This past Monday, ABC’s “Castle” concluded an exhilarating two-part episode that was one of the best of the season. The best episodes of “Castle” are generally the ones that are extremely far-fetched in plot, but somehow have you believing that if Castle and Beckett don’t solve the mystery the world will literally come to an end.

In case you have never tuned into the show before, it’s pretty much your average cop show, with an emphasis on humor and ridiculousness wherever it can find room. It has the typical character layout, with an authority figure presiding over the police department, the two sidekicks who provide the laughs and star-crossed lovers as the lead duo. The difference between this cop show and others is mostly Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion (beloved by nerds around the world). Everything about this show that keeps me coming back has to do with him and his rapport with the other characters, which is nuanced and hysterical.

“Castle” has done a few of these two-part episodes since its premiere three years ago, and their strength has been primarily in the guest stars. This episode brought in Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame as a CIA agent who assisted Beckett and the gang in solving a murder that went far deeper than they expected. What they thought was simply a man being thrown out of a window turned out to spark a series of events which were on track to end the world as we know it. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s a doozy and not to be missed.

Jennifer Beals played a pivotal role in this episode in the crucial development of Beckett and Castle’s relationship, which stagnated after the emotional, trauma-filled finale of last season. Castle’s previous relationship with Beals’ character, Sophia Turner, jarred Beckett into realizing the potential for her romantic future with Castle. Another bomb that dropped in the episode was that Castle’s former lover spilled the beans that his father might be working in the CIA. Castle hasn’t heard from his father since childhood and this curveball was bound to come, but its delivery was still shocking. It’s a bit strange to introduce this plotline while Castle is still busy researching the murder of Beckett’s mother (another arc throughout this series that you absolutely must tune in for). This will undoubtedly flesh out over the course of this season and serve to make Castle a little more vulnerable. In the meantime, however, shippers can probably look forward to more romantic push-and-pull, especially as we get closer to the season finale.

Tune in Monday nights at 10/9c on ABC to catch Castle in action.

–Mackenzie Bronk