CASTLE

New showrunners Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter are rarin’ to “shake things up” as the drama enters Season 8. To that end, Beckett is now captain, a promotion that will “add some drama” to her and Castle’s marriage, though Hawley maintains, “The show has always been and will always be about their love affair.” That said, Katewill deal with a blast from the past “in a way that impacts their relationship.” Seeing Beckett rise in the ranks will light a fire under both Ryan and Esposito, putting that bromance “at odds, but in a fun way.” As for new series regular Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors), as Scotland Yard officer-turned-security specialist Hayley Shipton, “She brings a fantastic adrenaline shot to the show,” Winter raves. Adds Hawley, “She and Sunkrish Bala (recurring as tech analyst Vikram Singh) bring voices we don’t have, which is nice.”

BONUS SPOILER!: If you were hoping to see [SPOILER] resurface one day, we’ve got bad news — that character won’t ever be returning, for reasons made clear in the season opener.

RETURN DATE: Monday, Sept. 21 at 10/9c (ABC)