Annec

What parallels to Castle exactly?

In complaining that there wasn't an outcry when Penny was fired expects that fans would 1) recognize a pattern with the first firing of a female actor rather than the third or fourth firing or 2) that "feminists" would complain about the firing of EVERY woman. That isn't the definition of feminism. Fans aren't upset because they don't think a minority or woman should ever be fired but that the character shouldn't be multi-dimensional because they are portrayed by a minority or woman. Rather, there is a sense that the contributions of the women on Castle are being undervalued. It seems that tptb have decided that women can be replaced (i.e. Stana and/or Beckett brought nothing unique to the show) but that Fillion and the other men are irreplaceable (a perception confirmed for many with Molly's "Nathan IS Castle" tweet). Not that they want Seamus or Jon to be fired but rather that the team would be kept intact because it was the team that made Castle a success. The sexism charge didn't just start with Katic's firing either. Many have complained all season about the trash talking about women that has been happening all season. Phrases like "psycho bitch" "Hootchie mama" "sleazy blonde" and "buy some crotchless panties or get out" along with the orchestration of a woman on woman kiss by a man to make the man look better and played to satisfy prurient male interests. Hawley and company have shown time and time again that they see women as little more than supporting cast to the men in their world. I saw that timeline and think it is just ridiculous, completely made up, and apropos of nothing.

In "undead Again" Ryan asks Castle if her really believes it was a zombie and Castle says "No, but what I do believe in is driving Beckett crazy". That was the beginning of Castle and Beckett finding their way back to each other after Castle found out she'd been lying about remembering that he told her he loved her after the shooting. He used his wild theories to break down Beckett's defenses. It was cute and attractive and made sense. Now he's just silly. Damn, this show was great.

Spot on review. I thought Castle's early forays into outlandish theories (ninja assassins, mob hit, spies, etc) were a lot of fun but this season they have gone overboard and are making Castle look silly. In just the spring we've had the genie in a bottle, the creation of a superhero, and now the devil. This points to the leveling influence of Beckett that will sorely be lacking in a new season. We all know that Alexis won't say boo to her dad, she'll just look at him in that condescending way she has, Hayley will just blow him off like she does everyone, Ryan will encourage the idea and Espo will just walk away. There will be no one to listen to his theory and poke holes in it the way Beckett did. Hawley really just seems to grab bits and pieces from previous episodes and "re-work" them. Nothing truly creative is happening anymore.

I really thought I could continue to watch old episodes and enjoy them. The first five seasons of this show were amazing! But, I was re-watching some of season 1 last night and I realized that I had a knot in my stomach just watching and knowing how it all is going to end. Beckett and Castle deserve a happy ending. That Hawley (and I think Fillion, please don't argue with me on this, we will have to agree to disagree) couldn't see that and think that there is any more story to be told here breaks my heart. Instead of coming to terms with the killing off of Beckett it has actually gotten harder to accept. ABC has bungled this so badly it defies understanding. I don't know if they realize what this is going to do to the syndication prospects of "Castle". I have strongly encouraged others to start watching the show because I've enjoyed it so much. Now I will have to discourage anyone who wants to start watching. This entire episode just shows so much lack of consideration for their viewers.

Sorry, saying that he's demanding that Seamus and Jon be included in season 9 but that he doesn't have the power to demand that Stana not be asked is inconsistent. If Nathan is calling casting decisions as part of his contract then he's making casti Just thinking of how bad the Alexis, Hayley, castle interactions have been this season I know I won't be watching a season 9. I find it very sad that there doesn't seem to be anyone who will be honest with Nathan about just how bad Castle is without the moderating influence of Beckett I get it, they are all counting on him for a job (I include Hawley and TPW) but it's sad that they are so motivated for their next pay check . Maybe they are all like Molly and think that anything NF does will be a great show but this season has shown that to not be the case

Strongly, agree. Castle could have gone on for at least a few more years if they had returned to the core premise of the show. I think .amman was trying to do that last season. But, it appears that the bts issues took over. I think that it was bothers me the most about this situation, the unprofessional behavior that would necessitate the firing of one of the co-leads. The Castle/Beckett chemistry elevates every episode. It is no wonder that episodes with no or diminished Caskett time suffers for it. Now, I probably would have watched a Ryan/Espo spin off because I really enjoy the actors but it wouldn't be the appointment tv that Castle is for me. And, don't get me started on Hayley and Alexis. I've taken to fast forwarding every scene they are in. I remember Hawley tweeting about Alexis and Hayley "magic" a few times. I've come to the conclusion that Hawley sees most things about this show very differently than most of the fans. One quick question. What are the chances that the someone is leaking the news about Nathan and Seamus' contracts in the hope of creating some positive momentum for a season 9, pushing ABC to renew. I initially thought renewal was a done deal but now I'm thinking that ABC may be scrambling to find a replacement. Why would any network want to put up with this drama for a few episodes of a dying show? I get that someone, somewhere thinks they can make Castle PI take off but it can't mp e many or they the network would have just signed off on the renewal and wait for the furor to die down by September.

Doesn't that end the argument that NF doesn't have the power to demand that SK not "be asked back?

I still see the chemistry (NF has been a little stiff) when we see Caskett onscreen together but those moments have been too few and far between in season 8. It's clear now that the reduced time is directly a result of NF's contract and is being badly compounded by really poor writing. Everything from the COTW to the humor and negative view of women this season is a result of very weak show runners who lack a vision. Add to that a slew of new writers who don't know the history of the show and you have a lot of vocal viewers who have been very disappointed with the show since 6x23. I don't think it's a coincidence that the decline of the show started with 6x23 and the decision to fight the organic development of Caskett

I think Fillion is suffering from what seems to be a "boys club" with Hawley that isn't reining in the silliness factor. It seems pretty clear to me that NF prefers comedy to drama (although I think his best moments have been his most dramatic episodes, the kidnapping two-parter and "Always" stand out in my mind) but he needs someone to limit his flights of fancy or he can veer into childishness. The showrunners said they were ready for the audience to be mad at Beckett and the separation but they sure did start walking it back quickly with lots of interviews reassuring viewers that there wasn't going to be a permanent break. Looking back, I think they were hoping the audience would lose patience with Beckett's stupid obsession with Loksat. Unfortunately for them, the audience lost patience with the poor writing instead.

This! Imagine if they just had a conversation about having kids or, heaven forbid, they continued their conversation about what was the next step for them in their relationship. BTW, I find the fear of getting "normal" very sad. Most adults recognize that a level of continuity, comfortableness, "normalcy" is a wonderful thing in a relationship and life. It is indicative of the writers fear of marriage that they see normal as equal to boring and a bad thing.

I was unimpressed with Jewel. Even if the direction was to have minimal reaction it sounded like she was reading the words off a script, no facial expression or real interaction with anyone else in the scene. So over Alexis and all her super sleuth skills. She rarely even talks to Kate and now she's working on her laptop? More Martha is always better. I felt like this entire episode was a poor imitation of "Anatomy of a Murder" from season 3.

I think you're referring to my post above. You must have overlooked the "I think" earlier in that sentence. And, I wasn't referring to the fan response about a season 9 but the fan response to Katic's dismissal.

I think tv writers have long bought the "Moonlighting Curse" and just write it off as getting characters together kills a show rather than looking at all the contributing factors like POOR WRITING. It kills me to think that writers will now look at the "Castle Curse" as confirmation of the trope rather than acknowledging what killed the ratings was incredibly poor, boring, inconsistent, and nonsensical writing in season 8 rather than the marriage of Caskett. I'm sure Hawley will be one of the first post-mortem interviews that blames the end of the wtwt for the decline rather than the poor writing of 6x23 and beyond.

I don't have any doubt that they have known all season that they were writing toward a season with no Katic. The only problem was that the news was leaked before Castle was renewed for season 9. I can't imagine that that network hasn't been spooked by the reaction and tptb have come to some realization that they undervalued Katic. Not saying that ABC won't renew Castle but I think the fan response to the news took many involved in a possible season 9 by surprise.

The sexism charge comes not from a single incident but the practice and pattern of Hollywood valuing their male leads if the female lead as seen in Castle, Arrow, The Blacklist, The 100, and other shows that have killed off their female co-lead this year. It points to the networks sexist assumption that their male leads can carry a show but their female wads count. Btw, there is now a pattern on Castle with the during last of Penny, Stana, and Tamala and no male actors (you could even add Tory from tech to that list).

I think a lot of the issue with Molly is that she has never been supportive of Caskett. Go back and look at her at the Paleyfest panels and interviews from very early on-she didn't want Castle and Beckett to get together. So, for her to immediately start talking about what a great show Nathan would put on for the fans without Stana was incredibly tone deaf and lacking empathy for the fans. She clearly has an agenda and was going to push that agenda at all costs. Molly and Toks would be very well served by taking a break from Twitter.

I agree. Unfortunately, I think the restraints that have been placed on NF and SK working together have really hurt the writing. Plus, this season the writing generally has been very sub par, immature, weak, just bad and uninteresting.

I love your list. This season has been horrible, I haven't watched more episodes than I have, and this is someone who has the first 7seasons on dvd. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm thankful for Hawley because he's made it very easy to walk away from Castle, something I never thought I'd say before this season. I don't know what happens if there is a season 9 but Hayley and Alexis are unwatchable and annoying. IMHO, NF needs a strong actor to work off (look at his scenes with Susan) and these gals just don't fit the bill. Unless they do something really unexpected and make Alexis and Hayley a romantic couple they have nothing that makes them worth watching.

Alexis has been insufferable arrogant for seasons. I think the last time I enjoyed her was "Always". Hayley has been very poorly introduced. As I read in an review of "Backstabber", we've been told why we are supposed to like her but we've been shown very little that makes her appealing or her attachment to Rick and Alexis believable.

THIS! The writing this season has been so poor and has clearly been all about setting up a Beckett exit. It seems to have been all about indulging the whims of the new showrunners (I.e. up the gore quotient, lots of talk about "hoochie mama, psycho bitch, and skeezy blond") and limiting Beckett as much as possible. It has made it too easy for fans to walk away. They've had an entire season to complain about the loss of Castle.

I think you're right on both counts. The Creaseys seem to have split over last summer. NF and KA didn't spend Christmas together (according to her Twitter). I know they were in NoLa for Mardi Gras (again, her Twitter) but NF was very quiet about that trip. Pure speculation but I think that was the end. It looked like her former co-star set up the Mardi Gras gig and NF sort of went along. IMHO, she was way to quick to share their whereabouts for reasons of privacy and safety. I think NF's tweet about doing the same thing and claiming innocence may have been directed at that. Again, pure speculation based on her/their Twitter.

When Decker was walking to talk to her "father" and the kept cutting to the boyfriend's ghost I laughed out loud. Clearly this was supposed to be a dramatic episode but so much of it seemed rushed and forced. Add to that Bowman's "lights out" style (honestly, during the shoot out it was almost impossible to see anything) and this episode was the best this season but still doesn't compare to previous seasons. As someone said above, the guest characters were blah, no impact at all. Absolutely no humor, and the "Badass Beckett" was a bit overplayed. It just makes me so sad to see what they've done to the show I love. I'll keep recording and will watch an episode if it gets positive reviews (more Caskett and minimal Hayley and Alexis) but Castle is no longer appointment tv for me.

There was a brief scene in the fifth or sixth episode (I don't rewatch episodes this season so I can't remember) in which Martha came to the office and said how glad she was that Hayley was working at the office, maybe she could turn around the money pit. I'm so tired of Alexis and Hayley treating Castle like an idiot. If he wasn't a successful author you two would have to go out and find a job on your own rather than being his hangers on.