Theresa Candela (Judy Reyes) is the hidden main villainess from "Little Girl Lost," the penultimate episode of Castle's first season (airdate May 4, 2009). She is the wife of Alfred Candela and the adoptive mother of two-year-old, Angela Candela.
At some point, Theresa became unhappy in her marriage to Alfred, resenting him for having (what she believed) a casual attitude towards fatherhood, and becoming angry over Alfred's paintings and his inability to sell a single one in years, while she worked 14 hours a day. She had been planning to divorce Alfred, but it would result in her actually losing custody of Angela due to Alfred having more time with her. However, Theresa was informed by her lawyer that she could get sole custody of Angela if Alfred was proven to be negligent, and with that in mind, Theresa turned heel and set up her own daughter's kidnapping.
In her plan, the evil Theresa colluded with her sister, Nina Mendoza, to commit the abduction; letting Nina in through the window so she could take Angela. Alfred was home at the time, which was part of Theresa's plan to make Alfred look irresponsible and negligent, and following the abduction, Theresa acted like a panicked and worried mother to mask her role as a villainess. She also attempted to label Angela's birth parents and Dave Ellers--an employee Angela got fired after reporting him--as potential culprits to divert attention away from herself and Nina. All the while, Nina demanded a $750,000 ransom--which was planned to go to Theresa.
In the episode's climax, Nina was revealed as the kidnapper and arrested, and after Angela was returned home, Alfred expressed immense joy over her return, while Theresa merely scowled. After Angela was taken to her room, Theresa was revealed as the villainous mastermind behind her daughter's kidnapping, and during the reveal, the villainess lambasted Alfred for (in her mind) his inability to provide and take care of Angela, while stating that what she did wasn't kidnapping because Angela was her daughter. She later revealed her entire plan and motive to make Alfred look negligent and file the papers after getting the ransom, so she could keep her apartment and Angela, and after this, Theresa was arrested (off-screen) for masterminding her daughter's abduction.
Trivia[]
- Judy Reyes later played greedy villainess Jane Livingston on Medium, and appeared on iZombie's second episode as the evil Lola Abano.
Quotes[]
- "I worked fourteen-hour days year after year, killing myself so that we can have a life. And what did you do? Oh, you painted. All you did was paint. (Alfred: "That's not true.") Really? What about that job you said that you were going to get so that I could cut my hours? (Alfred: "I was taking care of Angela.") "Taking care"? You left her there! In front of the TV! Every day! Do you know how many times I woke up to her screams because he was in that room, blasting the music in his ears?" (Theresa Candela's venomous accusations towards her husband, Alfred)
- "How is it kidnapping? She's my daughter. (Beckett: "Mrs. Candela, you had your sister climb through that window and take her.") I gave her permission. (Beckett: "It doesn't matter. You violated your husband's custodial rights.") "Custodial rights"? He didn't even notice that she was gone! What kind of a father does that to his two year old child? (Theresa revealing herself as the mastermind behind her daughter's abduction)
- "The lawyer said that if I could prove him negligent, I would get custody. I wouldn't have to move out of the apartment that I paid for so that he could live here with my daughter. Do you know how hard it was to adopt her? How much it cost? Ten years! How many paintings have you sold, Alfred? Huh? How many? (Alfred: "How could you hate me so much?") You made it easy." (Theresa revealing her motive and plans behind the kidnapping)