SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
I wish I had a vast, encyclopedic knowledge of Stephen King’s works so I could enjoy this show more. I get the feeling that there is a plethora of not-so-subtle easter eggs and references littered throughout, but they all go over my head. That’s not to say that I feel left out or that the show isn’t for me because I’m not a die-hard King fan. Castle Rock is intriguing, thrilling and engaging without it.
The two central mysteries of the series – Henry’s disappearance 27 years ago (I saw It: Chapter One, I get that reference at least) and who/what “The Kid” is – are fascinating. They may well turn out to be one, single mystery, however; the show seems to be saying that they’re deeply connected.
Initially I didn’t think Henry had anything to do with his father’s murder. We know that Molly killed the Reverend, but there is still the question of how and why Reverend Deaver ended up at the bottom of the cliff. Henry clearly didn’t like him very much and Reverend Deaver looked to be frustrated with Henry to about the same degree that Henry didn’t like him. There was animosity there to some degree.
Perhaps Henry did at least try to kill his father by pushing him off of the cliff. The Reverend did tell Alan that Henry did it. I’d like to think that if Henry did push him, he would have had a good reason. Henry still doesn’t remember what happened in 1991, so I’m hesitant to accept the word of anyone besides him about it. As our main character I expect that when he remembers what happened it will be the truth.
I think that Molly essentially was Henry when she killed the Reverend. From her explanation of how her powers work with Henry, it sounds like his consciousness extends to and takes over her body at times. She remembers killing him, so she was aware when it happened. Perhaps she just wasn’t in control of her body. Either that, or she felt the Reverend’s desire to die and did him a kindness. I don’t get the impression that that was the case, though.
We really don’t have any clues about what happened in the eleven days that Henry was missing. He started having flashes of himself in a cage, with someone coming toward him as he played with a toy car. Maybe he was kidnapped like the town at first assumed. That he was playing with a toy car, however, makes me think that this memory is from when he was a child (he’s an orphan) and not when he had disappeared.
I don’t like Henry very much. Less and less with each episode, in fact. He’s obnoxiously selfish. Firstly, he can’t even be bothered to look after Ruth. Secondly, he has no respect for Alan who has been taking care of Ruth. Thirdly, he chickened out of going to trial for purely selfish reason and not out of trying to do what was best for his client. Fourthly, he dumped “The Kid” on Molly. Lastly, he is insistent in not believing Molly about her powers, despite evidence of it. It’s like he’s purposely being obtuse.
As for “The Kid”, I feel really sorry for him. There is a vulnerability and innocence to him and he actually feels guilt about the terrible things that happen because of him. There’s no doubt in my mind that he really is the cause of of all of the bad in Castle Rock, but I don’t think that he’s evil. I never thought that he was “the Devil”, in fact, and he confirmed as much to Alan. I think that he has a passive ability that he is not in control of.
He either brings out the violent tendencies in people, is bad luck or is just a harbinger of death. Additional powers seem to be showing people the future and maybe even knowing it, and immortality – or at the very least eternal youth. It’s not exactly clear how touching him works because his cell mate was instantly riddled with cancer, whereas Dennis went on a murderous rampage in Shawshank (another reference I get). Also, he can possibly heal the unwell?
I think that Lacy may just have been a crazy old man. This show is set in the world of Stephen King, so his supposed messages from God about what to do may have been real. Just not from who he thought they were from. We know why he put “The Kid” in the cage, we just don’t know why he let him out. Although he did express doubt about his actions and a bit of remorse. He might just have had a perfect understanding of “The Kid’s” powers, given that he touched his face the last time that he saw him. That, I believe, is why he killed himself.
It seems to me that Molly will be key in understanding “The Kid” and getting information out of him, simply because of her powers. In the one, brief scene in which they interacted and her powers manifested, we learned more about him. If Henry is willing to admit that she has this power, then the two could sit down with him and question him as she listens to his thoughts. It’s no surprise that her power is as overwhelming with “The Kid” as it is with Henry, though in a different way. The two are clearly intertwined in someway. Lacy knew how, I think. Why else would he tell “The Kid” to ask for Henry?
Random thoughts:
- That’s a very elaborate way to commit suicide.
- This is far more than an internal corporate matter.
- Why is this little girl outside, at night, alone?
- This female guard who keeps telling him to smile is annoying.
- Dennis! No!
- That birthday party escalated quickly.
- Henry has to see that Alan’s presence in Ruth’s life is a good thing.
New episodes of Castle Rock are released every Wednesday on Hulu.
