Already have an account?
Get back to the

Castle’s Season 8 Switch-Up: Showrunners Weigh in on Future of Castle and Beckett

Stana Katic on Castle
Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) separates from her husband, Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion), in the Season 8 premiere of Castle.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from the two-part premiere of Castle Season 8. Do not read on if you haven’t watched the Sept. 28 episode!

Ummm, we thought Caskett weren’t allowed to break up? But that’s exactly what happened in Part 2 of the Season 8 premiere, which aired on Monday, Sept. 28. 

PHOTOS: Favorite TV couples

After Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) escaped from the ominous and mysterious powers coming after her, she ultimately decided to separate from her husband, Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion), in order to protect him as she continues to search for the government official behind the attack on her. But Castle was in the dark about the reason behind her moving out, and was left standing sadly in the kitchen with his uneaten “smorelette” — a s’more/omlette combo. 

stana katic and nathan fillion kiss
Castle and Beckett kiss in Part 2 of the Season 8 premiere of Castle.

Castle showrunners Terence Paul Winter and Alexi Hawley opened up to TVLine about their daring decision to break up one of TV’s favorite couples. 

Related: PHOTOS: TV shows gone too soon

“Here’s what we’re hoping, that the audience sticks around long enough to see next week and realize that this is just the beginning,” Hawley said of the split. “We’re using this to actually put the spark back in, and the stakes back in, which give us the fun and the juice… Obviously there’s some heartbreak in it as well, but it makes it much more emotionally impactful every week, because there are stakes now.”

Added Winter: “Last season, Beckett tried to be the happy wife and great detective, but what the case that launches this season did is make her realize that there’s something a little ‘broken’ inside of her. Hopefully by solving this, she will come face to face with what she needs to get out of it.”

So Beckett will continue in her role as captain of the 12th precinct and Castle will further his PI business, while also trying to insert himself in the department’s cases and once again get close to his wife. 

nathan fillion clapping
Castle will try to insert himself into the 12th precinct’s cases after his split from Beckett.

“In every single episode, they do end up working together,” Winter assured fans. “They have all those delightful put-togethers. The sparks between them are electric if not more than ever, and that’s one of the main reasons why we made this bold choice.”

Related: PHOTOS: Shocking TV deaths

Hawley and Winter, who took over the show this season from creators Andrew Marlowe and his wife, Terri Edda Miller, decided to take a new approach to the previously unbreakable couple. 

“This thing is going to constantly evolve, which is something we promised when we took over the show,” Winter noted. “It’s not just going to be this dynamic from here to the end of the season. By the time we get to the end of our fall finale, there’s another shift and change that’s going to happen that’s incredibly dynamic. And that will lead us into even more interesting storytelling that will bring them together in a fun way.”

Tell Us: Will you still watch Castle now that Caskett has split up?

Castle airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. 

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!