The newest investigator who will join the New York Police District and meddle with Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett's (Stana Katic) life finally has a face. The Entertainment Weekly exclusively released the first official photos of "Neighbors" star Toks Olagundoye as Hayley Shipton, the latest addition to the cast roster of "Castle" season 8.
"[Toks] plays a really dynamic, fun character," executive producer Alexi Hawley shared. "It's a voice that the show doesn't have. What's great about her is Castle has been investigating cases police-adjacent, so it's always about doing things the way police would. She doesn't do things that way, so that fun dynamic of, 'No, we break in rather than get a warrant,' is kind of fun."
But aside from being Castle's new colleague, Hayley will also act as a mentor to Castle's daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn). Hawley shared that since Alexis is beginning to grow older, she needs an older sister like Hayley to guide her. Alexis had been the baby for the past seven seasons of the crime procedural series, but her growth as a mature, sophisticated young woman will be discussed in the upcoming season.
It is also reported that Alexis and Castle's father-daughter relationship will somehow change this season now that she is older.
Meanwhile, Detective Ethan Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) is confirmed to return in "Castle" season 8. First introduced back in season 4, Detective Slaughter worked with Castle in a case in an episode titled "Headhunters."
For this season, the details for Slaughter's return have yet to be revealed. But now that Beckett has been promoted as the new captain of NYPD's 12th Precinct, Castle might need Slaughter's crude methods to assist him in solving some of the cases in the upcoming season.
"Castle" season 8 will premiere on Monday, Sept. 21, on ABC.
