StraightLineAttack said:

Anyone else wish to god they'd never heard of the damn show?

*raises hand*

Yeessssss.

Just reading the press on Castle, from EW.com or whatever, the user comments are ALWAYS talking about it.  People involved with the show are ALWAYS talking about it.  I'm at the point where I'm starting to twitch every time I hear about it. 

I think that the "Moonlighting curse" has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Shows, in an effort to avoid the so called "curse", make the opposite mistake of keeping their romantic leads apart and kill the show that way instead.  When a show keeps the leads apart in contrived ways because they are afraid of the "curse" the audience feels manipulated. Yes, I'm talking about Bones, which used to be my favorite show on TV.  I watch, but I no longer care about B+B, they no longer even have any chemistry IMO. "Hogdelina" (spelling) is where I am invested in that show.

Write a good show, with compelling characters that I can get emotional about.  Both good and bad, because who doesn't love a good villain.  Keep it real and don't jump the shark.  When I'm invested in a show I really need the payoff so you need to give it to me.  I'm willing to wait, but don't take advantage of my patience.  If you do those things I will continue to watch until the bitter end. 

Castle said in S2e19 – Wrapped up in Death that

There Is NO Curse!!!

I want to hold him and TPTB to that mantra!

Let's change the paradigm and use the template of  Mad About You – the leads were married and even liked each other and that show was on for 7 seasons.

Rick and Kate don't have to be married – but at least let them really like each other – lets see them sneak around the precinct for places to make out . There are lots of other possibilities. Beckett will have to get jelous of how Castle is – he has a wandering eye. Castle will have to make her play hooky from work at least once. And on and on as they learn and grow as a couple. Once they get together after the near miss that was the season 2 finale.

It's a little hard to argue against it when Nathan himself believes it and has said it to the press more than once.

Silly man!!

But yes, recurring references to it are very tedious.

1892Rojas said:

I do wonder if the dynamic could withstand with them as a couple. As a rule of thumb, I would say 'no'. Characters change means story ends. To effect a change is to literally reboot the series. It only seems logical when everything else has been exhausted. The question is  - are we working under the same premises?

To effect such change, I would say it would require a transition that keeps the romantic/comedic elements much in check, to be more about the mundane elements of a relationship.

This doesn't hold water simply because the dynamic was already changed fundamentally by Ellie/Denning.

Whether it was a change for the better is up for debate but the simple fact is, the characters changed; they were no longer happy around each other. 

"To effect a change is to literally reboot the series." – Everything changes, with every act, word or thought and i am far from saying the characters SHOULDN'T change.  I could probably watch 7 seasons of Caskett fluff quite happily but I would still want to see some growth, beit marriage, kids or simply a freakin holiday where we see them outside of their comfort zones.

my argument against the finale is not so much what was done (which i dont like but can slightly understand) but the manner in which it was done.

ie. badly.

If it wasn't Moonlighting it would be something else "the curse" would be blamed on.

People who don't know and are too lazy to reseach the real reason it failed, will simply point at it to say; that's what happens when you get two leads together. Those who know the whole story will know it's not.

I'm in the camp that getting two people together will not kill the show. However the writers must approach the situation not thinking being a "couple" is a handicap.

One really good example is the "In Death" series. The books actually get BETTER after they become a couple. You know why? Simply because after all the "will they or won't they" non sense is out of the way, they begin to work on the really tough part; really getting to know each other and accepting them –warts and all– because you love them unconditionally.

So, no. I enjoyed Moonlighting for what it was. What I don't enjoy is hearing it mentioned everytime someone is afraid they can't do better.