Castle and Beckett tangled with the CIA and ended up getting tossed off a pier, while locked in their car, on the first part of this hit's annual two-hour episode. Will "Pandora" be a walk in the park compared to Beckett's reaction to Castle's former muse? 

Chandel Charles, Jim Garner, Courtney Morrison, and Christine Orlando talk cliffhangers and romantic possibilities in this week's Castle Round Table.

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So, were Castle and Sophia romantically involved and if so, will he tell Beckett?
Chandel: I am really interested to know the truth, so I hope he tells Beckett the truth soon. If you ask me, it was definitely romantic on some level!

Jim: Betting they had a fling, she wanted it causal and Rick (being the romantic) fell for his Muse. But when he told her, she broke his heart. This would explain a bit about why he is so guarded about opening up to Kate. My writer instincts say part of it will slip and after everything is done Rick will sit down and tell her the whole story.

Courtney: Something definitely happened, too much chemistry not to have! I think Rick sees Kate's jealousy so he will admit to her to be honest.

Christine: Ooh. I like Jim's theory. I'll be shocked if they hadn't slept together given the way they interact and that he followed her or a year. If Castle doesn't give Kate the full story in part 2 I'll be very disappointed.

What was your favorite scene?
Chandel: Beckett driving with Castle, expressing her displeasure with Castle about Sophia and her not being the only women he'd ever shadowed. There was some real Beckett feelings coming out there. They keep getting more and more comfortable talking about their partnership, its dynamics and keeping each other honest about it, even in a limited capacity.

Jim: Kate/Rick in the trunk. Loved the reference to episode where they were handcuffed together. Rick's quick thinking on hitting the panic button was great, the fact it annoyed Kate made it even funnier.

Courtney: The first time they got the bags over their heads. I had no idea what was happening and I loved it!

Christine: So many fun moments. I loved Beckett saying she wasn't about to get rescued by his girlfriend when they were in the trunk. Then Kate finally finding the nerve to ask Castle about his relationship with Sophia while they're in the park. You could tell she was really struggling. I can't make my mind up between the two scenes.

Is Castle right to be concerned about Alexis working with Lanie?
Chandel: No, Alexis has proven she's a big girl and she can totally handle working with Lanie.

Jim: I don't think he's worried about her safety, He just needs "his space" and Lanie working is part of that space. I'm sure he will adjust. Besides I'm rooting for Alexis to get the ME bug and become a Jr. ME so she can be on the show more!

Courtney: He is right to be concerned because he is her father. He sees how dangerous it can be and wants to protect Alexis from it. It's one thing to know about a murder scene, another thing to see it.

Christine: I thought he'd be more upset about his little girl going to crime scenes but it looks like he's afraid of her hearing things he'd rather keep private, like his spat with Beckett. News of which quickly made its way back to Martha which was very funny.  Looks like he's got reason to be worried. Gossip amongst the girls travels fast.

Season 2, Beckett's apartment blows up. Season 3, They're locked in a freezer. Where does this cliffhanger rank?
Chandel: I have yet to decide. I think that season 3 freezer will probably always rank highest, more for its aftermath than the actual cliffhanger itself. I am willing to wait and see what the aftermath of this one is before I make any final judgments!

Jim: Last, mainly because the "car pushed into the water" has been done to death and even Mythbuster showed that if you keep your head you can get out of a car that is sinking in water. Don't get me wrong, I would be screaming like little girl, but this is TV.

Courtney: The apartment blowing up will always be tops with me. The car driving into the water is intense but we know they will both be ok. I'd put it second between the apartment and the freezer.

Christine: So far last, but I'll withhold judgement until part two. So far my favorite was Castle frantically running to Kate's apartment before it blows up on Season 2.  And Jim...I saw that Mythbusters too. They proved that you had to hold your breath for about two minutes while submerged before the doors would open.  If you screamed, you'd drown!
 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.