Castle Rock Canceled: Hulu Series Ends Its Run

While some beloved shows have ended this year because of COVID-related issues, that doesn’t apply to the latest cancellation. Castle Rock is now canceled, but that might not be through any fault of its own. (Or coronavirus, for that matter.)

Castle Rock Being Canceled Was Maybe the Plan All Along

image via Hulu

The anthology series, which based its story on Stephen King stories, ran for two years at Hulu. However, there’s no indication that they planned for a longer series. As Deadline reports, “There were no expectations for a third installment, and the decision to end the series after two seasons was made awhile ago.” In addition, Warner Brothers TV, which produced the show, “has focused its attention” on HBO Max. However, HBO Max won’t be picking up the show.

The Series Didn’t End on a Cliffhanger

If you were interested in watching the show, but haven’t gotten around to it, then you still can. You can also watch it without the frustration of an unfinished story. While there is a connection between the two seasons’ stories, they also exist as self-contained complete storylines.

In the first season, for instance, we watch attorney Henry Deaver (André Holland) return to his hometown, Castle Rock. At Shawshank Penitentiary, guards reopening a disused section of the prison have made a strange discovery. They’ve found a prisoner (Bill Skarsgård), “The Kid,” in the cell block. However, the unnamed man doesn’t explain who he is or how he got there. Instead, he asks only for Henry. The rest of the season explores The Kid’s story, as well as the disturbing events that led to Henry abandoning his hometown. Sissy Spacek also appears as Henry’s mother, who’s slipping into dementia.

Season 2 Takes on the Annie Wilkes Origin

image via Hulu

The second season is also set in Castle Rock, but follows different characters. Lizzy Caplan stars as Misery‘s Annie Wilkes, who’s just arrived in town with her teenage daughter, Joy (Elsie Fisher). As the season progresses, Annie tries to protect Joy while hiding her own past. She’s not quite yet the terror we see in the film Misery, but she’s on her way. At the same time, Pop Merrill (Tim Robbins) deals with the volatile family feud developing within his own brood. And if that isn’t enough, they all also have to deal with a deadly supernatural force.

Again, though, while the seasons are interconnected in a way, there’s enough of an end point with the season 2 finale to feel satisfied. I would have liked to have seen more, though.

What do you think about Castle Rock being canceled? Let us know your thoughts in the comments here or on our social media.

featured image via Hulu

Salomé Gonstad is a freelance writer who grew up in the swampy wilds of south Alabama. She now splits her time between the Appalachian wilds (of Alabama) and the considerably more refined streets of New York City. When she's not yelling about pop culture on the internet, she's working on a supernatural thriller about her hometown. Also, we're pretty sure she's a werewolf. Email her at salome@comicyears.com.