“It wasn’t me…it was this place.”  If you are a devoted television fan like me, then I’m sure you have heard of the Hulu show Castle Rock, which premiered earlier this summer on July 25, 2018.  While the episodes aired each week, all episodes have now officially been added for season one so this is the perfect time to binge-watch the entire season.

The season features 10 episodes and it has been confirmed that the series has already been renewed for season 2.  To give you some background, the series can best be categorized as a psychological horror show with just the right amount of mystery mixed in.  The series is based on the settings and characters from Stephen King and the executive producer of the show is J.J.Abrams. 

The show focuses primarily on the small fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, emerging us into a dark world filled with unexplained deaths, paranormal occurrences, and the elaborate intertwining of characters.  From the moment you watch the first few minutes of episode 1, you are completely hooked and drawn in to the masterful storytelling, which will have you on the edge of your seat at all times.

While there is quite a bit of set up, the episodes are fast paced and move the plot along seamlessly.  The acting and writing is so real and moving that you will find yourself contemplating the moments you see portrayed even after you are done watching.  This is a must watch show and I have quickly become a big fan.  Please note some spoilers are ahead, but major ones have been left out for your convenience.  My top 5 reasons to check out Castle Rock season 1 are: 

5

Stephen King & J.J. Abrams.

Stephen King is a master at creating a story that is so real and haunting that you find yourself walking along the same path as the characters you are reading about.  King is wonderful at creating vivid images that you can visualize across the page, proving that words can be just as compelling as anything we see on the big or small screen.

Sold already?  So am I.  However, let’s combine that with executive producer, J.J. Abrams, who brought us my favorite show in the world, Lost.  The world we see on television is so convincing and intricate, which really does King’s stories justice, giving us the chance to get to see these characters and setting come to life right before our eyes.

4

Episode 9:  “Henry Deaver.”

While every episode stands out in its own way, episode 9 did the unthinkable.  It completely blew my mind and immersed me into something so mysterious and compelling.  While I had questions the entire time I watched this episode, I refused to pause it for even a moment.  It’s that good.  I don’t want to give anything away because I want you to truly enjoy the experience for yourself, but episode 9 basically takes everything you think you know about Castle Rock and throws it out the window.

You are basically left in a whirlwind of confusion that will have you glued to the television screen, unblinking.  While it may seem that I am going overboard, this episode truly captured what it means to give the audience answers without every really answering anything concretely.  Sure it sounds confusing, but there is something so magnetic about this episode in particular that it will have you completely mesmerized.

3

The twist and mystery is not completely obvious.

Even though I love a good twist or mystery, I always find myself trying to figure it out the entire time.  Whether it is from a book, movie, or television series, I really enjoy playing Nancy Drew.  In Castle Rock, we are presented with several mysteries and you can’t help trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  However, I never saw the twist in this show coming.

While I came close with some theories, the show does an excellent job of keeping you in the dark for just the right amount of time, while sending clues your way to keep your interest.  If you are able to figure out what’s going on, I absolutely commend you because I was shocked and that much more intrigued once it was revealed.  Even with the twist revealed, there are still so many questions left unanswered.  I’m assuming we will get to this in season 2 so that is even more of a reason why I appreciated it so much.

2

The cast.

The acting on this show is so incredible.  The regular cast stands out on its own with amazing performances from André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, and Sissy Spacek.  While I expected the main cast to be great, I didn’t expect for every single guest star to be unbelievably amazing as well.  In particular, the performances by Terry O’Quinn, Scott Glenn, Noel Fisher, Chosen Jacobs, and Lauren Bowles were outstanding.

Every performance is so real and believable that you really think these people are the very characters they are portraying.  You find yourself sympathizing with them and wanting to know everything about them.  Even characters that show up later in the series still spark an interest, as you find yourself trying to figure out how they come into play.  The intertwining of characters is absolutely spell-binding, bringing Stephen King’s creations to life with new vigor.

1

Episode 7:  “The Queen.”

While I would normally focus on a season finale for my top reason to watch a show, episode 7 is something so incredibly powerful and it deserves every amount of praise possible.  This episode would not have been so amazing without the talented Sissy Spacek, who gave us a performance that was so incredibly heartbreaking that you could almost feel your own heart beat out of its chest just from watching.

During the series, we learn that Sissy Spacek’s character, Ruth, suffers from dementia.  The earlier episodes allowed us to see her from the perspectives of other characters, but in episode 7, everything we see is completely from Ruth’s perspective.  Timelines shift around and we see Ruth combining the past and present, but the episode is executed so well that you don’t lose track of what is happening.  The ending moments of this episode are so heart wrenching.

This episode in particular was probably one of the most incredible episodes I have ever seen on television.  I’m ranking it up there with “The Constant” from Lost, “Salud” from Breaking Bad, and “Becoming Part II” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  If you have seen any of these episodes, then you know that I am not giving out this title lightly.  “The Queen” is out of this world and it elevated Castle Rock to an entirely new level.  Ready to watch? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on Castle Rock in the comments section below.  Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Stay up to date on upcoming premieres of horror TV series @ 12nightsofhorror.com/horror-series-coming-soon

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

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