Castle: Our Ideal Season Eight Finale
In the wake of Stana Katic and Tamala Jones’s firing we can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen to Castle. Online fans have been very vocal in their demands, many even asking that the show be cancelled through their #CancelCastle and #NoBeckettNoCastle Twitter campaigns, but thus far, all signs seem to point to ABC being determined to have the show continue on. While they haven’t officially renewed the veteran show, they have renewed the contracts of many of the returning characters, some as recently as this week, giving a pretty clear sign that the show will in fact be renewed for a ninth season.
Castle has certainly faltered in recent seasons, many feeling like it never recovered from its failed wedding debacle, but it was once a great show. It gave us a number a great characters to root for, to look up to and it gave us an amazing romance in Caskett. Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett’s (Stana Katic) on screen chemistry was undeniable right from the start. Over four seasons fans were gifted with watching this special couple develop a strong friendship that eventually grew into romance. Then over the next two years we got to see that romance develop into a beautiful marriage. After that things got a little rocky, but we can’t let that or the news of the recent cast’s firings effect how we once felt about this show. Let’s remember it in its greatness.
There are a lot of things that I’d like to see in Castle‘s eighth season finale, and because ABC hasn’t made its official renewal announcement yet, there are a few ways that it could go. Keeping that in mind, here’s what I’d like to see from Monday’s finale episode.
The Ideal Ending
Because Castle was such a quality show I think it deserves a quality ending. Yes, you read that right, an ending. I think that it’s time for Castle to end. While I hate to say that the show should be canceled, as I know a lot of people’s jobs depend on it being renewed, I think it’s time for it to come to an end. Castle has always been about a writer and his muse. You take away the muse and there really isn’t much left.
To start things off, I would love to see the whole LokSat story wrapped up. This has been a long, painful storyline to watch that hasn’t made sense since the beginning. I’d love to see Castle and Beckett take them down in big, edge of your seat, showdown–I’m talking “Always” rooftop edge of your seat type–showdown. It would be great to see Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Esposito (Jon Huertas) involved in this take down as well. It’d be nice to see the team back together one last time.
Then once that was all wrapped up and put to bed, I’d love to see a quiet intimate scene between Castle and Beckett where they talk about their future. Fans have been begging for a Caskett baby for years and the couple has never even brought it up. Wouldn’t it be great to see them sit down and talk about having a family? Even if they decide it’s not the right choice for them it would still be great to see them talk about it. Now I know that this is a lot to ask for but I think that for me the perfect ending would be for Beckett, in as cute of a way possible, to announce that she was in fact already pregnant. And then for the final frame of the show they could show Castle’s goofy excited grin after hearing the news. That would be perfect. A perfect HAPPY ending.
If The Show Continues Without Beckett
While I think that this would be a horrible decision, it does seem like this is ABC’s plan. Beckett has been a strong character right from day one. She’s had many challenges in life but she has always persevered, and in doing so, she became a great role model for women everywhere. And a great woman deserves a great send off. One with meaning and depth. Now I know that this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I think that the only way to do this would be to kill her.
Any other option, such as her going into witness protection or just disappearing from the show as it moved to focus on Castle’s PI business would be horrible. I’ve never heard of a married couple being separated and one of them going into witness protection. How would Castle possibly be safe in that situation? And having her simply disappear from the show, saying she’s at home or at work, would essentially make her character worthless.
So yes, I hate to say it, but I think that if the show continues on then Kate Beckett should die. Hopefully it would be during that crazy intense LokSat showdown where we would get to see Beckett’s ultimate display of badassery one last time. She deserves that powerful send off and I think that the fans deserve it too. It’d be hard to watch and would likely bring many of us fans to tears, but I really do think that it would be the best way for her to go.
What would you like to see happen in the season finale of Castle? Do you think it’s time for the show to end? How would you like to see Beckett exit the show? Drop a few words in the comments section below, I’d love to hear what you think.
Castle airs Monday, May 16 at 9 p.m. EST on CTV and at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.
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About The Author
Christy Spratlin
Christy is a self proclaimed and proud TV Junkie. Her love for TV began at an early age with shows like Degrassi, Alias, ER, Buffy, The X-Files & Friends. You can now find her watching, ok obsessing over, shows like When Calls The Heart, Saving Hope, Arrow, Outlander, Grey's Anatomy and many many others. You can catch Christy on Twitter at @ChristySpratlin where she will likely be live tweeting her favorite shows and talking about everything TV.
There is no Castle without Beckett. No way no how. Castle may be the “title”. But this show has always been him writing about her. Her growth, her passion for justice and her finally letting walls down to find love. I stopped watching ABC period when I heard the news about Ms. Katic’s exit and how this whole thing was handled. What a mess and totally demeaning to a young women with tremendous acting chops and portrayed one of the all-time greatest female role models in tv history. This last season has been idiotic with child-like humor and Beckett absent. My friends(a lot of them) won’t watch a season nine. ABC has slowly ruined a great show. My ending is season 7 finale. No season 9.
Ugh…..this was hard to read. But alas you may be right. I instantly had visions of watching Kate die and it was painful in my head to watch. I wish that if Castle could continue next year, it would have done so with its original cast intact, for a shortened final season. Given that, that’s not going to happen, I feel less concerned with what next year looks like, since I won’t be watching, and more concerned with giving this character an appropriate send off. Whatever happens I hope that she goes out guns a blazing. She’s earned that and the whole situation is one that I cannot imagine nor do I want. It’s sad to see this end to what has long been my favorite show.
Couldn’t agree with you more Christy. I hope The Ideal Ending occurs. That would be best for all concerned. Thanks.
I already stopped watching. The show is done and they need to let it die with dignity.
Christie i second that
IMO- If everyone believes she is dead except the audience – witness protection could work for a reveal way down the road. No reason to include him if he and everyone else thinks she’s dead.
But that’s neither here nor there – the show has run its course- long since jumped the rails. The only way for Castle the character to move on in a reboot is for Beckett to be dead in his mind and everyone else’s. Not the happy ending I was hoping for, but I gave up on that a couple of seasons ago.
I’m more of a Rick fan than a Beckett fan. but even I know there is no Castle without her. I don’t want her to die even if the series is going to continue. I realize the story going forward would make little sense but, honestly, Castle’s stories haven’t made sense for awhile. Killing her would be the wrong message. Her life has been about justice; killing her would mean there is none. It would be a repudiation of her story. I’m with you; first choice – cancel the show.
Christy
After seeing the finale last night I was rather disappointed with it. I didn’t see a big take down, saw a rather lame reunion with the rest of the cast at the end and a tacked on bit of “7 years later”. It was a bit of a mish-mash I thought and would have been much better episode if you had written it!