Castle leading lady Stana Katic busted out the series’ go-to adverb — “Always” — in a handwritten note to fans, cast and crew, in the wake of the news that the ABC drama had been cancelled.
“Your devotion to this show has carried us for these unforgettable eight seasons,” wrote Katic, who would not have been part of any Season 9. “I will always be grateful.”
The news of Castle‘s end, announced amid a busy Thursday of pre-Upfront renewals and cancellations (…and cancellations), came as a small shock, if only because ABC Studios had spent the previous week or so locking down Nathan Fillion, Seamus Dever and other cast for a possible Season 9. (Like Katic, Tamala Jones aka M.E. Lanie Parrish had not been invited back.)
As reported in April by TVLine, the Castle showrunners prepared an alternate final sequence for Monday’s season finale that will offer a better sense of closure than the original Season 8 cliffhanger ending.
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In addition to Katic’s misssive, Jon Huertas, who plays Esposito, reacted with a series of tweets that said:
It was a good run but Castle is done. I’ve processed the end of living an eight-year dream — now I must thank those who have made that dream possible. You! The Castle fans. My fellow cast mates, the amazing Seamus Dever, Stana Katic, Nathan Fillion, Tamala Jones, Molly Quinn, Susan Sullivan. As well as the talented Toks Olagundoye, Penny Johnson Jerald, Sunkrish Bala, Arye Gross. Hollywood’s not an easy town. As a cast and crew, we were all very lucky to have the right chemistry, love and support to create a wonderful show that had success in a landscape of network TV where long runs are like unicorns. So thank you to the fans for giving me my own personal unicorn!
Seamus Dever (Ryan) posted to Instagram a cast photo, while Molly Quinn shared on Twitter, “Castle was a cornerstone of my life. A safe environment to learn. Thank you, ABC, for giving a carrottop kid of 14 an amazing start.”
Toks Olagundoye, who joined the cast for Season 8 as private eye Hayley, tweeted, “It’s been a blast, a pleasure and an honor! One of the most fun and fulfilling years of my entire life! I am SO grateful for it ALL.”
