‘Castle’: Stana Katic, Tamala Jones to Exit After Season 8
Castle may live on beyond Season 8, but it will have a drastically different look going forward: ABC has confirmed Stana Katic (Beckett) and Tamala Jones (Lanie) will not be in a potential Season 9.
“Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years,” ABC said in a statement. “We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.”
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While both women had been a part of the series from the beginning, Katic also serves as the female lead—and her Beckett was originally the tie to title character Richard Castle’s (Nathan Fillion) investigations with the NYPD. Over the course of the series, the duo fell in love, and were married. (They also briefly split up this season, as part of Beckett’s attempt to protect her husband.)
Per Deadline, which first broke the news of the departure, Katic and Jones were not asked to be part of a potential ninth season. (ABC has yet to reply to a request for comment on that.) “Rather then distract from what was an amazing experience, I would just like to say that I’m very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show,” Katic told Deadline in a statement. “Thank you to the fans.”
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Last year, Castle had a later-than-ideal renewal…and Katic signed on to return after the fact. Earlier this season, the Castle bosses acknowledged there was the possibility the show could exist without one of their leads, but they hoped to not have to deal with that. “I see that being the hardest episodes of Castle to write, if it happens,” executive producer Terence Paul Winter said at the time. “Let’s cross our fingers and hope it doesn’t. If it does, we’ll buckle down and figure out an honest way to tell that story. It’s hard to speculate … It may not happen, and hopefully it doesn’t. We love our cast, and we’d love everyone to come back.”
Castle airs Mondays, 10/9c, ABC.
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No Stana, No Tamala? Just wrap the series with this season!
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I agree. No series without Becket..
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How could the series possible continue without the role of Beckett? Granted, I love all the other characters, and the series would suffer with the loss of any of them, but seriously? I doubt I'd continue to watch.
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This will kill the show. Both those ladies are so wonderful. How can you have Castle without Beckett? I can't imagine any scenario in which they could pull off her departure and keep the series alive...this is awful.
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Castle Season 9 With Stana and Nathan couple No Stana No Nathan No Caskett NO Castle so if Stana and Nathan vill no in Castle season 9 I vill not wacth
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It wouldn't be the same...
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They may be able to work a father/daughter private eye duo
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I would love to see them in a spin off.. Cause sounds like Castle could be over soon. So sad about this, I love the show..
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O
Castle is the 'love story'. I've lost interest during the periods when Castle and Beckett are apart. They finally got back together again this season and now this. I feel jerked around by them constantly being pulled apart. If they don't keep the two leads together, the show will die. The best episodes were when they rescued each other from seemingly impossible situations.
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I have been watching this show for the love story all these years. Without Stana there is no Beckett and with no Beckett there is no love story to watch. I guess I wont have to watch Blindspot on demand anymore.
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Well, either they flat out cancel my favorite shows, or they knock someone off/out, or they start writing horrible scripts (sabotage) causing the actors to want to leave (Behari )? ... or you name it. I knew of Fillion (OLTL) before the first episode ever aired and really like him, but this show is not just about Castle and I won't continue watching it without atleast Katic also returning!
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The show Jumped the Shark along time ago now this just kill it already castle by himself would be a joke 🙁
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As long The Great Susan Sullivan stays and the writers open more a role she put her stamp on it !! i 'm in! but witha slight title change "Castle and Mama"
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I'll watch Nathan Fillion no matter what. For me, Beckett is definitely expendable.
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I'm guessing that at least half the fans of the show watch it in spite of Nathan Fillion's incessant mugging if it gives them a chance to see Stana Katic as the beautiful foil. Without her, I have little hope. Hey, maybe a Firefly reboot.