Consistent with what showrunner Alexis Hawley said that they will be shaking things up in Season 8 of the American crime drama TV series “Castle” when it premieres on ABC on September 21, it looks like the Rick and Kate crime investigating team is now over.
This develops as Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic, is promoted to Captain of the 12th Precinct, replacing Captain Victoria Gates, played by Penny Johnson, who left the show after the Season 7 finale.
Even though Rick Castle, played by Nathan Fillion, is a civilian, as he is a crime novelist, he and Kate have investigated many crime scenes together and with his intuition, he has able to contribute and help Kate solved a number of cases in the past.
However, with the promotion of Kate into Captain, it appears likely that Rick will be left in the cold, as far as joining a police crime investigation is concerned. But since Kate is now in charge of the police force, and considering her relationship with Rick, it is likely that she will still allow him to take part in a role which he really likes.
That being said, Rick would surely need a partner to work with the force and if speculations are on target, it is likely that he will be working hand-in-hand with Detective Ethan Slaughter, who shall be played by returning actor Adam Baldwin.
Baldwin last appeared in Season 4 of “Castle” and he is likely to rejoin the show during its initial Season 8 episodes as a guest star, according to Realty Today.
Detective Slaughter is a rough cop who Rick worked and rode with in an episode of “Castle” Season 4 titled “Headhunters,” and rumors have it that the show might play up that partnership for Season 8. There is no official detail yet regarding Baldwin’s upcoming appearance in the show from ABC, cites Venture Capital Post.
A new sidekick
There is another speculation going around these days that Rick’s new sidekick will be Hayley Shipton, played by Toks Olagundoye after she was made into a series regular.
Previous to rumors of being the new sidekick of Rick in the show, there were also reports that Hayley shall also become the wedge between the relationship of Rick and Kate. She would have been the perfect third party if she is paired with Rick as her new sidekick in the series because Rick and Kate also fell in love with one another while working together on those crime cases.
However, it has been made clear by showrunner Alexis Hawley that Hayley Shipton will not come between Castle and Beckett.
She added that Hayley’s character was never meant to be competition. Although she is a strong, powerful, beautiful and independent woman, and she adds a flavor of that into the show, but she will definitely not compete with Beckett.
What makes Hayley unique is her different perspective on how she attacks cases different from Beckett which is going to create some tension between the two, confirms fellow co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter.
The reason for coming together
During the Season 7 finale, it can be recalled that Rick Castle had been bequeathed an award for his writing that he dedicated to his family while Beckett has been offered the chance to run for the Senate.
Season 8 of the show will be a two-part premiere and the episode is titled “XY.” Showrunners Alexis Hawley and Terence Paul Winter said that the upcoming season of “Castle will focus on why Rick and Kate are coming together.