Like others applauding her talents, Melanie Lynskey, is sure well cast once again as far as I'm concerned, getting quite a bit of focus in the third episode of "Castle Rock", "Local Color" (name of a public access show her real estate agent, with psychic abilities, wishes to plug a revitalization project for the town). As already established, her psychic connection to Henry Deaver is profound, certainly emphasized impressively in the episode, in both flashback and once she appears on the show in the hopes of encouraging capital for her dreams to help restore and recover Castle Rock. Not without her own stumbles, Molly Strand is arrested during a drug raid when trying to purchase some anxiety meds to help curb the "thought messages and voices" causing her a lot of grief. Henry Deaver gets her out of jail and to the show just in time for makeup but because he's around, his thoughts on the prisoner being held at Shawshank (much to Warden Porter's dismay) come out of Molly, indicating that their connection is certainly quite "binding". With the prisoner's situation now made public, the warden has no choice but to invite Henry to see his "client" but their conversation is frustratingly confusing, neither really successful in communicating proper dialogue. A visit to dead Warden Lacy's abode, his blind wife there not knowing, at first, that Henry is the man held responsible (although, as this episode soon reveals, isn't the one who "pulls the tube" on his adoptive father) for her former's pastor's demise reveals a door with a lock and multiple "daily motivation" pamphlets found in a room repeating the same poem; the show continues to give just little bits about Lacy but prefers to keep him enigmatic enough so that we desire more information. Obviously something motivated him to commit suicide. At least his severed head is eventually found! In regards to Molly, she has a model of the town and despite her sister (and Jackie's) reservations are sure-footed about the restoration / revitalization project. If she could just skirt past those overpowering thoughts and feelings that undermine her efforts to function actively in society...her sister especially appears uncertain she'll be able to effectively carry out such lofty duties which would be quite an undertaking. The flashbacks are definitely what I considered fascinating in their relay of significant detail in regards to just how connected Molly and Henry are. When the pastor returns home, he calls for Henry and her fist balls up tensely and clinches tight just as he responds similarly, clearly indicating to us the kid has serious issues with his adoptive patriarch. I have felt up until this point that the series has provided enough evidence that something bad happened (or continued to happen) between the father and his adopted son, but the extent of that hasn't been elaborate extensively. Much like everything else mysteries remain so that we continue to watch "Castle Rock". Of course, I, for one, will. Even more intriguing is how the show visualizes the connection between Molly and Henry, such as the balled up fist and the cold breath (and chilly demeanor of Molly despite the fact she was under covers in the comfy bed of her own room inside her house), when the sheriff visits Molly to ask her about the whereabouts of Henry (those missing eleven days). The red hoodie jacket worn by Henry, and then later by Molly when she ventures over to the pastor, located in bad shape in bed, unhooking his breathing tube, watching him die. I considered a theory where Molly is essentially taking Henry's place, fulfilling what he desires, wearing the hoodie and committing the actions he so badly wants but doesn't have the ability to do...when Molly later calls out the warden and Shawshank for holding Skarsgård captive on the public access show, she doesn't know any of these details, Henry does, so perhaps those thoughts present in him transfer over to her, with results that perhaps wouldn't have occurred otherwise. Some believe the "kid's court" scene with Derek (his location told to Molly by her normal supplier who was out of her usual black market meds) references "Children of the Corn" while the red hoodie jacket reminds us of "It". I do concur that Molly has "the shine". I think that is very much akin to "The Shining". I thought the woolen mill factory was perhaps a nod to "Graveyard Shift". And I did ponder if the nightmare that happens to Molly where the pastor's congregation, all in bandage head wraps, was a homage to "Silver Bullet". So these individual pieces might give King fans memory recall, and I'm sure this show will continue to invite returns to each episode just to seek out little reminders of the celebrated author's many works. And that ending where Molly finds her ransacked home, pulling a knife from a drawer, flashlight in hand, cautiously moving throughout the place, up to the bedroom, under the bed, and eventually locating the specter of the pastor will sure to leave goosebumps to those all too well familiar with such a scenario in a lonely dark house in the pitch of night.
Review of Local Color
