(S02E20) First of all, 'The Late Shaft?' really? That has to already be a porno,right? If it isn't already, I'm sure it's going to be now. After the endless media scrutiny, and of course after Conan's big news, it's really fun to see a new spin on the Late Night Wars. Things got pretty heated between Conan and Jay, so someone getting killed with balsamic vinegar was really the natural progression of the whole thing.

Also, balsamic vinegar? I watch enough Big Pharma commercials to know about MAO inhibitors, but fermentation? Come on, Internet doctors, help me out. Is this even possible in a parallel universe? And if so, why isn't everybody killing everyone this way all the time? Also, a salad sounds pretty good right now.

The writers did a brilliant job of incorporating not only Conan, Jay, and even Letterman's scandals, but shoving a really raunchy Tiger Woods joke in there without seeming overly "ripped from the headlines." 'Castle' has always been a comedic show, so it was nice to see a light take on the worst-case late night scenario -- even if it involves death and lies.

One of the main things that made this episode so successful is what makes the show so successful as a whole -- the fact that they cast multiple guest stars per episode. Usually, if there's someone you recognize, then chances are good that he or she is the killer. However, in this episode we had Fred Willard, Nicholle Tom and French Stewart, not to mention Kimber from 'Nip/Tuck,' the aunt from 'Sabrina,' and the one-two punch of early 90s MTV greatness: Dan Cortese and Bill Bellamy. Other than a blast from the past, this also served to make it a little bit harder to guess the killer.

Speaking of the killer, I love how it ended up being Fred Willard. It's fitting that the sidekick finally snapped, because I've been seeing murder in Andy Richter's eyes for a long time now. Okay, not really, but the idea of Richter finally losing it and going nuts is pretty funny to me. Plus, Bobby Mann totally had Conan's Eisenhower mug, which I choose to see as a warning for O'Brien. Andy Richter doesn't like basic cable.

Also funny was how Beckett got all salty when it came to Castle's relationship with Ellie. Yes, she's a trained detective, and yes, Ellie's motives weren't exactly difficult to ascertain, but something tells me that Beckett's motives weren't altogether altruistic. It seems as though what she presented as fact was more what she hoped was going on, because she was jealous. She looooves him.