‘Castle Rock’ Season Finale and That Weird Ending, Explained
The first season of Hulu’s Castle Rock came to an end this week, offering up answers to some of the season’s biggest questions — while leaving a few other mysteries unexplained. While we wait to see how Season 2 of the Stephen King anthology series further explores the darkness that plagues the author’s most famous fictional town (this side of Derry, anyway), we’re taking a closer look at the end of the first season to make sense of Henry Deaver and The Kid’s final interactions.
It should go without saying, but there are MAJOR Castle Rock spoilers ahead. Turn back while you can! Otherwise, let’s get into it.
In Episode 9, Bill Skarsgard’s The Kid offers an explanation for how and why he came to be held prisoner in the basement of Shawshank prison — but do we really buy that he’s merely a victim of circumstance? The season finale, “Romans,” casts further doubt on this story and lends more credence to the theory that The Kid is a monster from another universe who’s capable of traveling between dimensions, not unlike a few notable Stephen King antagonists. This would mean that the “schismas” are certainly real, but The Kid’s story about being Henry Deaver from an alternate universe? Not so much.
Join ScreenCrush‘s Ryan Arey for this deep dive into the Castle Rock Season 1 finale, where he explores the meaning behind the eerie last moments between Henry and The Kid, as well as what was really up with Henry’s mom, Ruth. If you enjoy this video, be sure to click “like” and subscribe to the ScreenCrush YouTube channel, where you can find more of our video essays, easter egg guides and trailer breakdowns.
And check out a couple of our other Stephen King videos below, including our ultimate guide to all the easter eggs and references in Season 1 of Castle Rock: