The 'Castle Rock' second season comes to a bittersweet ending in this final episode of the series. It's prefaced with the often-invisible spirit of Chrysilda Wilkes (Robin Weigert) exhorting Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) to 'clean' her daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher), a euphemism calling for Joy's departure from this world. The detonation of the Marsten House brought a sudden end to the drama involving Pop Merrill (Tim Robbins) and the denizens of the four-hundred-year-old cult founded by Amity Lambert. In a way, that was just a bit too abrupt, as it assumed that all of the vessel bodies were finally destroyed, but how would anyone know without further exposition. Presumably, The Kid (Bill Skarsgård), shown turning his back on the events at Castle Rock and New Jerusalem, has survived for another day (or millennia) to use the dimensional portal in Castle Lake. If you didn't blink, the 'Missing' poster of adult Henry Deaver at the Backwater gas station was a nice touch, along with Annie's taking up with the Paul Sheldon 'Misery' novel, a harbinger of Annie's character appearing again in a Stephen King novel and subsequent movie, of which this was a long awaited prequel. The very ending of this episode would have been perfect for a Stephen King cameo at the book reading, but since King wasn't directly involved in the writing of this series, it's probably why he didn't appear on screen.
20 Reviews
Clean
bobcobb30123 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This episode did not live up to the previous one, but I think Castle Rock ended on a pretty good note. When you get an ending that no one sees coming that is the sign of a good finale.
Overall not a great season, but the last few episodes will allow me to remember it well.
Overall not a great season, but the last few episodes will allow me to remember it well.
Dirty, yet clean.
alexcdispirito11 December 2019
The final episode, the capstone to an already stellar second season, was even better than I'd dare to have hoped for. To see Lizzy Caplan literally BECOME Annie Wilkes was astounding to behold. I still felt there were a couple loose ends I would have liked to have seen wrapped up a little better, but in the end, this was Annie's season. Throughout the season I was constantly blown away by how much she sounded like Kathy Bates, literally if you weren't looking at the screen, you'd swear it was her. No spoilers, but this ending was pitch perfect.
Way better ending than the first season.
spersk12 December 2019
Lizzy Caplan definitely deserves an award for her performance. She was amazing and made the show. I won't spoil anything. I just will say this ending fit very well and way better than the first season. I still don't know what happened lol. But this was great and definitely made me go watch misery. If you don't like this finale then I have no idea what you were watching. Definitely looking forward to the next season.
A Masterpiece
Foxbarking11 December 2019
This is the episode I have been waiting for all season for. We finally get to see the development that leads Annie Wilkes into becoming the Dragon Lady. I enjoyed the first part, but the best was watching Annie and seeing what happens with her.
I am literally breathless. Lizzy Caplan better win and Emmy for this great episode.
I am literally breathless. Lizzy Caplan better win and Emmy for this great episode.
Enjoyed the last episode
dkubehansi12 December 2019
What a way to end the season!!
bekahboo-8592213 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I was not disappointed in this season finale! It has to be one of the best endings to a season I've ever seen. They really pulled me for a loop when they made us think Joy was Amity. When Annie started reading Paul Sheldons books, it was perfect. And how reading the books kept her mind at ease revealing her parents no longer haunting her but enjoying the book reading along side her. It was so intense, so poetic and beautiful, totally messed up and I loved it. Incredible. Cant wait for season 3!
PERFECT Ending for Misery-lovers!!
vuileharry13 December 2019
If you're a Stephen King fan, or just loved the movie Misery, this ending episode will satisfy your every need! This episode completely surprised me pleasantly, as the previous one made me fear it would all just end in some zombie-escape. But it didn't, not even a little bit. They ended it like I hoped: with full focus on Annie Wilkes.
I'm a huge Misery fan since Misery is my second favorite King-book and the movie was one of the very few King-adaptions that I really liked.
The ending of this final episode made me quiver in awe! This well written ending + the Masterful way Lizzy Caplan makes her Annie Wilkes connect so perfectly with Kathy Bates' version will make it devine to bingewatch this season again and follow it up by the movie!
(Please forgive me for recommending the Misery book if you really enjoyed the movie, it's three times the movie and soooooooo good!)
I'm a huge Misery fan since Misery is my second favorite King-book and the movie was one of the very few King-adaptions that I really liked.
The ending of this final episode made me quiver in awe! This well written ending + the Masterful way Lizzy Caplan makes her Annie Wilkes connect so perfectly with Kathy Bates' version will make it devine to bingewatch this season again and follow it up by the movie!
(Please forgive me for recommending the Misery book if you really enjoyed the movie, it's three times the movie and soooooooo good!)
Good story but a poor prequel to "Misery."
FinneganBear13 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Misery" is a psychological thriller in which author Paul Sheldon is rescued only to find himself the prisoner of his dangerously psychotic fan Annie Wilkes. There are no supernatural elements to the story.
The first season of Castle Rock is an interesting supernatural story about parallel universes, angels and demons. Annie Wilkes does not appear until the second season of Castle Rock. The first few episodes of season 2 introduce a younger Annie but we can clearly see she is concealing severe mental issues. But as the season progresses the story turns completely supernatural with Annie in the forefront of a battle between Castle Rock citizens and the resurrected bodies of villagers who died 400 years ago and led by the demon of season 1. There are numerous references to characters of season 1 even though Annie was not in that season. So we can't conclude that all of this was a bizarre fantasy in Annie's mind. In the final episode, that situation is resolved and Annie leaves Castle Rock with her "daughter." From there we return to a more realistic story line with little reference to the supernatural story that had recently involved them or any of those characters. And we see Annie as she sinks further into the madness we knew from the "Misery" story line.
So Season 2 of Castle Rock begins and ends with the experiences Annie had which led to her psychotic behavior when she ultimately imprisoned Paul Sheldon. And we know the rest of that story. Except now we are to believe the Annie Wilkes of "Misery" had previously battled resurrected bodies inhabited by spirits of 400 year old ghosts and a demon from a parallel universe. The Annie Wilkes of "Misery" did not need such a fantastic back story.
The first season of Castle Rock is an interesting supernatural story about parallel universes, angels and demons. Annie Wilkes does not appear until the second season of Castle Rock. The first few episodes of season 2 introduce a younger Annie but we can clearly see she is concealing severe mental issues. But as the season progresses the story turns completely supernatural with Annie in the forefront of a battle between Castle Rock citizens and the resurrected bodies of villagers who died 400 years ago and led by the demon of season 1. There are numerous references to characters of season 1 even though Annie was not in that season. So we can't conclude that all of this was a bizarre fantasy in Annie's mind. In the final episode, that situation is resolved and Annie leaves Castle Rock with her "daughter." From there we return to a more realistic story line with little reference to the supernatural story that had recently involved them or any of those characters. And we see Annie as she sinks further into the madness we knew from the "Misery" story line.
So Season 2 of Castle Rock begins and ends with the experiences Annie had which led to her psychotic behavior when she ultimately imprisoned Paul Sheldon. And we know the rest of that story. Except now we are to believe the Annie Wilkes of "Misery" had previously battled resurrected bodies inhabited by spirits of 400 year old ghosts and a demon from a parallel universe. The Annie Wilkes of "Misery" did not need such a fantastic back story.
Great Wrap-up for the season
majidred-8924914 December 2019
I don't write reviews much but i had to do it for this one.
I Really didn't like the first season's ending, some people liked it some didn't and based on that i thought i was going to have the same feeling again.
but goddamn this season's ending was amazing, i couldn't ask for anything better, everything was on point.
overall i really liked this season, it didn't get slow in the middle like the first season, the characters were great, lizzy caplan deserves an emmy for the whole season specially the first episodes.
overall i really liked this season, it didn't get slow in the middle like the first season, the characters were great, lizzy caplan deserves an emmy for the whole season specially the first episodes.
Half and half
EpimetheusA115 February 2020
I mean, honestly I want to rate this higher. Castle Rock Season 1 was brilliant in many ways and this season achieves some of what the first season set out to do. Not only that but it builds on King's universe, connecting the story and giving us answers to our burning questions.
That being said... I was disappointed with some aspects of the finale. Not to say that I wasn't completely riveted with the Annie/Joy storyline. I think that it is the most powerful storyline this season and the way it ended was perfect. I felt that the other storylines fell flat after a certain point. From what I'm gathering, since some of the questions from season one were answered in season two, maybe some of the questions from this season will be answered in the next? I don't know if it was just me but there wasn't much closure when it came to the rest of the characters, specifically the siblings. There was a big turning point and then nothing and I'm curious to know what happens. I was becoming very invested in their story but it didn't seem to conclude: it, more or less, just cut off.
That being said... I was disappointed with some aspects of the finale. Not to say that I wasn't completely riveted with the Annie/Joy storyline. I think that it is the most powerful storyline this season and the way it ended was perfect. I felt that the other storylines fell flat after a certain point. From what I'm gathering, since some of the questions from season one were answered in season two, maybe some of the questions from this season will be answered in the next? I don't know if it was just me but there wasn't much closure when it came to the rest of the characters, specifically the siblings. There was a big turning point and then nothing and I'm curious to know what happens. I was becoming very invested in their story but it didn't seem to conclude: it, more or less, just cut off.
Wtf???
spencer-ellis9611 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is going to be a spoiler heavy review for this episode so here we go.
I really really did not like this episode at all. Well to be completely honest and fair I haven't liked most episodes out of this whole season. So that being said, I feel that not only was it a bad episode in general, but it was horrible ending for this season. The entire plot is supposed to be wrapped up in only 45 minutes and everything is super rushed through in order to get there.
The actual scenes in Castle Rock lasted for only about 15 minutes before Annie and Joy just left and never mentioned any of the characters again. I mean we spent the entire season getting to know Nadia, Abdi, Chance, and Pop only to have their stories cut short. What the hell happened to them after the house was blown up and the town was left destroyed and all the citizens left wandering around confused and scared because they had been possessed???? There's a brief mention of Chance's name at the end of the episode but other than that Castle Rock is just completely left behind.
I get that in the end Annie was going to end up insane and lonely and clinging to fantasies (I mean this is a prequel to Misery), but the way they went about writing that ending was just awful. We see Annie reading Misery through a short montage, but we don't see enough of her CONNECTING to the book. It's like she reads it one time and suddenly she's gaga over the author. I just wish they had given her more time actually reading the book and slowly becoming obsessed with it and the characters. Like maybe if she had been reading it and talking about it for the entire season it would have been more believable.
Her reasoning for killing Joy had been foreshadowed in earlier episodes by the appearance of her dead mother. That scene was very emotional and one of the only parts I liked about the episode, even though it was still very rushed. You can clearly see Annie reach her breaking point. Also I love the call back to them enjoying ice cream together but come on, when Annie mixed those pills into the ice cream it literally turned bright blue yet somehow in the next cut it's a normal color and Joy can't tell anything is wrong. 😑
Another thing that really bothered me about the finale is the fact that The Kid just leaves again?? Like he just casually looks out onto the chaos and is like ok I'm gone. I get he's an all powerful angel/demon and probably already predicted this happening, but why tease us with this grand reveal of who the angel/demon truly is just to show him for like half a second in the end and that's it? What purpose did it really serve? It seemed like such a waste of a storyline.
Overall, I knew they were gonna have a hard time tying up all these storylines in just one episode. So it seems they just decided to not tie up any except Annie's story. Everyone else is left hanging behind in Castle Rock with no word ever spoken about them again. I think that's my biggest problem with the episode as a whole. I could get past the rushed plot, but to just completely forget about certain characters because they don't fit into the ending you want is so lazy and just unforgivable.
2/10 I would just stick with season 1.
I really really did not like this episode at all. Well to be completely honest and fair I haven't liked most episodes out of this whole season. So that being said, I feel that not only was it a bad episode in general, but it was horrible ending for this season. The entire plot is supposed to be wrapped up in only 45 minutes and everything is super rushed through in order to get there.
The actual scenes in Castle Rock lasted for only about 15 minutes before Annie and Joy just left and never mentioned any of the characters again. I mean we spent the entire season getting to know Nadia, Abdi, Chance, and Pop only to have their stories cut short. What the hell happened to them after the house was blown up and the town was left destroyed and all the citizens left wandering around confused and scared because they had been possessed???? There's a brief mention of Chance's name at the end of the episode but other than that Castle Rock is just completely left behind.
I get that in the end Annie was going to end up insane and lonely and clinging to fantasies (I mean this is a prequel to Misery), but the way they went about writing that ending was just awful. We see Annie reading Misery through a short montage, but we don't see enough of her CONNECTING to the book. It's like she reads it one time and suddenly she's gaga over the author. I just wish they had given her more time actually reading the book and slowly becoming obsessed with it and the characters. Like maybe if she had been reading it and talking about it for the entire season it would have been more believable.
Her reasoning for killing Joy had been foreshadowed in earlier episodes by the appearance of her dead mother. That scene was very emotional and one of the only parts I liked about the episode, even though it was still very rushed. You can clearly see Annie reach her breaking point. Also I love the call back to them enjoying ice cream together but come on, when Annie mixed those pills into the ice cream it literally turned bright blue yet somehow in the next cut it's a normal color and Joy can't tell anything is wrong. 😑
Another thing that really bothered me about the finale is the fact that The Kid just leaves again?? Like he just casually looks out onto the chaos and is like ok I'm gone. I get he's an all powerful angel/demon and probably already predicted this happening, but why tease us with this grand reveal of who the angel/demon truly is just to show him for like half a second in the end and that's it? What purpose did it really serve? It seemed like such a waste of a storyline.
Overall, I knew they were gonna have a hard time tying up all these storylines in just one episode. So it seems they just decided to not tie up any except Annie's story. Everyone else is left hanging behind in Castle Rock with no word ever spoken about them again. I think that's my biggest problem with the episode as a whole. I could get past the rushed plot, but to just completely forget about certain characters because they don't fit into the ending you want is so lazy and just unforgivable.
2/10 I would just stick with season 1.
Any true SK fan will live this season!
mmt71525 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
If you're a real fan of SK, ignore any bad review of this episode/season. Are the citizens of castle rock left behind with no ends nicely tied up yes, but this season started with Annie & Joy and ends that way. I never thought there would be an Annie Wilkes origin story but there is and it's awesome! Joy did exist, as multiple characters interacted with her, so she's not a hallucination. Which makes Annie's orgin story even more interesting. The montage towards the end shows Annie reading at least 3 different Paul Sheldon "misery" books so ignore that person's review about how she read one book & was his #1 fan. Love how the haters watch a show and criticize everything, the fans watch and are just happy it was actually made into a tv series to watch!! Main focus of this season was Annie. If Lizzy Caplan doesn't win every award in her category I will be VERY disappointed!! From "little love" to "dirty bird" down to the way Kathy Bates walked when she played Annie, Lizzy did it all. I was blown away at how much she just nailed it. Any true fan knows no book is adapted to tv/film perfectly, far from perfect most, but this isn't even a book, it's a bunch of writers creating a tv show based on one city an (amazing) author created. Looking forward to season 3.
What great ending
amine-201012 December 2019
I will quickly said Lizzy caplan should win a Emmy award next year if not I'm really sorry for her she did an outstanding performance for her life ... I'm really I don't know what to say to this actress... I'm speechless really is.. I didn't watch season one but (season 2 Misery) I'm really addicted to this book and movie to I'm ready now has finished so I'm pissed now .. About episode gosh there's drama/horrro/fantasy/ psychological thriller everything in ur mind is here for 49 mins it's best minutes for me this year after (the bells /game iof thrones) and many episodes but this one is top 2 for me
Just go to watch this season so that's my review because I still have goosebumps for the ending. ..
WHAT!?
loganjhanselman11 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Just a quick spoiler warning before you read any further, if you watched the finale, you shouldn't have to worry about that.
So, where to start. The ending was such an improvement over last season. Every loose ends was wrapped up beautifully, it was awesome to see The Kid/Angel once again, and that ending completely blew me out of the water.
So, Joy was apparently a figment of Annie's imagination (either that or Annie killed her in the river and was a figment of her imagination), and that left my jaw on the floor along with Annie's last line "I'm his number one fan." That delivery and that ending was absolutely chilling and leaves so many things open to interpretation.
With that said, it was awesome seeing Lizzy Caplan complete her transformation into Annie Wilkes, and honestly, this season was awesome and the show itself has given us some of the greatest episodes in television. Props to everyone that worked on it.
So, where to start. The ending was such an improvement over last season. Every loose ends was wrapped up beautifully, it was awesome to see The Kid/Angel once again, and that ending completely blew me out of the water.
So, Joy was apparently a figment of Annie's imagination (either that or Annie killed her in the river and was a figment of her imagination), and that left my jaw on the floor along with Annie's last line "I'm his number one fan." That delivery and that ending was absolutely chilling and leaves so many things open to interpretation.
With that said, it was awesome seeing Lizzy Caplan complete her transformation into Annie Wilkes, and honestly, this season was awesome and the show itself has given us some of the greatest episodes in television. Props to everyone that worked on it.
Meh
RedMars201727 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Season two has been a derivative, confusing watch. Great in places (Annie and Joy) but mainly melodramatic "horror" centred around Salem. The last episode was like a fan fiction Walking Dead. This one gets one thing right: the ending. But it's an uphill struggle to get there. Should've been much much better.
Me too re Lizzy Caplan
whatithinkis7 November 2023
How Lizzy Caplan was not even nominated. I know others are saying it, but I have to add my two cents, even five years later. She OWNED this role. Maybe beyond any performance I have ever enjoyed, I kept coming back to the depth and creativity she brought to this one and was repeatedly amazed at the sheer credibility and consistency of her commitment to her art. That's what was crazy . . . Ha . . . It was. She was not even nominated. Maybe the genre interfered with anyone taking the entire production seriously. But there was a LOT of skill in this season: Paul Sparks as well. And the Direction, mostly exclusive to Season 2. Anyway, I digress. My main point: Lizzy Caplan shoulda . . .
Season Two: Peaks Higher Than Season One, But Often Craters Much Lower
zkonedog17 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The first season of "Castle Rock" was a bit of a jumbled mess, stringing together threads of Stephen King book ideas and seeing what would stick. Season Two narrows the ideas down a bit, but still ends up a muddled mess in the end. Its highs are much higher than S1, but the lows are also considerably lower.
For a very basic overview, this season focuses on three main plotlines:
-Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) battling her mental illness while simultaneously trying to start a new life with daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher).
-"Ace" Merrill (Paul Sparks) putting together a sort of un-dead army (reminiscent of 'Salem's Lot fare).
-Family drama stemming from "Pop" Merrill (Tim Robbins) and trickling down to his adopted children Nadia (Yusra Warsama) and Abdi (Barkhad Abdi).
Eventually all of these plots converge, though very much with a confusing "whimper" rather than any sort of definitive "bang". There is also mention/sightings of "The Kid" (Bill Skarsgard) from S1, but sadly nothing every really comes of it.
To be honest, the only reason I can give this second season even a middle-of-the-road ranking is because of the mid-season arc involving flashbacks to young Annie. Sarah Gadon gets a kind of guest-starring role in these episodes, and somewhat inexplicably they turn into legitimately compelling hours of television (every bit as good as something you'd see on more premier networks/platforms). I found myself completely invested in the proceedings until, in typical fashion, all that goodwill is suddenly grounded by the plotting of certain characters/events.
What this makes me conclude, ultimately, is that S2 of "Castle Rock" should have narrowed its focus even further, perhaps ostensibly onto the Wilkes family almost alone. All the material with the resurrected worshippers and the Merrill family drama is B-roll stuff at very best, yet far too much time is spent in those quarters. Had there been a clear focus on the Wilkes storyline all the way through, I think this could have been a much stronger campaign.
As it stands, however, I'm about out of patience with this show and what it seems to represent. The writers/producers have this treasure-trove of absolutely golden King material at their disposal, but time and time again they can't shape it into any meaningful configuration. There are glimpses here and there of potential (like the mesmerizing "The Laughing Place" and "The Mother" episodes), but ultimately there isn't any narrative thoroughfare to pull it all together and create meaning.
I'm guessing a third season will indeed happen based on the property value of the show alone, but at this point I'm not sure I'd be tuning in whatsoever.
For a very basic overview, this season focuses on three main plotlines:
-Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) battling her mental illness while simultaneously trying to start a new life with daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher).
-"Ace" Merrill (Paul Sparks) putting together a sort of un-dead army (reminiscent of 'Salem's Lot fare).
-Family drama stemming from "Pop" Merrill (Tim Robbins) and trickling down to his adopted children Nadia (Yusra Warsama) and Abdi (Barkhad Abdi).
Eventually all of these plots converge, though very much with a confusing "whimper" rather than any sort of definitive "bang". There is also mention/sightings of "The Kid" (Bill Skarsgard) from S1, but sadly nothing every really comes of it.
To be honest, the only reason I can give this second season even a middle-of-the-road ranking is because of the mid-season arc involving flashbacks to young Annie. Sarah Gadon gets a kind of guest-starring role in these episodes, and somewhat inexplicably they turn into legitimately compelling hours of television (every bit as good as something you'd see on more premier networks/platforms). I found myself completely invested in the proceedings until, in typical fashion, all that goodwill is suddenly grounded by the plotting of certain characters/events.
What this makes me conclude, ultimately, is that S2 of "Castle Rock" should have narrowed its focus even further, perhaps ostensibly onto the Wilkes family almost alone. All the material with the resurrected worshippers and the Merrill family drama is B-roll stuff at very best, yet far too much time is spent in those quarters. Had there been a clear focus on the Wilkes storyline all the way through, I think this could have been a much stronger campaign.
As it stands, however, I'm about out of patience with this show and what it seems to represent. The writers/producers have this treasure-trove of absolutely golden King material at their disposal, but time and time again they can't shape it into any meaningful configuration. There are glimpses here and there of potential (like the mesmerizing "The Laughing Place" and "The Mother" episodes), but ultimately there isn't any narrative thoroughfare to pull it all together and create meaning.
I'm guessing a third season will indeed happen based on the property value of the show alone, but at this point I'm not sure I'd be tuning in whatsoever.
Just a Pile of Blah
gregoryroman-8863526 December 2019
First off I think Lizzy Caplan did a phenomenal job playing Annie so much so Kathy Bates comes through loud and clear in what is essentially a 10 episode mini-series prequel to "Misery". Unfortunately though this is where my accolades end. I had hopes after Season Two was announced, the brain-trust that destroyed Season One might turn a leaf, and for a short time this season, it looked like a sure thing. Then stupidity via the creative writing department took over and the entire production went straight into the proverbial Thomas Crapper. I'm not going to itemize the List of everything that did this Season in, but I will say this: It got so bad I was almost hoping they'd figure out a way to cast Vince the "ShamWow" guy just to make it interesting. Instead I was left feeling despondent, and wondering why the heck I allowed myself to be snookered by another J.J. Abrams warmed-over 3day old bowl of porridge. Season Grade: C.
Really bad
WilliamIreland6 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So what has this whole season been about? What a bad last episode this was. The season could have been about Annie Wilkes the whole time without all the other fluff, which was weirdly the main story that led nowhere and didn't give answers. Very disappointed.
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