Surprise firings, sci-fi callbacks, and a case of "will they/won't they" that was very different in real life. Even if it looked like love onscreen, things weren't always so smooth on the hit show "Castle."
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00:00Surprise firings, sci-fi callbacks, and a case of will-they-won't-they that was very
00:05different in real life. Even if it looked like love on screen, things weren't always
00:08so smooth on the hit show Castle.
00:11Between 1986 and 1988, screenwriter Tom Straw got his start writing a handful of episodes
00:16of the NBC sitcom Night Court, before becoming an occasional writer on Nurse Jackie and a
00:20regular contributor on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson staff in 2006. However,
00:25in 2007, Straw published his first novel, The Trigger Episode, about a Pulitzer Prize-winning
00:30photojournalist who becomes a member of the Hollywood paparazzi.
00:33Two years later, ABC debuted the popular crime series Castle, which stars Nathan Fillion
00:37as Richard Castle, a mystery author, police consultant, and private investigator. In Castle,
00:42the title character writes a book series about private investigators Derek Storm and Nikki
00:46Heat, the latter of whom is based on Castle's in-show partner Kate Beckett, played by Stana
00:51In real life, Castle's books exist, ranging from Heat Wave in 2009 to Heat Storm in 2017.
00:58Of course, Richard Castle isn't a real author. Instead, Straw assumed writing duties under
01:02the show-inspired pen name as a way of bringing Castle's persona to life off-screen.
01:07In many ways, the character of Kate Beckett was as essential to the successes of Castle
01:10as Richard Castle himself. So after putting Nathan Fillion in the titular role, Andrew
01:15W. Marlowe and company then sought out his co-star and on-screen love interest. Marlowe
01:19told The Hollywood Reporter that Kaddik, along with over 120 other actresses, read
01:23with Fillion before he and the rest of the producers decided on her for the role. Marlowe
01:27added,
01:28When Stana walked in and they started saying the words, it became more electric. We had
01:31our fingers crossed that we had captured lightning in a bottle."
01:34I told you I have nothing to say to you.
01:37Did I say you could talk? Did someone give you permission to open your sorry little mouth?
01:42No!
01:43It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Beckett, and Kaddik's on-screen chemistry
01:47with Fillion was immaculate, warm, and the heart of Castle altogether. This is especially
01:51true in the early seasons, before an off-screen feud would drive a wedge between them. It's
01:55easy to predict that, had season 9 moved forward without Kaddik, fans would not have reacted
02:00kindly.
02:01It's not uncommon for co-stars to also be wed. Acting partners such as David Tennant
02:05and Georgia Moffat from Doctor Who, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer from True Blood, as well
02:10as Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kurtheiser from Mad Men, to name a few, were all married couples
02:15in real life.
02:16In Castle, Seamus Dever and Julianna Dever, who play Detective Kevin Ryan and Jenny Ryan
02:20respectively, were able to one-up everyone else by being a married couple both on-screen
02:24and off. Their on-screen characters even have a daughter in the series named Sarah Grace,
02:29who was born after Ryan and Esposito narrowly escaped death in the season 6 episode, Underfire.
02:34While viewers were grappling with Beckett and Castle's possible romance across all eight
02:38seasons, the Ryans provided a long-lasting foundation of consistency throughout the series.
02:42Castle was not immune to its highs and lows, but one of the show's most consistent and
02:46brightest parts was always Jenny and Kevin's relationship with each other, and their eventual
02:49parenthood to Sarah Grace only helped to solidify their bond and make them an even more important
02:54pillar of the show.
02:56Before he became Richard Castle in 2009, Nathan Fillion won the hearts of millions in the
03:00beloved, cult-favorite Fox series Firefly in 2002. In the show, he played Malcolm Reynolds,
03:05a space cowboy and captain of the ship Serenity. The series has a legacy as one of the best
03:09single-season TV shows of all time, and Fillion has even revived a tongue-in-cheek version
03:14of Reynolds for 10 episodes of Netflix's Big Mouth series.
03:16This was the role of a lifetime.
03:19Though Castle and Firefly are very different shows, the former pays multiple tributes to
03:23the latter, as Redditors have studiously documented. In Castle's home, viewers can find Firefly
03:28props everywhere. Castle dressed as a space cowboy for Halloween one year, and catchphrases
03:32from the cult hit have been featured in episodes of Castle.
03:35Hell of a shot, Castle.
03:39I was aiming for his head.
03:40Still, one of the most explicit and noticeable homages to Firefly and its beloved ship came
03:45when a spa mentioned in the series was named Serenity. This gag was capped off with a near-complete
03:50deadpan stare at the camera from the former space captain himself. While Firefly remains
03:54Fillion's most adored performance, it's Castle that made him a household name.
03:59In Castle, the show maintained a strong, consistent roster of actors and actresses throughout its
04:03eight-season run. Major characters rarely left, and supporting roles earned the space
04:07to add depth to their arcs. Still, only three actors were featured in all 173 episodes of
04:12Castle from 2009 to 2016. Of course, as the title character, Fillion's inclusion on that
04:18list comes as no surprise. However, supporting actors John Huertas, who plays Esposito, and
04:23Seamus Deber, who plays Detective Ryan, also appear in every episode.
04:27Though Stanna Caddick, Tamela Jones, Susan Sullivan, and Molly C. Quinn are all credited
04:31on 173 episodes, the actresses did not actually appear in every entry. Across its eight years,
04:37despite the narrative's ups and downs and the show's shifting critics' scores, Castle
04:41always kept its key players in the game.
04:43Castle's name is one of great distinction. Even if you're unfamiliar with the show, Fillion
04:47made his character one that avoided being pigeonholed into only the show's fandom, much
04:51like he did with Mal and Firefly. However, Castle wasn't born Richard Castle. Before
04:56he was a best-selling author or a consultant to The Twelfth Precinct, Castle was known
05:00as Richard Rogers, the son of actress Martha Rogers and a CIA agent known only as Jackson
05:05Hunt. While there was never a full explanation as to why he changed his name, the switch
05:09is acknowledged at least once. In the Season 3 episode, He's Dead, She's Dead, Cade expresses
05:14some confusion when Castle reminds her that his middle name is Alexander, which she always
05:18thought was Edgar.
05:19No, I changed my middle name to Edgar for Edgar Allen Poe back when I changed my last
05:23name to Castle. My given name is Richard Alexander Rogers.
05:27When onscreen together, Fillion and Caddick are two romantically involved characters who
05:31play the will-they-won't-they card to an extreme before they get married in Season
05:357. Offscreen, however, Fillion and Caddick could barely stand to act in scenes together.
05:39According to an exclusive Us Weekly report, an insider linked to Castle revealed that
05:43the showrunners made Fillion and Caddick attend couples counseling together. Caddick's representatives
05:48ultimately denied the allegations.
05:50After Season 8 in 2016, Caddick was not approached by production about reprising her role as
05:54Beckett. Soon after, ABC canceled the show altogether. According to an Entertainment
05:59Weekly interview in 2018, Caddick explained,
06:01"...I'm actually still not clear on the thought process behind the way that it went down.
06:05It hurt, and it was a harsh ending."
06:07It's unlikely that the full story will ever be revealed about what Caddick and Fillion's
06:11apparent feud entailed. But reports of Caddick crying in her trailer and a source claiming
06:15to Us Weekly that she and Fillion hated each other paint a pretty clear picture.
06:20Before creating Castle in 2009, Andrew W. Marlowe was a scriptwriter in Hollywood. He
06:25penned Air Force One starring Harrison Ford in 1997, End of Days starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
06:30in 1999, and Hollow Man starring Kevin Bacon in 2000. Air Force One was a box office smash
06:35and received a positive critical reception, while End of Days and Hollow Man both made
06:39money upon release but currently hold negative Rotten Tomatoes scores.
06:43When Marlowe made the transition to network television, Castle was his first credit, which
06:47he created, wrote, and executive produced. The show became a resounding success, consistently
06:51reaching millions of viewers every season and earning praise from critics.
06:55After Season 7 concluded in 2015, however, Marlowe exited the program, along with his
07:00wife Terri Miller, who served as a co-writer and co-producer. Following their departure,
07:04Castle struggled to maintain its fan base, and according to the audience score on Rotten
07:08Tomatoes, its eighth season was considered the worst in the series.
07:12After a subpar Season 8 that saw viewership reach an all-time low, Deadline reported that
07:16the possibility of ABC not renewing Castle for a ninth season loomed over the heads of
07:20its showrunners. According to The Hollywood Reporter, along with Stana Kadic being fired
07:25from the show if it were to continue, Penny Johnson-Gerald, who plays Captain Victoria
07:28Gates, and Tamala Jones, who plays Lanny Parrish, were also not invited back for the hypothetical
07:33ninth season.
07:34Even though the show was nixed after Season 8, the way production severed ties with some
07:38of its most beloved cast members left a sour taste in viewers' mouths. Upon learning that
07:42her character would not be returning, Johnson-Gerald tweeted her sorrow, writing,
07:46"'To my Castle fans around the world, as of late yesterday I am surprised and saddened
07:50to learn that I will no longer be a part of the Castle family. Thank you all for your
07:53support and love.'"
07:54Jones' axiom was actually announced before Season 8 ended, much to her dismay.
07:59"'Cause I thought, you know, let the fans get through the season and then announce,
08:03but when it came out I was very much aware."
08:06There's no doubt that Kadic, Johnson-Gerald, and Jones' departures would have cast a dark
08:10shadow on Season 9 had it been made. The three women were integral parts of the show, and
08:14the showrunners' decision to write out their characters before ABC canceled Castle remains
08:18a low point in the series' history.
08:20Tamala Jones' situation didn't just surprise fans, as the rest of the cast had not been
08:24informed by production that their co-stars would not be returning for Season 9 if it
08:28were to happen. Esposito actor John Huertas had signed on to return in Season 9, but did
08:33not learn of the departures of Jones, Kadic, and Johnson-Gerald until it made waves on
08:37social media. The actor even confirmed it himself, announcing his shock and dismay at
08:41the news on Twitter.
08:42Despite Huertas' obvious frustrations, it's unclear whether or not the production's handling
08:46of cast firings played any role in the show's quick demise. It appears, though, that a rift
08:51between the showrunners, the network, and the cast could have been imminent had they
08:54proceeded with Season 9.
08:56Andrew W. Marlowe's departure after Season 7 draws no immediate links to the decline
09:00in quality that was seen during the final season of Castle. However, Marlowe couldn't
09:04keep his opinions locked away once the story he created took a divisive detour in Season
09:088. In 2016, Marlowe tweeted what appears to be his disapproval of how the final season
09:13of Castle carried on, which included Beckett electing to take a break from her relationship
09:17with Castle. The couple spends most of the final season separated, which goes against
09:21the vision Marlowe had started seven years prior. The creator wrote on Twitter,
09:24"...heartbroken. There are no words."
09:26Though the show ends with Castle and Beckett depicted in a happily-ever-after scenario,
09:31according to Entertainment Weekly, producers filmed a different ending, in which the couple
09:34is still separated, but in a cliffhanger that left both of their fates up in the air.
09:39Castle found itself with a cast romance drawing similarities to another procedural drama.
09:43On Fox, the show Bones featured a protagonist couple, Brennan and Booth, that was reminiscent
09:48of Castle and Beckett, due to them being crime-solving co-workers with a budding love. What Bones
09:52did that Castle failed to do was give their protagonist romance space to grow after marriage.
09:57The buildup was worth it on the former, since Brennan and Booth would marry in Season 9
10:01and have three more seasons to capitalize on their togetherness and become even more
10:04layered as characters than they already were. In Castle, however, Castle and Beckett's marriage
10:08was on the rocks by the series' end. This dissolution was likely in part due to Nathan
10:12Fillion and Stanek Caddick's ongoing strife behind the scenes. Beyond that, though, a
10:17show built on the back of its two main characters and their shared romance is unlikely to survive
10:21once those ties are severed in some way.