Lizzy Caplan plays a younger version of Annie Wilkes from the book Misery. She absolutely nailed the mannerisms and speech of Kathy Bates/Annie Wilkes! Pretty solid episode and I'm excited for this season.
22 Reviews
Castle Rock is Back with a Bangggg
junejoabdulsalam23 October 2019
Give Lizzy Caplan the Emmy already
mjweber031327 October 2019
Season 2 is awesome
jprdo24 October 2019
Lizzy Kaplan is amazing as Annie Wilkes. I wasn't expecting much however I was pleasantly surprised and can't wait to see more episodes. Last season left me dissatisfied and feel that this season will be clearly superior.
Great
Tor-Steinar1 November 2019
Hooked from the first episode
heather_lynn_brown2130 October 2019
First of all, lizzy Chaplin is great as Annie Wilkes. It's not identical to Kathy Bates' portrayal, but this is a younger Annie, with a child, actually trying to keep her illness under control. People are hard to please though, so of course there's gonna be complainers. I'm not really seeing any valid critism about her in the reviews at this point.
I was a little annoyed the show was starting out so political, but it does serve a purpose to the story and the characters. That was the one thing that had me rolling my eyes. But as long as it's done well, in a believable way, it won't be an issue for me.
The story had me hooked right away. It's off to a much better start than season 1 for me.
Awesome! Spoilers ahead.
Mehki_Girl24 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Me and hubby watched S1 which was okay but really didn't have that zing.
Most of the enjoyment came from the mystery and catching the little things here and there for the fans of Stephen King's books. I have yet to see a movie adaptation that ever gives his books justice. King is such a detailed writer, especially in his earlier books. He can really give you chills by using your imagination.
This is set in Salem's Lot. I read Salem's Lot decades ago when it first came out and the passage when they pulled one of newly vampires out from under a trailer into the sun and how it oozed it's way back under the trailer without waking, scared the living daylights out of me. I can still see that scene in my mind's eye. I was literally afraid to turn out the lights.
The movie version changed the handsome suave main vampire into the pointed earred vampire from Nosferatu. So disappointed. The movie The Shining stank and then the movie adaptation that stuck to the book more closely also stank. Nobody ever gets it right.
Anyway, I say all this, because the movies are never as good as his books, so my expectations are always a little low.
The move Misery was great, however, and some movie adaptation can stand on their own. So me and hubby watched Misery the other day before watching the series, because he's never read any SK and I wanted him to get a feel for the character.
Back to the series - I was not liking Annie Wilkes and wanted her to get caught stealing the pills, but the performance she gave really made you empathize with her.
Now I don't like bullies. Really hate them, so I was really hating the character going around arrogantly harassing people.
Well, when Annie did her thing! OMG! He threatened her kid and she gave it to him in the most unique way ever in a scene. Whoever came up with that is an evil genius with a diabolical mind. Iwas laughing and clapping (yes, I hate bullies that much). You go girl!
Ended on cliffhanger and I can't wait to watch the next episode (we watch only one or two of a series on a day we don't have plans to go out.)
I hope the rest is as awesome as that one scene! That really was a wow!
Most of the enjoyment came from the mystery and catching the little things here and there for the fans of Stephen King's books. I have yet to see a movie adaptation that ever gives his books justice. King is such a detailed writer, especially in his earlier books. He can really give you chills by using your imagination.
This is set in Salem's Lot. I read Salem's Lot decades ago when it first came out and the passage when they pulled one of newly vampires out from under a trailer into the sun and how it oozed it's way back under the trailer without waking, scared the living daylights out of me. I can still see that scene in my mind's eye. I was literally afraid to turn out the lights.
The movie version changed the handsome suave main vampire into the pointed earred vampire from Nosferatu. So disappointed. The movie The Shining stank and then the movie adaptation that stuck to the book more closely also stank. Nobody ever gets it right.
Anyway, I say all this, because the movies are never as good as his books, so my expectations are always a little low.
The move Misery was great, however, and some movie adaptation can stand on their own. So me and hubby watched Misery the other day before watching the series, because he's never read any SK and I wanted him to get a feel for the character.
Back to the series - I was not liking Annie Wilkes and wanted her to get caught stealing the pills, but the performance she gave really made you empathize with her.
Now I don't like bullies. Really hate them, so I was really hating the character going around arrogantly harassing people.
Well, when Annie did her thing! OMG! He threatened her kid and she gave it to him in the most unique way ever in a scene. Whoever came up with that is an evil genius with a diabolical mind. Iwas laughing and clapping (yes, I hate bullies that much). You go girl!
Ended on cliffhanger and I can't wait to watch the next episode (we watch only one or two of a series on a day we don't have plans to go out.)
I hope the rest is as awesome as that one scene! That really was a wow!
"This town is not a good place."
classicsoncall13 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Something very odd. When I started watching this episode, it felt like I'd seen it before. For example, I knew that Annie (Lizzy Caplan) would be caught in the medical supply cabinet by Dr. Nadia Howlwadaag (Yusra Warsama). I also knew that Tim Robbins was portraying Pop Merrill, and that he had adopted the Somali refugees, Nadia and brother Abdi (Barkhad Abdi) years prior. I've been racking my brain, since I never would have started watching the second season of 'Castle Rock' before the first season. There must be an answer somewhere but I haven't come up with it yet, it's like Stephen King writing about someone with precognition watching stories based on his works!
Anyway, enough of that. This one got off to a good start with Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) fleeing cross country with her daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher) after stealing prescription meds from hospitals she had worked at. There's also a murder she's connected with in her past, but without further details at this point. Trying to stay a step ahead of authorities, she's temporarily stranded in Jerusalem's Lot when she runs off the highway near a road sign for Castle Rock. Annie describes to Joy that their final destination is somewhere designated as 'The Laughing Place', but it appears that the teenaged Joy is no longer buying that argument.
Meanwhile, a simmering feud between Pop Merrill's nephew Ace (Paul Sparks) and Abdi threatens to explode because of a new Somali Community and Business Center being built, with Ace's flea market clients deciding to move over to the new mall location, threatening a major portion of his extortion income. When Joy witnesses Ace and a couple of his goons discussing matters, he seeks out Annie to threaten her and her daughter. In her rage at Ace, she momentarily overpowers him and in very creative fashion causes his death. You really have to see it because it's nothing like you've ever witnessed before. Let's just say the writers here came up with a real scoop.
Attempting to dispose of the body, Annie brings Ace's corpse to the site of a construction pit, but when she loses her footing, she falls into it along with Ace. That's where we leave her for the moment, and without her meds, it will be an even more stressful situation for Annie than it already is.
Anyway, enough of that. This one got off to a good start with Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) fleeing cross country with her daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher) after stealing prescription meds from hospitals she had worked at. There's also a murder she's connected with in her past, but without further details at this point. Trying to stay a step ahead of authorities, she's temporarily stranded in Jerusalem's Lot when she runs off the highway near a road sign for Castle Rock. Annie describes to Joy that their final destination is somewhere designated as 'The Laughing Place', but it appears that the teenaged Joy is no longer buying that argument.
Meanwhile, a simmering feud between Pop Merrill's nephew Ace (Paul Sparks) and Abdi threatens to explode because of a new Somali Community and Business Center being built, with Ace's flea market clients deciding to move over to the new mall location, threatening a major portion of his extortion income. When Joy witnesses Ace and a couple of his goons discussing matters, he seeks out Annie to threaten her and her daughter. In her rage at Ace, she momentarily overpowers him and in very creative fashion causes his death. You really have to see it because it's nothing like you've ever witnessed before. Let's just say the writers here came up with a real scoop.
Attempting to dispose of the body, Annie brings Ace's corpse to the site of a construction pit, but when she loses her footing, she falls into it along with Ace. That's where we leave her for the moment, and without her meds, it will be an even more stressful situation for Annie than it already is.
Would've definitely got a 9 from me but dropped to 7 here's why...
vuileharry26 October 2019
So yeah, I didn't like season 1. I can't legitimately critisize it, because I stopped watching halfway of episode 3. So it could just be me, but I felt the creators were not making ANY effort to suck me into their story at all, I was just really bored by it.
Still there was never any doubt I would give season 2 a try! Why? Because 'Misery' was always my second favorite King-book!! And I also really like Lizzy Caplan, so how could I not try this Annie Wilkes origin story? (just in case you were tormented by the question: Cujo is my number 1( BOOK!!! NOT the movie!!) )
Well Lizzy does not dissapoint one bit! I think her Annie Wilkes is amazing and also connects really well with Kathy Bates' version which imo is just great. But also the writing, plot and choices made for Annie in this episode were really fine.
In the Misery book and movie the horrible fate of Paul Sheldon gets to us so much that Annie Wilkes becomes pure evil without us being able to help that. I really like how in this episode we really get a chance to also empathize with her since in the absence of such a victim as Paul we can see her for what she really is: just a terribly, terribly sick woman. I enjoy this so much right now, I want more!
I refuse to be one of those reviewers that just immediatly gives a 10 to anything I like and when I don't like something immediatly whip out that ridiculous 1 star people throw at anything they even remotely didn't like... I wanted to give this a 9 but had to drop to 7 because of one personal note of critisism:
I can NOT agree with the choice to bring this origin story to the present day with cellphones and internet!! I understand how that is convinient and fun, but it just doesn't make any sense since even the much later events in 'Misery' take place in times before the internet. And you should be able to watch this with Misery following without it being totally weird. They didn't invent the character Annie Wilkes, Annie Wilkes already existed and she existed in times way before internet. This is a fact. Making that choice seems just way to easy going and negligent to me. Yes, I am so unable to respect that choice I just have to take 2 full stars off only for that. Which sadly brings my verdict from 9 to 7 out of 10.
Still there was never any doubt I would give season 2 a try! Why? Because 'Misery' was always my second favorite King-book!! And I also really like Lizzy Caplan, so how could I not try this Annie Wilkes origin story? (just in case you were tormented by the question: Cujo is my number 1( BOOK!!! NOT the movie!!) )
Well Lizzy does not dissapoint one bit! I think her Annie Wilkes is amazing and also connects really well with Kathy Bates' version which imo is just great. But also the writing, plot and choices made for Annie in this episode were really fine.
In the Misery book and movie the horrible fate of Paul Sheldon gets to us so much that Annie Wilkes becomes pure evil without us being able to help that. I really like how in this episode we really get a chance to also empathize with her since in the absence of such a victim as Paul we can see her for what she really is: just a terribly, terribly sick woman. I enjoy this so much right now, I want more!
I refuse to be one of those reviewers that just immediatly gives a 10 to anything I like and when I don't like something immediatly whip out that ridiculous 1 star people throw at anything they even remotely didn't like... I wanted to give this a 9 but had to drop to 7 because of one personal note of critisism:
I can NOT agree with the choice to bring this origin story to the present day with cellphones and internet!! I understand how that is convinient and fun, but it just doesn't make any sense since even the much later events in 'Misery' take place in times before the internet. And you should be able to watch this with Misery following without it being totally weird. They didn't invent the character Annie Wilkes, Annie Wilkes already existed and she existed in times way before internet. This is a fact. Making that choice seems just way to easy going and negligent to me. Yes, I am so unable to respect that choice I just have to take 2 full stars off only for that. Which sadly brings my verdict from 9 to 7 out of 10.
Season two episode 8
dkubehansi27 November 2019
Intriguing blend of two King stories but Lizzy Caplan as Annie Wilkes is 'Misery'
stephenjreeduk26 October 2019
In season twos visit to the Stephen King Universe , we see a combination of the psychopathic Annie Wilkes from the novel Misery and the setting from vampire tale Salems Lot. I wonder if are we heading towards a Marvel Avengers type super team of Kings baddies?
Acting mentally ill is always going to be a challenge. How to convey the inner turmoil without hamming it up? Lizzy Caplan has one trick in this performance: blank expression, wide eyed stare. That's it. It does not compare kindly with Kathy Bates portrayal as the same character exhibiting terrifyingly intense fury one minute and calm calculated evil the next.
Acting mentally ill is always going to be a challenge. How to convey the inner turmoil without hamming it up? Lizzy Caplan has one trick in this performance: blank expression, wide eyed stare. That's it. It does not compare kindly with Kathy Bates portrayal as the same character exhibiting terrifyingly intense fury one minute and calm calculated evil the next.
Cell Phones/Internet
msudude2231 July 2020
The return of Annie Wilkes
bigdeb48-77-27414012 December 2019
Lizzy Caplan!
sbbarrie-594-94767415 December 2019
Lizzy Caplan is just amazing as a young Annie. The second season of this show redeems the first, which was just dull. I can't believe she isn't more well-known, she's just that good in this season. She deserves an Oscar for her performance.
Finally got good towards the end.
mokester8428 October 2019
Lizzy Kaplan is a dead-pan younger Annie Wilkes
david-8535422 November 2019
I'll admit, I've never read a single Stephen King book although I have enjoyed the film adaptations. That said, I did watch Misery but that was YEARS ago so as I watched this season of Castle Rock, I had the benefit of not being aware of the connection between the main character, Annie Wilkes and the character from Misery, Annie Wilkes.
Lizzy Kaplan's use of "dirty bird" and subtle mannerisms had me thinking I knew this character from somewhere. A general sense of familiarity, of recognition even if it couldn't be placed.
Only when I started thinking about it, did I put two and two together and it struck me that much more that she is really nailing this character down. Almost uncanny to see really. If I were Kathy Bates, it would freak me out!.
So far, this season seems better than last season which I nearly didn't finish. I just hope this season doesn't introduce elements without at least a half ash explanation ie; the inter-dimensional time portal.
Lizzy Kaplan's use of "dirty bird" and subtle mannerisms had me thinking I knew this character from somewhere. A general sense of familiarity, of recognition even if it couldn't be placed.
Only when I started thinking about it, did I put two and two together and it struck me that much more that she is really nailing this character down. Almost uncanny to see really. If I were Kathy Bates, it would freak me out!.
So far, this season seems better than last season which I nearly didn't finish. I just hope this season doesn't introduce elements without at least a half ash explanation ie; the inter-dimensional time portal.
Just like the 1st Season Slow and boring.
mokester8426 October 2019
Let the River Run
bobcobb30130 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I am a fan of Lizzy Caplan, but this doesn't seem like the right role for her. If the show gets too political with everyone hating Somalian refugees that will divide fans for no reason.
A good cliffhanger, but this doesn't seem as well thought out as the first season.
A good cliffhanger, but this doesn't seem as well thought out as the first season.
Disappointing!
saradastoum-3960325 October 2019
Not a patch on season 1
googoodoll-3449325 October 2020
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
