I'm quite late coming to this thread because of the troubles I've had with this website recognizing me on my newer computer. For some mysterious reason it seems like I'm okay for the present.

I will admit that I really like Castle and have been an avid fan of it since the beginning. Can't understand why? I mean I'm just a guy who thinks that Lois Lane is the best fictional character ever, and this show has a strong, independent, beautiful woman as one of the leads. Go figure.

I have also embraced the fanfiction on fanfic.net even if that website is a monster. I've written a couple of Castle fics but wouldn't have a clue as to how I would post on that monolith of ficdom. There is a much wider variety of quality there than here (the writing is consistently better here) and there seems to be a higher percentage of stories interested in getting the couple together sexually, than in 'procedural' storlines.

There are quite a few similarities between the two series but I think you would find that true with any two series that have the romantic growth of the leads as a driving force in the show. There are iconic moments in the evolution of a relationship that would be visited in any of these shows. I've seen moments that are similar in several shows that are currently airing let alone, from a show that is twenty years old. I'll bet you'll be able to find similar scenes if you go back even farther, like with shows like "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" or "Remington Steele".

Yes, television is famous for continually borrowing from itself. Why work too hard to come up with something new when you can fall back on a 'tried and true'. Also, in a limited time format it is a common practice to rely on the 'known' rather than try to spend the air time explaining something new or different.

Like Lois and Clark, I love the growth and evolution of the relationship between Kate and Rick and I hope that they can sustain storylines now that they are married. I do have some hope for this given that whereas Lois and Clark did the relationship very well, they didn't put as much effort into the so-called "A-plot" storylines. In that the Castle writers have shown an excellence that the L&C writers fell short of.

It could be simply the difference between doing something 20 years ago that was more fantasy based than a show grounded closer to reality (though Castle has strayed a bit afield a few times).

I also think the complimentary marketing with the books and graphic novels is brilliant. I've read them all and they have all been well written.

Having said all that, I do fear that this could be the final season for Castle mostly because Nathan's contract is up and I don't know if he doesn't want to try something else. Also, it seems like the other networks have counter programed heavily against Castle. Not only has a really good show "The Blacklist" airing opposite Castle, but now CBS has stuck one of their NCIS shows against them also.

I for one, very much would like to see another season.

Tank (who says that one thing Castle has going for it is they do very well in the three additional day surveying the ratings folks use to take into account time shifted viewing due to On Demand, Hulu, Netflix, and such)