What Really Happened Between ‘Castle’s Stars on the Hit ABC Drama? (2024)

Castle was among the most popular and creative procedural mystery shows of its time. While there are more than a few ongoing series about detectives, cops, and lawyers that solve crimes, the premise of Castle was a unique one. The series starred Firefly actorNathan Fillion as Richard Castle, a famous author known for his iconic mystery novels that revolve around the fictional hero Derrick Storm. Castle begins solving crimes alongside the New York City homicide detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic); while initially, the duo’s relationship was purely professional, it became clear early on that the two characters were smitten with each other. Even though Fillion and Katic had excellent chemistry when they were on-screen together, the filming process for the show was far more hostile.

Castle

Crime

Drama

Mystery

A suave, best-selling author teams up with a strait-laced detective to solve crimes in New York City.

Release Date

March 9, 2009

Cast

Nathan Fillion , Stana Katic , Jon Huertas , Seamus Dever , Susan Sullivan , Tamala Jones , Molly C. Quinn

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

8

See Also

The Rookie’s Nathan Fillion Has Three Failed Engagements — His Exes Would Describe Him As ‘Unlucky In Love’What Really Happened Between Nathan Fillion And Stana Katic?Here's Why Nathan Fillion Never Got MarriedWhat Has Stana Katic Said About Her Relationship With Nathan Fillion?

Studio

ABC

The ‘Castle’ Set Reportedly Wasn’t Pleasant

One of the joys of Castle was seeing how Castle and Beckett learn by listening to one another. Castle is a mystery novelist with expert knowledge of how popular culture inspires real-life crimes; he can recognize familiar patterns within criminals’ activities, as they’re the sort of cliches that he would put into one of his novels. However, he also has no knowledge of how police procedures work, and is helpless in any situation that seriously puts his life in danger; this is where Beckett comes in to help. She may not have his level of creativity and imagination, but she’s more than experienced in detective work and can defend herself capably. The joy of the series was seeing how magnetic they were together, and how their skills complemented each other. To say that Fillion and Katic weren’t exactly “complimentary” towards each other in real life would be an understatement.

According to an insider speaking to US Magazine, Fillion had “been nasty to Stana for a long time,” and the two were very cold together while filming and doing scene preparations. While Katic’s representatives officially reported that there was no on-set tension, another source stated that the tension had gotten “so out of hand they made Stana and Nathan go to couples counseling together.” US Weekly’s source also claimed that the two hated each other and would not speak to one another anytime they weren’t filming, that tension had increased over the course of several seasons, and that Katic could be overheard crying in her dressing room. Sources claim that the tension had gotten so extreme that there were concerns by the producers that it would affect the quality of the show, and that the two had to be sent to shared counseling to portray a romantic couple on screen together. While actors don't actually have to be best friends in real life to feasibly appear cordial together on screen, it can become challenging for those completely opposed to each other's presence to be forced to spend time with each other on a consistent basis. Shooting a television show is very different from being on a film set; while a movie only requires a few months of shooting, developing the chemistry for an extended show (especially one like Castle that typically featured 22 episodes a season) requires a massive time commitment.

While the show was able to surprisingly keep going for eight seasons without the tension becoming evident to fans, the situation on set had escalated rapidly. Castle had been renewed for a ninth season and continued to be a hit for ABC, but Katic chose to exit the show, and would later describe it as “a harsh ending.” As a result, the show was cancelled at the end of its eighth season, even though Fillion had already renewed his contract to appear in Season 9. Even though the final episode “Crossfire” was intended to be a normal season episode, it became the series finale when it became apparent that it would be the last time the characters Castle and Beckett would appear on-screen together. It was a disappointing situation, as the cast and crew involved certainly could have delivered a more compelling send off to the characters that fans had fallen in love with for years if they had the benefit of hindsight. "Crossfire" ends on a rather morose, awkward note that didn't do anyone any favors.

It was an unfortunate conclusion to a show that possibly could have kept on going for much longer. While the eighth season took the show in a darker direction that didn’t necessarily reflect the same creativity and humor of the prior installments, it didn’t make any huge creative blunders that would have prevented the show from continuing. Fans truly wanted to see a finale that actually gave a definitive conclusion to the characters’ journey, and didn’t feel like another random episode. The only thing that differentiates “Crossfire” from a standard installment in the series is an off-putting final scene set seven years later with a married Castle and Beckett raising their children was just baffling, as it had nothing to do with the plot of the episode itself. “Crossfire” isn’t bad on its own, but as the conclusion of an eight-season arc, it just feels strange.

‘Castle’s Premature Cancellation Led to Unresolved Storylines

Castle had a premise that made it more sustainable than a majority of crime procedurals. While shows like NCIS, FBI, and Blue Bloods have started to feel stale after dozens of familiar cases, Castle had both the mysteries and Castle’s writing career to focus on. As a result, some seasons focused more on his creative endeavors, and others were centered around a pivotal case. This allowed the show to still retain the "case of the week" style mysteries that made it great casual viewing for fans on an inconsistent basis, yet still retained its overlapping narrative arcs that would entice those that had been watching since the beginning. Castle and Beckett had only just become a married couple at the beginning of the sixth season, so the show hadn’t had the time to explore what balancing their professional and personal lives looked like. How would having children impact Beckett’s ability to perform her duty? Would Richard's ability to take on serious cases with violent crimes be affected if he was trying to take care of his children?

Some of the best shows of all time changed their initial premises for the better, and Castle certainly had the potential to offer something new to fans by decentralizing its focus on Richard's publishing endeavors in subsequent seasons. While he had begun the show as a quick-witted, occasionally obnoxious celebrity with no tangible grasp on reality, Richard grew significantly more mature as the series moved along, thanks in no small part to Fillion's sensitive performance. It was evident that by the time that the final season aired, Richard had gained so much experience from his time working with the police that he was equally skilled at solving crimes as he was at creating them in his fanciful books. Perhaps a more serious tone would have contrasted with the "buddy cop" formula that the series began with, but a show that ran for as long as Castle had been on the air had already earned the trust of its audience to take narrative risks.

While the abrupt conclusion halted what could have been an interesting new direction, fans of Castle were spared a downward spiral in quality that could have eroded the enjoyment that they had gained from the initial seasons. It's a sad fact that many of the shows once considered to be among the greatest drama programs of all time have been negatively affected because of how disappointing their series finales were; it is much harder now to recommend shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Killing Eve, and Battlestar Galactica because they ended on such inconclusive notes. Castle's final set of episodes may have been fairly disappointing when compared to its first few seasons, but the show's legacy remains intact because, for the most part, the good outweighs the bad. Considering how hit-and-miss procedural shows can be in terms of quality, it is actually rather impressive that Castle didn't suffer any major blunders until the behind-the-scenes drama reached its breaking point.

‘Castle’ Wasn’t Just About Kate and Richard

Castle also had more than a few great recurring characters whose arcs felt unresolved. Castle’s daughter, Alexis (Molly Quinn), had grown up over the course of eight years; Quinn was a child actress at the beginning of the show, but by the end, she had grown into a capable young woman who was an awful lot more responsible than her father. Quinn become a very capable actress, appearing in the Guardians of the Galaxy films among others, and it would have been interesting to see how Alexis’ career evolved and adjusted to her father’s marriage.

Additionally, the detectives Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) were always a pleasure to watch and could have easily led the show. Ryan and Esposito had arguably the best dynamic on Castle, and quickly transcended their supporting roles to become interesting characters in their own right. Similar to Richard and Kate, Ryan and Esposito float in and out of each other's lives as they cope with additional responsibilities, including advancement in the workplace and raising their respective families. It would have been easy to paint them as broad caricatures of New York cops, but both Huertas and Dever managed to add sensitive, charismatic performances that fleshed out the show's ensemble. If there were ever two characters best suited to star in their own spinoff series, it was Huertas and Esposito; it very easily could have done for Castle what Angel did for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It’s unfortunate that the experience filming Castle was less than ideal for Katic, as none of that was visible onscreen. The potential was there for more Castle adventures, and although the series inspired several novels and comics about the fictional character of Derrick Storm, it wasn’t the same as seeing the beloved duo together solving crimes. However, there’s nothing more important than an actor’s personal health, and if Katic didn’t feel comfortable with Fillion, then her decision should be respected. She can be proud of the legacy the show leaves behind, as Beckett is still one of the most popular characters in recent television history. Considering that Castle is still relatively popular thanks to both streaming and syndication, it's possible that a new generation of fans may be able to watch the show for the first time and enjoy it without ever hearing a word about the chaotic behind-the-scenes drama that made the production such a miserable experience for the two leads.

All seasons of Castle can be streamed on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu