1. The finale begins with the death of a girl who was chased through the woods, and the ensuing investigation "draws Castle back to an event that happened when he was 11 years old," Marlow says. "He came face-to-face with something terrible" - which holds the key to why Castle became a writer of crime fiction. "The case allows him to confront inner demons he's been wrestling with for a while," Marlowe continues. "Castle is usually so open about everything in his life, but this something he's kept secret for a long time. Now he's finally able to share it with the people around him."

2. Mrs. Castle is contending with personal and professional issues of her own. "One of the things we've been tracking with Beckett is a general sense of her being at a crossroads in her life," says Amann. "She looking at what the next step is for her."

3.  Don't expect the season to end as it traditionally does - on a major cliffhanger. That's because, at press time, Katic has not yet renewed her contract or signed on for an eighth season (and ABC had yet to officially renew the series). "We're assuming everything's going to work out," Marlowe says, "But our fans have been incredibly loyal, so if we don't come back, we wanted to have something that feels like a satisfying conclusion."