Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyCastle Rock
Hulu
Season 1 Episode 3
Local Color
This episode is all about Molly Strand (Melanie Lynskey) and her connection to Henry Deaver (Andre Holland). When we first met Molly, she seemed to be the strange woman in town who had an obsession with Henry Deaver when they were both kids. In the first few minutes of this episode, we see that Molly has more of a hand in the events that shaped Henry than anyone knows.
One of the things that Stephen King has always been known for is his affinity for including characters, usually women, who have psychic powers. From Carrie to Charlie McGee (Firestarter), women with psychic powers have held a place in King’s work and it turns out that the reason Molly Strand is so frazzled, avoids people and uses drugs is because she is suppressing her psychic abilities. A task that is much more difficult once we realize she is linked to Henry.
Their conversations are well done and denote a sense of familiarity, but also a hint of fear on Molly’s part. She doesn’t want to be around Henry both because of her connection to him and the act that sent both of their lives spiraling out of control. An act that continues to haunt her dreams. It haunts her to the point where she is willing to do something desperate to get the drugs that she needs and her journey to a surreal Children of the Corn type area of the town populated by the children of Shawshank prisoners is both scary and interesting.
The storyline with the young prisoner (Bill Skarsgard) takes a back seat in this episode, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an impact. His first conversation with Henry as his lawyer is haunting and showcases that he knows about the events that led to Henry’s disappearance. The mysteries that are permeating this season so far are compelling and they seem to be connecting the characters to each other in different ways that feel ominous and interesting. The acting from everyone in the episode is top-notch and there are some amazing visuals that are haunting and creepy. A great episode that continues to keep me interested.
Castle Rock S01XE03
