If you have read The Dark Tower series, Needful Things and The Talisman, chances are you will 'get' Castle Rock. If not, you will probably sympathize with - or be one of - the many reviewers here who are fond of words like Plotless, Aimless, Boring and Confusing. If you liked those particular novels I urge you to watch this series, and dare you not to be intrigued by it's cleverness, complexity and continuity. Of course feel free to reach the same conclusions as those unfortunately lacking in understanding who gave Castle Rock the thumbs down, though I very much doubt you will. If you are fluent in the King universe, you CAN'T.
First off, this is NOT another Stranger Things. Nor is it IT. It's not quick, but the tension builds steadily. It's not action packed, but it's rich in intrigue. It's not a conventional jump-scare horror story scattered with random King references as many seemingly expected it to be. Yes, there are many shallow references to names and places familiar to King readers, but these just make up a thin pretty layer of glitter sprinkled on top of a thick dark writhing rope of interconnecting themes and subplots that keep the viewer guessing right until the end. What it is, is a dark, devilishly smart, adult, contemporary psychological thriller accurately set in the King universe.
The main deep references in Castle Rock, the conceptual ones, are unmistakably End-World / The Territories influenced. Amazingly the writers have even tied these concepts in with the effects of dementia, providing a grounded analogy that explains King's familiar concept of multiple worlds and timelines through the experience of Spacek's character in a subplot. This genius achievement in itself is worthy of at least 5 stars to anyone with half a brain.
The plot is complex and many stranded, unexpectedly divergent at times, yet never loses it's continuity - every digression always finds it's way back to where you left off. And the twists are unexpected, you won't see them coming until they have sped past. I recall 4 major *gasp* moments throughout the series which caught me by surprise. Without giving anything away, it's fair to say the storyline itself is the biggest twist of all, a twist that winds through from start to finish like a steel cable - and one that asks the two biggest questions: IS he or ISN'T he? and: Who plays those Jerry Bledsoe changes daddy-o?
I don't need to tell you about the cast and crew, there are some big names and they all do their jobs very well, with King watching over the whole process. Cinematography, direction, sound, score and production - all exceptional for a TV series, it's all big budget movie quality. Season 2, as I understand it, will be a different story that has interplay with some of the same characters as in the first. Highly recommended to seasoned King readers and anyone who is thinking of picking up The Dark Tower or The Talisman for the first time.
Go then, there are other worlds than these.
