ABC’s ‘Castle’ season 9: Stana Katic, Tamala Jones reportedly exiting

This may be the darkest timeline for all “Castle” fans. While it is possible that there could be a ninth season of the show on ABC, it could be without the female lead in Stana Katic.

According to Deadline, Tamala Jones (Lanie) would also be joining Katic in departing the show for what could be a shortened season 9 of thirteen episodes. Why? The reason seems to be budget-related, as Katic was never approached with a deal for next season. Talks began with her co-star Nathan Fillion many months ago, and while season 9 has not been officially ordered, it seems at least possible that it could happen.

In a short statement, Katic opted to not talk too much about her departure; instead, she expressed gratitude to everyone who has watched to date:

“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.”

Meanwhile, ABC also said the following in a statement:

“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.“

Maybe you could argue that there has been a foundation laid for this move by the Beckett-less episodes of “Castle” this season, but we’re still shocked by this. Given that Beckett was a key part of “Castle” from the beginning, how do you move forward with her? It’s a tightrope, since you obviously don’t want to see crew members lose their jobs because of the show ending, but you also don’t want to see the fans devastated over a significant change.