‘Castle’ finale proves downside of leaving a TV show in limbo

It’s always rough when a TV show is on the bubble this time of year, especially when it’s a long-running series with devoted viewers. If producers have no idea whether they’re going to be renewed or canceled, they’re forced to come up with a finale that satisfies either possibility.

Even with a talented writing staff, leaving a series in limbo until the last possible moment usually spells doom for the actual finale. After Monday night, we can add another show as proof: The odd closing moments of “Castle.”

Until last week, all signs pointed to the long-running ABC drama being renewed for a ninth season. However, on May 12, the network suddenly gave it the ax. So that turned Monday’s episode into a series finale, which meant the producers had to scramble to send off the show with a proper ending, especially considering it’s a show with a fiercely loyal, vocal fan base — particularly regarding the show’s main couple, detectives Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic).

The result was … well, kind of strange and disjointed. At the end of the episode, the series villain jumped out and shot at Castle and Beckett. They managed to fight back and kill the criminal, but they were both shot as well. The music swelled as Castle and Beckett collapsed on the floor next to each other, bleeding and looking very dead from gunshot wounds.

Both the Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly reported that if the show had been renewed, the episode would have ended at that moment as a big cliffhanger for next season. Although not really, because that would presumably mean the end of Beckett; Katic was being written off the show, which was another hugely controversial decision in the “Castle” fandom.

Anyway, with the show ultimately canceled, that meant one thing — the writers had to satisfy the fans. So all of a sudden, the camera slowly panned from Castle and Beckett’s bodies on the ground and through an empty room. Then viewers heard audio of Castle and Beckett banter from the pilot episode. (Castle: “How about dinner? We can debrief each other.” Beckett: “So I can just be another one of your conquests?”)

Then, text flashed across the screen: “SEVEN YEARS LATER.” Cut to: Three adorable children running around, and Castle and Beckett beaming at each other at a kitchen table as their little family happily eats breakfast. “Every writer needs inspiration, and I found mine,” the mystery novelist Castle intoned via voiceover, using a line from the show’s opening. “Always,” Beckett’s voiceover said. “Always,” echoed Castle.