''Castle Rock'' is an American

psychological horror Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequently overlaps with the related subge ...

streaming television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air a ...

series, featuring and inspired by characters, settings, and themes from the stories created by Stephen King and his fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. The series premiered on July 25, 2018, on Hulu. It was created by Sam Shaw and

Dustin Thomason Dustin Thomason (born 1976) is an American writer and producer who co-authored the ''New York Times'' bestselling historical fiction novel '' The Rule of Four'' with Ian Caldwell. Novels Thomason began his career as a novelist. He is a co-autho ...

, and stars

André Holland André Holland (born December 28, 1979) is an American actor, widely known for his 2016 performance as Kevin in the Academy Award-winning film '' Moonlight''. Throughout his career, Holland has acted in film, television, and theatre production ...

Melanie Lynskey Melanie Jayne Lynskey ( ; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress widely known for her portrayals of complex women in several independent films and television shows and also known for her command of American dialects. Lynskey is the recipi ...

Bill Skarsgård Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård (; born 9 August 1990) is a Swedish actor, producer, director, writer, voice actor, and model. He is best known for portraying Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the supernatural horror films '' It'' (2017) and '' It ...

, Jane Levy, and

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four Britis ...

in its first season. On August 14, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season starring

Lizzy Caplan Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...

Paul Sparks Paul Sparks (born October 16, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as gangster Mickey Doyle in the HBO period drama series ''Boardwalk Empire'', writer Thomas Yates in the Netflix political drama series '' House of Cards'', m ...

, Barkhad Abdi, Yusra Warsama,

Elsie Fisher Elsie Fisher (born April 3, 2003) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role in Bo Burnham's comedy-drama film ''Eighth Grade'' (2018), for which she earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Pict ...

, Matthew Alan and

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his rol ...

, which premiered on October 23, 2019. In November 2020, Hulu canceled the series after two seasons.Stephen King anthology series 'Castle Rock' cancelled after two seasons
wionews.com, November 2020

Premise

''Castle Rock'' combines "the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King's best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland."

Cast and characters

Main

Season 1

as Henry Matthew Deaver, a criminal attorney specializing in capital punishment cases. He left Castle Rock after the townspeople suspected his involvement in his adoptive father's death, but returns upon receiving a strange request. Caleel Harris portrays a young Henry in a recurring role. *

as Molly Strand, the owner of M. Strand & Associates Real Estate, and a childhood neighbor of Henry's who possesses

telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...

and empathic abilities.

Cassady McClincy Cassady Marie McClincy is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Lydia on the AMC horror-drama television series '' The Walking Dead'' since 2019. Life and career McClincy was born in Ohio and raised in Georgia. She got an agent ...

portrays a young Molly in a recurring role. *

as "The Kid" / "The Angel" (guest star for season 2), an enigmatic inmate at Shawshank State Penitentiary secretly held prisoner by Warden Dale Lacy for 27 years. He specifically asks for Henry after being released from a septic tank located beneath an abandoned cell block in the prison. Skarsgård cameos twice in the second season. * Jane Levy as Diane "Jackie" Torrance, an aspiring writer who works at M. Strand & Associates Real Estate, and is the niece of Jack Torrance. She possesses a vast knowledge of Castle Rock's history and has taken her uncle's name in order to spite her parents. *

as Ruth Deaver, Henry's estranged adoptive mother and a lifelong Castle Rock resident, whose struggle with dementia leads her to reveal secrets about the town's dark past. Ruth later dies sometime before the first season epilogue, and is buried alongside Alan Pangborn. Schuyler Fisk portrays a younger Ruth in a recurring role.

Season 2

as Annie Wilkes, a mentally ill nurse who gets stuck in Castle Rock. ** Madison Johnson as Young Annie Wilkes ** Ruby Cruz as Teen Annie Wilkes *

as John "Ace" Merrill, Pop's nephew who stands to take over the family business. ** Max von Schroeter as Teen Ace * Barkhad Abdi as Abdi Howlwadaag, Nadia's older brother who wants to strengthen Somali ties in their community ** Idiris Yusof as Young Abdi * Yusra Warsama as Dr. Nadia Howlwadaag, a Somali doctor employed as the medical director at the hospital in

Jerusalem's Lot "Jerusalem's Lot" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. The story was also printed in the illustrated 2005 edition of King's 1975 novel Salem's Lot''. Setting and style "Jerusalem's Lo ...

. ** Idil Guled as Young Nadia *

as Joy Wilkes (born Evangeline Wilkes), Annie's daughter. ** Colbi Gannett as Young Joy * Matthew Alan as Chris Merrill, Ace's brother who finds himself stuck between the feud between the Merrills and the Somali community. ** Charlie Tacker as Young Chris *

as Reginald "Pop" Merrill, the dying head of the Merrill crime family.

Recurring

Season 1

* Scott Glenn as Alan Pangborn, the retired sheriff of Castle Rock who moves in with Ruth Deaver unbeknownst to her son Henry. Pangborn is accidentally shot by Ruth when she mistakes him for her dead husband.

Jeffrey Pierce Jeffrey Pierce (born Jeffrey Douglas Plitt; December 13, 1971) is an American actor, voice actor, director, producer, and novelist. He is best known for providing the voice and motion capture for Tommy in the video game series ''The Last of Us' ...

portrays a younger Alan in a recurring role. *

Noel Fisher Noel Roeim Fisher (born March 13, 1984) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his portrayal of Mickey Milkovich on the Showtime series '' Shameless'', as well as his portrayal of Cael Malloy on the FX series '' The Riches''. He played Ellison " ...

as Dennis Zalewski, a correctional officer at Shawshank who discovers "The Kid" and anonymously calls Henry after hearing "The Kid" say his name. Zalewski begins to go insane and, after discovering that Henry is dropping the Kid's case, guns down numerous prison officers before he is killed by another officer. *

Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Prime ...

as Martha Lacy, the now-widowed wife of Dale Lacy whom Henry visits in an attempt to gain more information about Shawshank. Also guest in season 2. * Ann Cusack as Theresa Porter, the new warden of Shawshank and Dale Lacy's successor. Porter covers up The Kid's existence, fearing that she will be the scapegoat. Porter is run over by a prison bus carrying former Shawshank prisoners, after agreeing with Lacy that The Kid is the Devil. * Chris Coy as Boyd, a correctional officer at Shawshank who works alongside Dennis. * Josh Cooke as Reeves, the deputy warden of Shawshank. * Charlie Tahan as Dean Merrill, a teenage drug dealer who supplies Molly with medication. * Terry O'Quinn as Dale Lacy, the former warden of Shawshank who commits suicide by decapitation shortly before "The Kid" is discovered. *

Allison Tolman Allison Cara Tolman is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Molly Solverson in the first season of the FX television series '' Fargo'', earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Early life and education Tolman has two older ...

as Bridget Strand, Molly's sister. * Adam Rothenberg as Reverend Matthew Deaver, Henry's late adoptive father and Castle Rock's former pastor. The townspeople labeled Henry as the prime suspect in Rev. Deaver's death. It is revealed that Henry did in fact attempt to kill Matthew, after discovering that Matthew intended to kill Ruth for having an affair with Alan. * Aaron Staton as Drew, Castle Rock's pastor and Matthew Deaver's successor at the local Church of the Incarnation. Staton reprises his role in season 2 as a pastor for Pop Merrill, becoming the first character from a previous season to reappear in another. * Zabryna Guevara as Maret *

Rory Culkin Rory Hugh Culkin (born July 21, 1989) is an American actor who is known for his roles in '' Scream 4'', '' Lords of Chaos'', '' You Can Count on Me'', ''Columbus'', and M. Night Shyamalan's '' Signs''. He is the younger brother of actors Macaulay ...

as Willie, the interpreter, and protégé of Odin Branch. * Charles Jones as Odin Branch, an old friend of Reverend Matthew Deaver with advanced degrees in

bioacoustics Bioacoustics is a cross-disciplinary science that combines biology and acoustics. Usually it refers to the investigation of sound production, dispersion and reception in animals (including humans). This involves neurophysiological and anatomical ...

and

psychoacoustics Psychoacoustics is the branch of psychophysics involving the scientific study of sound perception and audiology—how humans perceive various sounds. More specifically, it is the branch of science studying the psychological responses associated wi ...

. *

Chosen Jacobs Chosen Jacobs (born July 1, 2001) is an American actor and singer best known for his recurring role as Will Grover on the CBS television series '' Hawaii Five-0'' and his role as Mike Hanlon in the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel ...

as Wendell Deaver, Henry's son. *

Mark Harelik Marcus Frank Harelik (born June 5, 1951) is an American television, film, and stage actor, and playwright. Early life Harelik was born in Hamilton, Texas. In 1909, Harelik's Russian Jewish grandfather, Haskell Harelik—upon whom Harelik's ...

as Gordon, a history professor from

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

who moves to Castle County after attacking a man for sleeping with his wife. Following the move, the couple converts the Lacy home into a bed and breakfast. *

Lauren Bowles Lauren Elizabeth Bowles is an American actress. Early life and education Bowles was born in Washington, D.C., to Judith (née LeFever) and L. Thompson Bowles. Her half-sister (on her mother's side) is actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She majored in ...

as Lilith, wife of Gordon, with whom she newly co-owns the Lacy home. * Mathilde Dehaye as Amity

Season 2

* John Hoogenakker as Carl Wilkes, "a man with a complicated connection to nnieWilkes" * Robin Weigert as Chrysida Wilkes, Annie Wilkes's mom * Isayas J. Theodros as Jamal * Chris Mulkey as Clay * Abby Corrigan as Chance * Tenea Intriago as Vera * Aaron Staton as Pastor, who has sided with Ace * Mathilde Dehaye as Amity, the prophet of New Jerusalem in 17th century *

Faysal Ahmed Faysal Ahmed ( so, Faysal Axmed; born 11 July 1985) is a Somali Americans, Somali–American actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Early life Ahmed was born one of nine children in 1985 in Yemen. Although his family is originally from Somalia, he g ...

as Hassan *

Alison Wright Alison Wright (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. She is best known for her starring role as Martha Hanson on the FX period spy drama series ''The Americans'' (2013–2017), for which she received critical acclaim and earned a Primeti ...

as Valerie * Joy Lang as Councilwoman Pinto * Kate Avallone as Evelyn *

Sarah Gadon Sarah Lynn Gadon (born April 4, 1987) is a Canadian actress. She began her acting career guest-starring in a number of television series, such as '' Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1999), '' Mutant X'' (2002), and ''Dark Oracle'' (2004). She also ...

as Rita K. Green, Joy's biological mother and Annie's stepmother

Guest

Season 1

Phyllis Somerville Phyllis Jeanne Somerville (December 12, 1943 – July 16, 2020) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She is best known for her roles in '' Little Children'' (2006), '' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008), '' Surviving Fami ...

as Leanne Chambers ("Severance"), one of Henry's clients in Texas who is sentenced to death for murdering her husband Richard. *

Brionne Davis Brionne Davis (born Dallas, Texas, 1976) is an American actor, director and producer of theater, film and TV. Davis grew up in Paris, Texas and has developed his career in theater, TV and indie films in Austin, New York City and currently in Los Ang ...

as Garrett Coyne ("Habeas Corpus") * Audrey Moore as Mrs. Strand, Molly's mother. ("Habeas Corpus") * Timothy John Smith as Deputy Norris Ridgewick ("Habeas Corpus") *

Burke Moses Burke William Moses (born December 10, 1959, New York City) is an American actor. His older brother is actor Mark Moses. Career Moses attended Boston University and Carnegie Mellon University.David Selby as Josef Desjardins ("The Box"), a barber and the brother of Vince Desjardins, a convicted felon who was suspected in Henry Deaver's disappearance. *

Richard Schiff Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on ''The West Wing'', a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his directorial debut with ''The West Wing'', directing ...

as Warden Porter's Superior ("Harvest"), a man to whom Porter reports at Shawshank. *

James LeGros James Le Gros () (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in '' Living in Oblivion''. Career James Le Gros appeared as Rick in Gus Van Sant's 1989 ...

as the Sheriff of Castle Rock ("Harvest") * Peta Sergeant as Angela ("Harvest") * Amanda Brooks as Psychologist ("Harvest") *

Jayne Atkinson Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared in ...

as Daria Reese ("Past Perfect"), a senior state police officer who knows Henry from when he and her daughter were in high school together. *

Rodrigo Lopresti Rodrigo Lopresti (born September 6, 1976) is an American-Argentine actor, musician and film director who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Biography Personal life Rodrigo Lopresti was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the youngest of two children. Lo ...

as Gaddis ("Past Perfect"), the male member of the couple that are Gordon and Lilith's first bed and breakfast guests.

Episodes

Season 1 (2018)

Season 2 (2019)

Production

Development

On February 17, 2017, it was announced that Hulu, J. J. Abrams, and Stephen King were collaborating on a new series entitled ''Castle Rock'', based on King's large canon of work. It was further reported that the series would be written by Sam Shaw and

, produced by Abrams'

Bad Robot Productions Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999 and led by J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series ''Alias' ...

, and distributed by

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

. Four days later, Hulu revealed that they had given the production a series order consisting of a first season of ten episodes, and executive producers would include Abrams, King, Shaw, Thomason, Ben Stephenson, and Liz Glotzer. On July 12, 2017, it was announced that

Michael Uppendahl Michael Uppendahl is an American television and film director. He is well known for his work on the AMC period drama ''Mad Men''; the FX shows ''American Horror Story'', '' Fargo'', and ''Legion''; and the Fox musical/dramedy '' Glee''. Care ...

was joining the production as a co-executive producer and would direct the pilot episode. On August 14, 2018, it was announced that Hulu had renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on October 23, 2019. On November 3, 2020, Hulu canceled the series after two seasons.

Casting

On May 11, 2017, it was announced that

had been cast in the series' lead role. In June 2017, Jane Levy,

, and

had joined the main cast. On July 10, 2017,

was set to join the roster. In August 2017, it was reported that Scott Glenn and Terry O'Quinn had been added as series regulars, and on March 1, 2018, it was announced that

had joined in the recurring role of Wendell Deaver, the son of Holland's character. On June 8, 2018, it was announced during the annual

ATX Television Festival ATX Television Festival is an annual event based in Austin, Texas, that celebrates and showcases the past, present, and future of the television industry. Screenings, Q&As, cast reunions, and industry panel discussions take place over four days an ...

that

will have the recurring role of Lynsky's character's sister, and five days later, it was reported that

was also on board. In March 2019, it was announced that the season 2 cast would feature

, Garrett Hedlund,

, Yusra Warsama, Barkhad Abdi and Matthew Alan in lead roles. Hedlund's role was later recast with

. On April 17, 2019, it was reported that John Hoogenakker had been cast in an undisclosed recurring role for season 2.

Filming

Principal photography for the first season was expected to take place in Massachusetts, in locations such as

Orange, Massachusetts Orange is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,569 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Part of the town is included in the census-designated plac ...

, and at New England Studios in Devens, Massachusetts. In August 2017, production began in Devens and in Orange, where the downtown area had been refitted to appear as the town of Castle Rock, and where production was expected to continue through January 2018. That month, crews also shot scenes at Vernon Hill School in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

, and at an old Victorian house in

Lancaster, Massachusetts Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,441. History In 1643 Lancaster was first ...

. Filming returned to Orange during the week of August 21 for production of the series' second episode. In late September 2017, filming took place in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, at The Public Health Museum on the campus of the Tewksbury State Hospital. In October 2017, filming took place at the Central Cemetery in Orange where a funeral scene was shot. The downtown area was refitted with a more modern look in November for another phase of production. From September 4, 2017, until the end of the month, production took place at the former West Virginia Penitentiary in

Moundsville, West Virginia Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. The population was 8,122 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. T ...

, which appeared as the fictional Shawshank State Prison. On November 21, 2017, filming took place in Worcester in the lobby of the Mercantile Building, which had been refitted into a boardroom. On December 18, 2017, production for the season finale began. By January, all filming in Orange was completed, and the production proceeded to donate $3,500 to the town. The Fire Department received $2,500 for helping facilitate production, and the Trustees of Soldiers' Memorial will receive another $1,000. Visual effects were used to alter seasons, including adding snow to scenes in which there was no snow on location, as well as to create a forest fire in episode five. In 2019, it was reported that filming for second season would take place at additional Massachusetts locations, including a former meat factory building in Clinton, and several properties in Gardner. Parts of season 2 episode 5 were filmed at a house on Prospect Street in Leominster, MA.

Music

The song " Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" is used three times during the first season, including the first song heard in the premiere ( Gene Pitney's 1963 version) and the last song heard over the closing credits of the finale (

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

's 1964 version). It captures the underlying situation of The Kid in the lyrics: "Dearest darling, I had to write to say that I won't be home anymore / 'Cause something happened to me while I was driving home / And I'm not the same anymore".

Release

Premiere

On June 8, 2018, the series took part in the annual

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, where a "first look" at footage took place. Following the premiere of the footage, a question-and-answer panel occurred with creators and executive producers Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason. On June 19, 2018, it was announced that the series would hold its world premiere during the show's panel at San Diego Comic Con in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, where cast members including

, and

were set to be in attendance. On September 7, 2018, the series took part in the 12th Annual PaleyFest Fall Television Previews, which featured a screening of the first-season finale and a discussion with creator and executive producer Sam Shaw.

Home media

The first season was released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on digital platforms on October 15, 2018. It was then released on Blu-ray, 4K UHD Blu-ray and DVD on January 8, 2019. All ten episodes of the season were made available in the set along with exclusive bonus content. The second season was announced to be released on digital platforms on January 21, 2020, and Blu-ray and DVD on May 19. The release was later postponed to July 21.

Reception

Critical response

The first season has been met with a generally positive response from critics. On the review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the first season holds an approval rating of 87% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 7.49/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A meticulously crafted mystery brimming with allusions, ''Castle Rock'' is bound to please even the pickiest of Stephen King fans — though mileage may vary for casual viewers."

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

assigned the first season a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Early reviews for the first season were generally positive. ''

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators. Colliders are used as a research tool in particl ...

''s Dave Trumbore praised the series, saying, "Shaw, Thomason, Abrams & Co. really nail the core concepts of King's storytelling here. Each character gets a good amount of screen time to focus on introspection...''Castle Rock '' is a can't-miss series for Stephen King fans and a must-watch horror show for fans of dark, thrilling, character-focused mysteries." In a similarly favorable critique, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

''s Kristen Baldwin gave the series a grade of "A−" and commended it, saying, "Though most characters are new (Scott Glenn's Alan Pangborn, a sheriff who appeared in ''Needful Things'' and ''The Dark Half'', is one exception), for King fans the world of ''Castle Rock'' will be inescapably familiar. Spending time here feels, in many ways, like coming home — with all of the excitement and dread such a visit entails." In another approving criticism, Ben Travers of ''

Indiewire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...

'' gave the series a grade of "B+" and complimented it, saying, "For a show that could've been dominated by its origins, ''Castle Rock'' sure has a good time breathing new life into them. Smart, fun scares; deeply felt, well-founded characters; layers of story to decipher, along with the references — what more could you want in a new piece of the Stephen King library?" In a mixed review, Dan Fienberg of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' criticized the series, saying, "The actors will offer the best incentive for the King-ambivalent to tune into ''Castle Rock'', but I'm not sure even they will ultimately be enough to overcome the sluggish and vague story." In a negative review, Daniel D'Addario of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' was even more disapproving, saying, "It's eerie-by-the-numbers, repeatedly telling us quite how scared we ought to be, without yet building characters for whom we feel sympathetic fear." Among all first-season episodes, "The Queen" received particular acclaim from critics with praise being directed towards the writing and Spacek's performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode holds a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9.75 out of 10, based on 14 reviews. '' The Ringer''s Miles Surrey referred to the episode as "not only the best episode of the series, but one of the best episodes of television in 2018." ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

''s Brian Tallerico awarded the episode a rating of five out of five stars and was similarly enthusiastic, saying, "Television doesn't get much more heartbreaking than "The Queen," a showcase for the legendary Sissy Spacek and one of the best hours of television this year." Aiming commendation at the episode's instrumental score, ''Birth.Movies.Death.''s Jacob Knight wrote, "The music in ''Castle Rock'' – courtesy of composer Chris Westlake – has been nothing short of exemplary throughout the entire series, but in "The Queen" it practically becomes a character unto itself." The second season has been met with a generally positive response from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds an approval rating of 89% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 7.77/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Driven by an unsettlingly compelling Lizzy Caplan, ''Castle Rock''s second chapter opens the borders of its titular town without losing any of its creeping atmosphere." Metacritic assigned the second season a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{Hulu 2010s American drama television series 2010s American horror television series 2010s American science fiction television series 2010s American supernatural television series 2018 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings American horror fiction television series Castle Rock (franchise) English-language television shows Hulu original programming Television shows based on works by Stephen King Television series by Bad Robot Productions Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television shows set in Maine Television shows filmed in Massachusetts Television shows filmed in West Virginia Psychological horror

Premise

Cast and characters

Main

Season 1

Season 2

Recurring

Season 1

Season 2

Guest

Season 1

Episodes

Season 1 (2018)

Season 2 (2019)

Production

Development

Casting

Filming

Music

Release

Premiere

Home media

Reception

Critical response

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links