I finally watched the series finale of Castle and . . .
That was some lazy writing.
When I was a senior (or maybe a junior - whenever I took creative writing) in high school, I turned in a piece of fiction in which I used a page break to signify a gap in time. My creative writing teacher told me that was lazy. At the time, I was frustrated and annoyed because it meant I had to figure out a way for my characters to get from Point A to Point B.
If you haven't watched the Castle series finale and plan to, don't read on. This is your spoiler warning.
At the end of the episode, Castle and Beckett go home thinking that they solved the case and caught Lockset and Castle is gonna make Beckett breakfast. Beckett goes into the other room to change. Some Baddie (who I should probably know who is, but don't) appears in the kitchen and shoots Castle, in the shoulder or stomach or something, presumably an ultimately fatal shot. Beckett enters the room, alerted that something is wrong by Castle's silence. Beckett and Baddie have a gun fight. Baddie is killed by one or more of Beckett's numerous shots. Beckett reveals that she was shot in the stomach (and probably elsewhere, Baddie got quite a few rounds off) and sinks to the floor. Unable to move much, Castle and Beckett crawl closer to one another and grab hands. They are laying on the floor bleeding out, presumably to die.
I am watching, alarm bells going off in my brain. They can't die! I'm thinking. Maybe Martha or Alexis will walk in and find them and call for an ambulance - something!
Instead, they overlay Castle and Beckett's voices, probably from the first episode (it's been awhile; I can't remember every conversation Beckett and Castle had), meanwhile we are panning sideways through a wall, an empty room.
Castle continues talking as the words "Seven Years Later" appear on the screen. Some pretty girls run into the room; Castle and Beckett are sitting at the table. It's sunny and light and happy.
They survived and got their happily ever after. I should be happy, right?
Wrong.
Dead wrong.
I don't object to the device of moving forward into the future to let us see into Castle and Beckett's future. We have bought into their lives, their romance, we rooted for Caskett against all odds, we deserve to see that they are still doing well.
My objection is that they left them bleeding out and dying on their kitchen floor. You can't write a cop out like that. I get that you were trying to write a series finale at the last minute after finding out the series wasn't going to be picked up for another season.
But here's the thing: the fans, the characters, the actors deserve better.
I can't fully buy into your happy little tacked on fairy tale ending because the last thing I saw was Castle and Beckett laying on the floor waiting for death.
You didn't do your job. You didn't finish the story. You didn't tell me how Caskett got out of this situation. You didn't have Martha and Alexis come to the apartment, find Castle and Beckett on the floor dying, grab their hands, have Alexis tearfully tell Castle, "Dad its going to be okay" as she calls 911 for an ambulance. Put some sirens in the background. Then pan across the room as Castle talks then show me seven years in the future. Only then would I be able to buy into your poorly executed ending.
Because you did not do that, I am instead left with the feeling that this is Castle imagining what could have been as he holds the love of his life's hand and succumbs to death. Not the fairy tale ending you were trying to write is it?
But that's what I'm left with. So thanks for that, lazy writers. Thanks a lot.
Don't be lazy.
Sharon
