THE STAND: Doesn’t Realize Its Full Potential

As a big Stephen King fan, when I first heard there would be another adaptation, to say I was elated- well, is an understatement. When the casting was announced I could see each of these characters lifted off the page connecting to the actor’s and actress’s faces. There was a sense of hope instilled. Even more, when I heard it was Josh Boone and Benjamin Cavell behind it, I knew there was enough skill and passion for King’s work, to make me a believer.

There’s a dichotomy when it comes to a piece of art that you love being adapted. On one hand, you want it to be individual, to find a new route for the narrative to soar. On the other hand, it’s the source material. You’re gripping it tightly, fingers digging into the exterior, always reluctant to let go of what you fell in love with in the first place. You’re defensive of its change. When there’s a balance struck, that’s the moment you can look at the adaptation and feel a sense of satisfaction.

With The Stand, that was occasionally the case, but overall, the unevenness prevailed.

I hope the title doesn’t insinuate a total disappointment, because it is not. In fact, this show had me hooked by the end of its pilot. Which, in my experience, is generally a good thing. The unfortunate issue, which is so often an occurrence when adapting stories of this magnitude, they intrigue, but they don’t find a flow of execution.

The Stand has a lot going for it, and I feel like if it had another 10 episodes, maybe it would have found its full potential. Or, maybe, I’d always be saying that. Maybe, I’d always want more. The truth is, there are both sides of the proverbial coin worth diving into here, and I wasn’t unimpressed as much as I was just…craving more.

The Struggle of Good and Evil

Something King breathed into life in the novel was the idea that there is the potential for good and evil in all of us. There can be obvious figures in the narrative — such as the opposing forces of evil, Randal Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), and good, Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) — but for the rest, it’s about their freedom of choice. While there may be moments reminiscent of current circumstances, inciting an unsettling sensation, this is guided by a greater story that isn’t originating from this world. It’s fantasy at its best because it combines the nature of humanity with the flair needed to enthrall.

The Stand takes place and is told in alternating time periods after “Captain Trips,” a bioengineered flu-like disease, wipes out 99% of people. Those remaining start having dreams of these two, drawing them to either Las Vegas where Flagg is, or Colorado, with Mother Abigail. Why did they survive? Was it fated? What does it all mean? While we may not get all the answers in the first six episodes, I’m sure the remainder will bring closure. Until then, we see the survivors trying to rebuild their society in Boulder, 5 months after the beginning of the virus, knowing another danger lurks not far away. That post-life is a big part of the story, as these are the people of the future, the immune, which makes for a fascinating post-apocalyptic platform.

A lot of the appeal, and it isn’t lost here, are the difference in personalities that band together. Anytime you’re watching a post-apocalyptic story, the characters are vital. In this case, many had never met prior, and what’s stronger to bond people than the fight for survival? The castings made in the show all work, and I think the performances were terrific. Alexander Skarsgard, one of the standouts, held his own as the fantastic villainous Randall Flagg, one of my favorites in the King-verse, maintaining the charismatic facade while the underlying rage was adequately caged. Whoopi Goldberg also works, being a light for those on the other side to follow. However, both don’t really get the deep dive they deserve. At least, not in the first six episodes.

We Need to Talk About Harold Lauder

Franny Goldsmith (Odessa Young) and Harold Lauder (Owen Teague) are the only ones who knew each other prior, and they have two of the strongest arcs. I was someone who grew up on the original CBS miniseries, and while that’s a whole other conversation and I’m not throwing shade on Molly Ringwald, this was the Franny I was hoping for. One of my favorite aspects so far has been the role of Harold. Not all of the characters have received their due, but I feel his story and performance, resounded more than others. He’s someone that has an especially interesting trajectory.

In a book this rich, this full of storylines, some are bound to get lost. It’s an unfortunate aspect of any adaptation, and many fall victim to this within this miniseries. I wanted more backstory, more of the interactions that built these immense bonds.

Two of the main characters on alternate sides of this “battle” are East Texan worker Stu Redman (James Marsden) and criminal Lloyd Henry (Nat Wolff). They are both first introduced phenomenally, but then end up feeling a bit muted. Both Stu and Lloyd are key to this story, but instead of feeling grounded, they weren’t fully realized. I think that both of the talented actors did a great job, I just felt like the roles needed more. More, in general, seems to be the common thread here. And there are many important characters, but they, as are Nick Andros (Henry Zaga) and Ray Brentner (Irene Bedard) are some of the ones I felt needed more history on screen.

Without going into the full description of the plot, which I feel would be a disservice if you aren’t familiar, and without detailing every single character, I’ll point out, again, that the casting was truly perfect. Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo), who deservedly got a bit more backstory than what previously made it on screen in the first adaptation, and Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear) are both amazing.

You want to have an identity, a fresh take, but if you going to make big changes you need to also be able to explain why. There are some elements changed that were sensible, topical, but then there were some that just confused me, left me scratching my head.

The cinematography and music choices are fantastic. Both stood out to really finalize the mood in many sequences, sometimes being the cherry on a significantly affecting scene. Some of the writing works, the dialogue especially, but what takes this miniseries out of contention for being a stunner, is primarily the confines it creates for itself. It’s uneven with its storytelling measures, making for some episodes to stand out (primarily the first two) and some others to make less of an impact. Something that’s utilized early, which I felt they needed more of, was giving more timelines for us to sink our teeth into. There’s a lot of story in these five months and a lot of interactions worth exploring.

And for fans of the iconic author, I’m happy to report that there are some easter eggs hidden throughout, if you take care to look.

Conclusion: The Stand

I can only ruminate on the first six at this point, and despite any problems I may have, I still can’t wait to see how it ends. Will the final episodes smooth out some of these bumps? Perhaps. As it is, The Stand, has some great direction and acting, even if some of the time management isn’t on point. In the simplest terms: I wanted to love it (I still do) but ended up liking it. Taking something as incredible as The Stand to the screen isn’t an easy feat, and I’m hoping the final episodes close on a high note. Maybe even save it.

What do you think? How did it compare? Let us know in the comments below!

The Stand premieres on CBS All Access December 17th.

Watch The Stand