Castle Series Finale Review: Crossfire (Season 8 Episode 22)
It’s the end of an era.
After eight seasons, a few ups and downs, and a lot of great moments, Castle has aired its final episode. The series finale of Castle, “Crossfire,” has pretty much everything a good episode of Castle needs.
That ending, though? I still don’t quite know what to do with it.
“Crossfire” focuses on Castle and Beckett’s plan to take down Locksat once and for all. Their partnership shines as it always does in these situations, since they work together as equals and know each other better than anyone else.
Still, Locksat is always one step ahead of them, and Castle ends up being kidnapped and drugged. In his drugged state, he apparently can tell no lies, and reveals all the reasons he loves Beckett.
Castle: Beckett makes me laugh. She challenges me. I became a better man.
It works as a nice capstone to the series, particularly since Castle’s captor (Locksat’s right-hand man) mentions Castle’s past as a playboy, which feels like such a long time ago.
But it’s true. Castle’s life was safer before he met Kate Beckett. Simpler. But it didn’t have as much meaning. Kate Beckett became more than his muse. The fact of the matter is that Castle has made many sacrifices for her, but he’s never thought twice about it.
It’s only a little surprising when we learn who Locksat actually is. It is way too convenient that Mason Wood of The G.D.S., who we met earlier this season, shows up in a Korean BBQ Taco Truck (points for originality, seriously) to save Castle and Beckett just in time.
Beckett is smart enough not to trust him at first, but Castle quickly buys his story about being sent by his step-mother to look after them. At least the whole G.D.S. thing has come back into play, which at the time felt fun but unnecessary.
Castle is heartbroken to see who Locksat actually is, especially since he had been so excited to work with The G.D.S. in the first place. What follows is one of the most unbearable scenes of this series finale.
He’s unable to lie as Locksat names off every single person in the world Castle cares about, asking if they know about him.
Castle fights the truth, but reveals through tears that each of them knows: Hayley, Ryan, Esposito, Martha, and Alexis. Kudos to Nathan Fillion for his performance in that scene. It’s incredibly well-done, and has to be one of the most memorable performances of the episode.
The good news is that it isn’t all that hopeless after all.
Ryan and Esposito show their loyalty to their friends, risking themselves more than once to help Castle and Beckett in this episode alone. Once they finally learn what’s been going on, they insist on helping and keeping Beckett safe.
Ryan: You can fire us both for insubordination if you want, but otherwise, we got this.
They also manage to save Castle in dramatic fashion only moments before he’s about to be killed — one of the reasons that this episode, as I said earlier, has just about everything we’d want from a really good episode of Castle.
What’s even better, though, is the moment when Castle turns the tables on his captor. He hooks him up to the same drug, forcing the man to tell him everything he knows — including where Beckett has been taken.
One of the things I always enjoy about this show is that Beckett is never entirely reliant on help when she’s in danger, and for that matter, neither is Castle. There is no damsel in distress. Instead, it’s about their ability to work together.
STANA KATIC, NATHAN FILLION
Castle gets to Beckett just in time, which distracts Locksat. But Beckett gets the pleasure of beating the hell out of Locksat all by herself.
It’s probably my favorite scene of the episode. She deserves to get to take him down that way, and she’s incredibly bad-ass.
But it does feel a little too easy. Castle and Beckett are reunited with their friends and family, and then head home where Castle decides to start cooking a meal.
It’s too quiet. Too simple. And unless you’ve never watched a television show in your life, you basically have to know the other shoe is about to drop.
Now, we know that the ending we got for this episode isn’t the ending that was originally planned. What we got instead was an alternate ending, since the show was canceled rather than being renewed for a ninth season sans Stana Katic and Tamala Jones.
I’m incredibly curious to know how this would have ended otherwise, but this ending? Castle being shot made me shout at the top of my lungs. Beckett then being shot herself made me fall silent.
Watching the two of them, injured and bleeding, crawling toward each other on the floor to hold hands and presumably die together? No words.
But that’s not the ending. Instead, we get a quick “seven years later” which shows Castle and Beckett living a happily ever after in a new home with a BUNCH of kids.
It’s nice, and hopeful, but I don’t really buy it. What happened in between?! I suppose it’s better than the two of them just dying together on the floor all Romeo and Juliet style (their love story is referred to as epic earlier in the episode) but it leaves us with SO many questions.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re supposed to be left wondering. It isn’t an unsatisfying finale episode, but it’s one that feels… unsettling.
How did you feel about the series finale of Castle? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
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.
5 comments
obviously if there had been a season 9, this episode would have ended with the two of them shot and on the floor. Then next season it would have returned and we would have been shown that Beckett had died and Castle saved. Perhaps by some member of the family coming home or one of the boys showing up at the home. Obviously TPTB were not aware of what a backlash they were to get from the fandom when it was announced that Ms. Katic &Ms. Jones were not asked back for “financial reasons” ya sure! At that point not only the fanbase but many reviewers, actresses and well know personalities were disgusted with the situation and said so publicly. Without the Beckett character and the performance of Katic the show would never have gotten off the ground. So they had no option but to cancel. As one who watched the show from episode 1 and loved the entire ensemble I am glad that they didn’t ruin it anymore then they did in the last year just trying to alter the whole story to add some silly Castle PI rubbish and change the whole direction of the show. Too bad, I feel they could have had this show for years if they had stuck to the script laid out by Marlow and not tried to cater to someone’s ego. I had a lot of respect for Hawley and winter as writers but as showrunners they were a disaster.
Agree with the comment above me. It breaks my heart that no better compromise was reached. (BTW 2 of the 4 comments above are in the past year even though Castle ended as long ago as it did – clearly it has endurance)! Lifetime just aired the finale again and though I tried to stop myself from watching as I knew I would be mad, depressed and as the reviewer (EXCELLENT review) said – unsettled, alas I could not resist. Fillion for SURE does deserve an award for his performance and in particularly for the unbearably difficult to watch anguish of the scene of his crying. As for the end I did NOT want to see either die but at the same time, what was WITH all of the kids…?? Sigh. Side note, I found it interesting that before Lanie hugged Beckett at the precinct when she was presumably OK she said she’d hassle her “later” for not telling her. Anyhow, as I said Lifetime just aired this again and usually I do resist inflicting the damage of watching but this time I didn’t and well…to anyone reading…as noted in the review this “future” scene DOES take place 7 years in the future? Just so happens that future is now. In TWO MONTHS IT WILL HAVE BEEN SEVEN YEARS. Aside from that being incredulous information to digest (yes I may be choosing that word because of the cooking) can it please also mean closure? Somehow? PLEASE? 🙏 SOMETHING? Let’s please everyone get along while there’s still time. And still interest. It’s the perfect time to unmuddy the waters.
Review was great. I too, thought Nathan Fillion’s performance was outstanding. I loved watching Castle. There was so much chemistry between all of the characters. I wish they hadn’t announced the leaving of Beckett and Lanie. It colored everything about the last few episodes. It is over now and fans have memories of a great love story (rather far-fetched), I will miss it!
So when will season 8 E22 air
The show was great except for the people in charge. They should not work another project. If Nathan and Stana were great in their roles. I wish them both the best. If the series had continued I would have watched it. I am sad at all the things that have been said about their relationship. I hope to see more of both of them.
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