Summary
- The crime drama-comedy series Castle was canceled after its eighth season.
- Many off-screen factors contributed to ABC's decision to ultimately cancel Castle.
- The result, however, was a clunky ending that didn't sit right with viewers.
While Nathan Fillion may be saving the day on his ABC procedural comedy-drama The Rookie, the fan-favorite actor previously thrilled audiences on Castle as its eponymous, crime-fighting protagonist Richard Castle. Also airing on ABC from 2009 to 2016, Castle was tentatively slated to reach its ninth season -- only to be abruptly canceled. Here's why the network changed its mind and ended the series rather than give it a final season.
Richard Castle was introduced as a best-selling mystery author brought in to consult with the New York Police Department after a copycat murder mimicked the plot of one of Castle's novels. Castle worked closely with police detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), while shadowing her as inspiration for his new novel series. While there was initially friction between Castle and Beckett due to Castle's more immature personality and Beckett's by-the-book professionalism, they became friends before falling in love and getting married in Castle Season 7. The end of Season 8 -- which turned out to be the series finale -- featured a flash-forward showing Castle and Beckett as parents of three children. So what went wrong?
Updated on Sep. 15, 2023 by Katie Doll: Castle had its fair share of on-screen and rumored off-screen drama that caused a whirlwind during its eighth and final season. The idea of a cancelation wasn't exactly out-of-the-blue, but the hope for a ninth season may have doomed the series real ending. This article has been updated to expand upon the strange and unexpected ending of Castle, and what the writers' true intentions were if the series had been renewed.
How Did Castle End?
If there was an indication that Castle's cancelation was unexpected, it was that the ending felt clunky and tacked on. The LokSat mystery sort of gets resolved, albeit in a rather convoluted manner. After discovering Caleb's dead and was a traitor, Castle and Beckett are rescued by a Korean barbecue taco truck thanks to Mason. It was later revealed that Mason, Caleb's friend, was actually LokKat in a pretty shocking twist. But then another twist (they just keep on coming) -- when Castle and Beckett return to their apartment, a very alive Caleb shoots them both. Caleb also goes down when Beckett shoots them. The ending shot is of Castle and Beckett dying and holding hands, until...
The epilogue. Castle wasn't over quite yet. The actual final scene shows Castle and Beckett alive and well in seven years, having three kids and living out their best lives. There was no mention of how they survived the attack or what they were doing besides being parents in the future. Thanks to the cancelation, that was up to the viewers' imagination.
Why Was Castle Canceled After Eight Seasons?
There was speculation that Castle Season 8 would be the series' last when Fillion and Katic signed just one-year contract extensions following the conclusion of Season 7. Castle saw diminishing returns over the course of Season 8, averaging under 10 million viewers per episode according to Deadline -- which was the lowest for the series. This led to reports that Season 9 would see a reduced production budget, including a shorter episode order and a smaller main cast.
Katic and fellow series regular Tamala Jones were not set to reprise their roles after Season 8, while Fillion and other core cast agreed to one-season extensions for Season 9. Given that Castle revolved around the relationship between Castle and Beckett, fans were shocked at the decision for the series to move on without Katic. This fan outrage was fueled by rumors of on-set friction between Fillion and Katic in contrast to their characters' dynamic. With the controversy adding to the series' woes, ABC officially canceled Castle exactly one week after announcing Fillion had extended his contract for Season 9.
Declining Ratings and Budget Cuts Led to Castle's Finale
After eight seasons, it appeared Castle's time was limited, regardless of whether it continued beyond Season 8. Declining ratings and contract renewals one season at a time signaled a series finale was on the horizon. Those pre-existing circumstances, coupled with new leadership heading the network and fan discontent over the reduced budget and omitting Katic, resulted in ABC deciding to forego the ninth season entirely.
Castle was decidedly a success for ABC when it premiered in 2009. However, much changed over seven years and eight seasons. Slipping ratings and behind-the-scenes politics led to it coming to an abrupt close, though it wouldn't be the last procedural to fall victim to off-set drama.
The Plan for Castle Season 9
Almost everyone, critics and viewers alike, were confused about the finale. The epilogue felt incredibly rushed and without explanation, even if it was an ending that fans hoped for. But in reality, it wasn't what the writers were hoping for in the grand scheme of things.
There was also a creative reason why Katic wasn't set to return to the ninth season, if it had ever aired. According to Entertainment Weekly, the writers were planning to end Season 8 on the cliffhanger of Castle and Beckett dying hand-in-hand. Only, in Castle Season 9, it would be revealed that Castle survived and Beckett didn't. Even though there were no signs of Castle being renewed, the series was planning to hit the reboot button majorly.
Season 9 would've followed Castle's PI business as he sought revenge for Beckett's death, and Hayley Shipton (Toks Olagundoye) was set up to "replace" Beckett as the new female lead. But on the off chance this wouldn't happen, the show filmed the epilogue scene for a proper ending where no one dies, which ended up being the reality of the situation. Still, the backup plan didn't exactly work in the Castle's favor. If anything, the finale seemed thrown together at a whim's notice, not fully prepared for the possibility that a cancelation was inevitable.
Created by Andrew W. Marlowe, all eight seasons of Castle are currently available to stream on Hulu.