[s8e11] Dead Red Site

The central mystery begins when , the son of a high-ranking Russian diplomat, is found murdered with his throat slit.

Beckett admits to Castle that Rita is his stepmother, finally resolving one of the secrets she had been keeping during their temporary separation. [S8E11] Dead Red

Beyond the "murder of the week," this episode pushes the season's overarching conspiracy forward: The central mystery begins when , the son

Castle finally meets Rita (Ann Cusack), his father's wife and a veteran spy. The investigation uncovers that Grigory was looking into

The investigation uncovers that Grigory was looking into the death of his mother, Anya, who was believed to have died in an accident. It turns out Sergei Mishkin , the diplomat and Grigory's supposed father, killed the boy when he became an obstacle to Sergei's illegal dealings.

Because the victim is a "diplobrat," Beckett and the team must navigate a political minefield. The Russian consulate attaches a security officer, Vasiliy Zhirov , to the case.