Gene Simmons on ABC's "Castle"

We’ve been hearing about Castle‘s Los Angeles excursion, but now comes the first look at the episode airing May 2. In the episode, called “To Love and Die in L.A.,” Beckett (Stana Katic) goes rogue and follows a suspect in the shooting death of her former partner to Los Angeles against orders. Castle (Nathan Fillion) tags along, and they end up visiting the set of the Heat Wave movie and enlist the cast to help break the case. Sadly, Laura Prepon won’t recur as the actress playing Nikki Heat, the heroine of Castle‘s crime novels inspired by Beckett. But we will get to meet the two actors playing the fictionalized versions of Esposito and Ryan. (That’s some solid casting with Justice Gamble and Ryan Deal, respectively).


Rock star Gene Simmons pops up as himself and the owner of the Beverly Hills mansion where the victim was living — we’ve got your first look at his guest spot above. Other guest stars include Prison Break‘s Dominic Purcell as a local businessman who may have a connection to the murder, The Cutting Edge‘s D.B. Sweeney as a detective in Robbery Homicide who questions Castle and Beckett about their rogue investigation, and Off the Map‘s Jason George as an entrepreneur with a connection to the murder case. I’m guessing we’re supposed to be most intrigued by this line in ABC’s episode description, “As they get closer to apprehending their killer, Castle begins to wonder whether Beckett is out for justice…or revenge,” but really, I’m most excited to see faux Esposito and Ryan. You?

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC/Entertianment Weekly
Kiss Mask Note: The episode airs May 2, 2011.