"Castle" fans were shocked when the season 8 premiere of the hit ABC show saw Beckett (Stana Katic) breaking up with Castle (Nathan Fillion) in order to protect him as she goes after the government official responsible for the hit on her. Fans were not pleased with the show's new direction and immediately took to social media to complain about the premiere, saying that they waited this long to see the couple, only to have them break up at the start of the season.
Showrunners Terence Paul Winter and Alexi Hawley have said that this is not the end of the line for the couple and that they are gearing up for a relationship renaissance, or Caskett 2.0, this season.
Speaking to TVLine, Hawley said that they're using the plot twist to "put the spark back in" the couple's relationship.
"Obviously there's some heartbreak in it as well, but it makes it much more emotionally impactful every week, because there are stakes now," said Hawley.
Winter added that if fans would give them a chance to tell the story, they're going to "appreciate the journey that we're going on."
Hawley explained Beckett's actions, saying that she broke up with the love of her life because she knew that if Castle got involved in whatever it is that she's trying to do, then that could mean the end of him.
"Beckett is doing this with the right reasons in her head, which is, 'I have this obsession that I don't know how to deal with yet, but if I go down this road with Castle, he could get killed'," said Hawley.
And while Rick is in the dark about the real reason why Kate broke up with him, the showrunners said that rather than get suspicious or be bogged down by fear, he is going to pursue her and try to win her back—starting in the third episode of the season.
Hawley said that in episode 3, Castle will find out ways to get involved in the cases, because the way the character sees it, the way to win Beckett back is to solve cases with her.
"That's how they fell in love, so that's what his plan is," said Hawley. Winter said that the two will end up working together "in every single episode," which makes season 8 feel very much like the first season of the series.
"Castle" season 8 airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
