Monday, June 3, 2024

King Me: Stephen King's The Stand (1994) *Part 3*

 Another look at a Post-Pandemic World where everyone has to live in the West.
*Shudder*

To see what happened in Part 1, go here.
For Part 2, go here.

The Episode begins with some random guy dying from...um, something.

They have a Funeral for him, which is mostly there to introduce Ozzie Davis here as The Judge.
His Wife played the prophetic Mother Abigail.
We soon learn that Sinise and Ringwald became a Couple during the off-screen time jump presented here.

She's also pregnant with his child.

In the Book, she's pregnant BEFORE meeting him and they aren't a Couple, which is key for later.
Over in Las Vegas, Randall Flagg recruits more people to his cause of chaos and debauchery.

He sends Trashcan Man to go find nukes.
He also asserts his mystical control over 2 other people...but that's it.

Our Villain sure is waiting until the last Part to really do much, it seems.
Nadine shows up, now fully as Flagg's Apostle and (possible) Future Wife.  She tries to seduce The Musician (who apparently got married during the time jump) but fails.

Oh, and she's connected to Stephen King's extended Cameo as some guy who also goes to the Colony.
In the most baffling moment so far, they hypnotize Tom Cullen to follow instructions.

You see, they plan on sending 3 Spies into Flagg's territory and he is going to be one of them.

What
The
F**k
She's told to go after Harold, who still loves Ringwald's Character.
It is meant to be a sadly ironic thing that he turns on his friends for no reason.

Here, he has justification- even if he's still terrible for doing it.
He's apparently an expert at making bombs, based on one Scene in Part 1 where he made something...I think.

He also listens to Disco while making his bomb, as you do.
He plants a bomb at the Committee Meeting, but they find out.

Nick sacrifices himself to get everyone out- not that he needed to.

Oh, well- we have pathos, and we can officially not feature him, after barely doing it in Part 3.
Around this time, Mother Abigail left- having felt that she was too proud- and she returns right around the time of the explosion.

Her dying words are that the 4 men (convenient that Nick was blown up, I guess) in charge are to go off into the Desert without supplies.

That's...a plan, I guess.  Let's just abruptly stop there then.
A decent Episode/Section, but I have many, many issues/comments.

The Time Jump is pretty lazy, no?  Why spend time setting up events when you can just say 'It happened between segments?'

Lazy.  
Kind of like saying 'lazy' twice, I suppose.

The actual Plot is fine, even if I have issues with how little Flagg and company do here.  They talk about what they might do.  They send Trashcan Man out.  We see them doing...something for a few minutes and... that's it?

I guess Part 4 is going to be massive...or disappointing.  Given that Part 4 of The Stand is called 'The Stand,' I think I know which way I'm leading.

The bulk of this Part is introducing yet more Characters, sending them off or killing them off and just kind of biding time.
I watched these days apart, but they originally ran one night after another.  I'm curious how the Pacing felt to people back then.  
If you can relate, leave a comment.

As for me, I'm optimistic that the conclusion will be good, but mostly still making this face at the 'Hypnotize Tom Cullen' Scene...

Alright, Mini-Series- take it home.  I want you to be amazing, so...please do it.  See you then...

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