This past week Kate struggled to be enough on Castle and it wasn’t the first time. Let’s take a walk through memory lane!

In the latest episode of Castle, season 7, episode 17, “Hong Kong Hustle,” Kate found herself fighting to be the best when another detective, Zhang, appeared to be besting her in every way. Kate found herself struggling to be her usual confident self in her work and personal life compared to Zhang. Zhang is at the top of her field, leading multiple task forces, and at home she is married to a handsome movie star and has two gorgeous kids. Kate feels inadequate at first but soon realizes that Zhang’s life might not be all that it seems.

Castle took a back seat this episode, being Kate’s support system — which is something he does pretty well. In the past, he has been the source of other rivals for Kate, so it was a nice change of pace. Kate’s first real rival on the show would probably be Castle himself. He came in and challenged her in a way no one ever had, or ever would. She changed her viewpoint on the way she would approach cases and he forced her to see how his crazy theories could actually be a reality.

Her next rival came in a very interesting form. Natalie Rhodes, played by Laura Prepon, came into town during “Nicki Heat” to follow Kate around so she could get inspiration to play the character based on her. This was one of the first times we really saw Kate get flustered. The attention she received not only from Castle, but also Ryan and Esposito, was a bit shocking for Kate. She is used to being the woman that all the men look up to, in her personal and professional life. Then in comes Natalie, who is able to draw everyone’s attention and mimic Kate very, very well.

Two other women have ended up pushing Kate professionally and personally, despite only being around for a short time. The first was Rick’s first “muse”, CIA agent Sophia Turner, during the two-part episode of season 4. She was an evil liar but she gave Kate a bit of insider know-how about what would happen if Kate succumbed to her feelings for Rick. We know Kate ended up with Castle a couple of episodes later, so it just might have been the push she didn’t know she needed.

The second woman to challenge Kate to take the next step in her professional career is FBI agent Rachel McCord, played by Lisa Edelstein. She really pushed Kate to put her career first, but it came at the expense of Kate’s moral compass. This was really the last time Kate was making moves in her career, and it was also after she agreed to marry Rick. Going back to the 12th Precinct wasn’t a step back but just where she belonged.

Now that Kate realizes she isn’t as happy as she thought she was, we last saw her making a list of what she wants out of her life and how she can accomplish those goals. Here’s hoping a baby with Castle is on that list!

Share your theories about what is coming up next for Kate below!

Check back Monday for news on the new Castle episodes!