ABC has announced that Kate Beckett will get a new job in season 8 of "Castle." After being faced with career crossroads in the season 7 finale, with one direction leading to a possible seat at the state senate and the other, to remain in the NYPD, Kate has chosen to stay in the police department. This time, however, she will not be a detective but a captain.
"What's exciting about that dynamic is that she's not going to be a traditional captain who is in the office," executive producer Terence Winter told Entertainment Weekly, adding that "she's still Beckett."
"She's boots on the ground ... She's going to be handling cases and she's going to be involved in the interrogation," he said.
However, it won't be smooth sailing for Kate. Winter said that with her as the new boss, "a new dynamic with her, Esposito and Ryan" sprouts along with "fun conflict" with Castle. Speaking of Castle, Winter also talked about how Kate's new job will affect their relationship.
"It's much different when your wife is the captain, the boss, versus when your wife is the detective," the showrunner told TV Guide.
It remains to be seen how the change of roles will play out in Kate and Castle's marriage. Kate's promotion to captain also gives new showrunners Winter and Alexi Hawley opportunities to explore and tackle new stories for the character, fleshing out Kate's life outside the job.
"Since she doesn't have to be boots on the ground in every aspect of the case, it also gives us opportunities with her to open up her character a little bit more and to take her down some other roads," Hawley told Entertainment Weekly.
Hawley and Winter said that keeping Kate in the precinct should also help a lot in telling Castle's story although they told EW that they have yet to discount the possibility of the new captain becoming a senator.
"Castle" season 8 will premiere on Sept. 21.
