The focus here is on world building. There's a strong sense of atmosphere that really sells the theory that something in the town is inherently wrong. Said atmosphere is bolstered by a few references to Stephen King's works. The nods don't overwhelm the story, they just add to the show's flavor and make for an added source of enjoyment from fans of the author.
I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I did get a "Storm of the Century" vibe from this one. With the talk of "the Kid" being malevolent and supernatural in nature and his sitting quietly in a jail cell while evil begins to spread around him, it's hard not to make the Linoge comparison. It still works well here. Skarsgard is able to say quite a lot with a simple look and he manages to make the character unsettling and creepy.
While his sub-plot is somewhat predictable in the sense that you knew what was going to happen when the warden locked him up with that musclebound skinhead, the way the scene played out still achieved the desired goal of setting the kid up as something else.
I also couldn't help but notice that his reaction to said skinhead appeared to be legitimate fear. When he says "you don't want to touch me" it doesn't come off as a threat at all. It's quite possible that he's still evil, but maybe there's more to it than that, we don't know at this point.
The supporting cast continues to shine. While Terry O'Quinn is relegated to voice over narration, he does a great job of it. Even though he doesn't appear on screen, it still feels like he was put to better use here than he was in the pilot.
Once again, Frances McDormand is limited to one scene, but her character is used much more effectively. Her scene here is certainly more memorable and gives you a better sense of who she is.
Scott Glenn is great as always. He gets more screen time here, which is welcome. Was the letter calling him a defender at the end of the episode an intentional nod to his role as Stick? In context, the term still fits what with him being a cop who's trying to keep the town in check, but at the same time, that specific wording does suggest an actor allusion.
Jackie Torrance falls into a similar trap. The name itself is an obvious reference, but whether that's as far as the connection goes remains to be seen. She's not psychic (though this show does have one of those) but there could still be a tie that is established later. As it is, she's a fun character. She's knowledgeable about the town's goings-on, but she's much friendlier and perkier than most of the characters. It adds a bit of levity to things.
I'm really liking how this show is playing out so far. The fact that this episode built on what worked and worked out the kinks puts it in an upward trajectory. It just makes me that much more excited to see where things go from here.
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