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The Worst Episodes of Castle

Every episode of Castle ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Castle!

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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 to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Castle Season 6 Episode 23 - For Better or Worse
    6.1/10(1549 votes)

    #1 - For Better or Worse

    S6:E23

    Castle and Beckett's long-awaited wedding is almost here, but when a shocking surprise threatens to ruin the big day, they are sent on a wild mission filled with masked men, angry bikers and a charming ne'er-do-well from Beckett's past.

    Director:John Terlesky
    Writers:Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe

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  2. Castle Season 8 Episode 10 - Witness for the Prosecution
    6.3/10(1056 votes)

    #2 - Witness for the Prosecution

    S8:E10

    Castle finally gets his day in court when he takes the stand as the key witness to a murder from five months ago. But when new information suddenly arises, he and Beckett must race against the clock to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writer:Terence Paul Winter

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  3. Castle Season 8 Episode 3 - PhDead
    6.4/10(1169 votes)

    #3 - PhDead

    S8:E3

    When the body of a local college fraternity student is found gruesomely murdered, Castle has to go undercover as a professor in order to gain access to the victim's world. However, he and Beckett soon discover that behind the fun and games of college are some darker secrets the university wants to keep hidden.

    Director:Rob Bowman
    Writer:Chad Gomez Creasey

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  4. Castle Season 8 Episode 8 - Mr. & Mrs. Castle
    6.4/10(1062 votes)

    #4 - Mr. & Mrs. Castle

    S8:E8

    Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a cruise ship entertainer, only to find themselves trapped at sea with the killer.

    Director:Jeff Bleckner
    Writer:Christine Roum

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  5. Castle Season 7 Episode 18 - At Close Range
    6.5/10(1118 votes)

    #5 - At Close Range

    S7:E18

    Detective Kevin Ryan is on the security detail of a charismatic congressman attending a charity event when shots suddenly ring out. Driven to apprehend the killer, Ryan must revisit the events that led up to the shooting, with the help of Castle and Beckett.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Castle Season 8 Episode 14 - The G.D.S.
    6.5/10(1045 votes)

    #6 - The G.D.S.

    S8:E14

    Castle returns to the City of Angels in search of answers about his missing time. But things take a deadly turn when he’s recruited by the legendary Greatest Detective Society to help solve a murder.

    Director:John Terlesky
    Writer:Alexi Hawley

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  7. Castle Season 4 Episode 18 - A Dance with Death
    6.6/10(1426 votes)

    #7 - A Dance with Death

    S4:E18

    When Odette Morton, a contestant on the hit competition show “A Night Of Dance,” is found murdered in her dressing room, Castle and Beckett must navigate the case’s many twists and twirls without stepping on each other’s toes. But as they delve into Odette’s past, they discover that this reality starlet was harboring a shocking secret that may have led to her death

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Moira Kirland

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  8. Castle Season 7 Episode 21 - In Plane Sight
    6.6/10(1206 votes)

    #8 - In Plane Sight

    S7:E21

    As Castle and Alexis travel to London, their routine flight turns deadly when the plane’s Air Marshal is found murdered. With the help of Beckett on the ground, Castle and Alexis race against time to find the killer before he carries out his fateful plan.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Castle Season 1 Episode 6 - Always Buy Retail
    6.7/10(1876 votes)

    #9 - Always Buy Retail

    S1:E6

    A man is killing people and posing them in Vodun (Voodoo) tradition. Castle's ex-wife announces her plans to move back to New York.

    Director:Jamie Babbit
    Writers:Gabrielle Stanton, Harry Werksman

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  10. Castle Season 5 Episode 23 - The Human Factor
    6.7/10(1314 votes)

    #10 - The Human Factor

    S5:E23

    When Homeland Security inexplicably seals the crime scene of a car bombing, Castle and Beckett find themselves with two mysteries on their hands: who murdered the victim, a government whistleblower, and why are federal agents trying to take over the case? The plot thickens when they discover that the victim wasn't killed by a car bomb but by a missile from a military drone.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writer:David Amann

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  11. Castle Season 7 Episode 10 - Bad Santa
    6.7/10(1190 votes)

    #11 - Bad Santa

    S7:E10

    When an ER physician is gunned down in the street, Castle and Beckett soon discover that the victim was a mob doctor to a Mafia family run by an old friend of Castle's. Also, against this backdrop of Christmas, Esposito and Lanie reach a defining moment in their relationship.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Castle Season 8 Episode 2 - XX (2)
    6.7/10(1440 votes)

    #12 - XX (2)

    S8:E2

    Beckett's side of her abrupt disappearance is revealed. After receiving a mysterious tip from her past, Beckett is launched into a fight for her life, with a team of mercenaries hot on her trail. While Castle investigates why his wife is on the run, Beckett must figure out who wants her dead, before they can finish the job.

    Director:Paul Holahan
    Writers:Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter

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  13. Castle Season 8 Episode 11 - Dead Red
    6.7/10(1052 votes)

    #13 - Dead Red

    S8:E11

    When the son of a Russian diplomat turns up murdered, Beckett and Castle find themselves in a dangerous game of international crime and punishment, with Castle having to entertain a jovial Russian security officer who winds up more involved than anyone planned.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:Jim Adler

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  14. Castle Season 7 Episode 16 - The Wrong Stuff
    6.8/10(1226 votes)

    #14 - The Wrong Stuff

    S7:E16

    When an astronaut, training for a trip to Mars, is mysteriously killed inside a Mars simulation, Castle and Beckett don spacesuits to investigate. But when they discover no one inside the sealed simulation could have committed the murder and no one from the outside could get in, the case takes a shocking turn

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Castle Season 8 Episode 22 - Crossfire
    6.8/10(1675 votes)

    #15 - Crossfire

    S8:E22

    With their best lead in hand, Castle and Beckett are ready to take on LokSat. But an unforeseen twist puts their case – and their lives – in jeopardy.

    Director:Rob Bowman
    Writers:Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter

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  16. Castle Season 2 Episode 22 - Food to Die For
    6.9/10(1580 votes)

    #16 - Food to Die For

    S2:E22

    A high profile chef is found frozen to death in the kitchen of a hot New York restaurant. Complications ensue when Castle and the restaurant owner, an old high school girlfriend of Beckett's, share an attraction. Meanwhile, Beckett's relationship with Det. Demming continues to grow.

    Director:Ron Underwood
    Writer:Terri Edda Miller

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  17. Castle Season 3 Episode 7 - Almost Famous
    6.9/10(1478 votes)

    #17 - Almost Famous

    S3:E7

    An "Officer Down" call turns out to be a male stripper dressed like a cop. Castle and Beckett explore the world of male strip clubs and struggling actors, all people in pursuit of fame. They need to determine if the murder was because of the victim's dreams of stardom or something more sinister.

    Director:Félix Alcalá
    Writer:Elizabeth Davis Beall

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  18. Castle Season 3 Episode 23 - Pretty Dead
    6.9/10(1441 votes)

    #18 - Pretty Dead

    S3:E23

    During rehearsal for "Baron's All-American Beauty Pageant," the contestants are shocked to discover the body of Miss Illinois - strangled, but by whom? As Castle and Beckett delve into the cut-throat competition of the pageant world, they learn that a number suspects had motive for murder, including jealous fellow contestants, the pageant's larger-than-life millionaire sponsor, Victor Baron, and the show's host -- hedonistic TV personality, Bobby Stark.

    Director:Jeff Bleckner
    Writer:Terri Edda Miller

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  19. Castle Season 5 Episode 14 - Reality Star Struck
    6.9/10(1418 votes)

    #19 - Reality Star Struck

    S5:E14

    Castle & Beckett get an up-close-and-personal view of a "Real Housewives"-esque reality TV series, "The Wives of Wall Street," when they investigate the murder of the show's rising young star. Meanwhile, Castle's attempt to give Beckett a Valentine's Day gift goes horribly wrong.

    Director:Larry Shaw
    Writer:David Grae

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  20. Castle Season 7 Episode 4 - Child's Play
    6.9/10(1272 votes)

    #20 - Child's Play

    S7:E4

    When an ice cream vender is shot, evidence leads Beckett and Castle to believe that an unknown second-grader may have vital information about the case. Castle goes undercover at an elementary school to try and identify the second-grader but nothing goes as planned.

    Director:Rob Bowman
    Writers:Rob Hanning, Andrew W. Marlowe

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  21. Castle Season 7 Episode 5 - Meme is Murder
    6.9/10(1255 votes)

    #21 - Meme is Murder

    S7:E5

    When a web celebrity is murdered, Castle and Beckett explore the flashy world of internet fame. But when the killer posts pictures from the crime scene on a photo-sharing site, they realize they are up against a social media sociopath who may strike again.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writer:Jim Adler

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  22. Castle Season 7 Episode 8 - Kill Switch
    6.9/10(1196 votes)

    #22 - Kill Switch

    S7:E8

    When subway passengers, including Detective Esposito, are taken hostage by a mysterious gunman, Castle, Beckett and the team must uncover the gunman's agenda before it’s too late.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Castle Season 3 Episode 15 - The Final Nail
    7.0/10(1496 votes)

    #23 - The Final Nail

    S3:E15

    Castle and Beckett find themselves on opposite sides of the case when Castle's old school friend emerges as the prime suspect in his own wife's murder. As they work to solve the crime, Castle comes to realize that one of two terrible things must be true... Either Detective Beckett is about to arrest an innocent man for murder, or his old friend is a cold-blooded killer.

    Director:John Terlesky
    Writer:Moira Kirland

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  24. Castle Season 6 Episode 6 - Get a Clue
    7.0/10(1371 votes)

    #24 - Get a Clue

    S6:E6

    As Castle and Beckett investigate the ritualistic murder of a young woman, they find strange symbols in the victim's apartment; Castle struggles with Alexis' decision to move in with Pi.

    Director:Holly Dale
    Writer:Christine Roum

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  25. Castle Season 6 Episode 13 - Limelight
    7.0/10(1299 votes)

    #25 - Limelight

    S6:E13

    When a pop star is found dead in an alley, Beckett and Castle look into her hard-partying lifestyle; a shocking revelation rocks the investigation.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writer:Rob Hanning

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Worst Episodes Summary

"For Better or Worse" is the worst rated episode of "Castle". It scored 6.1/10 based on 1549 votes. Directed by John Terlesky and written by Terri Edda Miller, Andrew W. Marlowe, it aired on 5/12/2014. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Witness for the Prosecution".