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EPISODE 5
We’ve reached the middle point of the CBS All Access series The Stand. Up until this point we have had several characters introduced, the past, present, and future have been explored, and the timeline has been utterly confusing. Behind it all is battle between good and evil set amongst a virus outbreak. The fifth episode titled ‘Fear and Loathing in New Vegas’ could have been an episode that moved characters and the story forward but ultimately fell flat.
The episode explores Randall Flagg’s City of Sin but in typical fashion focuses on minor characters. I mentioned in my last review that the series so far hasn’t explored a lot of Mother Abagail who is a character that is mostly in the background despite how characters talk about her. This is how I feel about Randall Flagg in this episode. Three of Boulder’s citizens (Tom Cullen, Dayna Jurgens, and Judge Farris) visit New Vegas to spy on the Dark Man. Dayna gets caught up with Lloyd, who makes his return after the second episode. I must add that I like Nat Wolff in the series. He is wild and unpredictable, which is true representation of the dark side of the series.
Throwing Dayna, Tom, and Judge into the Dark Man’s lair shows how much thought Mother Abagail’s faithful five put into this plan. Tom is rarely seen in the episode and when he is seen, you get the sense that he is in danger. Dayna spots him cleaning up after a Gladiator type game and passes him a note that simply says ‘Run’. Before sending the three out to New Vegas, there should have been a solid plan or back up to protect them in case something went wrong. It only took Flagg one episode to discover Judge and Dayna and their purpose in New Vegas. When Dayna encounters the Dark Man, he is aware that there is another spy on the border of the town but doesn’t know of Tom Cullen. Dayna tries to kill Randall but fails. Instead, she takes scissors to her own throat to protect Tom’s name.
With so many characters being introduced all the time, this episode shows how that has been a problem. The character development is thin for characters like Dayna, Tom, and even some of the characters that have appeared in every episode so far. Dayna was only introduced in the previous episode but is already killed off. Were we suppose to care? Was she important to the story? I’m not sure since I barely knew her or felt connected to her storyline.
Characters who should get a lot more screen time, like Randall Flagg, are bogged down with pointless storylines or characters hogging up the screen time. (*cough* Harold *cough*). This episode should have been all about the Dark Man and him manipulating people and showing off his abilities. The show continues to focus on Harold when he isn’t an intriguing character in the first place. The episode continues after the last episode when Teddy was killed. Stu and Larry ruled his death as a suicide, which helps Nadine and Harold’s case. To make Harold’s storyline even worse, he has dinner with Frannie and Stu, which is just awkward to begin with. I think the series is focusing a little too much on Harold when he doesn’t add much to the plot other than just hanging around Nadine and fantasizing about Frannie. It isn’t going to happen bud, move on!
I’m still curious about the series and how it is going to end. With some characters gone, hopefully the series can hone in on what is important, the battle between good and evil. With the series halfway over, hopefully it can pick up and finish strong.
EPISODE 6
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Episode 6 of Stephen King’s The Stand might just be my favorite episode so far. I’ve had many problems with how the story is presented, the lack of growth for the Dark Man and Mother Abagail, and too much focus on side characters who felt pointless. This episode, titled ‘The Vigil’, finally feels like things are moving forward for both sides. Maybe it was because the flashback structure was gone.
For the first time in the series, it genuinely felt like Randall Flagg was a threat to the world, especially Boulder. Alexander Skarsgard finally gets to show his capabilities and how intimidating he can be. In the beginning of the episode, we get to meet the Trashcan Man, a mentally ill pyromaniac who is played by Ezra Miller. Flagg tasks the Trashcan Man to get fire from a nearby facility, which leads to an intense speech about fire and how he will use it to identify the remaining spy from Boulder. Miller is perfect in this moment. Usually, I would be frustrated with the fact that another character is introduced but it works.
A lot of brutal moments happen within a few scenes involving the Dark Man, which is exactly something I have been looking for this whole time. Flagg encounters Mother Abagail, which is very brief but showcases the battle between good and evil in a way that could lead to some cinematic moments down the road.
But the best scene from Flagg comes when Bobby Terry (Clifton Collins Jr.) brings the second spy from Boulder to Flagg. The problem is that Terry brought her dead after he shot her in the head. Without her alive, Flagg can’t determine who the third and last spy is. Obviously, Flagg is upset, and Terry flips off Flagg and tries to leave, but the devil chases him down the hallway. After Terry reaches the elevator and thinks he is safe, Flagg sneaks himself into the elevator and kills Terry in front of everyone to see. This moment showcases Flagg’s abilities and how much of a threat he really is, which is something that has been lacking from the series so far.
Besides these gripping moments early in the episode, there isn’t much that moves other characters forward besides Nadine and Harold. Throughout the episode, members of Boulder learn of Harold and Nadine’s true intentions. Frannie is the first to discover Harold’s true nature and his plans for Boulder. After breaking into the loner’s house, she finds a manifesto and pipe bombs, with Harold right behind her. He explains his plans for the world saying, ‘I’m gonna fix this whole world, Fran. One blast of violence. One pointed stroke of cruelty to set the world right.’ I’ve had many problems with Harold and his obsession with Frannie up until point, but this scene showed how violet and unpredictable he can be.
Larry also gets a sense that something is wrong with Nadine when Joe whispers to Larry, ‘Nadine and Mommy Nadine are two different people.’ Larry tries to stop Nadine from leaving but can’t stop her in time. Nadine drops off Joe at the school and Larry tries to stop her from leaving but is unsuccessful. Joe is with the other kids during the vigil but hears Mother Abagail’s voice and travels into the words and finds her.
With the pipe bombs set in place, Nadine and Harold sit back and watch their plans unfold while a vigil starts. People are aware that Frannie is missing while a signal comes in that Mother Abagail has been found. Frannie comes running down the road to warn the town that there is a bomb set nearby after she escapes from Harold’s lair. Over the microphone Harold calls over saying, ‘I do this of my free will’, and Nick feels the vibration of the radio and opens a piano to find the bomb which goes off.
The ending shows the carnage that the Dark Man is willing to allow to send a message to Boulder and that he means war. I am also curious to see how the Trashcan Man will play into the upcoming episodes and if he will have an explosive moment towards the end. With little development for some characters and more moments of urgency, the series is starting to finalize its tone before the series wraps up. With only 3 episodes left, there is still a lot of room for growth. Overall, I was impressed with this episode and how the writers approached the Dark Man and built conflict amongst the citizens of Boulder.
New episodes of The Stand premiere Thursdays on CBS All Access.
What did you think of these episodes? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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