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.