in season 2, episode 17, they discuss a situation where a man has his bichon frise that was killed by another dog at the park brought to a taxidermist. they also mention that the rottweiler that killed his dog was put down. no pictures or anything is ever shown. (about the 33 minute mark)
SPOILERS s2e07 Drug use in the music business is a major theme of this episode. Both the murdered woman, her ex-band member, and her sister struggle/d with addiction. The surviving sister is shown high and drunk, and later going through withdrawal from heroin and alcohol. The episode has a happy ending with the sister deciding to get and stay clean, and singing as a tribute to her deceased sister. No drug use is shown in graphic detail, though the sister drinks heavily when in the morgue IDing the body and track marks are shown.
SPOILERS s2e07 Drug use in the music business is a major theme of this episode. Both the murdered woman, her ex-band member, and her sister struggle/d with addiction. The surviving sister is shown high and drunk, and later going through withdrawal from heroin and alcohol. The episode has a happy ending with the sister deciding to get and stay clean, and singing as a tribute to her deceased sister. No drug use is shown in graphic detail, though the sister drinks heavily when in the morgue IDing the body and track marks are shown.
season 3, episode 4: a squirrel was killed by a stray bullet - they find it in the tree and detective ryan holds it upside down by it’s tail. you can only see the back half of the squirrel, not it’s head or face. (37 minutes in)
Season 2 episode 6 Halloween decorations (end of ep), season 4 ep 11 detailed conversation about s. Season 5 ep 21 neck tattoo. Season 5 ep 24, talk of s on a trip to costa rica (beginning of ep).
SPOILERS s2e07 The major case of this episode revolves around a singer who was sexually abused by her producer who she looked up to as a father figure. He murdered her and is eventually arrested for the crime. Nothing happens on screen.
S04E09 is concerned heavily with Beckett’s PTSD and shows her having flashbacks, anxiety attacks, sensory overload, and other related symptoms/experiences.
S3e03 the victim is knocked on the head and shut into a folding couch where she suffocates/dies. The crime scene is shown and the situation is discussed but the murder doesn’t happen on screen.
In S2E9 an old case is mentioned where a 6 year old boy was abducted and they caught the guy but the child was killed. It's not a significant part of the episode, only mentioned. And nothing is shown.
This show is heavily weighted in favor of sympathy to the cops as the good guys, with unnecessary force and reasonable lawfulness sometimes brushed off in favor of drama or shenanigans. However, the main characters are painted as trying to be ethically solid. A major storyline surrounding a specific murder over multiple seasons has to do with corrupt police, as do several other smaller cases, and the cops in questions are dealt with and shown as Bad or at least having made Bad choices. Castle himself is kind of a cop fanboy, hence the entire premise of the show.
Some episodes involve a killer who is mentally ill, but more episodes involve profiling people as suspects who are mentally ill who end up being innocent and framed.
SPOILERS S04E09 - the killer has severe depression and delusions as a result of trauma suffered as a soldier.
S04E09 is concerned heavily with Beckett’s PTSD and shows her having flashbacks, anxiety attacks, sensory overload, and other related symptoms/experiences.
SPOILER s2e17 Castle and Beckett see who they think is their killer shoot himself through a window. It turns out he doesn’t actually shoot himself, it’s a ploy by the real killer.
S6 E11 a woman goes into labour and you see her having contractions. It cuts away to another scene after Lanie says that it’s time. You don’t see any of the actual child birth and the next scene with her is when she’s holding a baby
The murder victims on this show are fairly diverse but there is definitely a large share of Black victims. MAJOR SPOILER //
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the only major main character to die in the first three seasons is the Black police captain, Roy Montgomery.
The general concept of “when someone found out santa was fake” comes up a couple times, most memorably about Beckett in early Season 3 and Alexis at various points.
S1e08 the murder victim is found drowned in a bathtub full of motor oil. The death is discussed and the body is shown in situ but the death does not happen on screen.