Castle Rock Review: New Jerusalem (Season 2 Episode 2)
Annie Wilkes may have altered more than she expected when dealing with Ace. On Castle Rock Season 2 Episode 2, “New Jerusalem,” there are some difficult questions she must face in order to find peace.
After a more explosive episode from Castle Rock Season 2 Episode 1, “Let The River Run,” this episode takes a more atmospheric tone as it sets up the vacuum caused by Ace’s disappearance, and Annie growing more boxed in by her choices.
It allows for a lot more time with Tim Robbins’ Pop, too, which is a welcome addition. It’s interesting how Pop treats those around him less like people and more like annoyances, looking through them as he lumbers from one location to the next and never finding what he’s looking for.
It’s a far cry from the flashbacks, where his disillusionment from the war brings a kindness out of him, especially to Abdi and Nadia during their heartfelt scene together. The years have potentially weathered him, or maybe the cracks formed even then, and he hid them better than now, as he grows more withdrawn from his illness.
Effectively torturing Abdi with his fear of dogs is a line that cannot be uncrossed, making Pop’s plan one of desperation and last resort. It’s hard to tell so far if he’s angry at being disobeyed with the war between Ace and Abdi, or if he’s no longer thinking clearly. Perhaps this is who he is, though, and we’re starting to see more of that. But hopefully he wakes in time before he lets Ace’s dog loose.
The meeting between Annie and Pop at the hospital is one of the most satisfying moments of the episodes, as he finally finds someone who can offer what he’s looking for. It’s this battle of wills, these two forces who plow through whatever is in their way now finding themselves in a delicate war of words that neither really wins.
Pop can tell Annie is holding out on him, but it’s hard to tell if he chooses to believe her because he trusts her story, or because he’s not done with her yet, and at least knows where she will be in the future.
The opening, with the escape from the construction zone, is the episode’s more tension-filled moment.
The Marsten House from the King novel Salem’s Lot becomes a landmark on the episode, marking Annie’s escape from the bowels of the tomb and the death of Abdi’s friend. Along with the locusts, the periphery of the show is playing with King staples, with Annie coming across what is likely a vampire tomb with the sign of a scarab nearby. It’s small connections so far, but for King fans, it’s geek nirvana.
Annie takes a backseat for most of the episode outside of this sequence, but the remainder of the episode does manage to place doubt inside Joy. Nadia’s questions leave Joy with even more of her own, and while Joy has mostly been on the sidelines so far, a potential rift between Annie and herself only leaves the imagination to run wild with what Annie’s capable of when she loses her daughter’s trust.
There’s also the question of whether or not Annie can keep her own story straight, with so many asking her questions now.
It’s an interesting tick that Annie uses when she feels caught, where she accuses the other person of insinuating something. It happens twice on the episode with Pop and with Joy, and both times the attempt fails and a different tactic of manipulation is needed. It’s hard to tell so far if Annie is great at heartfelt confessions that are half-truths, or it completely falls into place through improvisation.
With Nadia also clearly no longer buying Annie’s narrative, and Joy starting to lose trust in her mother, Castle Rock Season 2 Episode 2, “New Jerusalem,” starts to close the walls around Annie faster than expected. It’s a looser, less effective hour compared to the premiere, but it manages to bring life to Pop’s character and allows Tim Robbins to have a ball as this broken, angry man starting to lose everything.
Some stray thoughts on the episode:
- Pop taking Ace’s dog to threaten Abdi potentially could be a reference to the King novella “The Sun Dog,” where Pop is a major presence, with imagery of dogs being a major factor.
- When Annie is trying to distract herself while Joy gets stitches, she cracks open a romance novel. The cover is only briefly shown, but it would be a fun little nod to Misery if it’s a Paul Sheldon book.
What did you think of this episode of Castle Rock? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Castle Rock airs Wednesdays on Hulu.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.