"Castle" fans were stunned as Penny Johnson Jerald upon the news that Captain Victoria Gates will not be returning in Season 8. Jerald's statement towards her departure from the show rose speculations that the new showrunners caused the shocking change. Could they be pulling their final straw to make the show work?

Last week, Penny Johnson Jerald drop the news about her exit from "Castle" via TwitLonger and it was evident that even the actress was shocked about it.

"To my Castle fans around the world, as of late yesterday I am surprised and saddened to learn that I will no longer be a part of the Castle family. Thank you all for your support and love. Hugs from PJJ," Jerald wrote.

Jerald joined the ABC police procedural as Victoria Gates in season 4. Also known as the "Iron Gates" for her firm personality, she is the Captain of the 12th Precinct's homicide division. She replaced Roy Montgomery, played by Ruben Santiago-Hudson in the post.

TV Line reported that Penny Johnson Jerald's sudden detachment from "Castle" is part of the creative changes that the show will undergo under its new showrunners, Terence Paul Winter and Alexi Hawley.  

It is a risky take for the new executive producers since that would mean huge changes to the show's storyline. Since "Castle" is one of ABC's hit series, it sure has garnered a lot of passionate fans throughout its 7-season run. Winter and Hawley cannot just pick the she-died-during-the-break-of-the-show card. They have to give Captain Victotria Gates a graceful departure.  

Until now, the details about how Penny Johnson Jerald's character will exit the show are being kept under wraps.

"Castle" is surely undergoing a lot of changes which makes fans think that the series could be nearing its end. But ABC president Paul Lee previously said that season 8 is definitely not the show's last, as per Entertainment Weekly's report.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for the fans of "Castle" after the end of its seventh season. There were previous reports that its female lead, Stana Katic, won't be returning in season 8 but those were debunked after Katic announced her return.

Fans are expecting that Castle and Beckett's affair will intensify in the new season. In fact, keen observers of the show think that a Castle-Beckett baby is possibly on its way.

"Castle" Season 8 will surely have a different tone without Penny Johnson Jerald's Captain Victoria Gates. The new showrunners of the show will have to come up with a good excuse for her exit as Castle and Beckett returns in the 12th with a possible junior.