Yesterday Hulu released not just the first one but the first three episodes of its new series Castle Rock.
Castle Rock has arguably been one of the most anticipated shows of 2018. The series is supposed to be Ready Player One for Stephen King fans.
Okay not that extreme. So far Stephen King doesn’t exist on this show but his stories are supposed to be easter eggs to the original story of Castle Rock which is named after a town that King enjoys as a setting in his stories.
Hype for a show influenced by everything Stephen King only increased with the record-breaking success of It (We all float down here). Plus J.J. Abrams is a producer and Castle Rock definitely has Westworld and Lost vibes.
Will Hulu finally be known for something besides The Handmaid’s Tale?
And based off the first episode, the answer is…maybe.
Like Westworld and Lost, Castle Rock seems like it will deal with multiple timeline or at least flashbacks. Unlike Westworld, this show is clearer on when and where you are in time. The editing isn’t trying to trick you and dialogue tells audience members when a scene is taking place.
However, like its predecessors, Castle Rock seems like it’s going to have a lot of mystery to it and maybe too many questions. This show probably can’t be fairly judged until the end of the season and hopefully it pays off most of the questions from its first episode.
A weakness though from the first episode is that I really don’t care too much about its characters. It’s only the first hour with these people but still. Some shows have characters that speak to your humanity in their very first scenes. This show doesn’t.
It seems to be more focused on mystery and plot than its characters. The character I probably like the most from the first episode is a police officer from Shawshank who discovers Bill Skarsgard’s character. The guy is in a corrupt system but has a heart. I hope he doesn’t die and gets more screen time.
Speaking of death, the first episode “Severance” really has great vibes. It’s melancholic and horrific. During a lot of scenes, I was just waiting for the boogeyman to come out.
But so far Castle Rock doesn’t seem like a jump scare show. It’s more about the atmosphere of the town. And I got a feeling that air is only going to get darker. (There hasn’t been enough death yet in the show lol)
Despite the lack of a fast emotional connection with most characters, I am excited to watch the next episode and honestly the whole season. I am hooked and I hope I’m not wasting my time.
This show might be a slow burn but aye the best episodes of Game of Thrones usually are at the end of a season. The first episode does have a pretty good, intriguing end to it but some people still might not be hooked.
That’s probably why Hulu released the first three episodes. This seems to be Hulu’s strategy to get viewers addicted and committed to its original shows. Viewers can be like “should I keep watching this show? Well let me watch the next two episodes and decide.”
I predict episode three is going to be intense and exciting, especially for Stephen King fans. I’m so ready to start living in Castle Rock.
