‘Castle’ Bosses Pen Emotional Thank You Note to Fans
Warning: this post contains spoilers for the Castle series finale.
Castle closed its final chapter.
In the final moments of the (now) series finale, both Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) were shot in their home by Caleb (Kris Polaha). Beckett managed to take out their foe, but the couple appeared to be gravely injured in the episode’s final moments.
Things looked grim as the duo crawled to each other and held hands…but then the camera panned away and Castle and Beckett’s pilot-ending conversation (where she rebuffed his attempt to ask her out) played.
Then the show jumped ahead seven years, as Castle and Beckett enjoyed life with their three young children, and the dialogue from the past played, ending with their “Always” vows.
Related: Castle takes on the Oscar nominated films
The tag was part of a planned alternate ending in case the series didn’t get picked up for an anticipated ninth season. (When the last episode was shot, it was unknown whether the series would get picked up for the 2016-2017 season.)
Castle showrunners Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter penned a note to the long-running drama’s fans, cast, and crew, in light of the final episode of the series airing.
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
Conversation20 Comments
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"It was an honor and privilege to shepherd the story of Castle and Beckett this season."
Are they really that clueless? They threw the story of Castle and Beckett to the wolves this season. I am quite sure that last scene would have been quite different if the show had been given a renewal. And it certainly would not have honored their story.
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It's a P.R. statement. What did you expect them to say? Something along the lines of, "We blew up the show, and you still continued to watch. Suckers!"?
If the show had been picked up, that last scene would never have aired. The season finale would probably have ended right after they crawled toward each other and held hands. Next season, we would have learned that Castle survived, but Beckett did not.
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Seriously! the writers threw the story under the bus this season trying to launch some childish PI story at the expence of the 7 years the fans had followed. I don't care whether the problem was money or ego, the writers could have carried through with the storyline. At least the characters remained till the end. I can imagine the disaster that would have awaited the few fans who would have come back to a season 9 had it been renewed without the Beckett character! Perhaps these writers should have looked in on "fanfics" stories written by just fans, not professional writers. Even they could have, and probably will write more stories and a better finish then these highly paid writers.
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Really? Yeah, well, save your thank you's...if they're as fake as this so-called 'goodbye' episode was, then they mean nothing! What a stupid, ignorant rip off this episode was...you wrote a season cliff-hanger, and tried to palm it off as a legitimate goodbye by adding a few final seconds of made up, fast forward, happy ever after that we had nothing invested in yet. Guess what...YOU FAILED! That was NOT a goodbye, and the fans deserved better. Hell, the CAST deserved better! Do you people realize that we actually LOVED this show and its characters? You either didn't know, or you didn't care, because if you DID care, you would have given us a REAL goodbye episode. This was the single WORST episode in Castle history because it ROBBED us of a decent, intelligent, warm and loving way to say goodbye. Simply put, it--and those who approved the whole idea--suck. We were too angry to even speak for five full minutes when it was done--then we did nothing but yell obscenities at the TV. You RUINED Castle in one moronic excuse for a final episode. You people KNEW this was coming--you should have cut out the time allotted for the Locksat bullcrap--which SHOULD have been resolved by now anyway--and focused instead on the individual characters. Seriously...you call yourselves writers? I call you opportunistic hack jobs who don't deserve to write again after this failed attempt at a proper ending to an amazing show. We will eternally miss the characters of this beloved series...but we will NOT miss the fools who THOUGHT this was a proper way to end our favorite show. You Castle 'bosses' officially now disgust me.
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Watch "Castle'salternate ending 2016" at Youtube and you'll be happy and find closure. An ending like it should have been !
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Thanking fans for eight seasons while he was the showrunner for one - and the worst one at that. Talk about taking credit where credit is not due. I thanked Andrew Marlowe for Castle. That's who gave us the show we loved. Hawley took a hatchet to it. I don't even consider season eight a part of Castle - except for that forty or so seconds at the very end of the finale. Tag that on to Hollander's Woods and that's the series.
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I thought it was a wonderful series finale I like it when my shows end with a great series finale I loved they didn't kill Beckett and her and castle lived happily ever after I was a little worried when they got shot but they weren't dead so I am glad about that.
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The ending was clearly forced, shlockey at best. I blame ABC's short notice. Knowing earlier would have given the writers more time to do a more cohesive finish. The Cast and fans deserved better.
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I don't blame their short notice, they've said for a while that they had filmed "an ending" in case it didn't get renewed. So they had time to sequence it properly. This was just tacked on
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No, it's that the showrunners wanted to destroy Caskett. The entire season was built that way. There's nothing cohesive they would have done to honor Marlowe's vision for Castle and Beckett. This ending runs counter to everything they've written - thank God.
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Castle has been a favorite show of mine from day one and I am saddened that it had to end so suddenly. I am glad that neither Castle or Beckett was not killed off. I do, however, think that the show could have gone on without Beckett. Knowing now that the two of them did not get along in real life ruined the whole 8 years for me. If that is true, it proves what great actors they are! Thank you for the past 8 years. The first 7 years were the best however.
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I agree about what you said about how the fact that the 2 of them didn't get along well in real life, ruined the whole 8 years for me.... me too!!
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The ending was not fluid. It felt like the marriage ceremony - tacked on to what was the intended ending scene.
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ABC is who owes us a big Thank You! and an even bigger Apology! Too Cheap to keep one of their Leads and Fillion for being part of the problem (it would appear). Well, we aren't the only ones losing out as you all blew up a perfectly lovely show! I will never watch another ABC show in that time slot!
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I AM NOT BREATHING THAT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE. THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN!!!!
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"The feeling that stands head and shoulders above all else is gratitude" Are these Knob heads for real have they been going round with their fingers in their ears? for the whole season the fans have been voicing their disappointment in the way the 8th season has gone, and when Stana and Tamala were fired we have been screaming no season 9. Yes the fans were part of the reason the show survived and thrived so was the cast, YOU Hawley and Winter are the reason that it withered and died ,and if I was Marlow I'd spit in you eye for killing his story " love story for the ages" what would you know? "An honour and a privilege to shepherd the story of Castle and Beckett" what utter crap you drove it into the ground, so you keep you pathetic attempt at an ass kissing thank you note the fans will not forgive you they will never trust you and hopefully you will never be put in charge of any tv shows ever again Go choose another profession cause your shit at this one.
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Biggest excuse of Show Runners in the business. Expected it from Hawley he screwed up Body of Proof, then The Following , now Castle, 3 for 3 in shows cancelled, but Winter, spineless no decision maker and Terrible scripts like he took stupid pills this season, Will NEVER watch a show either are associated with again, Shame on U both for even thinking U could do it with half of Caskett, Idiotic Move that killed the show
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On the scale of TV show endings, I rate this a Quantum Leap. Or maybe even a bit worse.
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Or The family ? Or Revenge ?
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Bitter over the lack of a Season 9. Sweet that the time traveler prediction came true. I appreciate my 8 seasons of Castle Mondays. Now what happens to the books after the one in Oct?
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