Until last week, all signs pointed to the long-running ABC drama being renewed for a ninth season. However, on Thursday night, the network suddenly gave it the ax. So that turned Monday's episode into a series finale, which meant the producers had to scramble to send off the show with a proper ending, especially considering it's a show with a fiercely loyal, vocal fan base — particularly regarding the show's main couple, detectives Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic).

The result was … well, kind of strange and disjointed. At the end of the episode, the series villain jumped out and shot at Castle and Beckett. They managed to fight back and kill the criminal, but they were both shot as well. The music swelled as Castle and Beckett collapsed on the floor next to each other, bleeding and looking very dead from gunshot wounds.

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Both the Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly reported that if the show had been renewed, the episode would have ended at that moment as a big cliffhanger for next season. Although not really, because that would presumably mean the end of Beckett; Katic was being written off the show, which was another controversial decision in the "Castle" fandom.

Anyway, with the show ultimately canceled, that meant one thing — the writers had to satisfy the fans. So all of a sudden, the camera slowly panned from Castle and Beckett's bodies on the ground and through an empty room. Then viewers heard audio of Castle and Beckett banter from the pilot episode. (Castle: "How about dinner? We can debrief each other." Beckett: "So I can just be another one of your conquests?")

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Then, text flashed across the screen: "SEVEN YEARS LATER." Cut to: Three adorable children running around, and Castle and Beckett beaming at each other at a kitchen table as their little family happily eats breakfast. "Every writer needs inspiration, and I found mine," the mystery novelist Castle intoned via voiceover, using a line from the show's opening. "Always," Beckett's voiceover said. "Always," echoed Castle.

Seven years later Katherine Beckett has three beautiful children with the love of her life,Richard Castle. pic.twitter.com/db2WOswKO1 — Bernice (@goodbyetoyou) May 17, 2016

And that was the end. Technically, the brief scene met the requirements of a satisfying ending, and many fans were happy. After all, Castle and Beckett lived happily ever after. Yet in the aftermath, many viewers weren't thrilled. The scene was so obviously tacked on at the last minute that it just felt clunky. There wasn't even time for real dialogue.

Before they knew the fate of their show, the "Castle" executive producers confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that if ABC canceled it, they had "shot something that we can put at the end of the episode as a way to put a button on everything." Though they also added, "The hope is that it never sees the light of day." While they likely meant they hoped the show wasn't canceled, it's unfortunate that such a long-running series had such a rushed ending.

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While every TV producer would prefer notice to dream up a perfect finale, realistically it's not always possible. But if executives need evidence that leaving shows in limbo until the last minute is not a great idea, they can always look back at the "Castle" finale as proof.