Castle Rock S01E02 "Habeas Corpus" Recap

Dale narrate the episode opening, talking about how his younger brother killed himself when he was just a teenager. He also shares about the many other deaths in his family and how there's something wrong with Castle Rock that seems to bring out the worst in people and considerable darkness lies within. A flashback of him as a younger man show him driving to the prison and building the cage that would later hold The Kid. He speaks about asking God for answers and waiting for years for his instructions.

Henry visits Dale's wife Martha in the hopes of learning more about him and the identity of the mysterious inmate. She answers some of his questions but steps away to take a call from a neighbor who tells her that the man visiting her is black and upon realizing that he is Henry, she asks him to leave. However, Henry has already managed to look through Dale's desk for clues and found various items including a file of mysterious newspaper clippings and some calendar dates with quotes about being a jailer.

Henry visits the local church and meets the young pastor who answers his questions about Dale. The pastor is inspired that Henry works with death-row inmates and extends an open invitation to Henry to join the church's visits to the prison where they pray with the inmates who request a prayer-companion.

Molly Strand is the owner of a local real-estate agency in Castle Rock. She suffers from psychic abilities that cause excessive noises in her head from the people around her. She grew up across the street from Henry and seemed to have a bit of a crush or some type of other affection for him. She frequently indulges in drugs to try to drown out the noise that people call. Molly has lunch with her sister to say that she needs $40,000 from the equity on their parents' home in order to afford to appear on local television to talk about the developments she'll be doing in town. Her sisters says no but Molly says she has already filed the papers with her sister's forged signature.

The Kid is put into a cell with another inmate who is shown to be a skinhead with various tattoos indicating his bigoted philosophies. The Kid warns the other inmate not to touch him but it's implied that the inmate won't be respecting his request.

Henry leaves a note for Dennis at a local bar before heading home where he finds Alan digging up the body of a dead dog that Ruth believes might be alive again, as she is sundowning and having problems remembering the dog is truly dead.

In a flashback, a young Molly is shown to be visited by a police officer that is asking about where Henry is and whether he ever spoke about having any negative or hostile sentiments towards his father, as Matthew has just been found.

Dennis calls Henry to say he can't talk to him but is waiting outside for him in his car. He tells Henry about how The Kid has been put into solitary confinement. Henry needs to get proof that this inmate exists or else he won't be able to represent him. Dennis is panicking over the stress and the guilt of trying to help this inmate. Dennis doesn't want to work for the prison but there aren't any better job options in such a small town and he has a wife and child to take care of.

Henry is inspired to get into the prison with the church's prayer group and spots The Kid when he is let out for a few moments of sunshine. The Kid's former cellmate has died under mysterious circumstances involving multiple organ failure. Henry speaks briefly to The Kid through the fence and offers to be his lawyer, also snapping some photos of him with his phone before The Kid is rushed back inside.

In the woods, a dog digs up Dale's head that had fallen off when the rope yanked at it before the car drove off the cliff. Alan is shown to be reading a suicide note that Dale left him, before burning it with his lighter.

Castle Rock premieres new episodes on Wednesdays on Hulu.