With this flashback episode, many questions about Annie's (Lizzy Caplan) past are answered, including one very big one you didn't even think of asking. The background typewriter clacking of the first four episodes is put into perspective, while the origin of the 'laughing place' comes from Annie's relationship with her dad (John Hoogenakker). The arrival of teen Annie's (Ruby Cruz) tutor Rita (Sarah Gadon) portended a significant change in the direction of Annie's life, compounding an already observed reading disability caused by dyslexia. Then, when Rita showed up pregnant, the resultant shock of her relationship with Annie's father was stretched further still, until the tenuous break that occurred with the dedication of Carl Wilkes' finished book. The writing here was skillfully done, almost as if Stephen King had done it himself, a point I feel I have to remind viewers of both seasons of 'Castle Rock', since more than a handful of reviews across the series attribute the stories to King himself. The writers for each episode are obviously major Stephen King fans with a deep knowledge of his novels and short stories, well enough to craft a series based on his characters and settings to a remarkable degree. Having King on board as executive producer of the series certainly helps get the feel of his works across.
Review of The Laughing Place
