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Castle‘s season finale last week left fans who’d been eager to see dynamic duo Castle and Beckett take their relationship to the next level satisfied and excited to see what’s to come.

Stana Katic couldn’t help but tease to us with the “what’s to come” part, but she did share her mutual excitement for the pair’s big step. She took us behind the scenes of the finale by breaking down Esposito’s decision to back Beckett while searching out her mother’s killer, and talk about her big rooftop fight!

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This season finale felt perfect for the journey we’ve been through this season. Did you see it kind of the same way?

STANA KATIC: Yeah, I loved it. I felt like if we waited any longer it would be untrue to the characters. They’ve gone through a lot together, a lot of really great moments and a lot of really scary journeys together. I think waiting any longer would have been unfair and dishonest. So I think [creator Andrew Marlowe] did a really great job bringing those two characters finally to a point of complete honesty with each other.

Did you have a favorite moment? Hint, hint.
[Laughs] It was very special to me to work with the core team on this episode. Everyone was invested in making it special. And everyone brought a level of performance that I think we haven’t seen up to that point. That added to the story. So there were a lot of moments.

I think that Castle confessing his love over a conscious Beckett was really cool. Really sweet scene. And the boys were amazing; both of them: Seamus Dever and John Huertas. Just stunning. Captain Gates (Penny Johnson Jerald) brought a level of strength that I thought was imperative to that story. It was quite nice throughout. I can’t quite choose one.

Did you like seeing Esposito side with Beckett?
Yeah, John and I have talked about that in the past. We feel that there is probably a back story that signals that the two of them have known each other and been good friends for a while. There’s a certain kind of renegade quality that Beckett has that Esposito also has. Their rules aren’t always as by-the-book as they might seem. They have a certain sense of honor and integrity that is sometimes against the rules, and might not be the safest kind of path. I thought it was really cool to see the two of them have each other’s back in that way. I thought that was a real sweet moment of friendship. We saw a hint of it in “Kill Shot” where Esposito saved her life. And was a real source of friendship there. It was nice to kind of explore. So there were some break-ups and there were some getting together at the end of the season. And one of the break-ups was the bromance, right? So that’ll be a journey that we’ll see next year — we’ll see what happens with Ryan and Esposito. That’s a nice kind of thing to throw into the mix for storytelling next season.

When you saw that Beckett was going to quit, what went through your head?
‘Badass.’ Because everything that she served [and] everything that she has fought for doesn’t have the same meaning at that point. She gave her all to that job, and to be put into question in that way, I feel like a character in that moment, they have a moment of clarity and perspective that difficult to see, like ‘This is what is really important in life.’ In that moment, it was Castle. That’s the only thing that’s important. Even her job as a detective didn’t matter. Finding justice for her mom’s murder didn’t matter. It’s finally just about living life and enjoying the gift that it is.

On to the fight scene — tell me about some of the work that went into that.
It was fun! [Laughs] [The fight coordinator] really wanted Beckett to be a non-issue for that guy. So many times you see her as a tough, motivated action person, and she’s actually owning the space. And in that fight, she’s completely incapable against that man, and I think that’s true to form. She’s gonna fight, she’s gonna give it everything she’s got, she’ll risk her life, but she’s incapable, really, against the forces that she’s facing in that case. And I think that was a really nice showcase for that point.

Now that you say that, I think that’s what scared me during the scene. I was scared FOR her!
Good! Because that’s really what she’s facing. She’s not facing an easy win. If she goes after these people, she is going to die, and that showcased the reality of it. That guy whipped her around like he was a bear and she was a little kitty cat. And that’s a really neat image to show exactly what she was up against in the big scheme of that storyline, in the big scheme of that kind of part of Castle.

So now we have to talk about everything that’s gone on with Castle and Beckett, where do you see it going?
I don’t know what they’re going to do. I know that Andrew is always felt that the show has that kind of His Girl Friday feel. And I feel in any relationship there are these wonderfully charming, complicated moments of adjustment and getting to know each other in a relationship that are quite charming and compelling to watch. So I think if anything they’ll probably explore a lot of that. Andrew has a lot of humor and a wonderful wit about him, and he’s got a big heart in the end. So I think we’ll have that color in anything he writes.

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Question: This is my first time writing in, but I read your column every week. You’ve turned me on to some amazing shows! Notably, Fringe. But I wanted to ask you about Bones and Castle. I’ve watched Bones since the beginning, and I couldn’t peg my recent discontent with it, but after watching the Castle finale, I did. Booth and Bones getting together (AFTER 8 EXCRUCIATING SEASONS!!!) felt like going from appetizers straight to dessert, and skipping the main course. I just felt so “meh” about the relationship after having waited so long, only to get so little payoff. I mean, I find it so hard to believe that one night of off-screen shenanigans would lead them to being a couple when literally nothing else has! I know, I complained about how long it took to get there, but now it feels rushed and really inorganic. If there is any Moonlighting curse, it’s in forcing your main couple together inorganically. I still watch, but it’s not Must See TV for me like it used to be.

Now Castle on the other hand, I just kept saying “OMG. YES! FINALLY! YES! YES! YES!” after watching the finale. I felt it was executed perfectly. We’ve only had to wait four seasons, and we actually see growth on Beckett’s part, which enabled her to finally accept Castle’s love, baggage and all. I guess, in sum, I feel like there was no growth with Bones. It feels like they were forced together due to her pregnancy, without her recognizing that she is capable of being in a loving relationship. She is still the same person she’s always been, just now a mother. Thoughts? — Alexis

Matt Roush: I prefer to stay out of the Bones-vs-Castle fan battle as best I can, while noting that I’m not the least surprised that Castle‘s finale, with the passionate Beckett-Castle clinch, was more satisfying for fans than the way so many Bones fans reacted to the similar situation a year ago, and how those consequences continue to play out on that show. (Now if Beckett becomes instantly pregnant, all bets are off.) These shows operate within the same genre — light mystery with romantic subtext — but the characters are so different. Bones is such a bizarre creation, almost as divorced from human connection as The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, while Beckett may be damaged by her past but is much more part of the real world around her. I don’t expect Bones, even after motherhood, to change any more than I’ve expected Dr. House or Sheldon to have sudden character-altering epiphanies, whereas Beckett’s emotional journey is much more relatable. If they were both telling the same story the same way, I’d probably be fielding charges of plagiarism. There’s no pleasing all constituencies here, but I don’t think these game-changers will harm either show in the long run. For what it’s worth, I thought Castle‘s finale was a model example of how to do it right.

Question: I’ve been a Castle fan since Day 1. I get that this show is essentially a love story wrapped around a TV crime procedural premise; however, I think most people are missing the nuances that the show-runners have infused into their storytelling. Although the pace of the romance has been unrealistically slowed down for TV, I believe the Castle/Beckett dynamic — with apologies to Booth/Brennan, Tony/Ziva, and House/Cuddy — is the most adult depiction of the will-they-or-won’t-they couple I’ve seen since Remington Steele. Because of that, I’ve been able to suspend my disbelief that people who want to be together would behave this way for four years, because I’m invested in all of the characters and having fun watching them get to where we know they’re headed. This is my way of complimenting the superb acting by Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, particularly this season. They consistently display deft, natural subtlety in their non-verbal expressions, and I’m stunned that the Emmy voters haven’t yet noticed. OK, so Fillion received a People’s Choice award, as did the show. That’s fine. Being popular with fans is one thing; being recognized for your craft by peers is another. What’s your take on this? — Brian

Matt Roush: They’re both very appealing, but this is not the sort of show (rightly or wrongly) that’s likely ever to factor into the Emmy race — not when there are so many powerful dramas out there, especially on cable, which are taken so much more seriously. Dramedies like these tend to suffer when it comes to awards recognition. They’ll just have to settle for popular success.

Question: Great Castle season finale, but will this ruin the series? Why don’t they have Kate quit the force, become Mrs. Castle and together they can be this generation’s Nick and Nora/Hart to Hart? They will have to get an Asta or Freeway. (Maybe you can put a bug in someone’s ear — we certainly have enough cop shows!) — Joanne

Matt Roush: For the real skinny on where Castle is heading after the game-changing finale, check out Adam Bryant’s interview with the show’s creator. But I like your idea a lot. Especially the dog part.

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ABC just made its “no-brainer” renewals, picking up its strongest scripted series. That includes freshmen Once Upon A Time, Suburgatory and Revenge, comedies Modern Family and The Middle and dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Castle. (The renewal for Grey’s comes after the main cast signed new deals.) Surprisingly not on the list is sophomore comedy Happy Endings, but I hear that deal is closing, so the show will be back. Also expected to return are two freshman comedy series that didn’t make the first cut, Last Man Standing and Don’t Trust The B—-. Looking good is Shonda Rhimes’ midseason drama Scandal. Talks are still ongoing on a potential 13-episode pickup of Grey’s spinoff Private Practice, which logged underwhelming ratings this week after a promising start on Tuesday. The future of GCB and Body of Proof is unclear, with both having a shot depending on ABC’s new drama series choices. And of course, fellow bubble ABC series Cougar Town just found a new home at TBS. ABC is yet to make its unscripted renewals, which will likely come tomorrow, with Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor/Bachelorette and Shark Tank certain to get the nod.

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He could feel it coming long before he heard it, descending like a sudden chill that swept through his bones, causing every muscle to tighten. It was a primal response, sharpened by years of experience. This, he thought, must be how dogs feel in those quiet moments before the earthquake hits, when they alone know the devastation of what’s coming. When they alone know that everything is about to change.

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A black stretch limousine was idling near the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland when the air force C-21A Learjet carrying Derrick Storm landed. Now clean-shaven, dressed in a tailored Caraceni suit and black Testoni shoes, Storm walked directly from the jet to the car’s rear passenger door. An officer from the Central Intelligence Agency’s internal police force, called the Security Protective Service (SPS), opened the door for him.

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“Oh, yeah, that’s it, Rook,” said Nikki Heat. “That’s what I want. Just like that.” A trickle of sweat rolled down his neck to his heaving chest. He groaned and bit down on his tongue. “Don’t stop yet. Keep it going. Yes.” She hovered over him, lowering her face just inches from his so she could whisper. “Yes. Work it just like that. Nice, easy rhythm. That’s it. How does it feel?” Jameson Rook stared into her eyes intently just before he pinched his into a squint and moaned. Then his muscles went slack and he dropped his head backward. Nikki frowned and brought herself upright. “You can’t do that to me. I cannot believe you’re stopping.”

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Now that Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) have finally done the deed, where will we find the two characters when “Castle” resumes for Season 5 in the fall? Creator Andrew Marlowe tells Zap2it that there won’t be any major time jumps, and the show will pick up soon after Castle and Beckett went to bed together.

“I haven’t quite nailed it down, but I do think everybody is going to want to see what the aftermath looks like,” Marlowe says. “They are going to want to see what it looks like when they wake up in the morning. And I think that’s a promise that we have to honor.”

Season 4 got a little dark and stressful with Castle and Beckett too wrapped up in secrets to have as much of their usual banter, but Marlowe promises Season 5 will have that trademark “Castle” playfulness.

“[Season 4] we feel has been very creatively successful, but it’s also been a little angsty for our characters. [We're excited] to be able to get on the other side of that angst and to open that up into a little bit more of the fun that we had in [Seasons] 1 through 3,” he says. “We’re looking forward to getting to that and dealing with the two characters in a relationship, what that relationship is going to look like and the challenges that they’re going to have.”

Things won’t go smoothly just because the characters finally gave into their feelings for each other. “Castle’s not going to stop being Castle once they’re in a relationship, and Beckett is not going to stop being Beckett. Out of a relationship or in a relationship, they’re still going to drive each other crazy. There’s still a lot of fun to be had.”

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Castle creator and executive producer Andrew Marlowe knew that last night’s big moment would have fans buzzing. How could it not? After four seasons of ups, downs, and shameless flirting from both Castle and Beckett, the season 4 finale gave fans what they’d been hoping for: a chance to see the pair finally get together!

Bold? You bet. But not as bold as the alternative, says Marlowe. “Not doing it would have been even ballsier because I think the audience is near its breaking point,” he says. “And it’s 2012, people fall into and out of bed together all the time. If it had gone on any longer, we would have been bad storytellers.”

And this new path, which will find Castle and Beckett entering a relationship together in season 5? It’s full with opportunity, he says. “It was important to open up the storytelling. We had done as much storytelling as we thought we could do credibly with not having them together. So the characters either had to go their separate ways or get together,” he says. “We thought there was a lot of fun to be had mining their relationship once they were together because no relationship goes smoothly, and they’re fundamentally different people.”

Marlowe points to classic romances — like those featured in The Thin Man (1934), The Philadelphia Story, and Adam’s Rib (1949) — as his inspiration and the best reference point for the “romantic-comedy fun” that’s to come. “We think these guys can support and sustain that for a long time as we continue to evolve their relationship and both of them as characters,” he says. “We are absolutely convinced we’re going to have a lot of fun in the next several years with these guys as we see what that relationship looks like, because it ain’t necessarily going to be smooth sailing. I think the bumps that come along the way are going to be really fun and funny.”

In fact, he adds, that’s one of the main reasons the show decided to take the plunge now: fun. After a season that has had more than its fair share of angst and dark moments, he wanted a chance to “recommit” to the fundamentals of the show. “What we’re hoping is that getting over this hump of will-they-won’t-they will help us get back to some of the fun stuff we were able to do in the first couple of seasons — her grabbing his nose or grabbing his ear — and the back and forth. Them getting together will allow for that,” he says. “But the sexual tension of the relationship, I don’t know if that goes away when they’re together as long as you handle it well.”

But what of the rest of the story? Beckett’s resignation from the force? Esposito and Ryan’s falling out? And the big threat that we now know looms over Kate? “We’ll put the pieces back together in an interesting way,” he promises. “It gives us a natural launch point for next season — with both relationship stuff and [other] stakes that we’re going to enjoy playing with at the beginning of next year before we pick up all the pieces.”

Above all, he says, “We felt like it was time to get the characters together.” And we have to agree.

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So, CASTLE fans, are you still breathing?

(Take a second, I can wait.)

After all, after four seasons of dancing around each other, Castle and Beckett took a major step forward in their relationship at the end of “Always”…one of those relationship-altering steps that has likely broken a couple of social media sites.

To get some dish on why the timing was right for the duo now, what fans can expect in a probable season 5 and more, I spoke with CASTLE creator Andrew Marlowe to get the dish…

It feels crazy to say it, but Castle and Beckett have now gone there. What made the timing right for these two now?
Andrew Marlowe: Because it was absolutely time. And honestly, this was a decision that became clear to us about 2/3s of the way through last season when we made the decision of how we were ending last season. It’s impossible for Castle to say “I love you” and leave that hanging in the air and have the characters know that that’s out there and wait much longer to deal with that in an interesting and honest way.

We’re 81 episodes in, we’ve done a lot of storytelling having not gone there. And my personal feeling is we were on the verge of creating very artificial mechanisms of keeping them apart. And we were on the verge of rehashing storytelling in their relationship and we were in danger of not moving forward. So we had always aimed for this as being the end [result] of this season. And when people look back on this season, they will see the rhythm and they will look at the moments where they were really frustrated and understand why we did it then and what we were going for, because we always knew we were going to end up here.

When you and I [last] talked and you said “Are you worried about strong fan reaction?” I said, “No, because I know where we’re going.” So, it really is time. And I have to tell you, it’s really exciting for all of us who write on the show, because this opens up a world of possibility in the storytelling. And this season has been a season of secrets, and I think that has caused the season — which I was very proud of, creatively, I think there were a tremendous amount of excellent shows this season — but we paid for some of the angst with a little bit of fun. Inevitably, when these characters are keeping secrets, it’s going to be a slightly more angsty year.

And there were opportunities for fun that we couldn’t take because of what the characters were each holding back from each other. And I think by doing this, what it allows us to do is re-embrace the core values of the show and embrace what CASTLE is all about — that Castle and Beckett relationship and the two of them having fun. Because it’s not like the challenges go away. He’s still going to be Castle, she’s still going to be Beckett. To a certain extent, there’s going to be a higher level of scrutiny that they each put each other under because of where they’ve gone.

Dealing with that is going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to open up new avenues of storytelling, not only for them, but for the people around them. When they decide to let people know, how long they decide to keep it a secret, and all that sort of fun stuff. How they both feel about it the next morning.

I know we’ve talked about this before, but I hear a lot — and I’ve heard a lot in the past couple of years — when are Castle and Beckett going to be in a relationship? And my opinion is they’ve been in a relationship for a really long time. This is just the next step in the relationship and it’s going to cause its own complications. We’re not arriving anywhere — we’re just getting to the next place in the journey. And the journey is going to continue. And it’s going to be fun and it’s going to be challenged.

Where are these two headed? Were all Beckett’s fears about being just another notch on his belt well-founded? Or is she going to be concerned about where the relationship is going given the fact that this guy has been divorced twice? Now that Castle has consummated the relationship, how is he going to feel about Beckett? There’s some really fun stuff for us to play with and we’re looking forward to it. We don’t think this resolves anything, we think this puts them into the next set of fun, friction-y, cool, storytelling that we’re looking forward to playing with.

How much is it a relief for you personally to not have to answer the “When are Castle and Beckett getting together?” question? Or have you not thought about that yet?
AM: I know how life is. And life is, when you’re in any sort of relationship, when you’re hanging out with somebody, your friends are like, “So when are you going to get together?” And then when you get together, it’s like, “When are you going to move in?” And then you move in and it’s like, “So when are you going to get married?” And then you get married and it’s like, “So when are you going to have kids?” The questions aren’t going to stop — they’re just going to become different questions.

And we’re really happy to have people asking those questions. And the reason why we’re really happy is because that means they’re invested in the characters. We want folks to continue being invested in these characters and we want them to continue rooting for these characters when they face challenges. And inevitably, they’re going to face challenges. Hopefully the next question is going to be, “What’s going to happen in the relationship? When is he going to propose? When are they going to get married?” Those kind of questions and the complications that inevitably arise and those things that happen between the two of them will hopefully carry us another 3, 4, 5 years.

While I’m not asking you to reveal your grand plan, do you see a show with them being married and taking that step? Or is that further down the pipeline than you’ve given thought to?
AM: That’s further down the pipeline than I’ve given thought to. And I wouldn’t want to advertise my intentions to fans. I want them to have something to root for. I want them to be rooting for these guys. If you take a look at any great Shakespeare play, even when characters are together, even when they’re sneaking off into the woods at night together and they’re trying to figure out how to conduct their relationship, crazy stuff happens. This is not the end of the Castle and Beckett fun. This is, by the way, not even the end of the tension between the two of them because one tension leads into another tension. These guys have a lot of work given the betrayal and given where we end up with, re-earning each other’s friendship and all that. So that’ll give us a lot of stuff to play with.

I know it was touched upon earlier in the season that Alexis wasn’t as comfortable with the relationship as fans hoped she might be. Will you guys be touching on that next season?
AM: Of course!

Well, given the fact that she was going to college, I wasn’t sure how much she would be around to object to that and playing into their dynamic…
AM: I think it’s an inevitable part of it. And it’s something I’m also very aware of being a stepparent. Both of my kids were really great when I came into their lives. When [Marlowe's wife and CASTLE writer] Terri [Miller] and I got together, the kids were 9 and I was in my mid-20s, and they were incredibly welcoming. But I also know that that can create some really interesting weirdness. [Laughs] So no doubt we’ll be dealing with that.

How was it for you and Terri to cowrite this episode? There are clearly some parallels between the two of you and Castle/Beckett and this was such a major episode for that relationship.
AM: Absolutely. And it was incredibly gratifying for me to have the opportunity to work with her on this one. This is the stuff we do so well together because she brings such a clear perspective from her point of view that is invaluable. And she also brought great clarity and perspective to the Castle and Alexis material in this, with Alexis facing graduation and dealing with the issues that she’s dealing with in this episode.

Given how the episode ended, are we going to be picking up immediately when the show returns next season? I know season 5 hasn’t been officially ordered yet, but I’m guessing you guys have thought some things out.
AM: We have given a lot of thought to how the next season is going to start and we have a pretty clear plan as to how to deal with all the stuff that is brought up in the finale and where we want to take the storytelling.

And as an overall season, one of the things we’re looking to do is re-embrace the fun of the show, so there will certainly be some heavy elements we are dealing with in the season finale, but I don’t want the audience to think that’s going to be the experience of all the fifth season. That’s not going to be the case. We want to deal with the issues that we’re dealing with in the finale openly and honestly, both in terms of the case that Beckett’s investigating and what happens in the Castle/Beckett relationship. And we’ll certainly be dealing with those aspects when we come back next year, but we do want to let our audience know that what they can expect is more of the CASTLE they know and love.

But is this technically the first part of a two-part episode?
AM: We don’t have a “to be continued” at the end of it, but we will be dealing with…when we come back next year, we will still be dealing with elements that are hanging over our heads from this episode.

Before I let you go, do you have any regrets about the season? Or any moments that stood out to you?
AM: You know, I’m really proud of the whole CASTLE team. I’m really proud of the cast — I really think they brought it this year. I’m really proud of the work the crew did; I’m really proud of the writers. Like I said, I get a lot of credit, especially for this past season, it was a great season — but it really is teamwork. There are a lot of dedicated folks doing a lot of hard work. In terms of regret? I don’t think we’ve done anything disastrous, and I really like the shows that we’ve done. Certainly, some are stronger than others and that is inevitable in any TV season. But I was really pleased with the way this season went. And I know some fans got frustrated at some points, but since I knew where we were going, it was never an issue for me. [Laughs] And they were supposed to be frustrated at those points. I just hope we can continue to bring the folks that are watching the show a really great hour of television, week in and week out like we have for the last few years.

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