Lovecraft Country: Episode 1 Recap and Review

So, hello to both er all of you who have stumbled upon this humble blog.

It’s been awhile, so I understand if you want to beat me with the wet noodle…

Just try to be gentle, okay?

But, after this prolonged absence, I am trying to get back into the swing of things.

I mean, it’s not like I am out partying, unless you count video calls as partying…

2020, amiright?

Luckily, HBO has obliged us with something to sink our teeth into (heehee, may or may not have intended this particular pun, see below.)

This weekend, the long awaited Lovecraft Country premiered.

So far, only one episode (sniff.)

But, this episode was not a sleeper.

If you slept through any of this, you may want to look in the mirror and confirm that you are a people, and not a comatose zucchini.

So, strap in, and get ready for the review of the first episode of Lovecraft Country, titled Sundown.

And, always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 10 Recap and Review

Oh, Christmas!

And no, this is not from excitement for the upcoming holiday.

Nor is it some kind of weird callback to a certain Marvel Universe character.

And no, I do not want to visit Christmasland…hard pass!

No, this is more of a “curse word,” in the vein of a character from a show that is now done for the season.

Sniff…

In other words, the season 2 finale of Castle Rock aired today.

In case you are not familiar with this blog, I have become quite invested in this little corner of the King Multiverse this season, along with its characters and their hopes, dreams, issues, loves, etc.

I love it when a story starts on a separate paths, and those paths begin to gradually converse, and then meet.

Sometimes that meeting is explosive, as it was for the season finale of Castle Rock.

But that meeting can also be heartbreaking.  And just bleak.

I think we covered all of those with this season finale.

So, without further ado, here is my recap and review of episode 10, titled Clean.

And, as always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 9 Recap and Review

There are some things in life that inevitable.

Like being disappointed on Sundays, courtesy of my Island of Misfit Toys football team.

Or Mondays…being…

Well, Mondays.

And Wednesdays…being…

Wednesdays.

The day when I can finally watch the latest episode of Castle Rock, and then go crazy trying to dissect and figure out where this show is going.

But, like almost any TV show, we are at the point where the inevitable decides to rear its inevitable head:

The death of a major character.

In episode 9, titled Caveat Emptor, we had the inevitable delivered to us, in the death of someone significant to the show, and also to the Stephen King Multiverse.

Of course, this death was not unexpected, although the sting was  still there.

So, let’s get down to it.

Here is the recap and review of episode 9.

And, as always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 8 Recap and Review

There is something hypnotic when is comes to watching dominoes fall down.

Someone takes the trouble to build this structure.  I am sure that some of those take a few hours to build.

And then, one domino is pushed.

One domino is all it takes.

Even though no human touched the rest of the dominoes, they follow suit.

In a manner of minutes, all of the dominoes have fallen.  All because someone barely touched that first domino.

I can watch that for hours.

This domino analogy is not a bad description on how the current season of Castle Rock has affected me.

The writers and producers spent the first few episodes building this glorious structure, aka this fictional universe that contains characters that we get to know and care about, along with a mythology that interests us.

And then, someone taps that domino.

Now, we are watching things come crashing down.

And I can’t take my eyes away.

So, without further ado, here is my recap and review of episode 8, titled Dirty.

And, as always:

 

Castle Rock, Season 2, Episode 7: Recap and Review

Lately, my Wednesdays have come to a nice little return.

Get up.

Make coffee.

Walk a dog or two so that my house remains standing.

Maybe take in a little “refreshment.”

And finally, tune in and watch Castle Rock.

And then straighten up my scrambled brain cells, pick my jaw off the floor, and go about my day.

(I am kind of fussy about my house being clean and my brain cells having some kind of order, after all.)

Well, that has been pretty typical lately.

Although that last part isn’t always part of the day.

However, we had this week’s Wednesday.

And episode 7 of Castle Rock, titled The Word.

I had to spend some quality getting my brain back in order, so that I could finally come to my senses and pick my jaw off the floor.

Sheesh, and I though cleaning up after dogs sucked…

What does not suck is this season of Castle Rock.

And the latest episode.

Far from sucking, as a matter of fact.

I love it when plot points in a story slowly begin to converge, and everyone and everything starts to walk the same path.

Throw in a major revelation that changes everything about the show or story in question, and I am set!

Well, I got my wish with the latest episode.  Wishes do sometimes come true!

Yeah, time to stop rambling, and get to the good stuff, right?

In other words, here is my recap and review of episode 7.

And, as always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 6 Recap and Review

Well, it is that time of year.

The time of year when Halloween is officially in the rear view mirror, but not so far behind that putting up your Christmas tree should really be outlawed by the Geneva Convention, in a just and fair world.

The time of year when your football team decides to lose to the football equivalent of House of Hufflepuff…

In other words, it is the time of year for all that is spooky and scary.

Now, I admit that I am a wimp when it comes to scary stuff.

I mean, I cover my eyes at it, especially when my house’s quarterback throws an interception in a pocket so clean he could have ordered pizza and taken an Instagram selfie, when playing against the Hufflepuffs.

But, being scared is fun.

So I continue to do things like watch Colts football.

And read books written by that guy who is known for writing scary books.

And oh yeah…

Watch shows like Castle Rock.

I need shows like Castle Rock, in fact.

I mean, I have to balance out the horror of Colts football with something, right?

The latest of episode of Castle Rock, titled The Mother, served that purpose nicely.

Once again, episode 6 was tense, scary and an emotional roller coaster as well.

A nice counter to watching my house lose to those Hufflepuffs.

So, let’s dive into the recap and review of episode 6.

And, as always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 5 Recap and Review

I have read stories and see movies that center around vampires, werewolves, ghosts and almost any other supernatural creature that I can think of.

I am pretty de-sensitized to horror at this point in my life.  Not much really scares me.

Now, I can still get grossed out.

Children whose heads spin as pea soup comes out their mouths is a prime example.

Face hugging aliens are also another example.

But those are gross outs, which are pretty common.

(I have dogs.  Gross outs can be an every day occurrence in my hood, actually.)

But, while pea soup spewing kids, face hugging aliens and dog vomit in unspeakably large piles can gross me out and make me dry heave, in the end, these things don’t scare me.

Most of them, in fact, are not possibilities.

(Except for the face hugging aliens.  You don’t know how many times I have had to clean up after the face hugging aliens and their nasty messes.  Oh wait…)

Now, I can (and do) still get frightened.

All that requires is just turning on the evening news.

Or watching true crime documentaries.

In other words, man’s inhumanity to his fellow man.

(And women too.  Trying to be inclusive here.)

Man’s inhumanity to man is just…

Horrific.

I know I have said it in this blog before, but I will say it again:

Stephen King’s stories work well because most of The Master’s stories contain that backdrop of reality.

Domestic abuse, financial troubles, family strife, bullying and child abuse are just some of the themes that run through King’s stories.

We are given characters and situations which are often familiar to us.

That backdrop of realism makes the actual monsters that much more terrifying, because we believe that since the situation may be something that is realistic, so is the monster in question.

And monster is a relative term.

Vampires, shape shifting clowns and inexplicably mobile fingers in the bathroom sink are just a few examples of King’s monsters.

But, we need to add something else to the list:

Human beings.

Often, King’s human monsters are his most frightening.  Again, there is that backdrop of reality.

While the show Castle Rock may not be a King creation per se, it is definitely a creation that belongs in the King cannon.

The show also has its inhuman monsters (zombie douches,, for example) but the show is also no stranger to human monsters.

Episode 5, titled The Laughing Place, is great example of man’s inhumanity to man.

There is nothing supernatural in this episode.

In other words, all human fuckery.

So, let’s get to it, and dive into the recap and review of episode 5.

As always:

Castle Rock Season 2, Episode 4: Recap and Review

Now, I like to get a rush as much as the next person.

The problem is, I am lazy.

And a chicken shit.

So mountain climbing and sky diving are out…d’oh!

I have Colts football, but coming down from that rush…ugh…

I realize that there are *other* options, but nose candy comes with its own set of issues.

But, I am lucky.

I have a Hulu subscription and an internet connection.

In other words, Castle Rock!

I just finished watching the fourth episode of Castle Rock, and boy are my knuckles white!

Seriously, never a dull moment in this show!

Castle Rock has all that anyone can ask for:

Crazy nurses, crime families, new and inventive ways to use kitchenware, cursed houses, you name it!

All set against the colorful back drop that is the small town in the Stephen King multiverse!

Although it is not as horrific as Colts football, it is pretty creepy, by Christmas!

So, let’s get down to it, and dive into the fourth episode of the second season of Castle Rock, titled Restore Hope.

And, as always:

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 3 Recap and Review

As a horror fan, and especially as a Stephen King fan, ordinary things can  become…

Well, not so ordinary.

Or they can become terrifying.

Storm drains are a prime example.

Or summer camps located in remote, secluded lakes with a  colorful past.

Tricking or treating.

Humans bound together to make one big centipede.

Or innocuous things.

Like being tied to bed posts…

Things that should be fun, yanno?

In case you can’t tell, I just  finished watching the third episode of the second season of the show Castle Rock.

Hilariously enough, this episode is titled The Ties That Bind.

In other words, yes, it was about family, kin, blah blah.

And being tied up in bed.

But not the fun kind of tied up.

Nope, the cuckoo for cocoa puffs kind of tied up, so no fun to be had at all.

But, I digress.

So, I present to you my recap and review of the third episode of the second season of Castle Rock, titled The Ties That Bind.

And, as always:

glimps

Castle Rock: Season 2, Episode 2 Recap and Review

Now, we all know my origin story as a fan of Stephen King.

Girl watches 1990 It miniseries.

Girl nearly pees in pants over the scewwy clown.

Girl finds out that miniseries is based on a book by some guy named Stephen King.

Girl buys copy of book, figures she will finish the book in 8 months or so, as book is over 1000 pages long and girl did not know that books could in fact be more than 200 pages, by the Geneva Convention or something.

Girl finishes the book in ONE WEEK, and goes looking for her next hit of this newly discovered writer guy.

And the rest, well history.

I can remember my first hit of King quite well.

But the next hits are somewhat of a blur.

However, I know that one of my early reads was ‘Salem’s Lot.

Previously, I was not familiar with vampires, except for bits of Dracula on TV, and a certain puppet on Sesame Street.

(It is worth noting that the few vampires I was exposed to as a child DID NOT sparkle.)

Suffice it to say, the vampires of ‘Salem’s Lot were not friendly puppets who taught children how to count.

Also, unlike the old vampire movies I saw on TV, they were in full color, if you will.

And a girl would be lying if she didn’t admit to having her dreams haunted by Barlow and his non-sparkly friends.

‘Salem’s Lot is a story that never left my mind.

I wanted a proper follow up.

I wanted to know what happened to that town.

It was abandoned over 40 years ago, and became known as a sort of ghost town in the King universe.

We did get somewhat of a sequel, as a certain disgraced priest made an appearance in the same story as our friendly, neighborhood gunslinger.

And there was a prequel story, along with a brief sequel story.

But both of those stories raised more questions that they answered.

And we did get a mention of the damned town in another famous King story, when a character thinks to herself that “it doesn’t look like a nice place to live.”

(Hello, Captain Obvious?)

But, not much else on this damned town.

Until now.

A certain town by the name of Jerusalem’s Lot appears to be a key player in the second season of the show Castle Rock.

Constant Constant Readers across the globe can rejoice!

Now, I don’t know if we are going to get vampires (but I am crossing all my digits.)

But even seeing this famous town, along with a certain house…

Nerdgasm, anyone?

How much more exciting can it get?

A girl wonders…

But anyway, let’s cut (or maybe stab with a kitchen implement) to the chase.

So, here goes nothing, aka my review of the second episode of this season of Castle Rock, titled New Jerusalem.

And, as always: