With a ninth season in question, "Castle" creators are determined to ensure the Season 8 finale also functions as a fitting series finale, just in case.

Spoiler TV reports show executives are uncertain if the show will be renewed for a ninth season, leaving co-showrunners Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter feverishly working to craft a season finale that could also double as a fitting capper to the series as a whole.

As ratings go, Season 8 has been a challenging one for the show, which stars Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic as Rick Castle and Kate Beckett. Low numbers have prompted much speculation about what the ABC aired drama's long term future might hold.

"The reality is that [the network execs] won't make that decision until very late," Hawley said. "So our plan is just to tell a satisfying story and try to wrap up the season in an exciting way."

It's not foreign ground for the show, as series creator Andrew W. Marlowe and wife, writer Terri Edda Miller, took the same approach this time last year when it came time for a season finale.

"We think the show has a lot of life in it," Hawley said of this year's finale. "Especially in the wake of the Sturm und Drang that Rick and Kate endured during the first stretch of Season 8."

Hawley added, "That's the great thing from our side about the storytelling this year, that we do feel energized by the shake-up and what it has allowed us to do. We've tried to have a lot of fun in and around an obviously emotional subject. ... 'The Nose' came out great, and both 'The Last Seduction' and [the fall finale] 'Mr. & Mrs. Castle' had some really delightful stuff in them. We're really happy with the results."

After the protagonists were separated for several episodes that seemed more like an eternity for fans of the couple, the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" episode saw the two finally come back together and agree to give their union another chance. Where they go from here seems anyone's guess.

The "Castle" mid-season premiere will air on Monday, Feb. 1 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.