It's not the writers, it's Stana. She almost did not renew her contract for this season, and it seems that having episodes off was part of her negotiation. I'd not be surprised to see her not return next year, which is why the woman from The Neighbors, whose name escapes me at the moment, is becoming a series regular, a new female lead.
No Beckett...no show. Should end this season.
Shout by Jim222001VIP 6BlockedParent2015-11-10T18:06:00Z
A fun episode since Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin are great together. But where the hell was Beckett ? Her needing a break from her marriage with Castle is hurting ratings.
Having episodes totally without her definitely won't help ratings. The writers are awful in that regard. Since they find new ways to keep Castle and Beckett together.
Fans have had a problem with that since day one. But they won't get the hint.