Castle Season 8 Episode 18 Review: Backstabber | Tell-Tale TV

Castle Review: Backstabber (Season 8 Episode 18)

Ashley Bissette Sumerel Castle, Reviews

I won’t deny that I went into watching this particular episode of Castle with a whole new outlook.

“Backtabber” focuses its story on Hayley, and now that we know that if Castle does return for Season 9 that it will be without Kate Beckett, it’s hard not to look at this episode as the pilot of a Castle spinoff.

In fact, that really seems to be the intention here. It isn’t just that we learn more about Hayley’s character, but we also see growth in her relationship to both Castle and Alexis — each of whom show strong loyalty to Hayley.

Castle has done a good job in making Hayley a likable character in a short amount of time, and that’s due in large part to the fact that we often see her through the eyes of Castle and Alexis. They trust her. They’ve bonded with her. And it’s clear she isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

The episode also still focuses on the show’s namesake. Everything we love about Richard Castle is present in this episode, even if it does seem like we’re already watching him on a very different show. It’s still an entertaining hour of television, with a captivating case-of-the-week, suspense, action, and some light-hearted moments.

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What unfortunately rings false for me are the moments between Castle and Beckett at home. Castle surprises Beckett with a very personal, romantic gesture by having her motorcycle restored in what should be a sweet, fun scene between the two of them.

But the only thing going through my mind is the doom and gloom.

It’s hard to know if the scene would have felt false had I not known the news about Stana Katic. I could easily go off on a tangent about how knowing what goes on behind the scenes influences what we see on the screen, and how in a lot of ways, I wish I didn’t know.

On the other hand, it forced me to consider — really consider — what this show would be like without Beckett. We’ve even had a few episodes where she’s been missing, and while yes, it feels very different, I do think it can work. It would be difficult to accept at first, absolutely, but this season has already been putting more emphasis on Alexis and other characters as it is. It’s as though it’s been preparing us all along.

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Still, I’m heartbroken. Kate Beckett is an important female character, and I’ve always appreciated her portrayal as such. Quite frankly, we could use a lot more characters like her on television.

Other thoughts:

  • I could totally tell the difference between Martha’s two signatures. Okay, well sort of.
  • Is anyone else dying to know what Castle did in Beckett’s dream? Because I am.
  • I’d actually love to see Hayley and Beckett partner up some time.
  • One thing that makes me like Hayley just a little bit more? The swirly!

What did you think of this episode of Castle? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Castle airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.

Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.