After passing the Captain's exam in the Season 7 finale, Beckett was surprised with an offer to run for State Senate. In the action packed season premiere, Castle and Beckett are adjusting to Beckett's career change, when a call from a mysterious stranger sets off an explosive chain of events. There are two sides to every story, and this unique two-parter will explore the same story from each of their perspectives, first from Castle's side as he searches for Beckett.

When the body of a local college fraternity student is found gruesomely murdered, Castle has to go undercover as a professor in order to gain access to the victim's world. However, he and Beckett soon discover that behind the fun and games of college are some darker secrets the university wants to keep hidden.