'Castle Rock' Season 2 episode 2 review: Dark secrets, bloody murders and resurrections make it a must-watch
‘Castle Rock’ Season 2’s second episode is determined to keep the pace and not let the viewer's attention wander. After a nail-biting first episode, ‘Let The River Run’, the second episode titled ‘New Jerusalem’ carries off where the previous one left off. Annie finds herself beneath a construction site, where she plans to hide the rotting body of Ace.
However, as per Castle Rock tradition, things take a strange turn henceforth.
‘New Jerusalem’ introduces us to the notorious ‘Marsten House’, a mansion of unimaginable horror that first featured in Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’. Yet this is a different and more grimy re-imagining that King's fans could have dreamed of. Rather than witches and vampires, it’s a cult of satanists who are at work. And, while the house devours one more victim, another one is brought back to life and continues to haunt Annie.
Apart from scary men standing at her window, Annie’s not having it easy; her daughter Joy has just discovered friendships, after being closed from the world for years. She cannot understand her mother’s bizarre behaviour and her insistence that they leave Castle Rock.
Joy does not want to leave - she’s just discovered the happiness in human interactions and friendships. After being understanding about Annie’s whims and fears for so long, Joy has reached a quiet breaking point. There is dire suspicion all around, Joy is wondering whether Annie is really a nurse at all. The chemistry between the two actors is quite commendable and adds a different flavour to the episode.
Meanwhile, we get some insights into Pop Merrill’s backstory as well. The episode is interspersed with flashbacks, which all culminates in how he finally became Abdi and Nadia’s foster parent.
Tim Robbins displays his skills as an actor as he swiftly changes gears from ruthlessness to a gentle touch of kindness for his children. Lizzy Caplan excels as Annie, as she continues to look straight in the eye and shuffle around with a nervous energy.
The high points of the episode are the scenes between Pop Merrill and Annie, as well as Abdi. These scenes make you twitch uncomfortably and do make the hairs on your neck stand up.
This constant tension and worry seems to be an undercurrent in the second season of Castle Rock, and which was unfortunately missing in the previous season. Rather than doling out information precariously like it did earlier, ‘Castle Rock’ appears to be following a far more straight-forward narrative to dole out horror, rather than relying entirely on Easter Eggs.
The second season of ‘Castle Rock’ premiered on October 23, on Hulu.
