Can Castle and Beckett escape the room?
Ever played one of those room-escape games before?
True colors quickly begin to show as the clock ticks down.
Credit: Richard Cartwright/ABC
Whos the methodical one?
But first, a victim.
The only conflict her work pals can think of is a tense relationship with the office jerk.
(Alexis, accurately: I mean the guys abducted what, like twice a year.)
It stings Todd, who goes into anaphylactic shock.
Just that XXX generic poison from 30s cartoons.)
Another clue solved leads to the antidote, and not a moment too soon.
They want action, not talk, and flail about trying to bring up the door.
The door stays firmly in place, but a chamber opens.
It houses a single handgun and another note: Last one standing will be freed.
Castle checks the barrel and theyre looking at the musical chairs of bullets.
The men share stiff glances.
Judah is the first to break and reach for the weapon, but Castle isnt going down like that.
We have the power not to play, he reasons.
Then he addresses the camera.
Were not going to play your sick little game anymore.
The TV in the room flicks on, showing a live feed to an identical room.
Three women pace: Judahs girlfriend, Simons wife, and Beckett.
Buckley the Jerks gripes about Emmas work ethic give Rysposito a lead on that front.
The boy and girl are each wearing a medallion bearing that symbol.
(What does that symbol mean?
To my immense disappointment: absolutely nothing.)
The little girl stops her work and looks into the camera.
Im scared, she says.
I dont want to play this game anymore.
Her husband gets a load of that when the feed comes back to life.
Emboldened, he snatches the other gun.
He steps in front of the other and appeals to Simons faith.
Simon fires, but the chamber is blocked.
The bullet travels backwards into his chest, killing him.
Beckett refuses to believe what shes seeing and keeps her focus on getting free.
finds a helpful detail in the footage.
The Northcliffes are married psychologists who conducted research on separation anxiety in the 90s.
Their secretary confirms that the children in the marked footage are the Northcliffes twin children, Faye and Brandon.
Both kids were traumatized by their experience.
Their bond was strong, yet their parents forcibly kept them apart for their work.
Faye had recently committed suicide, and Brandon had long since split and gone off the grid.
She was seeking retribution for herself and the other scarred children by exposing the research.
But what relief could her proof really bring them?
Would anyone have even cared?
Separation and then elimination is the clear goal for the puppet master.
Their captor only wants one half of each pair to leave the room alive.
A nondescript hallway leads them to another room, with a single open door tantalizingly in view.
Castle and Beckett warn the rest not to charge ahead, but theyve apparently learned nothing and do.
Another steel door slots into place, and a countdown clock starts ticking down exactly five minutes.
Of those who remain, only your better half can survive, the last clue reads.
There are three levers and six people left in the room.
Half to hold the door open, half to escape.
Todd cites his faith, taking position at one.
Beckett and Castle take the others, because theyre doing this together or not at all.
Tricia, Judah, and Meadow leave, pledging to get help.
And Brandon Northcliffes favorite movie isSaw.
Without sharing a word, Castle and Beckett both realized that Todd is not who he claimed to be.
The fact that the minister, a.k.a.
Plus, Brandons favorite movie isSaw.
And while Im on the subject of plot holes, lets get back to this secret marriage debacle.
Last week, Castles spy stepmother, Rita, hadnt clocked that Caskett were back together.
Im getting whiplash over here,Castle.
hey choose a lane, and stay there.
