One of the biggest television series from 2009 to 2016 has to be ABC’s crime comedy series ‘Castle’. The series received a lot of praise from fans and became a fan favorite very quickly. Created by Andrew W. Marlowe, the series starred Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic in the lead roles.
One thing that viewers loved about the show was undoubtedly the chemistry between the lead characters Richard Castle and Kate Beckett. The show’s quirky setup and charismatic characters are what contributed to its early success. So when the show ended with eight seasons, it was quite upsetting and baffling as well.
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Why Did ‘Castle’ End With Season 8?
The ABC series had great reviews and a lot of viewership in the beginning of the show. However, the series saw diminishing returns over the course of Season 8. It averaged under 10 million viewers per episode, according to Deadline. This was the lowest for the series. As a result rumors were that season 9 would receive reduced production budget, including a shorter episode order and a smaller main cast.
Not only this, one of the leads, Stana Katic, was fired from the series. This was a shock to the fandom since her character Kate Beckett was a fan favorite. Moreover, the story revolved around the relationship dynamics of Beckett and Castle. Rumors started circulating that Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion were having troubles on set. Declining reviews, budget cuts and the exit of one of the leads finally led to ABC canceling the show after season 8.
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What Happened At The End Of ‘Castle’?
The fact that Stana Katic’s contract was not renewed and a hasty decision to cancel the show made the season finale bizarre to say the least. The decision to cancel came very close to the finale date. So the producers didn’t have time to give it a proper series finale.
After it is discovered by Espo that Caleb’s body was found in the truck, Beckett and Castle walk into a trap set by Loksat. They are saved by Mason Wood. However, in a shocking twist it is revealed that Mason is Loksat. After this as Beckett and Castle return home, they are shot by Caleb who had faked his death. However, Caleb also dies as Beckett shoots him. In the epilogue, it is shown that Beckett and Castle enjoy breakfast together as their three children play happily seven years later.
This was a hasty ending indeed. Because originally, it was planned that season 8 would have ended on a cliffhanger of them being shot. And in season 9 it would be revealed that Beckett did not survive the shot. This was because Stana Kalic had exited the show. However, because of the decision to cancel, the producers added the epilogue to give the ABC show a hasty ending.
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