9.3/102,978 votesLoading...#1 - Always
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 5/7/2012
When the murder of an Army veteran puts Beckett on the trail of the man who shot her, Castle must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice to keep her safe. As secrets are revealed and feelings are put on the table, the lives of the detectives at the 12th Precinct may never be the same.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe
9.3/102,415 votesLoading...#2 - Hunt (2)
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 2/25/2013
In the powerful conclusion of a two-episode story arc, when the FBI fails to get his daughter back, Castle takes matters into his own hands, reaching out to a shadowy fixer to help him recover Alexis. But Castle soon learns that his daughter's kidnapping may be part of an even more sinister agenda.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
9.1/102,085 votesLoading...#3 - Probable Cause
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 10/29/2012
While investigating a shocking ritualistic murder, Beckett and her team uncover surprising evidence linking Castle to the killing. As the evidence against him mounts, loyalties are tested. And when surprising revelations come to light, Beckett begins to wonder how well she really knows her new lover and partner of four years
Director: John Terlesky
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
9.1/102,025 votesLoading...#4 - Target (1)
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 2/18/2013
In the first of a two-episode story arc, Castle and Beckett begin a murder investigation that also exposes a plot to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy Middle Eastern businessman. FBI Agent Harris, an even-keeled professional is brought in to help find the kidnappers.
Director: Bill Roe
Writer: David Amann
9.1/102,056 votesLoading...#5 - The Lives of Others
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 4/1/2013
In the show’s 100th episode, Castle finds himself in the unfortunate position of NOT being able to work a case. While he’s holed up in the loft with a broken leg, Beckett goes off to investigate the death of an IRS agent without him, leaving Castle miserable and bored. But when he thinks he witnesses the murder of a young woman in the apartment across the street, he is thrown into a "Rear Window"-esque murder mystery that hits much too close to home.
Director: Larry Shaw
Writer: Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe
9.0/101,994 votesLoading...#6 - Tick, Tick, Tick... (1)
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 3/22/2010
Federal Agent Jordan Shaw, an insightful and accomplished Federal investigator teams up with Castle & Beckett to hunt down a cunning and elusive serial killer.
Director: Bryan Spicer
Writer: Moira Kirland
9.0/101,909 votesLoading...#7 - Cops & Robbers
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/2011
A crew of bank robbers disguised as classic television doctors take hostages which include Castle and Martha. But things are complicated by the fact that Beckett's on the outside having her every move scrutinized by a hostage negotiator and Castle's on the inside with information that the hostages are just a distraction for a more ominous plan.
Director: Bryan Spicer
Writer: Terence Paul Winter
9.0/102,209 votesLoading...#8 - After the Storm
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/2012
Picking up the morning after, Castle and Beckett now have to decide if they're a couple or was it just a onetime deal. But before they can tackle that, they must deal with those responsible for Kate's mother's death who are now a threat to Beckett.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: David Amann
8.9/101,855 votesLoading...#9 - Boom! (2)
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 3/29/2010
In the second part of the story begun in "Tick, Tick, Tick," the serial killer remains at large and is taunting Castle, Beckett and Jordan Shaw to catch him
Director: John Terlesky
Writer: Elizabeth Davis Beall
8.8/102,178 votesLoading...#10 - The Blue Butterfly
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 2/6/2012
When Castle and Beckett investigate the killing of a treasure hunter, they discover the case is linked to a mysterious homicide from 1947 involving a hard-boiled private detective. Castle realizes the only way to solve the present-day murder is to solve the murder from the past. The 1947 case comes to life through stylized flashbacks, featuring Castle as the private eye and Beckett as a femme fatale.
Director: Chuck Bowman
Writer: Terence Paul Winter
8.8/101,735 votesLoading...#11 - Murder, He Wrote
Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/2012
Castle and Beckett’s plans for a romantic weekend in the Hamptons are interrupted when a dying man stumbles into Castle’s backyard, collapsing into his pool. Unable to escape the lure of the investigation they join up with the small town’s well-intentioned, but inexperienced sheriff to find the killer,
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: David Grae
8.7/101,724 votesLoading...#12 - Sucker Punch
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 1/18/2010
While investigating the death of an Irish mobster, Beckett and Castle uncover a local turf war that may be connected to both a late-night infomercial guru and an international drug smuggling operation. But the case turns agonizingly personal when evidence emerges that the killer they're chasing may have had a hand in Beckett's mother's murder.
Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: Will Beall
8.7/101,651 votesLoading...#13 - Cuffed
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 12/5/2011
When Castle and Beckett wake up in bed, handcuffed together, in a locked room with no memory of how they got there, they must piece together the mystery of where they are and why, all while trying to escape. But as the two of them adjust to being shackled together, what's the biggest threat they face... the people who abducted them or each other? Meanwhile, Ryan, Esposito and Gates are left to investigate their disappearance in a case where all is not what it seems.
Director: John Terlesky
Writer: Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe
8.7/101,671 votesLoading...#14 - Pandora (1)
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 2/13/2012
Castle and Beckett pursue a ruthless killer who, they discover, is part of a sinister, international conspiracy. Castle and Beckett are joined on the case by Sophia Conrad, a smart, sexy CIA operative who has a complicated past with Castle.
Director: Bryan Spicer
Writer: David Amann
8.7/102,048 votesLoading...#15 - The Final Frontier
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2012
When a body is found at a sci-fi convention, Castle and Beckett are warped into the heart of fandom -- a world of egotistic celebrities, diehard costumed fans and enough drama for two galaxies.
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Kate Sargeant
8.6/1015 votesLoading...#16 - Knockout
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 5/16/2011
Kate Beckett's investigation into her mother's death is reactivated when Hal Lockwood - a professional hitman with knowledge of Beckett's mother's murder - stages a spectacular escape during a court hearing. As police launch a manhunt for Lockwood, Castle and the team uncover evidence of a deeper conspiracy involving a mysterious figure with law enforcement connections who is linked to both Lockwood's escape and the killing of Johanna Beckett. The search for Lockwood and the quest to identify his co-conspirator leads to a shocking and deadly conclusion.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Will Beall
8.5/101,584 votesLoading...#17 - A Deadly Game
Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 5/17/2010
Nothing is as it seems when Castle and Beckett investigate what appears to be the assassination of an intelligence operative. Meanwhile, Beckett's romance with Demming threatens her relationship with Castle, forcing them to confront their feelings for each other.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
8.5/1014 votesLoading...#18 - Knockdown
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 1/24/2011
When the detective who investigated Beckett's mother's murder is shot before Beckett's eyes before he can give her new evidence in the case, Beckett's old wounds are reopened. The investigation of the detective's death leads the team to an old scheme which may provide the answer to why Beckett's mother was murdered and who ordered it. Beckett and Castle's relationship takes a new turn.
Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: Will Beall
8.5/101,794 votesLoading...#19 - Rise
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/2011
Detective Beckett fights for her life as Castle, plagued by guilt over his role in the events, struggles to uncover who's behind her brutal shooting. Meanwhile, back at the precinct, Ryan and Esposito have to adjust, as Victoria "Iron" Gates becomes the precinct's new uncompromising Captain.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
8.5/101,589 votesLoading...#20 - Kill Shot
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 11/21/2011
A sniper on a killing spree is terrorizing New York City. With the clock ticking down to the next murder and nothing to go on except a killer with no apparent motive but to instill terror, this could prove the team's toughest case yet. The hunt is made even more complicated when Beckett begins to experience increasingly strong moments of PTSD - moments she tries hard to hide from Castle and the detectives.
Director: David Barrett
Writer: Alexi Hawley
8.5/101,593 votesLoading...#21 - Linchpin (2)
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 2/20/2012
Castle & Beckett race to find the "Linchpin" in order to stop the first domino in a chain of events which will plunge the United States into war. Their efforts continue to put Castle in contact with Sophia Conrad - a smart, commanding and sexy CIA operative who was Castle's inspiration for Clara Strike in the "Derrick Storm" series of books; and intelligence officer Martin Danberg is back.
Director: Rob Bowman
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
8.5/101,534 votesLoading...#22 - Undead Again
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 4/30/2012
When Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a man with human bite marks on his body, Castle's wild theories start flying. But none are as wild as what their only witness insists happened - a Zombie attack. As the evidence pointing towards an undead assailant piles up, the team plunges into New York's Zombie subculture to find the killer and bring him in -- dead, undead or alive
Director: Bill Roe
Writer: Christine Boylan
8.5/101,420 votesLoading...#23 - The Wild Rover
Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 3/25/2013
When a man is found dead in an industrial cake mixer, Castle and Beckett trace the murder to an Irish gang in Staten Island and a beautiful bar owner named Siobhan O’Doul. Much to everyone’s surprise, Detective Ryan has a complicated history with Siobhan and the Staten Island crime family from his days working undercover in narcotics. When the case hits a dead end, Ryan must go back undercover to expose the killer, complicating his relationship with his wife.
Director: Rob Hardy
Writer: Terence Paul Winter
8.5/101,775 votesLoading...#24 - Still
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 4/29/2013
Beckett's life is on the line when she steps on a pressure sensitive bomb. While the team searches for a way to disarm the explosive, Castle distracts Beckett by arguing with her about who fell for whom first.
Director: Bill Roe
Writer: Rob Hanning
8.5/10991 votesLoading...#25 - The Blame Game
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 2/22/2016
Castle is captured and forced to work with strangers to solve deranged puzzles and mind games, while Beckett and the 12th Precinct must race against time to rescue Castle and catch a killer.
Director: Jessica Yu
Writer: Michal Zebede
The Best Episodes of Castle
Every episode of Castle ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Castle!
After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City...
Genres:DramaCrime
Network:ABC
Best Episodes Summary
"Always" is the best rated episode of "Castle". It scored 9.3/10 based on 2978 votes. Directed by Rob Bowman and written by Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe, it aired on 5/7/2012. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Hunt (2)".