Castle Rock is a show that rides on making us think about why things are happening, all while creeping you out in the process.
SPOILERS AHEAD! Read with caution!
Two events shape up the story so far. A warden kills himself and a child is found in freezing temperature. We find out that the kid who was saved is Henry Deaver, a lawyer in the present day for death row inmates. He was missing several years ago when his father was also near death and was found by then sheriff of Castle Rock, Alan Pangborn.
The warden, Dale Lacy, who kills himself, left behind a secret that officers in Shawshank Prison end up finding when the new warden decides to open block F that wasn’t open before. The officers find a kid in a cage. He doesn’t really speak and looks to be in horrible condition. When he does talk, he says Henry Deavers full name, Henry Matthew Deaver.
Throughout the rest of the first 3 episodes, we are taken on an interesting ride with plenty of character development. These episodes seemed to be dedicated to understanding the point of each character and how significant they are to the rest of the story. At one point, we hear a voice over and it sounds like Warden Lacy. He starts talking about God and the town of Castle Rock and how horrible things always happen.
Eventually, we are brought to Warden Lacy having made that cage after God had spoken to him. We see that ‘The Kid’ who was put in that cage is suggested to be the devil and that’s why Warden Lacy put him there. He also told this him to say Henry’s name when he is found.
Henry’s adoptive mother, Ruth Deaver, suffers from dementia. We find out that she’s living with the sheriff who had found Henry years ago, Alan Pangborn. Ruth is struggling but shows signs of herself even through the struggle.
Molly Strand has the ability to read minds and feel the emotions people feel. She is introduced as his neighbor from back in the day. She also had a crush on him. Later, it seems like she killed his father by detaching a breathing tube. She’s struggling throughout these episodes, especially when Henry comes back into town.
Back to the subject of Henry, he comes back to Castle Rock, because the officer, Dennis Zalewski, who found the caged kid told him to come to help this guy out because he said his name. Henry takes on the challenge and comes back to Castle Rock. He is not really welcomed with open arms, because the residents think he killed his adoptive father years ago.
When Henry finally sees ‘The Kid’, he asks him if he wants him to represent him. When they get to sit and talk to each other, we see that this kid is really giving off creepy and scary vibes that Henry picks up on.
More on Alan Pangborn, he seems like he’s a grumpy guy, and doesn’t have the greatest of intentions. He gives off a weird vibe. Alan tells the new warden that the kid who was found needs to never see daylight. The new warden, T. Porter, is weird too. She doesn’t want to lose her job so she tries to keep this kid they found in the cage a secret but eventually budges and Henry gets to see him.
Another character who gives off a weird, knowledgeable vibe is Jackie Torrance. She has a lot of knowledge on things that have happened in Castle Rock and even says that this place isn’t even on the map. Throughout each episode, little twists and turns reveal things that help us understand what this story could be about.
The entire cast is tremendous in this show with everyone getting time to shine. Bill Skarsgård, with only a few words, delivers a bone-chilling performance as ‘The Kid’ and creeps us out every single time he’s on screen. André Holland delivers a brilliant performance as well, further proving he’s incredibly underrated and deserves more lead roles.
One more stand out is Sissy Spacek. She doesn’t get plenty of time on screen but makes an incredible impact. The entire cast is perfect and it’s a pleasure to watch them all bring these interesting characters to life. The show also has an incredible score that contributes to the overall creepy vibe.
These first 3 episodes are fantastic and it seems like this season will be incredible.
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