A recent TV Fanatic interview with Stana Katic told us viewers that this episode was not one to be missed. The actress wasn’t lying. At all.

The latest hour of Castle dealt with a sniper on the loose, which affected Kate in all the wrong ways. It’s okay, you can sit back off the edge of your seat now. Let’s take a breath and discuss "Kill Shot."

Losing Control. Beckett was beyond her element in this case, feeling out of control for pretty much the first time. Her PTSD came back in full force as soon as the case came about. I have raved over several occasions that Katic is an amazing actress. This episode only solidified that belief. Katic showed such pure raw emotion throughout the hour that this has to be submitted for her Emmy nomination reel.

Earlier in the season, I was surprised when Kate seemed pretty much back to herself after returning to work. But this hour explained it. Sometimes we bury those things because we can’t deal. In this installment, Beckett had no choice but to deal. Great work by the entire Castle team. The flashbacks, the memories; Kate’s trauma felt so real.

Esposito Is Pretty Much The Man. Throughout this season, Esposito has been working his way to earn more screen time and, boy, does he deserve it. He was the one to help Kate throughout the hour, pushing her to move forward and protecting her while doing so. Plus, he took out the sniper as he held a gun to our precious Beckett. See? Espo is the man. 

The dynamic between these two is flawless. They are both serious cops who know how to handle each other in the best way possible. The scene in the evidence room with the gun that shot Kate was perfect. 

Things Are Getting Better! Even though Gates is still not a huge fan of our favorite author, she is making progress in working with him. There were a few instances throughout the episode when she asked Castle directly for answers, proving what Beckett told her: Castle is an asset. The two stood at the board together discussing the case, she depended on him with the paper dolls (which was one of the coolest identifiers for a case, ever)... it looks like Ms. Iron Gates is not as tough as rumored to be. 

Caskett Is On! Sort of. Kate took the step she needed to in order to move forward. She has already admitted to her therapist that she knows Castle’s feelings and she remembers her shooting. Admitting that her issues run deeper than the PTSD and back to her mom, she made the choice that it's time to begin moving again, to be more of a person; AKA get herself better so she can move forward with Castle!!!

She said before that she can’t be with Castle or anyone because she’s not ready for that. Girl is making steps to get herself ready and that's all us Caskett shippers can hope for!

Side Notes...

• We got glimpses of Beckett’s scar tonight, including a scene in her bra. I know this was a scene that all you male viewers were loving!
• How amazing was Beckett hiding in her apartment after drinking? Rocked it!
• Lanie and Esposito worked together in a handful of scenes throughout the hour. Did anyone else notice it seemed like nothing ever happened?
• Less screen time for Ryan and more for Espo.