If you ask most fans of Stephen King, "The Stand" usually ranks as at least among their favorite King works. As a Constant Reader myself, I would have to agree. There was almost a mystique about that particular book when I first began to be a fan of King. Less than a year after becoming a fan, I read this book, which is his longest. I did so in about three or so weeks, mostly because I really got into it.
The thing is, the first half of the book in particularly is absolutely fascinating. Maybe morbidly fascinating, true. But this is Stephen King we're talking about, right? So that's part of what draws people to his work.
Indeed, his description of a world simply falling apart felt amazing. It was like a real glimpse into what such a scenario might look like in reality. In fact, I still feel like the first half of that book, roughly, is some of the most vivid and exciting of King's works. That, and also the suicide scene of Harold Lauder, one of the more complex characters of the book. There was something about that final scene that felt like really great writing, as well.
Anyway, I realized that while I read this book a couple of times - including one fairly recently, during the pandemic, since it felt particularly relevant at that time - I have never reviewed the book. Perhaps I will endeavor to read it again in the near future to remedy that.
However, I have reviewed the recent series from just a few years back (also during the pandemic). It was not my favorite. While I did not read my own review prior to writing this particular blog entry, there are certain things which I remember from that series which felt disappointing. First of all, it was dark. I mean literally dark, to the point where you could not make things out so well at times. Also, the scenes which are supposed to take place in Las Vegas are terrible in the new series. I remember being kind of on the fence as to whether this new adaptation was better or worse than the original 1994 miniseries to that point, feeling that it still could go either way. But the Vegas scenes absolutely ruined it, at least for me. Plus, Randall Flagg had more of a dark charisma in the '94 series, which felt largely absent in the newer series. He seemed intimidating and scary at first, although this, too, was largely lost as the series went on.
All of that said, I went ahead and watched the old '94 series over this past weekend, just for the hell of it. Thought it might take longer than the weekend. But I actually do enjoy this adaptation, and feel that despite the age, they got some things right. There are scenes that are supposed to take place in New York which do feel like real chaos. While not all of the scenes are accurate (such as towering, snow-capped mountains serving as the backdrop in places like Arkansas and Indiana), and the production has been criticized for being a bit on the cheap side, it nevertheless stays mostly true to King's original work. And I like that.
So, let me go ahead and review the older 1994 television series, which was the first real adaptation of this major Stephen King work. Before I do, of course, let me give my usual warning that there will indeed be spoilers ahead. So if you want to see this miniseries and do not want anything to spoil it, you might want to stop reading now.
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Okay, so by now if you are still reading this, I have to imagine that you either are familiar with this story already, or perhaps you do not mind the spoilers. Please just don't say that you were not given advanced warning.
So right off the bat, the event that triggers pretty much all of the events which follow in this book/adaptation occurs within the first seconds here. We are in the middle of a desert, at a military base. All looks normal, at least at first. But then, we hear alarms going off. There is an incredible emergency. A malfunction lasting only a split second or so has released a deadly virus. In it's pure form, it is an instant killer, apparently. Shortly, we see the impact that it had at this military base, which is ground zero for this disaster, which will ultimately wipe out about 99% of humanity.
Yet, the seminal event here is that the officer at the gate, Charles Campione, does the one thing that he is not supposed to do under such an emergency. He panics and high tails it. Gets his family - his wife and a young baby daughter - and escapes from the base before the automatic gates can shut them in. After that, he drives, and we soon learn that he made it almost halfway across the country in just less than two days worth of driving. We also hear that any chance of containing the virus pretty much was gone as soon as Campions stopped to order food at a drive thru.
Nevertheless, the military works overtime to try to contain both the virus, as well as the spread of any news about the virus. They suspend constitutional rights and engage in mass killings to that effect, although the world continues to fall apart regardless. The flu, which comes to be popularly known as Captain Trip's, spreads across the country and, presumably, across the entire globe. As a result, we witness the painful birth of a post-apocalyptic world. There are riots, people go crazy, and it instantly becomes a very dangerous world just to survive.
This was the part of the book - as well as this particular television series - which I enjoyed the most. Watching this fictional world which Stephen King has created (and which obviously bears a very strong resemblance to our own) was quite morbidly fascinating. It feels like we might just be catching a real glimpse of how it actually would look and feel if the world did indeed fall apart, if the center does not hold and, as the opening words of the movie suggest, the world goes out not with a bang, but with a whimper. It feels vivid and fascinating to read about or, in this case, to watch.
What makes this more appealing than many other apocalyptic movies or stories and such is this: the world itself is still healthy. It has not become the unlivable nightmare post-apocalyptic world of the Terminator movies, or the Matrix, or Halo. There are no dangerous zombies as in the Walking Dead (for which I am glad, because zombies have grown very tiresome as a theme in television shows and movies, have they not?). That does not mean that it is not still a very dangerous world. But as one of the main characters suggests at one point, every one of the people who make it an unnecessarily dangerous world are healthy.
Of course, there are other dangers in this world, as well. Obviously, the electricity goes out, and so all of the modern conveniences, including some things which we at least take as necessities, are gone. Before long, there is no option to simply go to the grocery stores and pick up a fresh bit of meat or vegetables, as all the perishables inevitably spoil. The roads are dangerously clogged, and there are other dangers (made by people, of course) on the roads.
Then, of course, there is the major divide between what will prove to be warring factions. It is mostly a Cold War of sorts, in this post-plague, semi-apocalyptical world. Still, it will turn hot - extremely hot - before the end. That we will get into a little bit later.
Ultimately over time, the main characters who survive this new plague emerge. It seems that in this post-plague world, people suddenly have much stronger abilities to know things which we, in our modern world, could not possibly know. They have dreams, and these dreams determine their destinies. The decent people head towards one place, and one leading figure, and the bad people head towards somewhere else, and someone else entirely.
The good people tend to gravitate to either side of the aforementioned divide. The good guys, if you will, head towards Mother Abigail, a very old woman (she is 106, if memory serves), who lives out in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, Eventually, She takes them to Boulder, Colorado. Not sure if they explain this in this series, but in the book, it is explained that there was a particularly virulent conspiracy theory that had effectively cleared that town of most of the dead from Captain Trip's, although there are still plenty of dead bodies remaining to be cleaned up. So Boulder is an ideal place for the survivors of the plague to try and rebuild some semblance of a new life.
There are some main characters we follow to Hemingford Home and/or eventually to Boulder, Colorado. The first one is Stu Redman (known as East Texas), who actually is there when Campione crashes his car into some gas station in Arnette, Texas, which is regarded as the main point of focus for the military to shut down the virus. Then there is Larry Underwood, a young musician who is seemingly on the verge of breaking big in the music industry. Frannie Goldsmith of Maine, who is going through a rough break-up with her ex, and finds out that she is pregnant. Nick Andros, a wonderer who is labeled deaf and dumb, but is actually very sharp. Glen Bateman, the intellectual who provides some philosophical speculation regarding all that has happened, and what trying to get back to the same reliance on modern technology and conveniences might mean for the post-apocalyptic world. Finally, Ralph Bretner, who is kind of a farmer with a good heart.
On the other side, the leader of the bad guys is known as the "Dark Man" or the "walking dude," but we come to know him best by the name Randall Flagg (who consequently, is a recurring character in Stephen King books). He recruits Lloyd Henreid, a bad boy who was sent to prison and very nearly died of starvation when everyone else died of the plague. is picked by Flagg to be his second in command. Then there is the Trashcan Man, a very bizarre character who, admittedly, can get a bit irritating.
There are also a few who are more or less caught in between. These include Nadine Cross, who first becomes Larry's lover (but not fully a lover) before leaving him. Like him, she heads to the Boulder Free Zone, but this is more a ruse than anything. We learn that she has more than a little dark side. In fact, she is the promised wife of Randall Flagg, the Walkin' Dude. Also in this mixed or confused camp, if you will, is the young poet and intellect Harold Lauder. He is from Frannie's hometown in Maine, and they know each other. In fact, he is in love with her. But his thoughts towards her turn dark and vengeful when he catches her and Stu in an intimate moment. So he also goes to Boulder, but has designs on betraying them, on exacting his revenge before heading to Las Vegas and Flagg's camp.
Then, there are three others. Unlike Nadine and Harold, they are not confused. They head to Boulder with honest intentions. But the new leaders in Boulder, sensing that Flagg means to pursue war and death towards the Boulder community, chooses these three to be spies. The first is the Judge, who is sharp and understands his mission as a spy very clearly. He never makes it to Las Vegas, getting gunned down in Idaho instead. Next is Dayna Jurgens, who does make it to Las Vegas, and becomes Lloyd's lover. She does find out information, but she will be discovered by Flagg (who we learn knew she was a spy all along) long before she ever gets to return to Boulder. Finally, there is Tom Cullen, the third and final spy. He is extremely kind and has a good heart, but he is also mentally retarded. He keeps repeating how everything is spelled M-O-O-N. But we come to learn that this mistake perhaps was foreshadowing the very important - even crucial - role that he will play. He finds out information and then heads east, back to Boulder. He will get there, eventually. But not before he has to turn around to do something very important first.
So after the world as we knows it end, these people migrate to the different sides. To put it in simplest terms, Boulder represents the good values, while Las Vegas, predictably, symbolizes the bad. And although it seems entirely senseless, given the absence of any kind of large population of human beings anywhere following the Captain Trip's disaster, the two different sides nevertheless seem on the verge of a war. In particular, Randall Flagg seems intent on destroying the Boulder Free Zone colony. To that end, he has sent his people - led by Trashcan Man - to look for weapons to use against Boulder. They are getting the jets and missiles ready. Eventually, Trashcan Man - who is obsessed with fire and has been all of this life - finds the biggest possible fire with a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Harold (he calls himself the wild card, and he really actually kind of is that) goes through with the betrayal of the Boulder community. Again with the dreams, Flagg shows him where there is old dynamite stored in Boulder. Thus led, Harold goes to obtain it, then builds a bomb. By this point, Flagg has led Nadine to him, and they have sexual relations up to a point, never quite going all the way. Again, Nadine is Flagg's promised wife to be, and to carry his baby. But everything else, we learn, he will allow, even encourage. So Harold seems happier, but he still wants revenge. After building the bomb, Nadine goes to Fran's house, where she and the other leaders of the Boulder Free Zone will meet. She plants the bomb, which will be activated by radio. Harold observes that he and Nadine are damned. But they go through with it, and kill numerous people, including Nick Andros.
After that, Harold and Nadine make their escape. Harold himself dies shortly thereafter, as while he is driving a motorcycle, Flagg suddenly appears in the middle of the road, forcing Harold to veer and lose control. He falls far down a cliff, but survives the initial impact. However, he is in bad shape, and barely able to move. In the book, Nadine stays and watches him for a long time while he tries to crawl up the cliff, despite serious wounds, including a badly broken leg. In this miniseries, he stays where he is right on the cliff. Nadine leaves in both versions, but in this miniseries, she does so very quickly, almost sounding relieved. In the book, she seems more stunned, but does eventually leave.
The Boulder community is just trying to come to grips with the tragedy, although one other thing happens. Mother Abigail disappeared, but she comes back, and with a message from God. Four of the leaders of the Boulder community - Stu, Larry, Ralph, and Glen - are to head out west towards Las Vegas that very day with just the clothes on their backs. The command, if that is what it is, is short on specifics. All that she tells them is that one of them will fall before they get there, but they must go to Las Vegas and make their stand.
While the four men walk towards Vegas, things are going on there. The Trashcan Man cannot help himself, and sets fire to one of the jets in a hangar, killing a number of the other workers. He immediately feels bad. We understand that his addiction to fire, to blowing things up, simply got the better of him. He vows to make it up to Flagg, although Flagg understands now that the Trashman Can is too dangerous to be left alive. Eventually, he knows, the Trashcan Man will come back to him. Flagg wants him killed quickly and painlessly when he does.
Slowly but surely, the four men get closer to Las Vegas. Eventually, they reach a damaged point on the highway they are traversing, probably caused by a flash flood. It is a tricky barrier, but it hardly seems like it should stop them. Nevertheless, Stu falls and breaks his leg, and is forced to stay in the makeshift ravine. But the dog that is traveling with them stays with Stu and catches food, which helps to keep Stu alive. Stu grows sick and dryly observes that he will apparently die of the flu after all. However, Tom suddenly appears, having advanced far east of there, but having been called back by the ghost of Nick to save Stu. Eventually, Nick shows Tom the proper medicines to provide to Stu when he gets dangerously sick.
As for the three other men, they keep heading towards Vegas. Eventually, they run into a patrol which Flagg has sent for them. They are arrested and taken to Vegas to await some kind of fearful punishment. Before Glen can face the punishment, he is confronted by Flagg, but is so unimpressed, comparing him to a roach, that Flagg loses all control and orders Lloyd to shoot and kill the old man, which he does.
The other two soon learn what the punishment is to be: death by dismemberment. They are chained and standing, while Flagg pronounces the specifics of their punishment, when one member of his cult protests and urges people to stand up to this. He is electrocuted by Flagg. In the middle of all of this, the Trashcan Man suddenly and unexpectedly comes back. He had brought the big boom, a nuclear weapon. We hear Mother Abigail speak, saying that the men have acted on God's command and made a stand, and they are to be taken home. Then, we see the Hand of God appear and handle the nuclear weapon, and then it goes off. That is the end for Flagg and his Vegas empire.
Stu understands that he and Tom were meant to see the nuclear explosion from a safe distance. Stu struggles with his illness but eventually beats the flu. Then, he and Tom make it back to Boulder, although winter has arrived early. Stu makes it back to see Fran as she has delivered the baby, although the baby is battling the flu. Everyone fears that it might be Captain Trip's. But the baby beats it and gets healthy, which signifies that there is hope, and that Captain Trip's really is behind them now.
For this movie, that's pretty much it. The question is asked whether people can really change, and there is no sure answer. In the book, the community in Boulder grows, and along with it, a relative normalcy returns with it. There are drunks and tensions, much like the world recently passed. And when the question of whether people can really change or not is asked, there is more a tone of uncertainty, even borderline despair. But not in this made for television series. It is a happy ending.
As for whether this is worth viewing or not, I would say that it definitely is for fans of Stephen King. Some of the scenes of where the world is falling apart are morbidly fascinating and well worth watching. These days, it seems to be available in several different Youtube videos for free. So feel free to watch it. Be warned, however, because it is long.
I have heard some criticisms of this series. In particular, that it is a bit corny at times, and that it is cheaply done. While I did not notice it as much when younger, I will admit to noticing it a lot more now, with my older self. However, I still believe that this 1994 version beats the newer version from a few years ago, despite that one actually being longer. That one is split up into nine episodes each an hour long in duration, if memory serves correctly. It is newer, but newer does not necessarily make it better. Personally, my preference is this one, because it feels truer to the book. Also, there are other things, such as Randall Flagg being both a lot scarier and having far more dark charisma in this '94 version. Also, the Vegas scenes are not great in this one, but it feels a whole lot more like Vegas than the rather ridiculous Vegas of the new series, which is pretty much restricted to the inside of one building, and just feels extremely cliche.
So yes, I prefer this version, and recommend it to anyone who either has read the book, or simply wants to see a movie version of one of the most iconic and beloved works of King, according to his fans. That includes myself.
Recommended.
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