It ended the way it should have, well sorta.
After 8 years and countless murders the team of Kate Beckett and Richard Castle hit their swan song and went out with a bang, literally. When I first caught wind of the show (by a mistake) I was hooked. I loved their chemistry and knew it was only a matter of time before the writers made them become more than a forced partnership. It was done so easily, unlike most shows where you have to wait around until the last season, they managed to get that out the way early and it made the show that much better.
I love a good cop show but Castle gave us the mystery, intrigue, love story but it provided so much humor that it stood out among the rest of the crime shows on TV. Castle himself was a child in a grown man’s body with his comical beliefs that aliens exist here on earth or that vampires were walking among the living but without his quirks the show wouldn’t have lasted past three seasons. Beckett was the hard-nosed detective that threw her career before everything until Castle came along and broke that wall down.
The show was to come back for a 9th season but as early as two weeks before the finale aired there were reports that Stana Katic (Beckett) was leaving the show amid reports that her and Nathan Fillion (Castle) were at each others throats constantly throughout taping. Man, they need to win multiple Emmy’s for their acting, if you ever watched the show their on-screen chemistry was amazing. But when the news dropped that she was leaving the internet went crazy and I believe it forced the network to change plans and finish the series with no 9th season.
Smart move. There is no Castle without Beckett.
As much as I loved the show I still believe the writers could’ve done a few things differently with the last few episodes.
I love how Alexis grew to become a beautiful woman who finished school only to become her father’s partner in his P.I. Firm. But the writers never gave her a back story. All she did was come to work and hang out with Hayley in the office. Hayley was the newcomer on the show but she was a much-needed presence with her quick wit, ass kicking ability and her utter loyalty to the Castle’s.
The other players in the series were partners Ryan and Esposito who for some odd reason the writers left out of the loop on the LokSat issue until at least a good 30 minutes were left in the show. I felt they should have been brought in earlier and when the finale aired it felt as if everything was rushed. When the villain was revealed it was supposed to be a major twist but it was such a weak attempt at suspense that I felt bad for the cast. You built this up for almost 2 seasons and it ended with such a whimper, it was disgusting. You want the suspense? Make the villain Castle’s father, Esposito or something but not the leader of the one episode worthy “Greatest Detective Society”.
8 years and we were left with a 30 second in the future clip of Castle and Beckett surrounded by a house of kids after each were shot in the final showdown in their home. The twist could’ve easily been both stars losing their lives, holding hands one final time then a shot of the other characters at their funeral. But that’s just me.
I enjoyed the show, it was one hell of a ride but the network made the right call on ending the series. They just went about it the wrong way script wise.