Plus: The showrunners pen a letter to the fans
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/natalie-abrams-image-acc2911b740c4fd7bd230096500a5d95.png "'Castle': Did Stana Katic's Beckett survive the series finale? (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/castle-stana-09eba0294ffb4d809fc52861fc7bea93.jpg "'Castle': Did Stana Katic's Beckett survive the series finale? (2)")
Warning: This story contains major spoilers from the series finale of Castle. Read at your own risk!
After eight seasons, Castle signed off for good on Monday night, leaving the Caskett love story intact.
Though it seemed almost certain that Beckett (Stana Katic) would meet a grim fate, the former detective-turned-captain made it out of the series finale alive—and that's likely because Castle was canceled.
With the threat of cancellation looming, executive producers Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter shot two different endings. One was set to end on a cliffhanger should the long-running procedural score a ninth season. EW heard a rumor that if the show was renewed, the episode would have ended after the shooting, leaving the fates of both Castle and Beckett up in the air.
The other ending, meanwhile, aimed to give closure to the fans with a scene the showrunners hoped would never see the light of day. That scene, it turns out, depicted Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett seven years in the future, still happily married with three kids in tow, as shown at the close of the series finale.
The first option, one can presume, may have resulted in Beckett meeting a grim fate; Katic, and costar Tamala Jones were slated to exit the series should it be renewed for season 9. But that possibility didn't sit right with fans, who surprisingly called for the show's cancellation in order to keep the Caskett love story intact. Seriously, it's not often fans actually want their show to end. But be careful what you wish for. Ahead of ABC's upfronts presentation this week, Castle was given the ax.
For those who are curious, Castle and Beckett were able to uncover the identity of the mysterious LokSat, who turned out Mason Wood (Gerald McRaney). He was killed, as was shady attorney Caleb Brown (Kristoffer Polaha). Caleb stormed Castle's home, ending in his own demise in a hail of bullets; both Castle and Beckett also got shot, but the flash forward proved they lived happily ever after.
Below, Winter and Hawley penned a letter to the Castle fans:
While we're still trying to process all the emotions stirred up by recent events, the feeling that stands head and shoulders above all else, is gratitude.
Eight seasons. A hundred and seventy three episodes.
None of it would have been possible without you—our loyal and passionate fans. You are the reason this show survived and thrived. Without you carving out "Castle Mondays" every week, we would never have been able to make the show we love for as long as we did.
So thank you.
And thanks to Andrew Marlowe for creating such a delightful world, centered around a love story for the ages. It was an honor and privilege to shepherd the story of Castle and Beckett this season.
And finally, thank you to our cast and crew, who have been our family for these last eight years. Who elevated every script by investing the best of themselves into each episode. We will miss you profoundly.
Alexi and Terence
