Castle has been one of ABC’s highest rated series for a long time. The 8-season long series has created a huge following of loyal fans who are willing to voice how important the crime-drama is to them. Castle has still not officially been picked up for season 9, but there’s already some seriously bad news regarding what will happen if it does get picked up. Stana Katic, who plays the female lead of Kate Beckett, and Tamala Jones (who plays Lanie Parrish) will not be coming back for more. The news that Beckett will be not be apart of the show after season 8 begs the question, how on Earth can you even consider a season 9?

Get All the Details Behind Stana Katic and Tamala Jones‘ Exit from Castle>>>

No Beckett, No Castle

The show may be called Castle, but let’s be real here — Kate Beckett is just as important of a character the titular Richard Castle. Beckett is the balance Castle has always needed in his life. Going forward without her would be an absolute mess. We’ve already seen what has happened when the show has tested these waters before, splitting up the couple for a large chunk of season 8. Fans couldn’t stand to see these two apart, because this is primarily the reason that they’re watching in the first place.

The chemistry that’s developed between Stana Katic (Beckett) and Nathan Fillion (Castle) over the years has become the most endearing part of the show. Their back and forth banter is something that couples and partners look to as inspiration. We’re not interested in seeing how Castle would manage without his partner, because in our minds, he doesn’t exist without her.

It’s Already Had an Amazing Run

Castle has undergone many ups and downs over its 8-season run. It’s tried out different structures here and there and some have succeeded. A huge draw for most shows is the will they/won’t they storyline that underlies everything else. When that’s resolved, it can get a little boring. That wasn’t the case for Castle. Transitioning from that formula to having Castle and Beckett actually be married worked out beautifully and fans started tuning in for a whole new reason. They weren’t watching to see if they would end up together, but rather how being together would help them both. In this way, it’s truly done a full evolution.

However, now it almost feels like we’ve seen it all. We watched Castle and Beckett fall in love, get hurt by each other, end up together and then work together. We’ve sort of gotten everything we need from them. So much of the show now just surrounds Castle getting into a sticky situation from which Beckett must save him. We don’t want to see Beckett get killed off just to see how Castle would move on. Watching reruns will leave us with the same “what a waste” feeling that How I Met Your Mother reruns give us (still bitter about that finale). Once a show has explored every angle except how the lead moves on after losing the love of their life, there’s really no need to use that cheap plot device to add longevity. Fans can sniff that out, and it’s very off-putting. Granted, it has worked with Grey’s Anatomy to some degree, but taking that risk is really not worth it, especially on a show that already feels like its lost its steam.

The Castle Cast Reacts to Stana Katic and Tamala Jones Leaving the Show>>>

It’ll Definitely Lose a Lot of Viewers

Fans were very upset with the news that Stana isn’t returning, and many had already been hoping the series would come to an end before that. When you start to feel a show is moving in circles because its run out of original storytelling, and then add on that one of the lead stars is pulling out, you really just don’t want to see more. The cast and crew of Castle have already expressed how heartbreaking it is to lose Katic, and fans have echoed that with threats to no longer watch. Instead of leaving a huge red mark on Castle legacy with an unsatisfying final season (much like Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Dexter and many more), why not go out strong, with everyone in the cast still present to send it off with style?

Castle season 8 airs Mondays at 10pm on ABC.

(Image courtesy of ABC)

Kartik Chainani

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV