The evil Gwenn Harwin
| “ | When he left me, he told me he never wanted to hurt me. That's what people always say right before they hurt you. Yes, he left me my lifestyle. Five years later, he shows up on my doorstep telling me--again--that he doesn't want to hurt me. You know what the worst part is? Just for a moment, when he stood there that night, I was happy to see him. | „ |
| ~ Gwenn Harwin's confession to killing her ex-husband |
Gwenn Harwin (Leslie Hope) is the main villainess from "Secret Santa," episode 5.09 of Castle (airdate December 3, 2012).
Backstory[]
Gwenn Harwin is the ex-wife of James Edmund Smith, a former shady loan shark who had been working as a professionally trained Santa Claus. Edmund's backstory revealed that he founded Suncove Funding, and five years prior, he and Michael Case devised an unlawful scheme to put people into expensive mortgages that they could not afford, resulting in their victims losing their homes. Beth Cabot and her family were among Suncove's many victims, and they were suing Suncove following the death of the patriarch, who was killed in a car wreck on Christmas Eve by falling asleep behind the wheel while he was on his way to one of his three jobs he worked to pay their mortgage. Regarding Gwenn, her then-husband's villainous deeds paid for her lifestyle, but that night, Edmund began feeling guilt for his actions, and after the couple watched the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life, together, he left Gwenn.
Events[]
Gwenn's reveal as a villainess during the episode's climax
Edmund spent the five years that followed working as a Santa, doing so as part of his redemption. All the while, he moved next door to the Cabots, and it was a week prior that he revealed his true identity to Brth's eldest son, Tim. Edmund found out about the lawsuit and worked with Tim to help his family, and during his quest, he went to Gwenn and informed her that he was blowing the whistle on Suncove. Edmund's actions would result in Gwenn losing her wealthy lifestyle, and not wanting to give that up, she turned heel and decided to eliminate her ex-husband. The greedy villainess went to Case Commerce where Edmund was planning to collect the files containing the original documents linking them to Suncove, as well as returning the Cabots' clock to them. Gwenn tracked Edmund to the helipad on the building's rooftop and shot him to death as he was flying away, after which his body fell from the helicopter.
Gwenn was interviewed by Richard Castle and Kate Beckett, acting mournful over Edmund and stating that he was being followed by a person in a motorcycle. That person was revealed as Tim, who informed the pair about Edmund planning to help him and his family win their case, leading to Michael Case being suspected. Case denied killing Edmund, but confessed he knew who did it, stating that she was at the party that night. Case's words revealed Gwenn as the killer, and after the villainess denied the claim, Beckett and Castle uncovered her motive: not wanting her upscale lifestyle taken away by Edmund's selfless act. At that moment, the evil Gwenn confessed to killing Edmund, while claiming to be hurt by her husband and admitting that she was actually happy to see him that night before she killed him. Following her confession, Gwenn was arrested (off-screen).
Trivia[]
- Leslie Hope also played villainess Denise Partney on CSI: Miami.