verdana

What amuses me is that we're going to get Locksat dropped on us like a ton of bricks next week which makes it even worse, at least Marlowe managed a few episodes build up. If the villain turns out to be some anonymous bod completely out of left field it seals the deal that Hawley and Winter didn't have a clue what they're doing, they never did have any plan set out and they need to go back to writing school. It also tells me that under their stewardship the show is not in a good place, unless removing Beckett out the equation frees them up enough to rethink their attitude to writing for the show.

I read on a blog recently that next week they're putting something else in place of Castle on Sunday next week so no early viewing! I assume they didn't want CTV getting the jump on the finale which makes sense.

Thanks Wendy for the recommendation, ignorance is bliss at least when it comes to BTS issues on TV shows that much is certain. The only thing I know about Jonny Lee Miller is he used to be married to Angelina Jolie.

Like rspad it's not any better, I already see their relationship as being dysfunctional with this latest separation and how it portrayed both characters but especially Beckett as very selfish and stupid. The writers in their ham fisted way undid all the good work that had been done in showing her emotional growth since her mother's death and meeting Castle. Having her run off again into hiding leaving her husband, friends and family behind would have me throwing up my hands finally in defeat and willing Castle to divorce her, save himself the ongoing grief of having a wife who apparently doesn't understand her wedding vows or the first thing about what being in a true partnership actually means. If this was real life he would never find true happiness and stability with her she would need constant counselling and even then I doubt it would do much good as for them having kids that would be a disaster for everyone. I can't be rooting for these two when the writers are doing such a piss poor job of making them look relatable couple, they seem unable to portray them in a happy and healthy way, Castle and Beckett have been reduced to puppets being twisted out of shape almost on a weekly basis, there's more substance in their food take out cartons than in what I see on screen of their marriage. The best option is that she dies because the alternatives are bound to be horribly written and that's worse for me to suffer than her being killed off.

First off thanks Wendy for giving us all that leeway to go off speculating and gossiping about BTS events, because things off screen have been way more interesting than what's happening on it recently plus this thread would have been very quiet otherwise but I know it makes your job tougher. Sadly this, that's why I wish the show had ended earlier not only due to the downturn in the quality of the writing but because all this wouldn't have kicked off. It's a bit like Moonlighting, I loved it then much later found out Cybill and Bruce hated each others guts and that's all I think about when anyone mentions the show - the various BTS problems that brought its downfall. I was thinking about watching The Good Wife but once again the issues there that have come up have put me off a bit which is unfortunate as it looks like a good show but when BTS issues are clearly affecting what I'm seeing it makes me nervous. I want my storytelling dictated by the writers not because actor A won't work with actor B either at all or only for 10 minutes a week.

More bad news.

What seems reasonably safe to assume especially in this business there are often many factors involved in why a particular decision gets made. We shall probably never know what trigger events lead to Katic's eventual departure and the fans are just going to have to deal with this as best they can and move on find something else to watch or stick with whatever new incarnation of the show we (may) get next season.

It's disappointing that neither of them have had the good grace to say anything even a bland "I wish Stana well in future endeavours" one liner, I don't believe for one minute they are forbidden from saying something like this even if other restrictions have been place upon their statements by ABC. It's simple good manners and they've gone even further down in my estimation. And if ABC have told them to keep silent then it further highlights the network's utter incompetence at handling these kind of situations.

Thanks for the recap on the ratings westwingfan. For all the furore over the separation etc the demo hasn't tanked as some predicted it would.

I don't understand why Stana and Nathan should be made to feel responsible for other people's livelihoods and I don't believe it makes them jerks if their sole focus is ultimately on what is best for them and their families, isn't that what most of us do when it comes down to it? I'm saying this as someone who is looking at the writing on the wall in my particular job, my department might be disbanded completely in two or three months time due to a reorganisation that I didn't see coming which was announced last month with various bigwigs at the top leaving but I've accepted it. I'm busy cutting back on my spending and stockpiling my cash and making preparations just in case the worst happens thinking about what I want to do next. I'm someone at the bottom of the pile in this place I'm not a manager. But what I'm not doing is looking at my soon to be ex Managing Director who is due to make a lot of money selling out thinking "you bastard I hope you feel bad I might have to look for another job!" because that's life, he's doing what's best for him and his family. People get fired/leave/retire and firms go bust/restructure all the time and most sensible people shrug, accept nothing stays the same, make plans and move on with their lives as best they can. Also as others have stated if Castle ends something else will take its place, every one in Hollywood circulates on jobs constantly you see the same faces popping up on any number of shows either on screen or BTS after a while. Hanning and Creasey have already found new jobs I'm fairly confident Rob the prop guy and the rest of the crew (God even Luke) will find something else. My mother gave me some good advice when I started my first job she said don't rely on other people for your own happiness and especially your financial security - be prepared. Over the last twenty years I've tried to heed her words with a few stumbles along the way. I've never signed a contract where an employer promises to keep me in a job guaranteed for life I know what I signed up for I could be out of a job in a month. I'm sure everyone involved in Castle knows their job security lasts a season at best although a network could in extreme circumstances pull the plug immediately but that's rare. Eight years is a long time for a show to last. Everyone had a good run and they know it, all things have to come to an end sometime.

I assumed if they got rid of Katic they would be far more invested in securing especially Jon, Seamus to try maintain some kind of continuity for the viewers. I must admit these days I prefer Jon and Seamus together than Caskett so they may be on to something. They'll also need Toks to stay as cheap screen filler because if they get rid of her they're only going to have hire someone else plus some fans appear to enjoy her screen presence. As for playing buddies with the big boy I don't blame them honestly, if it was a choice and I was that kind of person I'd be sucking up to Nathan too.

Wendy is right and as for the internet campaigns and general bluster and hysteria I don't believe that any such fan pressure to cancel the show factors into the networks decision making. In any case, if I was working the in this business regardless if I was the tea lady or a director I'd be assuming I'd be lucky if I stayed in a job two consecutive seasons. Job security in Hollywood is not something that very many can take for granted.

Yeah I know it was him, it's one of my all time favourites, bizarre isn't it? Where did it all go wrong lol....guess he's not showrunner material.

Trawling twitter is painful right now in more ways than one, fans are posting pictures and gifs that remind me of what the show used to be. I loved that little moment between them in Cops & Robbers and then of course there was the wonderful end scene (admittedly blighted with an interruption). God what I wouldn't give to have that level of chemistry, decent writing and depth of feeling back between them which was present back then.

But irrespective of if Marlowe was around or not who does the buck stop with? The guy in charge because Marlowe is responsible ultimately for everything that goes out (okay the network has the final say) but Marlowe has to see the final product and it's no good the boss blaming his underlings for the show's failings. If they don't do what he says then it's on him to do something about it. As for the actors being poorly directed, I use the example of the Christmas episode, the ending saw some of the worst acting from Stana and Nathan I've ever seen and certainly the director should have stepped in but equally it's on the actors to do the best they can which would have improved things greatly even with the uneven writing but they clearly have both checked out at this point more often than not. As an actor they can choose to be a puppet if they wish but it's not obligatory, they can do things to make even dross better or "rise above" as SweetTooth rightly suggested and be praised for it instead of just going with the flow. I don't believe many actors are just puppets, they have power to influence, some have a great deal of power the more famous they become and have no qualms in using it to get what they want.

I saw on twitter a collection of messages this fan had been sending to ABC over the past few weeks and one of them said "It's not *just* a TV show. It's a beacon of hope in a world that needs it." In a world where it looks as if Trump may get the nomination, yeah it needs all the hope it can get right now lol. I'm perplexed at the delay too, seems to me it's been a foregone conclusion they're moving towards a S9.

I couldn't believe it when Marlowe had the nerve to blame the new directors for some of the show's failings under his stewardship, that was pathetic. It was HIS show and if the more inexperienced directors were falling short of the mark or not doing what he wanted then why didn't he do something about it? As for Caskett, I think it's a combination of a number of factors that have sucked the chemistry out of their performances, that's why I'm not that upset about Katic's departure because if she had stuck around I believe it would have got worse. The ship is dead for me, I no longer see the sparks or love.

That's what's so annoying about this whole Locksat business, this mysterious entity has been pushed on the back burner for months and months and then along comes the finale and suddenly everyone is in BIG DANGER. Meh. Too late. I don't give a shit.

Castle 8x21 Sneak Peek #2 - Castle Season 8 Episode 21 Sneak Peek “Hell to Pay”

Why not go the other extreme and an alien abduction? A shaft of light appears from above and poof! Castle is on the scene but alas not quite in time. Hawley gets the requisite drama and shock ending he so desperately craves. Beckett's not dead, just on her travels wowing those aliens with her amazing hair, eye makeup and overwhelming badassary. The aliens wouldn't agree to give her back because lets face it she's so extraordinary but there may be a sliver of hope she may find her way home one day. Castle could get all excited because whilst on the downside he's lost his wife she's not dead and wow holy crap she was taken by aliens! I'm tempted to suggest they take Alexis too but I know they'd give her back pretty sharpish. She's too smart for them and they couldn't cope with the smugness overload.

Yeah pretty much this. Castle's Fate May Be Decided Today at TV Guide

It's pretty much comedy hour now so yeah why not. I know fans say it's always been based on comedy nothing has changed but I disagree. Sure it's always been light hearted in nature and never set itself up as a gritty crime procedural but what I loved about the show in the early years was the way it blended the comedy (which was far more nuanced and witty back then) with the more serious reflective moments for the characters. That all gradually dissipated as they went between two extremes of either over the top drama or clownish capers led by Castle as the court jester.

Yeah sad but funny at the same time, goes to show that the inherent attitude problems of the writers towards this couple and how to portray them in a relationship didn't start with Hawley they were ingrained with Marlowe, I see many fans forgetting that, then again these clowns have been doing such an awful job they're making Marlowe look like a genius lol. I see with the deadline news twitter is all a flutter in a new outpouring of outrage the show is daring to continue, that's showbusiness it's about the business. Castle's Nathan Fillion Set for Potential Season 9 After Inking New Deal, TV Line's version I notice they compare it to Bones but the comparisons between the two couldn't be more glaringly different at this point but then I guess it's much easier if both leads actually enjoy each other's company and want to work with each other. That would be way too prosaic from Hawley, the guy is clearly dead set on going out with explosions and gunfire and although I find the idea of her getting killed in a very mundane fashion more fitting after all the angst and drams she's been through I can't see this current writing team allowing that to happen, no Beckett will go out in a blaze of......I was going to say glory but that's inappropriate there's going to be nothing glorious about it. As for "goofy" Castle I suspect that's what fans will be getting served up from now on with Fillion's blessing, they forgot the old version a long time ago in favour of this more clownish, bumbling strangely almost effeminate character. Freed of the chains of the romance (which Nathan was honest about and never enjoyed) and having Beckett around to drag things down into any moments of seriousness or reflection (which were pretty slim in any case) means they can go full bore on slapstick comedy capers. Beckett will quickly be forgotten there's no way they'll taint the weekly fun and games with Beckett call backs especially if she dies. For some inexplicable reason Fillion seems to enjoy playing Clown!Castle which I don't find remotely attractive or interesting as a character but then actors can be odd like that.

Castle 8x21 Sneak Peek - Castle Season 8 Episode 21 Sneak Peek “Hell to Pay”

I agree they overdid Beckett's tissues and issues to a point where it started to be a real drag but unfortunately they did nothing good with Castle your description is perfect "buffon in bad clothing" because that's how he's come over to me for the last few years. I do hope Fillion is smart enough to realise that carrying on down that road is not a good idea and he smartens up and not just in the clothing department. I've heard some say they feel Castle is now just Fillion goofing around and although I don't know the man obviously I am seriously starting to wonder if there's some truth to this. What I do know is if they wanted to tempt me to watch they would have to change Castle back to the guy he used to be not this clown and dial down the crass slapstick. As for the fan outrage as someone mentioned ABC have been here before, Castle isn't the first and won't be the last show to get rid of beloved character. They were prepared to take the heat over the separation supposedly and didn't care what fans thought and ratings pretty much stayed the same for all the furore. They must have done their research and decided keeping Castle and ditching Katic was worth the risk. The network and showrunners give me the impression they tend to view the online fanatical fanbase as akin to some dangerous wild animal that needs locking in a cage and keeping at arms length, they put up with us under sufferance but dismiss any fuss they cause. As for Beckett dying, that's being taken as fact by many fans the way the discussions are going and whilst it's a strong possibility we must remember there's been no confirmation anywhere or serious leak from the set that proves this is the case.