'Castle' Commentary : The Wheels Fell Off

‘Castle’ Commentary: The Wheels Fell Off

By Lisa Caputo

2016-04-22

A personal commentary on the news of ABC’s decision to move the series forward without cast members Stana Katic and Tamala Jones

A dark cloud has been hanging over the Castle fans this week, one that rolled in when news broke on Monday morning that ABC had elected not to renew the contracts of cast members Stana Katic and Tamala Jones. It is a cloud that has left fans either heartbrokenly speechless or extremely vocal, one that dampened people’s spirits about the remainder of this season and certainly the future of the series, and one that has forced many fans to question whether they can and will continue to support the show should the network move forward with a ninth season in the fall. I have long been a fan of the show, instantly hooked by the magic, the chemistry, the sense of family, and the stellar writing, and I have reviewed every episode of the series since partway through the fourth season. Time after time, I have been able to watch an episode and instantly find the words to capture the brilliance of the story. This week, it has taken me days to find the words to capture what this shocking news means to me, to my fellow fans, and to the story that we have all known and loved for years.

A POOR BUSINESS DECISION

While I have yet to see an official press release from ABC, multiple sources have suggested that the devastating decision the network made was nothing more than a cost-cutting business decision. In an effort to lower the budget for the series should they continue with a ninth season, the network opted not to renew the contracts of two of the original and much-loved cast members. This happens often with an aging series, that much is true, and while I may have been able to wrap my head around letting Tamala Jones go, only because they rarely had her character involved in the storylines this season anyway, I will never be able to wrap my head around letting one of the top-billed leads go. This is a show that lives and dies by the chemistry between the leads, complimented wonderfully by a talented ensemble cast. But if that chemistry had never been there, the show would have never found its place in the television landscape, no matter how great the writing was or how compelling the ensemble characters were. Because of the on-screen chemistry between Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion, the show resonated immediately with its fans, quickly growing a massive audience by the middle of its second season due to word of mouth and some intriguing storylines and big-name guest stars during that part of the season that drew viewers to the show in droves. Now, the network seems to believe the show can continue its success even after removing one of those leads, thus removing the core chemistry that made it a success in the first place.

While the ensemble cast has always been a central part of the story, a cast that has contributed massively to the success of the series by adding other compelling relationships amongst these characters, it is not a series that would be classified as a true ensemble series. Instead, it is a series with two leads, a will-they/won’t-they pairing that defied the traditional rules of network television and broke down the walls that had long existed since the feared “Moonlighting” curse forced other showrunners to avoid ever pairing the leads together, at least not on a permanent basis. Andrew Marlowe and the Castle team defied those rules, broke down those walls, and not only had their story survive the pairing of the leads but actually thrived as they pioneered a new concept that you could have a lead couple committed together in love and marriage without losing the magic and chemistry they had during their will-they/won’t-they phase. In fact, during Marlowe’s era, there were 81 episodes with Castle and Beckett apart and 70 episodes with them together and never separated as a couple, something that proves that the life of a series does not end when you allow the leads to be paired effectively.

So with a series that is powered by its primary and central relationship between its two leads, why would ABC view separating those leads permanently as being a wise business decision? Did they actually believe that they would not be risking a backlash from a large portion of the audience? While I never agree that the vocal online community in any way represents anything close to the actual majority of the viewers, I think in this case there is no doubt that all viewers of this show will stop and seriously consider whether they can watch Castle without Beckett. Those who watch the show every week but do not participate in the online fandom are not lesser fans of the show and while enough viewers have continued tuning in this season despite outcries amongst some factions of the online fandom who swore they would not watch the show, the show simply is not the same for anyone in the audience if you take away one of the leads. I know many viewers who watch the show religiously every week but have no interest in spending time online talking about the show or participating on twitter or other areas of social media. But that has no impact on whether or not they are just as captivated by this story as those of us who do extend our Castle experience online. That is why I have never supported using the term “casual viewer” to those who watch the show but are not part of the online fandom. They are not casual viewers, they watch every week and are just as enthralled by the characters and the storyline, they just opt not to go online to participate in discussions or be part of that portion of the fandom and there is -nothing wrong with that. And these viewers, just like us, may find it difficult to continue to watch this series without both of the leads on board. While there will always be fans who watch for other characters or actors or for the crime of the week, I do believe wholeheartedly that this show will have difficulties retaining even a significant portion of their audience if they do continue with a ninth season without Beckett. It just becomes too different a story, too different a show, and if anything in the history of television can be deemed as being a true “jump the shark” situation, this will be it.

ABC did not make a wise decision here, not at all, and whatever money they may save on cutting these two salaries, including the salary of one of the leads, they will likely lose it all from the backlash that will come from this decision, including the pivotal decline of merchandising, DVD sales, book sales, online episode subscriptions, and other such forms of revenue, not to mention significantly lower ad revenue should advertisers catch on to the danger here of having a much smaller audience next season after all of this turmoil. And this news has extended far beyond the borders of the online fandom. On Monday afternoon, the news was being reported here on our local Toronto news radio station, it was on the local television news that evening, and was also in the local newspapers the next morning. It was discussed on numerous entertainment shows, on various big-time Toronto radio stations the next day where the hosts who watch the show regularly were stunned and very upset about the news, and it has been all over the entertainment news websites as well. So this was not news that was limited to the online fandom, not by far, and the news spread like wildfire. Here in Canada, this has been one of the top shows for ages, ranking consistently in the top ten every season since I can remember tracking ratings and spent most of this season in the top five as well in the country. So it was huge news here and I would actually be interested to see how CTV handles the airing of the show next season should there be one. CTV has historically done well to stay ahead of the curve with this sort of thing and they may prove they are more aware heading into a ninth season that the show will not retain a similar audience anymore than even ABC.

Speaking of ABC, did they even consider the various other ways they could have cut costs for a ninth season? I am certainly not a network executive but I know enough about television production to know they could have done any number of other things to maintain the same cast next season yet trim the budget accordingly to keep it a profitable series. First and foremost, if you felt the series was ending its run and that it had a limited shelf life remaining, why not bring the entire cast back for a final season with a reduced number of episodes? This has become a standard on network television these days, the networks banking on the hype of a well-publicized “final season” drawing viewers back in, especially live viewers, because even viewers who may have left over the years or watched other programming live would feel compelled to tune back in and make sure they were involved in the next day’s watercooler discussion. There is a novelty to a final season for a long-running series, especially towards the end of the shortened season, because truthfully everyone who has ever enjoyed watching the show, even occasionally, will want to know how the story ends. So a shortened final season, if publicized even remotely, would spark the revitalization of the ratings again, including the live and same-day ratings, and with only half the number of episodes being produced for that season, the network saves half of their usual budget, all while being able to present a cheaper new show as a midseason series in January/February/March, one that would have the potential of retaining much of the Castle audience who would then have no other show to watch in that timeslot on Monday nights and likely be more inclined to try the new show than jump into another show mid-season that has aired since the fall.

There are other viable ways of cutting costs as well; less location shoots, using more of the existing sets rather than spending money to build new sets every week, limiting or eliminating the big-game guest stars and casting more unknowns for the guest roles, even attempting to negotiate new contracts for potentially less money but with added incentives and bonus to be able to complete the series under budget but give it the proper ending it deserved. Money is not everything to everyone so attempts could have been made to actually negotiate with the stars to see if proper compromises could be met. Again, I have no knowledge of what was or was not negotiated but from what we know of last year’s negotiations and what has occurred this year, it certainly seems as though this decision to omit Katic and Jones from a potential ninth season were made before either one made it to the negotiating table.

LACK OF RESPECT

Which brings me to my next issue with this decision; the absolute lack of respect it showed to two extremely talented actresses who deserved a heck of a lot better. Tamala was someone who was a very vocal supporter of the show, even when she, herself, was getting less screen time or less interesting storylines to chew on. She still championed the show, still promoted it every chance she had, and even made numerous appearances at various Castle conventions to give back to the fans. While Stana made less appearances herself at such events, typical of the type of expectations the networks usually have in terms of collecting revenue from letting their leads attend events, she was extremely giving of her time when it came to the fans, she was always very vocal about promoting the show and supporting the cast and crew, and was usually the biggest “shipper” out of her cast members as well. She believed in the story, she believed in her character, and she believed in her fellow cast and crew members, going to work every day for hours on end to deliver the best possible show and excelling at it. Had either chosen to leave the show on their own terms, I would have fully supported that decision because it should have been theirs to make. But that was not the case here as neither was given the choice. To be asked to leave a show you have worked on for seven years now for supposedly budgetary reasons must be a knife in one’s heart, especially for these incredible women who gave so much of themselves to this show, to their characters, and to the fans. Now, neither actress nor either character will have the chance to be given a proper farewell. They will not get the send-off they deserved, both on screen and off, and while that sometimes happens when a show is prematurely cancelled, this case is much different because there is a definite sense the network is opting to move forward with the series and neither Stana nor Tamala were invited to continue onward with it.

It is also highly disrespectful to the rest of the cast and crew, who are now robbed of that opportunity to knowingly part ways with two members of their family who they have shared their lives with for more than seven years now. Often, the departed cast members are asked to stay silent about such things until the network opts to break the news themselves, something meant to keep the details private until the time is right to release the news, just as many employees of any other company who are let go may be asked not to discuss the details of their termination with other members of that same company. I suppose it is bad for business whether in an office or in a television studio. But why did the network not have the foresight to inform the rest of the cast and crew of their decision? Why not present that news to them privately rather than allow them to find out when the rest of the world heard the news break on Monday?

CREATIVITY BE DAMNED

One of the most prominent issues that I have with ABC’s decision is that it stifles the creative aspect of storytelling. We have seen other cast members forced to leave the show, first with Ruben Santiago-Hudson departing due to Captain Montgomery being killed off at the end of season three and most notably Penny Johnson Jerald having her time on the show brought to a hasty halt at the end of season seven. But in both cases, as it should be, these difficult casting decisions were made to benefit the story and further the creativity of the stories being told as the show moved forward without these cast members. Montgomery’s demise was the culmination of a gripping storyline that found him at the root of Johanna Beckett’s murder, having felt so guilty for his part in her death that he took a young Detective Beckett under his wing and spent years protecting her and guiding her. In the end, he made amends for what he did to her by taking a bullet for her to save her life, ultimately being regarded as a selfless hero and impacting the other characters greatly. And Captain Gates’ departure was a necessary factor in allowing Beckett to take over as Captain of the 12^th this season, again not an easy decision as it forced out another wonderful cast member in Penny but done with the intention of furthering the creative storytelling and opening a new door for Beckett’s character to propel her forward.

But this decision adds nothing to the story. In fact, it detracts from it severely and in a way that may prove to be too crushing for a majority of the audience to accept when Beckett is no longer a part of the story when she has been such a central character for the entire run of the series. And it begs the heartbreaking question as to where the story can possibly go from here? In what way can this story continue believably without Beckett? And since the decision was made after the season finale had been shot, how can her leaving the show be dealt with in an effective way? How can Lanie’s departure be dealt with as well? Presumably, neither character will have a proper ending to their part in this story. The writers came up with two endings to the season finale, one that would end with a cliffhanger to propel the story forward should ABC renew the series for a ninth season and one that would end as more of a proper season finale should ABC opt to cancel the series and call it a day. But without knowing that Beckett could never return to the show in its ninth season and there being distinct signs now that the show will most likely continue forward without her and without Lanie, how could either of these already-shot endings give any viable closure for either character?

Truthfully, there were much better creative options if ABC wanted to continue mining the popularity of the series while also cutting costs. They could have opted for a spinoff, something that can be immensely successful when the spinoff takes one or more of the beloved characters from a show and puts them in a different setting or tells the story from a slightly different angle, still pulling in an audience who would be interested in seeing that other side of the story as told through some of the ensemble characters while never being forced to be compared to the original series because it is vastly different in the necessary ways. I would have gladly watched a spinoff with Ryan and Esposito. Perhaps after the birth of their second child, Jenny and Ryan decide to move out of the bustling New York City and into a quiet county upstate or in another state, somewhere their kids can ride their bikes safely on the quiet streets and grow up in a more innocent environment. Of course, Esposito decides to transfer to that county’s police department with Ryan, not wanting their partnership to end and also wanting to be close to the Ryan family as those kids grow up with their Uncle Javier always around. Imagine the fun these two could have working oddball cases in a quiet community where murders rarely happen but all kinds of interesting cases of other natures still need to be solved.

I would have also watched a spinoff that had Castle and Beckett opting to leave the city after escaping whatever Loksat danger awaits them as this season comes to a close. Perhaps the pair decide it is time to leave their life-threatening crime-solving lives behind them, move somewhere where they can enjoy their marriage and spend more quiet time together or perhaps plan to have children of their own and not have the threat of their lives being lost on the job anymore. In their absence, Alexis and Hayley take over the PI firm while intersecting regularly to work with Ryan and Esposito in their investigations as well. They could have retained all of the regular cast members, with the exception of Stana and Nathan, and continued to tell the story of these characters while leaving the door open for some guest appearances by the former leads, all of which would likely have a solid chance of retaining a large portion of the Castle audience while being a different series altogether.

But continuing with Castle in any form other than the form we have all known and loved is preposterous. I understand that there are many people this show employs who need the work and the security of their jobs and I do feel for those people, I truly do, just as I feel for the rest of the cast who would face being out of work if the network called it quits for this show and any potential spinoff series altogether. But it really is the nature of the industry and anyone who works on a television show knows their job could be done at the end of any season. Even if Castle continues and these cast and crew members remain employed, can anyone expect that it will last for more than just one season, potentially a shortened season at that? So they will still face unemployment next year, if not sooner should this new incarnation of the series fail miserably next season and end prematurely or come out of the gate with a limited season to begin with.

As a viewer, I may not have a financial loss at stake here like the cast and crew does, but I do invest my time and my energy to watching this show, reviewing the episodes every week, discussing and supporting and often defending the show on an almost daily basis, and ultimately taking time from other things I could be doing, including watching other shows and gaining enjoyment in those as well. So there is an investment the fans make as well and while I respect that by no longer supporting the show or possibly not even watching it ever again, I may impact the lives and livelihood of the cast and crew. But that is a choice every fan has the right to make and it is ultimately the nature of this business. Sometimes a show will resonate with viewers and they will choose to invest their time into it. Sometimes it does not. This show resonated with me, inspired me, and effectively changed my life in many ways for eight seasons and as much as I would have supported a spinoff of the series involving other characters, I honestly can not imagine finding enough enjoyment and inspiration in a new incarnation of the series that is so vastly different from the story I have been captivated by. Thus, I find it impossible to fathom that I would ever be able to support the show after this season. It has nothing to do with not wanting to support the cast and crew but it has everything to do with the fact that as a viewer, I have the right to choose what I invest my time and energy in and unfortunately, I simply have no interest in investing my time in a Castle that pretends to be the same show but is so far removed from that show by tearing apart the very foundation of what the story is truly all about.

RUINING THE STORY WITH ANYTHING BUT LOGIC

That leads me to the most pressing issue that I have with this decision. Beyond the disgusting way this has been handled, beyond the incredible disrespect it showed to not only Stana and Tamala but to all of the cast and crew as well as the fans, and beyond the heartbreaking impact it will have on how the story will be told from here on out, not even allowing for a proper ending for these immensely important characters, the thing I will never be able to come to terms with is the fact that this decision absolutely destroys everything this story has been about all along.

Marlowe’s vision for the series was clear from the very beginning. It was a classic love story for the ages, a story where fate brought together two very different people and who, despite their best efforts to deny their feelings and push each other away, found something within each other that made them better versions of themselves and kept them together over the years. No matter what they went through, no matter their often emotional ups and downs, no matter their heartbreaking struggles and their joyous happiness, these two were always meant to be. It was that final exchange between Castle and Beckett of the pilot that had many fans hooked right from the start; “it would have been great” / “you have no idea”. This was the start, this was the mantra of the series, this was the start of the great love story. And Beckett was right, we had no idea how great it really would be.

Along the way, Marlowe and his team put Castle and Beckett through a great deal of obstacles, personal setbacks, and immense challenges to help them find their way together because it was always about these two letting fate have her way and bring them to the point where they would push everything else away and commit to their love, a love that we watched grow for four seasons until these characters finally found their way to one another. And Marlowe made it clear through those first few episodes of the fourth season that these two would find their way. From their conversation in “Rise” to Beckett’s memorable line in “Head Case” where she confirmed through beautiful subtext that she believed in the idea that she and Castle could find happiness and love together, a line that has long been my own personal tagline for their story; “That’s what the great love stories are about, right? Beating the odds.”

So after all these two have been through, after all of their hardships and their struggles, and after all of the challenges and odds they have had to overcome, how could their story possibly end if not with them riding off into the sunset together to have their own “happily ever after” fairytale ending? Should the series continue for a ninth season without Kate Beckett, which it seems more than ever will now be the case, how can that possibly happen without absolutely destroying the very heart and soul of the show, without destroying Marlowe’s vision, and without destroying the love story that we have believed so strongly in for the past eight seasons?

There were only two options for the season finale; end it with a cliffhanger that leaves the lives of this couple hanging in the balance in case the show was going to continue without one of the two signing on for another season, or end it with a proper series finale that would have likely seen Castle and Beckett move forward with the next chapter of their lives knowing their story would continue together in love and joy, just without us getting to watch them anymore. So the happy series finale ending is out of the picture should the series move forward, which would make the final scenes with Stana Katic ones in which her character was in grave danger. No goodbye to her friends or family and certainly no goodbye to her husband. No happy ending. No more beating the odds to live the life filled with joy and love that she fought so hard for over the years. All of it will be wiped away with whatever explanation is given to start the new season in the fall, one that will not include Katic, thus one that will not include Kate Beckett. So does she die? Does she survive and run away again? Does she live but we never see her again for some even more ridiculous reason? In what possible scenario can we have Beckett no longer on the show yet we have Castle return to the fun and games of solving murders alongside Ryan and Esposito without the love of his life, doing what they always did together yet no longer having her there as his partner? Either we will have to witness the most unbelievable story of Castle surviving and wanting to carry on the work Beckett did at the NYPD, perhaps wanting to keep her legacy alive, something that warrants a great deal more sorrow and emotional pain for his character than would be typical of the usual tone of the show or we have to witness Castle apparently getting over his wife’s death entirely in one significant time jump to have the tone of the show return in a completely unrealistic way as we go back to the fun and games of solving crimes despite someone so pivotal to all of these characters having met her untimely end.

And ultimately, any scenario that continues to tell the Castle story without a happy ending for this couple is one that I feel goes against everything this story has always been about. Gone will be the friendships we loved between Beckett and Lanie, Beckett and Esposito, Beckett and Ryan, Beckett and Martha, and the relationship we always wanted to see between Beckett and Alexis that never truly came to fruition. And most importantly, gone will be that series-long concept that has been the real core of the story, that Castle and Beckett were meant to be together, that they would find love and happiness with each other that both deserved to find yet never believed they would find until they met one another. It negates all of that as well as the future these two were destined to have that we were once told about by Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller through “Time Will Tell”. Sure, the time traveller could have been an absolute quack after all and they were never meant to have three kids with Beckett becoming a senator later in her career. But the belief has always been that this man was correct in his predictions and that this would be the future we would all take comfort in knowing they would have long after their story was finished being told. Anytime a show ends, the fans need a sense of closure to that story, a sense that the characters will be okay and will live on in whatever way we have imagined they would. Marlowe and Miller gave us that future and that closure long ago with that episode but that is a future that now seems impossible to live up to given this current situation. If Beckett dies or leaves or meets any other untimely end to her relationship with Castle, all of that is out the window. Gone is the promise of “always”, gone is the happy ending they deserved to have, and gone is the idea that their love would beat the odds because we already know now the story must continue with Beckett, thus she and Castle could not have beaten the odds after all.

As a writer, I cringe at the thought of even presenting this idea but there is truly only one way I believe the heart and soul of this story can be saved should the series continue without Beckett for a ninth and likely final season; coma. Yes, I said it. As clichéd as it is, as much as it sounds more like a soap opera storyline than a Castle storyline, and as much as I loathe myself for even suggesting it, I think this is the only plausible way that the series can continue without Beckett but eventually lead to the happy ending she and Castle deserve, all while also maintaining the same tone of the show for the most part next season and allowing the other stories to be wrapped up before ending the series with the ending it should have had all along, not the one we are likely to be utterly disappointed by in a year or potentially less.

As crazy as it is, what I envision is that Castle and Beckett’s lives are left hanging in the balance at the end of this season, with it being revealed next fall that both did survive but Beckett’s injuries had forced the surgeons to put her into an induced coma. Perhaps Castle opts to put his money to good use and send his wife to the best doctors in the world, wherever that happens to be, and while he spends his time with her in this other part of the world as much as he can, he eventually gets convinced to go home to New York and make trips back and forth (off-screen, of course) to check on her while being updated regularly on her condition by the doctors. And perhaps Lanie has opted to stay with her, quitting her job at the 12^th to keep a watchful eye over her best friend while pushing Castle to return home to take care of the rest of his family since there’s nothing he can do for Beckett anyway. Or perhaps their life-threatening situation at the end of the season finale will be revealed to have been an intentional attack on them, prompting Castle to return home to work with the team there to find their attacker and bring them to justice. It would set a likely much more serious tone for the season in this case but would also bring out some fantastic emotional drama and give a potentially shortened final season a powerful push through however many episodes there would be.

Or the tone could vary as it always has, perhaps more serious to start the season with Castle looking for justice but easing up a bit as it takes some time and patience to get that job done with him solving other cases with the team along the way. While there would be moments of emotion and drama along the way, which I’m all for as long as it leads to something positive for the characters later on down the road, there would also be an opportunity to return to that light and comedic tone to the show as well at some points. So in a way, despite being a Beckett-less season, something that will ultimately turn many fans away regardless of what the Castle team does to move forward in season nine, there would still be that same well-known spirit to the show to appeal to other viewers who may stay with it and see it through to the end. And with Beckett still alive and getting the medical attention she would need, there would always be that hope for a happy ending for she and Castle. Of course, that would bring us to a true series finale, one that would have Beckett recovered enough to be brought out of her coma, once again overcoming the odds to have the happy future she deserves to have and that Castle deserves to have as well.  So the two end the series reunited, whether they can convince Stana to return for a final episode at that point or if they have to simply imply the ending via Castle sharing the news with his family and friends before rushing off to return to her and bring her home, and the love story of the show gets its happy ending while staying true to the vision its creator had all along, despite maybe going off the rails slightly out of necessity at this point.

PREDICTING THE SEASON FINALE

I have had a great many people ask me how I believe this season will end, so here are my thoughts. This is no way how I want it to end, rather how I think it will actually end based on what we know already and what we can assume at this point as well.

We know that there were two endings that were filmed and with the likelihood that there will be a ninth season, we can effectively rule out the happy series finale version. I could be wrong and I really wish I was but I suspect Nathan Fillion will or potentially has already opted to sign for a ninth season. The only true chance for season eight to be the end and thus see the series finale version (other than on the DVD set) is for the show to be cancelled, which seems highly unlikely after all of this, or for Nathan to choose to end it here by not renewing his contract on his own. But I honestly have no belief at this point that this will be the case so I am predicting we see the season finale version instead as they prepare to map out a distinctly and likely heartbreakingly different ninth season for the fall.

I believe Castle and Beckett will solve this Loksat mystery in the season finale, perhaps putting away those involved, or so it seems. After what will likely be a dangerous mission that leaves them both needing a long vacation, Beckett decides to take some time off and the two ride off to start their cross-country motorcycle trip, as foreshadowed pretty blatantly in the previous episode. My assumption would be that if this is the case, the series finale version would have had them literally riding off into the sunset together, ready to embark on the next phase of their life, and maybe even having Beckett throw out the idea to her husband that they will need to invest in a side car for one of the bikes as she believes it is time for them now to make an effort to add to their family. She is a Captain now and perhaps her ordeal with Loksat will have convinced her to stay at her desk more and leave the field work to her detectives so she can concentrate on being around to raise a family with Castle and focus on what is most important in her life. So they ride off into the sunset, ready to move forward with their lives and with the audience knowing they will now have their happy ending.

And, of course, if they were renewed and went with the season finale version instead, there would be an additional scene tacked on where, just as you think these two are going to live happily ever after now, the two get into a serious accident, either from another vehicle coming out of nowhere or perhaps something in the road that spins them out or throws them from the bikes, whatever the case may be, leaving both of their lives hanging in the balance. Was this intentional or a random wayward event? Was it someone they failed to put away from Loksat or someone working for them to get their revenge? Or was it a freak accident? Will they survive? This could have been the intended cliffhanger, though it will be much less effective now that we will know how it will continue in the fall. Even still, I believe this is the one we will see, whether in this specific incarnation or something else entirely, all leading to the same conclusion. The only change may be how the Castle team chooses to deal with the resolution of that cliffhanger in the fall. Either way, it will be without Kate Beckett, thus there are limited options as to how to continue the story without absolutely losing the story’s heart and soul.

SAYING “NIGHT” OR “UNTIL TOMORROW”?

Castle and Beckett have shared a great love story for the past eight seasons, a love story for the ages that was both timeless and also so relevant to today’s audience. Marlowe’s vision was a beautiful one, a story about two vastly different people who are immediately pulled together by fate but find their way to stay together because they both recognize, despite their protests, that their lives were better because of one another. Over time, they discovered the love we always knew existed between them and they fought hard to not only be together but also to stay together. Theirs was a love story we could all believe in. It was a great love story, one that like all great love stories, was about beating the odds. Instead, we may unfortunately have a tragic end to that love story, one that will destroy the very essence of what this tale has been about all along. We have no idea yet how this will end and if anyone can write themselves out of a corner, it would be the Castle writers. Even still, there is that dark cloud still hanging overhead, one that continues to ask the question, will we be saying “night” or “until tomorrow” when this season comes to its end?