, a B-movie actress who has been cast as 'Nikki Heat' in the film adaptation of ''Heat Wave'', has arrived at the precinct to shadow Beckett to prepare for her role. Much to Beckett's amusement Castle, already less than impressed at the casting decision, is soon seething with jealousy both at no longer being the most famous person in the precinct ''and'' how everyone falls over themselves to accommodate her. The tables are soon turned, however, when Rhodes reveals herself to be an unexpectedly dedicated and committed actress -- and her absorption of Beckett's character begins to make things around the precinct increasingly uncomfortable. Furthermore, Ryan's plans to propose to his girlfriend hit a snag when it's revealed that he nurses a not-so-subtle celebrity crush on Natalie.

!!The ''{{Castle}}'' episode "Nikki Heat" provides examples of:

* DropWhatYouAreDoing: Natalie's appearance in full-Beckett getup causes Castle to drop his pencil.

* DoingItForTheArt: [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean In more than one way, apparently]]; Natalie Rhodes' approach to character acting goes way and beyond the call of duty.