CASTLE Losing Two Main Actresses & Fans Aren’t Having It

Update: Castle has been officially cancelled.

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Fans are fuming over news that two original cast members of the long running series Castle have been fired. The current season will be the last for star Stana Katic and Tamala Jones. To say fans are upset is an understatement. Although the show has not been renewed for a ninth season yet, the idea of a show without its key members is certainly not going over well.

For the past eight years, Stana Katic has portrayed Kate Beckett, NYC detective turned authors-muse turned Captain. Throughout that time Tamala Jones has played medical examiner and Beckett’s BFF Lanie. Although the show is named Castle, after Nathan Fillion’s character, Kate and company have proven to be more important than just supporting characters.

ABC released a statement yesterday saying,

“Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years. We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.“

The exact reason for their departures are being touted as budgetary issues. However, fans aren’t pleased with that explanation. While Lanie could be considered expendable to some, Kate is not. For years fans watched as Kate and Castle moved from writer/muse to husband/wife. Something fans had been waiting for. Their relationship is at the center, even more than the cases they solve together and any crime-related season arcs.

Both Tamala and Stana have released statements regarding the change, which both only found out about late last week after the season wrapped.

“Rather then distract from what was an amazing experience, I would just like to say that I’m very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans.” – Stana Katic

“I’ve had so much fun playing the wonderful and unfiltered ‘Lanie’ over the past eight seasons. I will greatly miss the cast and crew — it’s been a privilege getting to work with this incredibly hard working group of people. Thank you to ABC for this opportunity and to the fans for their unwavering support. It’s been an incredible journey and I can’t wait for what lies ahead!” – Tamala Jones

Fans are not the only ones confused by the firings, it seems cast members are also in shock. Series regular Jon Huertas tweeted that he was upset and expressed his anger with how its been handled, saying:

After being silent all day yesterday – despite liking tweets from fans – Nathan Fillion finally tweeted out a message regarding the departures. To which fans assured him they wouldn’t watch a show without Stana. It’s definitely been a rough 24 hours for fans. This is a slap in the face to the show and its original creator (Castle had two new showrunners as of season 8).

For me, I’m disappointed. It feels like there’s something more at play. If it were budgetary issues truly, then get rid of Castle’s mother and daughter, neither are that important. Get rid of the new girl who plays Castle’s P.I. buddy – not his wife. There have been rumors that Nathan and Stana have not been getting along for years, even being sent to couples counseling. Stana’s rep has since denied the claims but they’re never photographed together, neither interact with each other on social media, and it seems like Nathan is getting the upper hand in all this. Which is a shame. It’s a good thing so many fans are voicing their displeasure so that hopefully the network will just end it.