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TV Media Weekly | Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2016 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: The last episode of "Cas- tle" was terrible — many peo- ple I know didn't even notice that the end was supposed to be seven years later. The net- work needs to bring the show back where they left off, with them lying on the floor, and hopefully a neighbor or Cas- tle's daughter would find them. A: There's a lot to unpack in your question, but let me start with the basics: "Castle" is absolutely fin- ished; no last-minute, heroic re- newals are forthcoming. The actors have moved on to other things, and the head writers have written a note to fans and the crew, saying, "We will miss you profoundly." In fact, putting a definitive end on the show is what that much- maligned last scene was all about. Hollywood Reporter TV critic Daniel Fienberg called "Castle's" series finale "hilariously bad," and called the final, seven-years- later scene "a weak Plan B end- ing." And he's right — at least about the "Plan B" part. Immedi- ately before the flash-forward scene, Castle and Beckett are ly- ing together, wounded, seeming- ly on the brink of death. A number of reports say that if ABC had re- newed the show for a ninth sea- son, this is how the episode would have ended. Stana Katic, who played Beckett, was known to be leaving the show, and En- tertainment Weekly, for one, speculated that had the show been renewed, the new season would have revealed that she died in Castle's arms. But it wasn't renewed, so the writers had to go with an ending that gave fans some closure (how- ever unsatisfying). Fans might get more closure by following the lead actors on to their various new projects. Series star Nathan Fillion (who played Rick Castle) has a second season of his popular web series "Con Man" coming up, and he's also guest starring in the new season of "Modern Family" (another long- running show on ABC). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Per- sonal replies will not be provided. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media O ctober is over, and I think we all know what that means: the holiday season has arrived. Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and Christmas only a month after that, so the time to start planning those holiday get- togethers is now. Luckily, Food Network's own holiday expert is ready to advise and inspire with her own party tips and treats. The second helpful season of "Giada's Holiday Handbook" premieres Sunday, Oct. 30, on Food Network, with some last- minute Halloween ideas. "Every- day Italian's" Giada De Laurenti- is wrote the book on holiday en- tertaining, and although Hallow- een may not inspire the peace, joy and togetherness that Thanksgiving and Christmas do, that doesn't mean that it can't bring people together. In the premiere episode, Gia- da hosts an open house for the neighborhood kids and their families. Of course, anyone go- ing to a get-together at a Food Network celebrity's home ex- pects great food, and Giada doesn't disappoint. For those of us who weren't lucky enough to get invitations to the party (I assume that mine was lost in the mail), Giada at least walks us through her spooky menu and gives helpful advice for preparing similar dish- es at our own Halloween parties. Items on the menu include spooky chicken finger sammies, tasty coconut "bones" and scari- ly sumptuous witches' brooms. Once Halloween is behind us, Giada moves on to the classic cocktail party. In the Nov. 6 epi- sode, she hosts some friends for a vintage gathering, complete with throwback recipes with a modern twist, such as bacon on- ion dip, a Korean shrimp cocktail and a grown-ups-only gelatin mold. Plus, if you missed last sea- son's episodes full of helpful hol- iday advice and recipes, or even if you want a refresher, Giada's got you covered. Last season's first episode airs Saturday, Nov. 5, with the rest of the season's enlightening episodes to follow as the big day approaches — check your local Food Network listings for exact times and dates. Giada De Laurentiis is so full of holiday advice and sugges- tions that it couldn't be con- tained in a single TV season. Food Network's "Giada's Holi- day Handbook" arrives just in time for Halloween, premiering Sunday, Oct. 30. Giada De Laurentiis in "Giada's Holiday Handbook" Easy holiday hosting: Giada De Laurentiis returns with more helpful holiday hints 10 | Cooking this week Friendship Haven 2 x 2.5" Noah's Ark 2 x 2" 2nd Shift Plumbing 2 x 1.5" 24/7 Complete Sewer & Plumbing Service Call Someone Who Gives a Shift! callsomeonewhogivesashift.com PC#10500764 (765) 863-8522 ! NO EMERGENCY FEES!

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