Castle Rock (2018): Season 2

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Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Ratings

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Castle Rock

Now Playing: Castle Rock

Season Details & Credits

HULU | Season Premiere Date: October 23, 2019

Summary: Nurse Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) turns up at Castle Rock in the second season of the psychological horror series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King.

Creator: Stephen King

Genre(s): Drama, Horror, Suspense

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Season 2 Episodes

tbd
S2:E10. Clean
Air Date: December 11, 2019
tbd
S2:E9. Caveat Emptor
Air Date: December 4, 2019
tbd
S2:E8. Dirty
Air Date: November 27, 2019

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Kristen Baldwin

Oct 15, 2019

What follows is a propulsive story that encompasses not only Annie Wilkes’ origins, but a haunted burial ground, the Battle of Mogadishu, reanimated corpses, and Tim Robbins growling through a sharp-cheddar Maine accent as Ace’s cancer-stricken father, Pop Merrill. ... Every revelation about the character feels both urgent and canon-correct. ... [Lizzy Caplan] does a remarkable job portraying Castle Rock’s reimagined Annie. Her performance is masterfully physical. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Oct 22, 2019

The season two narrative of “Castle Rock” quickly affirms itself as its own story, a narrative about people running from their past, grabbing for things as they fall. And, once again, the team behind “Castle Rock” prove to be masterful with casting and performance. Read full review

Collider Dave Trumbore

Oct 23, 2019

This cast starts off strong as we get two competing narratives that quickly meld together in ways that only King and Castle Rock can pull off. Read full review

Liam Mathews

Oct 15, 2019

The show is thoughtfully written by showrunners Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason, who have a knack for character and an ear for Kingian dialogue, and the gifted cast gives it everything they have. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Oct 29, 2019

Mythology-rich details may bewitch Stephen King superfans, but for the average viewer this is a lot of lumps to be stuffing into too-small Spanx. Even so — recall the warning about anthology series — there is just enough mystery afoot to keep the viewer interested. Caplan, is unsettlingly good as Annie, giving a performance that can be emotionally poignant in one scene and petrifying in another, turning on a dime in an instant. Read full review

Dan Fienberg

Oct 22, 2019

I can't tell if the new season is over-reaching, under-reaching or if the Annie Wilkes of it all is just overshadowing the story to an unanticipated degree. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Matt Roush

Nov 6, 2019

The clash between grounded psychological horror and bump-in-the-night monster mania delivers fewer shivers than shrugs of confusion. [28 Oct - 10 Nov 2019, p.9]

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User Score

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7.4

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User Reviews

asmanraj

Nov 16, 2019

I thought the first season was strictly okay. I watched it because I'm a horror fanatic, but I thought it was far from captivating. However, the second season is absolutely riveting so far, mostly thanks to Lizzy Caplan and her fascinating character. I also appreciate how the showI thought the first season was strictly okay. I watched it because I'm a horror fanatic, but I thought it was far from captivating. However, the second season is absolutely riveting so far, mostly thanks to Lizzy Caplan and her fascinating character. I also appreciate how the show acknowledges the presence of Somalis in Maine. I've watched the first six episodes and I can't wait for the next one.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

kgiverso

Oct 25, 2019

Season two builds tension much like the film "Misery" did, but it is surrounded by other content from King's work.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Davrosdaleks1

Jan 4, 2020

Half of this I rather liked, but the other half didn't work for me.

Let me cover the overlapping parts first. What I like about this season is that the pacing is a lot better than its predecessor. It took a cue from season 2 of Fargo and added a higher character count in order to fillHalf of this I rather liked, but the other half didn't work for me.

Let me cover the overlapping parts first. What I like about this season is that the pacing is a lot better than its predecessor. It took a cue from season 2 of Fargo and added a higher character count in order to fill things up.

However, I did miss the more eerier and crazier feel from the first. Don't get me wrong, the threat in here is decent and scary.

I felt that like the last season the ending was weak.

Now I'll focus on the two halves: I liked the part involving the residents and community of Castle Rock. We are introduced to complex drama and tension within an extended family and a growing struggle between Ace Merrill (Paul Sparks), who has inherited his uncle's business hold on the town, and his uncle's foster son Abdi Howlwadaag (Barkhad Abdi), who along with the town's Syrian immigrants are building their own economic area. There is just a lot of strong backstory to this.

Tim Robbins plays Pop Merill and he hands down has the best role. It's too bad you don't see Robbins in stuff a lot these days. Merrill is a great character, an intelligent man and the most powerful in town, who is having everything slip from his fingers.

What I wasn't fond of were the parts with Annie Wilkes (played by Master of Sex's Lizzy Caplan), the antagonist from Stephen King's Misery. The problem is that this known character doesn't work that well when given an expanded role and becomes a main focus. The show tries to replicate her traits from the film with Kathy Bates, but they are limited. I got tired of seeing her repeatedly say the word "dirty-birds" and getting unreasonably upset with people. Her storyline didn't have as much going for it, except for the episode on her background which was really well done. You can tell where things are going pretty early on. It doesn't help that more focus is given to Wilkes than the rest of the cast.

I can see some people liking this more than me. Just temper expectations.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

67

Series Overview
Season 2

69
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: October 23, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E10. Clean
  Air Date: December 11, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E9. Caveat Emptor
  Air Date: December 4, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E8. Dirty
  Air Date: November 27, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E7. The Word
  Air Date: November 20, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E7. The Word
  Air Date: November 20, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E6. The Mother
  Air Date: November 13, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E5. The Laughing Place
  Air Date: November 6, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E4. Restore Hope
  Air Date: October 30, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E3. Ties That Bind
  Air Date: October 23, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E2. New Jerusalem
  Air Date: October 23, 2019
- tbd
  S2:E1. Let the River Run
  Air Date: October 23, 2019
Season 1

tbd
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: July 25, 2018
Season 1

66
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: July 25, 2018