So we all seem to agree that Castle pretty much fell for Beckett completely in Poof, You're Dead.  And by "fell for" I mean, it wasn't just a sexual attraction, it wasn't just she's intriguing, I mean full on "She's my one and done.  I want magic with HER." 

As for Beckett, the LA episode clearly changed something in her towards Castle, but she was so raw and upset emotionally that I'm not sure it was GENUINE love.  I agree that Countdown was the first time they were both on the same page with their feelings.  What about in 3XK when they were both sitting by the pool and Beckett saw Castle's pain and reached out to him?  That was the first time Beckett really reached out to comfort Castle, as I recall. 

i'm rewatching the entire series from the beginning.. I think that B fell in love at the end of the second season but with the finale she was so hurted that she wants to prevent herself.. in the first episode it's obvious that she is heart broken but she miss him so much though.. that's just my opinion..

I would have to say Beckett new during her speech she gave at Montgomery's Funeral

You know what i think Beckett realize that Castle was in love with her in 3x13. It is just not possible for a smart detective to not know that by then. And I think she realize the feeling was mutual in this episode as well. And nope I'm not just looking at the kiss. Even tho it was a yummy shipper moment. I mean just look at her face when she was looking at Castle after he pounded Lockwood. Every punched is like saying "don't you dare hurt her". The hand wrapping is like saying ILU 2. So i think here is where it actually change from crush to love realization. 

I think Castle is less complicated on this point and I think he probably realized that he was in love with Beckett when he broke it off with Gina. Problem is that he is to much of a gentlemen to tell her since she is still with Josh. 

*Anywayz, they probably had deep feeling about each other for quite a while now but didn't label it with the L word. Probably made it easier to be with other people that way. When it's label love, I'd say anybody else is just second best at most. 

Beckett being Beckett fights the feeling thus it leads us to Josh and why he is still around. Castle meanwhile quietly watches. Complicated people these 2.

astral_monkey said:

I think Castle was smitten with Beckett from the pilot. Definitely after the "you have no idea" line.

 

I agree with MissWanderer. I think it's been a gradual thing and the 'aha' moments were more to do with realizing what's already there. I think Castle could say he's been in love with her since their very first case, but for Kate it would be a bit later probably end of season 2 when she broke up with Demming. I love the look on her face after Montgomery says the bit about it being 'sad a man had to die because the people involved were too scared to say how they really felt', and she says 'yes, it is sad' then Castle comes up to her and the smile on her face is just fantastic. Okay, I've just gone and rewatched that scene, and that's when Kate realised she loved Rick. For sure.

 

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I think she has probably realized she had feelings for Castle before that moment, but I agree that is the first time she accepts them. She is about to tell him when he walks up with someone else and she hits the brakes. You can tell she is in love then because of the pain all over her face from seeing him leave with another woman. That moment of pain for her sets her back and she closets those feelings again. I think she is well practiced at closeting her feelings, she's been doing it with her mother's murder for years. I totally agree that this is the first moment she realizes just how deep she is and how painful this could be for her. I think that is a turning point for her to tread very carefully with him.

I do think that Castle had already experienced this part by the time Kate lets herself get there. They both go back and forth and back and forth and it drives me crazy but at the same time I love! It makes me crave the show that much more!

Fruit Loop said:

Ok, I still stand by Beckett admitting her feelings for Castle to herself in Love and Die of LA, but after rewatching 3XK a few days ago, something stuck out in my mind that showed us that Kate's feelings had definitely started to become much deeper than a partnership.

When she kicks open the door of the hotel room, she screams "Castle?!" in an almost deperate voice.  She doesn't even seem to look for Ryan, she is solely focused on finding Castle and making sure he's ok.  Then when she runs over to him and whispers "I'm so glad you're ok".  There's so much emotion in that scene.  It's as touching to me as the final scene with them by the pool. 

So, yeah.  That my have been the start of the "real" feelings.

I totally agree with this too! She definitely was terrified about what could have happened to Castle! I love that episode because of that!