Four episodes in, 'Castle Rock' feels like a real deal Stephen King creepshow
Imagine trying to fully process a version of The Shining that cuts off right after Wendy Torrance discovers her husband's "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" writings.
That's what it's like trying to talk about Castle Rock right now. I'm four episodes in on the Stephen King collaboration with J.J. Abrams production banner Bad Robot, and the Hulu-exclusive series definitely has me on the hook... but it could just as definitely still go either way.
Castle Rock is an unusual beast. Rather than adapting a single King story, it weaves in and out of familiar locations, characters, and themes pulled from any number of the author's works.
The series has a story of its own to tell, but that story involves Alan Pangborn, Shawshank State Prison, and the dark history of Castle Rock, Maine (to name a few). The nods to King lore even extend beyond the fourth wall: Sissy Spacek, the star of Carrie, holds a key role; so does Bill Skarsgård, the Pennywise of 2017's It adaptation.
Castle Rock is, for lack of a better term, the start of a Stephen King cinematic mash-up universe.
Castle Rock is the start of a Stephen King cinematic mash-up universe.
The story laid out in the opening episodes doesn't hinge on any knowledge of King lore, of course. The nods are hidden in plain sight, but they're just that: A name. A vague reference. Fans of King will grin knowingly at the mention of suicidal Shawshank wardens, but familiarity doesn't make this story clearer.
The opening episodes of Castle Rock follow two main threads that converge more and more as the story unfolds. Shawshank is a primary setting, with the warden's sudden and unexpected suicide setting of a chain of events that leads to the discovery of a secret inmate (Skarsgård).
The young man is discovered tucked away in a cage built inside some kind of underground tank, only accessible via a locked hatch. He's apparently in good health, but there's no record of his incarceration and he doesn't speak -- save for one name: Henry Deaver (André Holland).
The Deaver family has a history in Castle Rock, one that the opening episodes explore in detail. Suffice to say for now: Henry escaped his hometown and went to law school. He was apparently fine with never coming back, but an unexpected call about the Shawshank discovery draws him home.
How and why the young prisoner knew to ask for Henry is one of many mysteries the show cracks open in its early hours -- but like any great mystery, the answers only lead to new questions. Creepiness outweighs the horror in those early hours, but that's signature King. Unsettle us first, then move in for the kill.
Castle Rock is definitely a slow burn. It's not until the end of the fourth episode that something happens to fully shatter our sense of safety. The story before that is never dull, but the show takes its time acquainting us with this story's key figures and their history before yanking out the rug.
If all of this reads as overly vague, that's the point. Castle Rock's biggest successes in those early hours are the surprises. There are dark truths lurking beneath the show's placid, small-town-slice-of-life surface.
Like King's best stories, the journey to uncovering those truths is so much more important than the answers they provide.
Topics Hulu Stephen King
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
