<p id=”par-1_51″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/actors/”>Actor</a> Nathan Fillion admitted he was one of many <em>Castle </em>fans who felt the show <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nathan-fillion-agreed-that-the-castle-finale-wasnt-a-good-send-off.html/”>didn’t have a good send-off</a>. His co-star, Stana Katic, wasn’t sure if season 8 would become its last. However, if it was, she wanted <em>Castle </em>to have the same quality conclusion as another highly regarded show.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-what-stana-katic-said-about-the-wire”>What Stana Katic said about ‘The Wire’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Stana-Katic-Castle.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Stana Katic in an episode of ‘Castle’ as Kate Beckett.” class=”wp-image-3780994″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Stana Katic in ‘Castle’ | Scott Everett White/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_50″>Initially, Katic wasn’t sure where<em> Castle</em> would end up after season 8. The showrunner at the time, Alexi Hawley, knew that the series might be canceled due to declining ratings. But its fate still wasn’t set in stone. Some speculated that the procedural had a little more life to it.</p>
<p id=”par-3_42″>In a resurfaced interview with <a href=”https://tvline.com/interviews/stana-katic-castle-season-8-staying-leaving-new-contract-565836/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>TV Line</a>, Katic also seemed uncertain if she had a future with <em>Castle</em>. When it was mentioned that Katic’s contract in the show was about to expire, she admitted she didn’t know if it would be renewed.</p>
<p id=”par-4_65″>“I feel like there are a lot of things that other people have to decide before <em>I</em> really have to decide — do you know what I mean? So, I’m not first in line for having to worry about that. I think that there are conversations probably on some other level. But I don’t know exactly what yet because I haven’t had any conversations personally,” she said.</p>
<p id=”par-5_16″>However, when she was personally asked about the show’s fate, Katic’s response was a bit cryptic.</p>
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<iframe title=”Stana Katic Says ‘Castle’ Crew Gave Her A Crash Course In Filmmaking” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/2JlEYS1b8RU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-6_12″>“I don’t think that a show should overstay its welcome,” she said.</p>
<p id=”par-7_39″>When asked to elaborate, Katic would’ve preferred it if <em>Castle </em>told a tight story like another prestigious television show did. It was a sentiment Fillion also once shared when he felt the show <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nathan-fillion-wouldve-liked-castle-last-6-years-end-strong.html/”>should only run for six years</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-8_87″>“If the character is complete, if there is nowhere else to go creatively, then I think it’s better to stop when you’re on top, because I admire the way that they did that with <em>The Wire</em>, you know? Tell a great story and then go home and move on to something else. Don’t milk it ‘just because,’” she said. “So for me, it’s about art over finance. And as long as we’re creating something that is compelling and that has somewhere to go, then we’re good to go.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_77″><em>The Wire </em>couldn’t have been any more different from <em>Castle</em>. The HBO series didn’t receive <em>Castle</em>‘s ratings at its peak. It didn’t even <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/wire-never-won-emmy-award.html/”>win an Emmy award</a>. Yet, critics still regard it as one of television’s best shows of all time. Also unlike <em>Castle</em>, <em>The Wire </em>told its story in five tight seasons whereas <em>Castle </em>ended on a very divisive note after lasting for eight seasons. Some feel it might’ve been a couple of seasons too long.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-stana-katic-was-hurt-by-how-her-relationship-with-castle-ended”>Stana Katic was hurt by how her relationship with ‘Castle’ ended</h2>
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<iframe title=’Castle 8×22 Promo “Crossfire” (HD) Series Finale’ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEXgnEUAoHQ?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Nathan Fillion’s ‘Castle’ Co-Star Was Shocked by How Much He Changed in ‘The Rookie’ </a>
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<p id=”par-10_44″><em>Castle</em>’s conclusion might’ve confused more fans than it satisfied. The show started worrying its fanbase when it announced that Katic wouldn’t return for a season nine. <a href=”https://deadline.com/2016/04/castle-stana-katic-exit-season-9-tamala-jones-out-1201739022/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Deadline</a> reported that Katic’s departure was due to budgetary reasons with ABC letting her go to save costs.</p>
<p id=”par-11_81″>There were also talks that Katic and Fillion didn’t get along on set. But no one ever confirmed these rumors. The closest the stars ever publicly butted heads involved disagreeing on whether their <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nathan-fillion-stana-katic-disagreed-becoming-couple-castle.html/”>characters should be in a relationship</a>. However, Katic’s exit turned out to be the fans’ least concern. The network soon revealed that it was canceling <em>Castle</em> altogether. The abrupt nature of its cancellation led to a rushed series finale that was more bitter than sweet for many viewers.</p>
<p id=”par-12_38″>In an interview with <a href=”https://ew.com/tv/2018/01/27/stana-katic-absentia-castle-exit/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Entertainment Weekly</a>, Katic briefly touched on her exit from the show. She admitted to being sensitive to the topic. But at the same time, she still appreciated <em>Castle </em>for the experiences it gave her.</p>
<p id=”par-13_106″>“It hurt and it was a harsh ending, but now, nearly two years later…I met so many beautiful people on that project, and we collaborated on something really unique in that it’s not every day that you get a show, or a series, that has eight seasons and that it was a hit for the network,” Katic said. “It would be a disservice to those people, to the work that we did together, and to my work, which I feel contributed, in part, to the success of the show, to be anything but grateful because, at the end of the day, that was a fantastic platform.”</p>