TV Review: Castle Rock - Series One Episode Three "Local Color"

"The Only Thing People Contemplate In This Town Is Suicide..."

With the opening set-up for the series out of the way, Castle Rock has begun to spread its' wings in the direction of a sprawling narrative which attempts to balance the slow release of historical events with the contemporary mystery surrounding the main characters of the piece thus far, and with the third episode of the series focusing primarily on Melanie Lynskey's Molly Strand, the anxious and paranoid house realtor with a penchant for Carrie-esque telepathic abilities, the horror element of the show was somewhat subsided for around half an hour in place of some much needed character development and interesting developments regarding particular secrets which are slowly and surely being unravelled. With an opening scene which highlighted a young Molly's crucial involvement in the folklore legend of Henry Deaver's disappearance and death of his father, such an event seemed to highlight a strong, seemingly affectionate bond between Molly and Henry, one which ambiguously brought to the table a much different relationship between father and son which ultimately resulted in Molly's decision to turn from empathetic pacifier into merciless, cold killer. 

When the horror elements of the show ultimately rear their ugly head however, Molly's dream sequences involving a guilt-heavy trip into her subconscious alongside a clear reference to the spooky imagery of the 2015 Austrian chiller, Goodnight Mommy, was effectively played, utilising the drawn out, lingering shots the genre is well versed in to dramatic ends, particularly in a concluding shot which undoubtedly sent shivers down the spine. More focus on Molly within the episode also meant more focus on Jackie Torrance, whose close friendship between the two seemingly holds no secrets regarding Molly's affection for the newly returned Henry Deaver, even if her true abilities are still a secret buried within, and with Molly's penchant for social awkwardness ultimately resulting brilliantly in the long-awaited meeting of Deaver and "The Kid", or the now aptly named "Nic Cage", the strange questions and ghostly eyed stare of Skarsgård's character continue to haunt, even when at times it feels necessary for the show to try and push his particular character's exploration a tad further, particularly when it has been nearly three hours of mystery with no real indication of where "The Kid" ultimately fits into the overall narrative, but for an episode primarily dedicated to one character, "Local Color" was an entertaining and surprising forty five minutes of one of my new favourite debut series. For the other one, check out Sharp Objects. 

Overall Episode Score: 7/10