Suicide Squeeze

**Writer**: Jose Molina

**Director**: David Barrett

#### DUSTJACKETS BLURB

Beckett is very excited when a baseball player's murder brings her into contact with an idol. Meanwhile, Alexis investigates family history and learns to read minds.

### Guest cast

* Dayo Ade - ANTON WADE
* Ray Wise - BOBBY FOX
* Joe Torre - HIMSELF
* Chandra West - MAGGIE VEGA
* Don Franklin - TOMMY ZANE
* Vanessa Martinez - LARA BLANCO
* José Zúñiga - ALFREDO QUINTANA
* Rebeka Montoya - ANA RIVERA

### Music

* "I Get Around" - DRAGONETTE (Vega and Zane's club)
* "Whole Again" - ALL NIGHT CHEMISTS (tag)

### Literary and other references

* Some background that is useful for this episode: The United States and Cuba have a very bad relationship, due partly to human rights abuses in Cuba and partly towards ideological conflicts between the two governments. This dates from the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which put communist military dictator Fidel Castro in power. This was during the Cold War between the US and the communist Soviet Union, and the US was strongly against any more countries falling under communist control. There were several attempts by the US government to overthrow or assassinate Castro, including the 1961 Bay of Pigs, and tensions led to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which was one of the points at which the Cold War came closest to escalating into nuclear warfare. Since this time the US has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba, and the two countries have only minimal diplomatic relationships (interestingly, the embassies of the two countries are officially part of the Swiss embassy in each capital). It is also not possible to visit Cuba with a US passport, except in special circumstances. President Obama has recently lifted some of the stricter sanctions against Cuba, but has stated that the embargo will continue unless Cuba moves towards democracy and greater consideration of human rights. The current US policy towards immigration allows for a small number of visas per year, and any Cuban resident that reaches US soil can remain in the country for a year and then apply for legal permanent resident status. However, if Cubans are caught at sea between the two countries (the distances is 90 miles from Cuba to Florida) they are deported back to Cuba. This is generally known as the "wet foot/dry foot" policy.
* Joe Torre has a cameo in this episode - he's the current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, former manager of the New York Yankees, and former player for the New York Mets.
* "Vig" is short for "vigorish", from the Russian word выигрыш, "winnings". It's used in American slang to denote a bookmaker's cut of a bet, or the interest on a loan from a loan shark.
* *The Untouchables* was a 1987 crime drama starring Robert De Niro as gangster Al Capone.
* Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican major league baseball player.
* IKEA is a Swedish-based furniture company which specializes in affordable furniture that you assemble yourself.

### Memorable moments

* Alexis learning to read minds.
* Beckett being all fangirl-y about Joe Torre.
* Castle and Alexis talking about his father.
* Beckett catching the baseball without looking, and Castle completely missing.
* Maggie's introduction to Laura.
* Alexis and Castle playing catch.

### Quotable quotes

* CASTLE: You were just paying the corpse a visit.
* CASTLE: Cuba, good idea! I'll bring the mojitos, you get the beach towels.
BECKETT: Oh, I don't know Castle. Me, in a swimsuit, under the hot, blistering sun?
CASTLE: I'd be happy to rub lotion on you.
* CASTLE: Did you just use the word 'veritable'?
BECKETT: Yes, I did.
CASTLE: Sexy.
BECKETT: You should hear me say fallacious.
* *(Watching Ryan call his girlfriend.)* ESPOSITO: Some guys are just pathetic.
CASTLE: Don't be jealous, he still loves you.
* CASTLE: This is Detective Kate Beckett.
JOE TORRE: Hi.
BECKETT: Beckett...Kate...Detective...thank you.
* CASTLE: Smooth.
BECKETT: That was Joe *Freakin'* Torre. I gotta call my dad.
* CASTLE: Well, the Russians create sushi with radioactive bologna... what's more far fetched?
BECKETT: Well, I just met Joe Torre, so I guess anything's possible.
* BECKETT: She smiles; picks up a bat and thinks of everything that he's done to her; starts with the family jewels and ends with the family fortune.

### Just the facts

* Martha's family had a mind-reading act at Coney Island.
* Beckett's father has been taking her to baseball games since she was three.
* Meredith's family goes all the way back to the Mayflower.
* Martha and Joe Torre are apparently friends.
* Freshman year of college Castle fell in love with a girl named Allison, but she was gone the next morning, and he never got her last name, so he could never find her again.
* When Maggie gives Castle the note about Laura, he remarks that 2/16 was the day before the murder, but the episode was aired on 2/8. So either the episode takes place in the near future or it was originally intended to be aired at a later date.

### Oops

* Perlmutter tells Beckett that they can't get any info about the murderer from the angle of the blow to Vega's head because he was kneeling when struck, but even so they should have been able to gather some information from the angle and positioning of the wound. (And, as has been mentioned in previous episodes, MEs don't do this kind of forensic work.)
* Lara's English is way too accent-less and proficient (despite the searching for words) for someone who grew up in dire circumstances in Cuba.
* When Beckett and Castle were at Bobby Fox's office, she flashes her badge at the secretary, and it clearly reads 0334. Later, when Beckett is on the phone calling for a "detain and contain" regarding Lara, she says that her badge number is 41319.

### Branch libraries

News

Reviews

* CliqueClack - Castle--Who's your daddy? (9 Feb 10)

Promos