TV Review: Castle Rock - Series One Episode Five "Harvest"

"I Guess Everyone Thinks They Grow Up In The Worst Place On Earth..."

With the concluding act of last week's episode of Castle Rock undoubtedly the best part of the series so far, a startling five minutes or so which expertly blended the dulcet, lucid tones of Roy Orbison with a genuinely unsettling murder spree conducted by Shawshank prison guard, Boyd, a character whose early demise seems to begun a sequence of events which flows into the mid-way mark of the series this week in an episode which puts Skarsgård's "The Kid" slap-bang in the centre of ominous in-comings after he is released into the wilderness of the titular town. Whilst "Harvest" is undoubtedly the weakest episode of the series so far, with its' slower pacing and lack of real plot movement dragging the quality of the storytelling down a couple of notches in comparison to the first four hours of the show, the halfway mark of the series is also strangely the most important, a forty five minutes which seems to continue balancing historic exposition with contemporary action without ever becoming too convoluted in a sub-Westworld sensibility and one which continues the noble art of finishing on a conclusion which leaves you gripped and ready for more. 

With the release of "The Kid" the real talking point of the episode, his psychiatric evaluation and sudden care change into the hands of Molly is paralleled with the ever-growing and literal oncoming storm of wildfire, a supposedly natural phenomenon set to embrace the town of Castle Rock after already taking lives elsewhere, one which seems to ominously foreshadow events yet to come. With the orange glow of the fire raging in the distance as the episode unfolds, kudos indeed goes to cinematographer's Richard Rutkowski and Jeff Greeley, particularly with a brilliantly executed shot in which "The Kid" overlooks Castle Rock as the screams of its' residents intersect with the sombre, Blade Runner 2049-esque backdrop which unfolds in the distance. With Easter Egg of the week undoubtedly handed to Jackie Torrance during her discussion regarding a familial connection to one axe-wielding lunatic, it's a shame therefore that "Harvest" is an episode which just didn't seem to flow as freely as the rest of the series has done so far, but with the second act of the series on its' way, Castle Rock now has to show whether it is a series which ultimately lives up to expectation or indeed falls under the heavy weight of eager King fans who already have their steely knives sharpened. 

Overall Episode Score: 6/10

TV Review: Castle Rock - Series One Episode Four "The Box"

"There Is A Lot Of History In This Town. Not All Of It Is Good"

With the previous episode of Castle Rock dedicated primarily to the development of Molly Strand and her key involvement in the death of Henry Deaver's father, it seemed wholly necessary that "The Box" would once again revert back to Deaver himself for a forty-five minute episode which included mysterious discoveries, a superb jukebox soundtrack and a concluding set piece which provided evidence for when the show is at its' best, Castle Rock can be a harrowing and powerful work of horror. Beginning with the haunting nightmares of Deaver and his flickering memories of youthful captivity being presented in a superb retro-style sensibility, the eerie wailing of the voice of Tom Waits pierces the mood of the episode to perfection as Deaver's willingness to return home begins to take a toll on Chris Coy's Boyd, the Shawshank whistle-blower regarding the discovery of "The Kid" whose psychological toll regarding the treatment of the many prisoners inside begins to showcase itself early on as we see his character begin to crack under the pressure of seemingly being the only guiding light within the metaphorical hell-house which is Castle Rock's local prison facility. 

With Bill Skarsgård finally having a bit more to do than just stare idly at the camera this time out, his characters' reaction to threats made by the Shawshank lawyer-type figure resulted in a ferociously unsettling reminder of not only Skarsgård's freakishly tall body structure but the fact that amidst the unjust incarceration and unfair treatment. there is still something undeniably evil surrounding his character, even if as of yet, the evidence hasn't surfaced to back up such a claim. With Deaver more adamant than ever to understand they grey area surrounding his disappearance, his discovery of an a-typical murder house reminded everyone that newspaper reels are still the best cinematic form of historical exposition, even if it was more fun to see if any Stephen King-laden Easter Eggs popped up in the many articles which were examined. With the episode mulling towards a sense that it fell justly into the realm of "solid, just not spectacular" with five minutes remaining, how timely it was therefore for a concluding set piece which immediately evoked the murderous rampage in Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here this year, albeit set to the brilliant backdrop of Roy Orbison's "Crying", a scene which was admired with a gaping dropped jaw and a resounding sense that now Castle Rock is halfway through its' stay, the real action begins now. 

Overall Episode Score: 8/10

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

TV Review: Castle Rock - Series One Episode Two "Habeas Corpus"

"People Say "It Wasn't Me, It Was This Place". They'd Be Right..."

Perhaps the most difficult episode of a debut series is arguably the curtain raiser's successor, an episode which is tasked with following on from plot points freshly spouted in the opening chapter whilst attempting to develop the tone of what that particular series is ultimately heading for in a manner which is intriguing to explore from the point of view of an audience whose journey through the series has only just begun. With Castle Rock's opening hour a delicate, slow-burning creep-fest, the same sensibility can be said for episode two, a shortened forty-five minutes which develops and introduces new characters from the titular town whilst beginning to throw in a wide range of Stephen King flavoured Easter eggs as it slowly builds its' way around the central mystery at the heart of the narrative so far. Whether it be blink and you'll miss them nods to Cujo during the discovery of a past local newspaper headline, or the voice-over of Terry O'Quin's former warden, Dale Lacy, referring to Stand By Me with the discovery of a body on the tracks, episode two of Castle Rock begins to explore the fun the show can have in wetting the appetite of eager King fans dedicated to hunt out every single reference the show decides to flaunt no matter how cryptic and hidden such a nod could be. 

With the opening title card for the episode a mirage of King's written word, one which focuses on famous phrases from Kings' most iconic novels to date, "Habeas Corpus" begins where the previous episode concluded, with Bill Skarsgård's "The Kid" supposed paranormal abilities being exercised within the heart of Shawshank, resulting in Noel Fisher's (Red) prison guard, Dennis, urging Andre Holland's Deaver to obey the wishes of the prison's most recent and ambiguous resident as quickly as possible. With Skarsgård's eyes undoubtedly being the star of the show so far, the devil symbolism which hovers over his character is elevated heavily with the sudden strange death of an inmate and a letter left behind by the former warden whose lengthy incarceration of "The Kid" seems duly justified considering the evil Skarsgård's character seems to hold within. With horror aficionado Jane Levy (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe) being introduced as Jackie Torrance, the familiar surname immediately pricks the ears as does her character's almost encyclopedic knowledge of the town, resulting in a quickfire history lesson regarding Deaver's mysterious disappearance as a child and the unexplained death of his foster parent which still haunts the town in the present day, and whilst at times the episode sacrifices clever writing for the overuse of swearing, episode two of Castle Rock remains a compelling, mysterious horror fan's dream with a splendid soundtrack and committed performers resulting in a second chapter which continues the strength of the show's debut.  

Overall Episode Score: 8/10

TV Review: Castle Rock - Series One Episode One "Severance"

"You've Been Gone Eleven Days. What Happened Out There...?

With 2017 a year packed to the rafters with Stephen King forged entertainment both on the big screen and the small, the tantalising pallet of King-led adaptations which ranged from the outstanding success of It to the little-seen Netflix gem, Gerald's Game, brought with it a timely ultra-relevant reunion with a writer whose works were once again being flouted and ear-marked for Hollywood intervention after a somewhat absent hiatus in which the writer seemed to be vacant from mainstream media and strictly focusing on the written word. With the success of shows such as Netflix's Stranger Things showcasing the influence of the American's bibliography on even contemporary tales today, King's writings have once again been brought back successfully into the limelight, resulting in the creation of Castle Rock, a Hulu original horror series produced by J. J. Abrams (Star Wars - The Force Awakens) and King himself, which attempts to nod to as many King-based stories and characters as possible in a gigantic fan-boy love-in for the die-hard dedicators of the Maine-born writer, alongside a particularly creepy cast who too have their own personal links to previous King endeavours which have serviced their own careers rather well indeed. 

With dark, supernatural stirrings and a range of interesting set-ups, Castle Rock's debut hour bursts with King-styled influences and creepy flavourings as we are introduced to the familiar setting of Shawshank State Penitentiary, albeit without a Tim Robbins or Morgan Freeman in sight, with Castle Rock's portrayal of the prison one much seedier and claustrophobic than anything in Frank Darabont's famous 1994 drama, The Shawshank Redemption. After the discovery of "The Kid" from within the depths of the prison, the skinny-built, pale faced and blood-shot eyed presence of Bill Skarsgård is immediately captivating, if not as genuinely unsettling as the actor's take on Pennywise in last year's It, and with Moonlight's Andre Holland taking on the role as town lawyer, Henry Deaver, his own mysterious background begins to pull the two leading characters of the show in the same direction. With supporting performances from the likes of Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Scott Glenn (Daredevil), Castle Rock already gleefully wallows in the sheer absurd amount of fundamentally uncertain characters, aided spectacularly by the direction of television stalwart, Michael Uppendahl, (The Walking Dead, Fargo, Legion) who knows when and how to linger the camera just enough to make the audience feel uncomfortable, and with more than enough substance already to engage even the most casual of Stephen King obsessive's, Castle Rock is a show that deserves to be kept an eye on. 

Overall Episode Score: 8/10