Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!
Kyle’s Choice
Early this morning, Hulu launched the new psychological-horror series Castle Rock, which is based on various stories by Stephen King. The series is set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, where there seems to be some sort of clash between good and evil brewing. As the series opens, a mysterious, nameless prisoner (Bill Skarsgård, It) is found locked up in a cage in an unoccupied cell block of Shawshank Prison. He appears to have been placed there by former warden Dale Lacy (Terry O’Quinn, Lost) for some unknown reason. The only name he gives is that of Henry Deaver (André Holland, The Knick), a lawyer who grew up in the town but has since moved away. As a child, Henry was missing for 11 days and thought to have been abducted. During the search, his adoptive father, the beloved local minister, was seriously injured and died shortly afterwards. The town blamed Henry for his father’s death, and so now he is reluctant to return to Castle Rock. However, he is curious as to how this inmate knows his name and how and why he ended up in Shawshank. Henry also sees an opportunity to visit his adoptive mother Ruth (Sissy Spacek), whose dementia seems to be getting worse.
There seems to be a darkness that follows this nameless prisoner, and that darkness seems to grow stronger the more Henry unlocks about his past. Other Castle Rock townsfolk include former sheriff Alan Pangborn (Scott Glenn), who seems to be harboring some secrets of his own; and Molly Strand (Melanie Lynskey, Togetherness), Henry’s childhood neighbor who is now a real estate agent in Castle Rock. She was obsessed with Henry as a child but never let him know her feelings, and some of those feelings may still be present today. She suffers from hearing voices and is often trying to get her hands on illegal drugs to help quiet the commotion in her head.
The series establishes its creepy tone almost immediately and does a great job of weaving in lots of characters, stories, and Easter eggs that will be familiar to fans of King’s oeuvre. I really enjoyed the first four episodes of the series. It slowly builds the tension by metering out the backstory of the characters and the history of this creepy town at a slow pace. Just in the first few episodes, there are several unexpected twists and turns and many hints that something sinister may be happening in this town. I was kind of reminded of Needful Things, which also includes the character of Sheriff Alan Pangborn and the devil residing in the town of Castle Rock.
This morning, Hulu made the first three episodes of the series available to subscribers and will release additional episodes weekly.
I’ll also be watching/recording Big Brother, MasterChef, and Young & Hungry.
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