We learned that Castle's disappearance is tied to the LokSat story on Castle Season 8 Episode 14 and that Hayley played a part in it!

Below, TV Fanatics Christine Orlando, Robin Harry, Jim Garner, and Stacy Glanzman are joined by Mary Lou from A Possibility For Joy to discuss Beckett's absence, the Hayley twist, and where we currently stand on the LokSat mystery.

Castle went back to L.A. and there was little mention of Beckett. Did that dampen your enthusiasm for this episode?

Mary Lou: It didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the episode, but I thought there would at least be a phone conversation between Rick and Kate. As the episode progressed, I really missed her presence. It felt like something was off.

Christine: Yes, and more than I thought it would. I couldn't believe they couldn't at least give us a phone call between the two. I just don't find the show as enjoyable when Castle and Beckett aren't working together.

Robin: Not even slightly. I love and always look forward to the episodes that just have Castle on an adventure on his own, and this one did not disappoint. I like Beckett, but I don't miss her when she's not there for a little while.

Jim: I agree with Robin, I love Kate, but when Castle, Hayley, and Alexis are able to hang out with Summer Glau in LA, I really am not hurting for her to be in the show.

Stacy: I definitely missed Beckett, and I prefer the two of them together, but I still enjoyed the episode.

Rate the Hayley twist from 1 (hate it) to 10 (love it).

Mary Lou: That twist really surprised me. It gave Hayley more of a backstory and a definite reason for being part of Castle's world. I liked it more than disliked it, so maybe a 6. Time will tell how I feel about it by the end of the season.

Christine: I give it a 5. It surprised me but I just don't buy that Hayley stuck around because she cares so much about Castle and Alexis. Maybe it's because I don't care for Halyey but that part didn't ring true to me.

Robin: I'll give it an 8. I was worried when the twist was dropped on us for two reasons. First, I really like Hayley and didn't want a reason to dislike her. Second, I thought that if Hayley was a bad guy, then Vikram wouldn't be and I really just want to have a good reason to hate him. That said, I like the surprise of Hayley being a guardian from his missing time, and I like that she's been able to cast some light on it all.

Jim: I will second Robin's 8 – I too was worried that the twist was going to make her a bad guy, she is a near perfect balance of Alexis and Rick and makes a great partner for Alexis. I really hope she gets a bigger role in the show going forward.

Stacy: I will give it an 8 as well, because I did not see it coming, and I am also glad Hayley did not turn out to be a bad guy. I like Hayley, and I believed her when she told Alexis she would never hurt her. She seemed genuinely upset that Alexis thought she could.

Are you more interested in the LokSat story now that it is linked to Castle’s disappearance?

Mary Lou: Definitely! I've been wondering all season if Castle's disappearance was connected to LokSat. It answered a few questions and added more to the ones I already had about this storyline. The way it was explained really surprised me.

Christine: Not really. It's just more conspiracy piled on top of conspiracy. I appreciate the effort to make it more interesting, but I'm kind of over these dark storylines.

Robin: I had a feeling that the revisit to Castle's past would have introduced a link to LokSat. Now I'm very interested in *Castle's* link to it, what he found and how he's responsible for the CIA massacre. However, I'm still completely disinterested in Beckett's side of the investigation.

Jim: I've started calling it SnoreFest, I'm so done with the whole LokSat storyline! It's as if several different teams of writers are all trying to write the LokSat story... Kate and he are "broken up," then they are fake broken up, but Rick tells a perfect stranger he can't wait to get home to her. NOW by tying Rick's missing time into LokSat it makes me want flip over and see whats on cable.

Stacy: Yes, definitely. I can't wait to see Beckett's reaction when Castle shows her the video, and I am curious to see how he deals with the guilt he is feeling. It's not just Beckett's mission anymore, now it really is both of theirs.

What, if anything, in “The G.D.S.” disappointed you?

Mary Lou: I was disappointed that Gerald McRaney didn't have more scenes. I really like him! I was disappointed that Kate wasn't mentioned more in the episode. The Hayley/Kendall kiss didn't disappoint me as much as it seemed so unnecessary to the storyline.

Christine: I agree with Mary Lou about Gerald McRaney. I'm a big fan of his, and we didn't see enough of him here, but my biggest disappointment was that castle went to LA, and we got no reference to the last time he and Beckett were in LA. Castle and Beckett shared a very emotional moment in that hotel room, and I wish we could've revisited it. Not doing so seems like a huge wasted opportunity for a great emotional moment. As a Caskett fan, I was very disappointed.

Robin: I was disappointed in the under-utilization of both Gerald McRaney and Summer Glau, especially the former. I hope we get to see more of him in the future.

Jim: I was disappointed that there wasn't a single Firefly reference with Summer Glau. Seriously, he's done it with other Firefly/Serenity Alumni, why not Summer?

Stacy: Jim actually stole my answer earlier. I definitely questioned Castle telling a room full of strangers that he couldn't wait to get home to his wife when they're supposed to be publicly separated. Seemed a little irresponsible.

What was your favorite scene from the episode?

Mary Lou: I LOVED seeing more of Lanie. Her scenes with the boys were great, especially with the fire extinguisher. My favorite was when Castle watches the video he sent to himself. Nathan as serious Castle is so amazing to watch. I appreciated getting a little more explanation about his disappearance.

Christine: I was so happy to see more of Lanie. She's been sorely missing this season. Watching her spray the guys with the fire extinguisher was priceless. They deserved it.

Robin: Call me juvenile, but I could not stop laughing at Castle's "repeat everything you said after 'just enough'" reaction to the kiss. That was hilarious. Close second is Lanie's assault with a fire extinguisher.

Jim: I loved Lanie's fire extinguisher justice. That had me laughing pretty damn hard.

Stacy: I agree with Robin. Nathan really sold that line and the look on Hayley's face was priceless.

Stacy Glanzman was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in March, 2019.