Stephen King was the first author I fell in love with. As a child of the ’70’s, I was raised on a steady diet of Horror Films both classic and new. As a teenager of the ’80’s, it was only natural that I would find my way to King. I started with the anthology Night Shift, then quickly devoured everything else I could get my hands on. At the time that amounted to about half a dozen books. For the next 20 years whenever a new King novel would appear, I was at the bookstore ready for it. But as often happens in such long-term relationships, King and I grew apart. He was no longer writing just for me, and I was growing weary of the typical Kingly tropes. His reliance on the “Magical Negro” had already grown tired by the time Dick Halloran rescued Wendy and Danny Torrance from the Overlook Hotel. He would frequently create a religious nut – usually a Christian woman – just to complicate things. Margaret White was a great character, and King wrote her over and over again. And I hate to say it, but he has a consistent problem with his endings. They are quite often a mess relying either on a deus ex machina (The Stand, Desperation, The Dark Tower Series) or just destroying everything (The Shining, Firestarter, Needful Things, and too many more to list). Even at 16 I was creeped out by the child orgy that caps the 1950’s half of IT. Then there are the books that never seem to end. (To be fair, King has had some great endings, too. Take a look at The Dead Zone, Dolores Claiborne, 11/22/63, and a good number of his short stories.) I may no longer be one of King’s Constant Readers, but he will always hold a special place in my heart. Castle Rock found the exact location of that special place.
Castle Rock is the best story Stephen King never wrote. It feels exactly like King while doing away with his worst habits. There’s an intriguing mystery, some surprisingly well-developed characters, and one hell of an ending. The series actually serves as a commentary on Stephen King’s output. It’s an unabashed love letter to King’s earliest works. There’s a reason the story’s mystery stretches back 27 years. 1991 saw the publication of Needful Things, which was then being pushed as the final Castle Rock story. (27 years is also a significant length of time in IT.) We’re told at one point that fetishizing the past is for the foolish. That character immediately gets a notebook smashed upside his head. Jackie Torrance longs for a return to the much more violent ’80’s. A side-story in one episode sees the opening of a B&B that celebrates the town’s dark past. Even in the opening credits – a montage of pages from various King novels – I couldn’t place anything later than 1996’s The Green Mile. This is a series made specifically for me and millions of other Horror fans who came of age at the same time King’s books were just gaining prominence.
Castle Rock‘s mystery works so well I’d hate to reveal any details I haven’t already. 27 years ago something weird happened, the repercussions of which are just now taking affect on the town’s citizens. You will find out what happened to Henry Deaver (André Holland) when he was 11. You will find out the identity of Bill Skarsgård’s Prisoner, as well as his connection to Henry. Other mysteries will pop up, and they will serve to layer and strengthen the story rather than muddle it. Castle Rock isn’t perfect. The forest fire blazing just outside of town is built up too much for nothing to come of it. There are a few scenes that could have been more suspenseful if they hadn’t been telegraphed as much as they were. There comes a moment, though, when I’m enjoying something so much, the nits to pick no longer matter to me. More importantly, I don’t care about them.
I still return to King every now and then. I just finished The Outsider, his latest novel. I enjoyed it until the mess of an ending that read like so many other King endings. I read Revival, but I don’t remember anything about it. On the other hand, 11/22/63 is one of the best things he ever wrote. If I could have a new season of Castle Rock every year, that would satisfy my King itch. Oddly enough, for a cast that includes Holland, Skarsgård, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Melanie Lynskey, and Terry O’Quinn, my favorite character was Jackie Torrance (Jane Levy). She had little screen time, but it looks like she’ll be investigating her family tree next season. An investigation that should take her to the site of the Overlook Hotel. 12-year-old me is giggling with delight.
Castle Rock is streaming on Hulu.
