Hulu’s Castle Rock has become a slow burn for fans of Stephen King. The series tells the story of a cursed town haunted by its past, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Some viewers are unsure where the show fits into the Stephen King Universe. Is it a collection of loose Stephen King adaptations? Or is there a more nuanced connection between the series and the work it's referencing? We’ve cataloged all of the Stephen King references in Castle Rock, and when you observe them altogether you’ll see the series dutifully drops Stephen King trivia into each episode, all while building on the author’s dense mythos.

The Stephen King references in Castle Rock tick all the boxes when it comes to winking at the audience. There are characters who share names with major players in Stephen King's oeuvre; visual references; and some outright plot points taken directly from Stephen King’s work. Aside from simple references, many of the author’s thematic elements are on display, creating a kind of conversational parallel between Castle Rock and the rest of Stephen King’s work.

Read on, but beware of spoilers ahead. If you've already finished these episodes, you can find something new to watch in our list of shows like Castle Rock.