Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars
Right off the bat let me start with the fact that “Castle Rock” fans are going to be pretty disappointed with this release. First of all the first season of “Castle Rock” was released in 4K UHD, so where is the 4K release for season two? I guess we know sales weren’t as expected, I assume. Either way season two is a far superior than than the first. Let’s just say that Lizzie Caplan knocks it outta the park with her performance. So, great season but I am sure fans like myself were hoping for that 4K release as well.
Studio description: Stephen King’s multiverse, Castle Rock, is a place which combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of the best-selling author’s best-loved works. In season two, a feud between warring clans comes to a boil when budding psychopath Annie Wilkes (Lizzie Caplan, Masters of Sex), Stephen King’s nurse from hell, gets waylaid in the small town of Castle Rock. Local businessman Reginald “Pop” Merrill (played by Academy® Award-winning actor Tim Robbins – Mystic River) is dragged into the fight, when Pop’s nephew, legendary bully John “Ace” Merrill (Paul Sparks, House of Cards), stirs up trouble. It’s another eerily unforgettable season of Castle Rock, as the mysterious town’s ongoing epic saga continues to unfold.
Season two of Castle Rock also stars Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) as Abdi Howlwadaag, Yusra Warsama as Dr. Nadia Howlwadaag, Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) as Joy and Matthew Alan as Chris Merrill (Snowfall, 13 Reasons Why).
Along with the ten one-hour episodes, the special features on the release are really sad. There is no commentary tracks included, which I am sure fans would have dug. All we get is new featurette called “ANNIE WILKES: Mother of Sorrow”, which runs about ten minutes. The Blu-ray itself still looks good even though its not 4K. The 1080p transfer is solid and sharp, works well with dark scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks also carry the seasons mystery and suspense well.
10 One-Hour Episodes:
- Let the River Run
- New Jerusalem
- Ties that Bind
- Restore Hope
- The Laughing Place
- The Mother
- The Word
- Dirty
- Caveat Emptor
- Clean