Castle aired an all-new episode on ABC tonight, but is the series nearing its end? The series has not yet been renewed for a ninth season by the network, and it is nearing the end of season eight. This means the people in charge of the series behind the scenes are left with a problem.
How do they end season eight?
Alexi Hawley shared his plans for season eight and his hopes for season nine with TV Line, and he has a plan in place for the finale that would allow him to close out the series if it is cancelled by ABC. He has two endings for the finale planned, and he is hoping that one of them never airs, but the writers have “crafted a final scene that would exist only if we weren’t coming back.” The first finale would be a cliffhanger that leads into season nine.
However, season nine will look different. The stars of the series would have both needed to sign new deals to return for season nine, and it was announced on Monday that Stana Katic was departing the ABC series. The series has not yet been renewed officially for a ninth season, but Deadline reported that a shortened ninth season is possible.
Hawley said the following about the possible changes for season nine before the announcement of Katic’s departure:
“Obviously our hope is that we come back ‘all hands on deck’ for Season 9, but everybody needs to make deals. There’s stuff up in the air, so we are trying to leave it in a very dynamic way which leaves open the possibility that maybe the show won’t come back in the same form next season — although, again, we really hope that it does.”
With the future of the series up in the air, those involved with the series are in a wait and see mode. This is not unusual for the series though. Last season, the network did not renew the series early either.
Are you a fan of Castle? Do you want a ninth season without Stana Katic? Tell us what you think.
I think ABC is in a desperate place in terms of creating new scripted TV Shows. If not for Shonda Rimes, they would probably be in a near position to fold. I think the network intends to renew this show under any circumstances because they simply don’t have anything else to replace it with. The recent cast dismissals were both financial, but in the case of SK, I also think there have been longstanding off-screen issues between her and NF, and the network just decided that they had reached their limit on that and decided to keep the titular character,… Read more »
There is no Castle without Beckett. This will be the last season I watch.
No Kate, no Castle. If Fillion can’t work with Katic, the show should end. Thinking it can go on without both is ridiculous and offensive to women everywhere.
Time for Castle to end! If Stana Katic isn’t on the show I won’t watch. Nathan may think he is the reason Castle was a hit but he is WRONG. Stana carried this show along with Susan Sullivan. Who wants to watch Castle solve cases without Beckett.
I think its time to let the show end gracefully, with a happy ending for all the characters. Lets not turn it into another “After MASH”.
On positive note, Nathan is free for a possible Firefly reboot.
I agree. The show has been about Castle and Beckett from the beginning and there is no reason to try and drag it on without both of them. Just end it with the 2 of them together.
Without Stana Katic (Castle’s much better half), the show has lost the very element that made it so appealing to viewers. The show has had a very good run and I think it is time to let it end gracefully while you have the entire cast and we have our good memories of what it was. Don’t try to stretch it out for another season and ruin our memories of a good thing. Please don’t make us shudder at its very mention like we now do with ‘Galactica 1980’.
No Stana Katic, You’ve lost me as a ninth season watcher. It sounds like, based on what I have heard from other sites, we might not have too many other actors left also. Why even call it Castle at that point.