'Castle Rock' Debuts Dozens of Stephen King Easter Eggs

Shawshank Penitentiary

A majority of the series focuses on Shawshank Penitentiary, made famous in the novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which was adapted into a film in 1994. While calling this an "Easter egg" is tricky, as the reference is so obvious, the specific mention of a former warden having killed himself in the office is a direct reference to the end of that film, which not all viewers may have caught. As another subtle homage to the film, one scene features the music "Duettino Sull'Aria," which is the music Andy Dufresne played over the PA system in the film adaptation of the short story.

While not as iconic as Shawshank, another location that debuts in the series is Nan's Luncheonette, which is an eatery referenced in IT and The Sun Dog. As far as subtle references to locations go, one character plans to build a gazebo in the center of town, though a gazebo exists, and was blown up, in Needful Things. A popular bar in Castle Rockis the Mellow Tiger, which has been documented in multiple King stories.

Familiar Faces

Another one of the more direct references is the character Alan Pangborn, who was the sheriff in Needful Things and The Dark Half. The series also features the character "Jackie Torrance," which is clearly a riff on The Shining's Jack Torrance, though it's unclear if she is meant to be an alternate version of that character or if she shares another connection to the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel.

The character and setting already feature some direct references to King's works, with casting being another Easter egg. Both Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard are featured prominently in the series, with Spacek having starred in the film adaptation of Carrie and Skarsgard having played Pennywise the Dancing Clown in last year's adaptation of IT.

Prison Connections

Skarsgard's character is referred to as "The Kid," who is mysteriously discovered in a closed off area of the prison. At one point, we see a rat drop by The Kid's cell, which is a reference to King's The Green Mile, as a mouse became John Coffey's "pet" in the story. That story saw Coffey having the ability to cure cancer, yet, in Castle Rock, The Kid inadvertently causes cancer, serving as a reverse reference to that story, of sorts. The person who falls victim to the cancer is seen reading The Lord of the Flies, which is the inspiration for the name "Castle Rock."

Animals Unleashed

Speaking of animals, one episode shows Pangborn checking on an animal that has been buried, as Spacek's character, who suffers from dementia, thinks the animal is still somehow rooting through their trash. Pangborn uncovers the animal and viewers see it has been placed in a suitcase before burial, while in King's Pet Sematary, animals are often boarded up before burial as they have a tendency to return from the grave.

That story also features multiple references to the band The Ramones, with the band being referenced using posters in the series. They also recorded the theme song to the 1989 adaptation of that novel.

Brief Mentions

In the second episode of the series, one character calls attention to the town's mysterious past by recalling "the dog," "the strangler," and a "boy's body near the train tracks." These are references to Cujo, The Dead Zone, and The Body. Another connection to The Body, which was adapted into the film Stand By Me, is a woman being accused of murdering her husband, Richard Chambers. This is the name of one of the bullies from that story. Another bully, Vince Desjardins, makes an appearance in the series.

These likely aren't the only times a character will briefly mention events from the town's sordid past, resulting in viewers having to keep their ears pricked for every line of dialogue.

Strange Powers

While not a direct adaptation of a specific character, the series' Molly Strand has some sort of psychic powers, similar to those seen in Carrie, Firestarter, and The Shining. So far, the powers demonstrated by Molly don't appear to recreate the specifics of powers seen in any other story, though we won't be surprised to discover that Molly is far more powerful with her skills than we've seen so far.

Gerald's Game, Lisey's Story, and Needful Things are some of the biggest stories that connect to Castle Rock, which all feature deputy Norris Ridgewick, who appears in an episode of this series.

Hard to Catch

Many references in Castle Rock are much more subtle, with only the most devout fans drawing the connections.

In The Dark Tower, the number 19 has a symbolic connotation, and the character Henry Deavers in Castle Rock disappeared as a child, with a poster emblazoned with his image using the date "1/9/91." One of the main characters in Cujo worked for an advertising agency on an important cereal account, Sharp Cereal, which is seen in the TV series. While not technically an official character, Christine features a Plymouth Fury that comes to life to kill bullies of its owner. A Plymouth Fury debuts in Castle Rock's second episode.

Did you catch all of these references? Were there any we missed? Let us know in the comments!