I don’t know about you, but a virus series is the last thing I want to sit through right now.
Then again, a lot of people flocked to Contagion, Outbreak and
#Alive has apparently done well for Netflix.
The Stand is a 9 part adaptation of Stephen King’s 1978 novel (another screened in just 4 parts in 1994) ironically completed filming just before COVID-19 gripped much of the western world. King has written a new coda for his story.
The limited series comes with an impressive cast, including Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, James Marsden, Greg Kinnear in its ensemble and cameos or supporting roles from J.K. Simmons, Heather Graham, Bryan Cranston and more. Just who is the hero of the series seems to shift, including from teen writer Harold Lauder (Owen Teague) to Stu Redman (James Marsden) and, in episode 2, musician Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) …and there is a gravitation towards Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) whose all-knowing wisdom is a magnet for lost souls.
The Stand: How Blank Page Differs from Stephen King s Book
The third episode of
The Stand debuted on CBS All Access Thursday and introduced a few more major characters to the story while further expanded the stories of some we ve already met, such as Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) and Nadine Cross (Amber Heard). New this week are the story for Nick Andros (Henry Zaga) as well as the introductions of Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear) and Tom Cullen (Brad William Henke). While the nine-part limited series is largely a faithful adaptation of Stephen King s epic novel of the same name, this episode also contained some significant differences from the page to the screen and we re breaking down some of the major ones we spotted as the story deepens.
Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood in The Stand. (And Amber Heard too!) (Screenshot: YouTube)
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Whether you’re talking about Steven King’s book or the new show,
is not a story that’s easily, or quickly, summarized. In a pinch though, it kind of boils down to a group of heroes, lead by Mother Abigail, and a group of villains, led by Randall Flagg, battling for control of the world after a plague wipes almost everyone out.
The Stand: How Pocket Savior Differs from Stephen King s Book
The second episode of The Stand debuted on CBS All Access on Thursday and while last week s The End introduced viewers to a handful of the story s major characters as well as the terrifying super flu that brings their paths together, this week s Pocket Savior introduces viewers to even more significant characters including a proper introduction to Randall Flagg. However, while the nine-part limited series is largely a faithful adaptation of Stephen King s epic novel of the same name, this episode also contained some significant differences from the page to the screen and we re breaking down some of the major ones we spotted as the story deepens.
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Spoilers for âThe Standâ on CBS All Access and Stephen King s 1978 book
Mystery and tragedy fill the second episode of âThe Standâ. Based on Stephen King s 1978 novel, the tale shifts from introducing Frannie Goldsmith (Odessa Young), Harold Lauder (Owen Teague), and Stu Redman (James Marsden) to showing a glimpse of the lives of Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) and Lloyd Henreid (Nat Wolff). Instead of following the linear narrative of the book, the series uses the flashback formula to peep into the characters lives.
After âThe Endâ ended on a mysterious cliffhanger about the visions, âPocket Saviorâ leans into Larry s love story with Rita Blakemoor (Heather Graham) and Lloyd s life behind the bars after a robbery-gone-wrong. Over an hour long, the drama begins with Larry s playing his breakout hit âBaby Can You Dig Your Manâ at concerts as the entire band calls in sick after the virus Captain Trips spreads around