8 Seasons Of 'Castle', Ranked From Worst To Best - Collider

Castle, aired from 2009 to 2016 on ABC, follows mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) who becomes bored and plagued with writer’s block. After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novel, he tags along with NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to track down the copycat killer. The pair soon realize their unorthodox partnership has its benefits — combining Castle’s writers' intuition, and Beckett’s detective work — they investigate the cases in New York, all while they build a strong, yet rather complicated, relationship with one another.

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While each season of Castle had the same general premise — Castle working with Beckett and the NYPD to solve cases — some moments shined so bright, but also times when certain storylines could have been tackled in a better way.

Season 8

At the bottom of the bunch is Castle Season 8. The unplanned final season, with diminishing viewership compared to that of previous seasons, the series ended on quite a low note. While the season before had a clear story arc, Season 8 did not. The new showrunners seem to not have grasped an understanding of the series as the writing was mediocre, and the plots were incredibly weak — at points where some storylines simply didn’t make sense. It also didn’t help that there were weird vibes and tension evident on-screen.

Castle and Beckett’s marriage is broken, with the pair respectively focusing on their careers — Castle on his PI business, and Beckett launching an investigation on a crime syndicate. But the storyline has maintained a consistent level of plot holes from start to finish. The series takes a downward turn, from being a crime drama that audiences had come to know and love, to being a comedy with little to no substantial value. As Beckett had been promoted to captain of the precinct, it seems as though nothing had changed as she still does the same tasks as that since the beginning of the series. On the other side of things, Castle is seen working at his PI office, more than not seems to have reverted to his egotistical and funny guy behaviors back in Season 1. It also didn’t help that while Season 8 was on the air there had been news and reports of the premise for Season 9, and series regulars Stana Katic and Tamara Jones were not asked to reprise their roles/renew contracts — furthering fueling rumors of set friction between Fillion and Katic — leaving a sour taste in fans and audiences alike.

Season 7

Next is Season 7, post-Richard Castle having gone missing only to be found adrift at sea with no recollection of where he’d been or done. The season had its problems — with an attempt to rewrite the series mythology, Castle’s disappearance, and the wrap-up of the 3XK storyline — and although not as great compared to the other seasons, overall it was good.

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Castle returns to working with the NYPD in the meantime, hoping his memory would return. The season features some fun cases — an undercover operation in a Western-themed resort, a murder on a plane, a murdered telenovela actress, and a Mars simulator. As the season progressed, audiences were able to see just how far each character has come in the seven seasons of the series.

Season 6

Castle Season 6 isn’t bad by any means, but when compared to the earlier seasons it’s the weaker of the bunch. The writers do a pretty great job at hitting the right tones for the different storylines and creating interesting characters. But many can agree that Pi is the single most painfully annoying recurring character of the season — the writers being blissfully unaware of that fact.

The season picks up where they left off — Castle and Beckett struggling to make their relationship work, as Beckett has been offered a role in the FBI in Washington DC. There is so much that happens throughout the season, allowing for plenty of character development — Alexis’ (Molly Quinn) decision to move out, how Castle deals with his daughter’s decision, Kevin (Seamus Dever) wanting to start a family, and Beckett finding closure over her mother’s death.

Season 5

The fifth season starts with Castle and Beckett the morning after. The premiere was everything Castle fans have known and loved since the beginning — love, humor, mystery, and suspense.

Past seasons have focused on the ever-growing sexual tension between the writer and detective, but the pair have finally given in to their wants — allowing for some fun and entertaining episodes. The writers do a good job in incorporating much-needed character evolvements as Castle and Beckett attempt a romantic relationship (a secret!) while maintaining a healthy and "norma"’ work relationship.

Season 2

In fourth place in Season 2, which is one of the reasons why audiences continued watching the series. A very strong follow-up to Season 1 — with entertaining and exciting murder mysteries. The twenty-eight-episode season is filled with murder, mystery, and fun new twists — a Halloween special, two-part episodes, and elaborative story arcs being revisited.

As Castle continues playing detective with the NYPD, following the team for new writing material for his Nikki Heat series, Beckett gets drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with an obsessive homicidal stalker. While Esposito (Jon Huertas) gets confronted by his past when his alleged dead partner returns and Castle reunites with a long-lost love. The character development throughout the season is very well handled, with more episodes to the season, the show doesn’t lose its step — giving supporting characters more depth and personal connections. The excellent writing and cast chemistry have distinguished itself superior to many shows that had aired during that time.

Season 1

The first season of Castle was the beginning of it all. This season was such a perfect start to the series, laying the groundwork — showcasing the many different intriguing and interesting storylines, and sharp witty dialogs. Different from other cop shows, twisting the concept to a whole new level — bringing such an exciting and dynamic crime drama that brought along romance, and a comedic edge to lighten the mood when necessary. The characters were so well-developed, and the storyline unfolded at such a nice and steady pace, Castle delivered an impressive season — giving a taste of what audiences can look forward to with future seasons to come.

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Richard Castle a mystery novel writer who’s going through writer’s block — with the help of the mayor — shadows Detective Kate Beckett, and helps with solving cases that happen around New York. After tracking down the serial killer responsible for a string of murders copycatting Castle’s books he decides that he’ll continue the partnership, so he can do research for his new books as he’s decided to make Beckett his muse. The pair couldn’t be any more different — Castle bringing the loose and chill side of things, while Beckett is all serious and business.

Season 3

Castle Season 3 definitely tie with the number one spot — getting better and better as the seasons go. It's definitely one of the stronger seasons. The writers try to explore some new approaches to telling the story — solving a case in LA, chasing a serial killer (3XK), tackling domestic terrorists, and not to mention, trying to track down the accomplices responsible for Beckett’s mother’s murder. The impressive guest list for the season is also something that needs to be talked about — featuring the likes of Laura Prepon, Jane Seymour, and Bruce Davison.

The season continues after the summer break — Castle returning from his getaway with his ex-wife. His home life gets more complicated as his daughter decides to graduate from high school early and move away to attend college. On the work side of things, the team at the NYPD continues to solve murder cases, with new evidence coming to light about Beckett’s mother’s case — audiences are shown more of the building tension, and notable character developments — Esposito and Lanie’s relationship, Ryan proposing to his girlfriends, and Captain Montgomery’s (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) past coming back to haunt him. The season is filled with extremely nerve-wracking and intense moments, while still maintaining its comedic side of things.

Season 4

It was a close call, but Season 4 of Castle was simply the superior season. The audience saw a bit of change to the atmosphere — showing a side of the drama series that’s never been explored before. The world of Castle has inevitably been altered, going from one murder case per episode, to a more serialized approach — it’ll be refreshing to see the different writing approaches being used throughout the season, mixing murder investigations to the conspiracies involving Beckett and her mother’s death.

The season premiere picks up directly after Beckett gets shot at Montgomery’s funeral service, and is rushed into surgery as family and friends wait in fear and shock. Of course, the leading lady survives the shooting — the aftermath and the struggles surrounding each character is intense, to say the least. As Beckett recovers from her injures, she must also process Castle's confession of love during the attack, and Montgomery’s involvement in her mother’s murder case. Furthermore, the team must get acquainted with their new captain, Victoria “Iron” Gates (Penny Johnson), as she is no Roy Montgomery. The season keeps audiences on their feet — more Ryan and Esposito moments, the team tracking down Beckett’s shooter, Lanie (Tamara Jones) and Esposito’s engagement, Beckett’s PTSD. The season has so many new developments — there was no room to breathe with all the heart-racing moments.

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