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.