Chaos Rains Down on ‘Castle Rock’ & More Crazy Finale Moments
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 1 Finale Episode of Castle Rock, “Romans.”]
Hulu’s Castle Rock concluded its first season Wednesday night and offered some shocking insight on the town’s dwellers.
The series which began with the discovery of The Kid (Bill Skarsgård) in a cage led viewers on a wild journey that explored the town’s mythology, a family’s haunting past, and much more. Henry Deaver (André Holland) returned home to the sleepy Maine town and all hell broke loose, but by the finale’s end we know what’s responsible for the peculiar events… kind of.
We’re taking a look back at some of the episode’s wildest moments and breaking down what it all means below. Read on for the finale break down, but beware of series altering spoilers.
Ruth’s Cycle
Picking up where the eighth episode left off, Henry is alerted that his mother Ruth (Sissy Spacek) is missing which leads him on wild chase disregarding the cops questioning him at the bed and breakfast. Eventually Molly (Melanie Lynskey) finds her in a precarious spot — perched at the edge of the bridge like the same day Alan’s (Scott Glenn) ceremony took place. Their exchange suggests that Ruth’s continuous cycle through time and space is still going on and that the conversation has happened before.
Once she’s returned home and tucked into bed, she clutches the chess piece which grounds her in reality, but did she ever find peace? By the episode’s end, we discover Ruth passes away in the months following the events of the story, buried alongside her love Alan. Despite the somber tone, this conclusion may be construed as happy since she’s no longer stuck in an unending loop.
Molly’s Path
After bonding with The Kid in the penultimate episode, Molly is a little too keen to help the oddball character. When she reveals what she’s learned about The Kid’s “past” she pleads for Henry’s help, but he’s ready to have the being locked up. Despite Henry’s adversity to the situation, she follows suit with his orders to bring his son Wendell (Chosen Jacobs) back to Boston, and leave Castle Rock, and her life turns out better because of it. Almost like a sacrifice, Henry frees Molly from the cage of the town and its memories only to be caged himself… but more on that later.
The Warden’s Fate
The finale included many similarities to the premiere, including an odd suicide committed by Shawshank’s warden. The event occurred shortly after the prison was closed down, and Warden Porter (Ann Cusack) found a little carved figurine in her apartment. She seeks out The Kid, suspecting him of playing tricks, and she tells Molly that Warden Lacy (Terry O’Quinn) was right — The Kid is the “f***ing devil.” But moments after Molly expresses concern for the woman, she turns towards the street right in front of a bus that happens to be transporting prisoners from Shawshank. Talk about irony.
The Kid’s Prison Break
When Henry is taken into custody after being accused of killing the man in the woods who had locked him in the sound proof chamber, he alerts authorities to The Kid’s location. Little did he know that they would be put in cells next to each other. As they talk, The Kid continues his case, telling Henry he needs to go to the woods. When prisoners from the bus that hit Warden Porter are brought in and The Kid and Henry are forced to share a cell all hell literally breaks loose.
From a fight within the cell to brutal gun fights, chaos follows this terrifying being, but Henry no longer has a choice when they break free. Holding him at gun point, The Kid ushers Henry towards the woods and away from the scene of the massacre. When they arrive the sound they both hear gets louder, but instead of some peaceful transition, The Kid’s face contorts into an ugly mask of horror — what is he? Viewers don’t get much time to decide as the scene cuts forward one year. But it’s abundantly clear, The Kid isn’t exactly human.
Some Things Should Remain Caged
In the future timeline, Henry’s still living in Castle Rock and working as a lawyer. He remains at the house he grew up in, but isn’t neighbored by Molly as she’s now a successful realtor in the Florida Keys. Meanwhile as Wendell visits for the holidays Henry has his own task at hand. As we see him sneak into Shawshank, the conclusion is becoming more and more clear, and when he reaches the hatch, it’s sealed — Henry’s taken over as prison guard for The Kid.
When he joins him in the hatch, he offers up a burger and fries “for Christmas.” But why is he here? Does Henry know something we don’t? Or is The Kid truly evil? Suspecting from the final shot of The Kid’s eerie smile, it wouldn’t be difficult to say yes, but his remark, “after a while you forget, which side of the bars you’re on,” certainly leaves you thinking long after the credits.
Jackie’s Family History
It’s no secret that Jackie Torrance (Jane Levy) is a descendant from the family depicted in Stephen King’s The Shining, and a mid-credit scene hints that we may learn more about her history. Castle Rock‘s been renewed for Season 2, so could Jackie’s trip out west, and affinity for horror be the next installment? It would certainly be intriguing and keep the characters we’ve met in Season 1 relevant. Make what you will of it, but we can’t help but hope.
Castle Rock, Streaming now, Hulu
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