Jason and Cristina break down episode 4 of The Stand. Either way, don’t you kind of want to know? Let’s see how far down the rabbit hole goes.

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CBS The Stand, The Stand, Stephen King, The Stand 2020

Podcast Notes –

EPISODE 4:  “HOUSE OF THE DEAD”

WRITTEN BY:

Jill Killington, Owen King, Ben Cavell

DIRECTED BY:

Bridget Cole & Danielle Krudy

RECEPTION:

Imdb – 7.7 / RT – 56% (A – 21%)

“Today, we take our Stand and review Episode 4”

 

CRITICS

“Here’s where the structure of this version seems to be actively working against its success – what should be a tense scene between Harold and Frannie, has an entirely different energy because of what viewers know about where Harold will go in Boulder.  They’re pulling the narrative back from its urgency.” – Vulture (2/5)

“Caring for people we barely know is difficult enough but there hasn’t even been enough information in this iteration to understand why 3 people (the spies) would put their lives unquestioningly on the line for the Boulder Free Zone.”  TV Fanatic (3.25/5)

Theme – community. The larger picture of the conflict is emerging at last.  A story of good vs. evil, but also, humanity’s internal struggle against itself.  Trying to organize a new society with good intentions and an eye towards fairness and equality.  Frannie’s bookend narration hints at the darkness falling over Boulder.

TITLE:        “House of the Dead”

Are the titles mixed up?  Last week, we mentioned Blank Pages (now Blank Page) might be about Frannie’s diary (and Harold’s ledger) – and the key role both play in the books.  There was the quote from Mother Abigail (but that was new to the series).  Also, last episode used the words “We’re in the house of the dead, Nadine” during the Planchette sequence, but didn’t seem to fit here.  Were the two supposed be reversed? 

MUSIC:

  • Don’t Take Your Guns to Town – Johnny Cash (as character dress for meeting)
  • America the Beautiful – Larry on guitar (plays as power turns on)
  • Gimme Little Sign – Brenton Woods (plays during end credits)

NEW FACES & PLACES

  • Julie Lawry                   94: Shawnee Smith / 20: Katherine McNamara   

An unstable, sex-crazed teenager who lives through the pandemic, she meets Nick in a deserted store, seduces him and attempts to convince him to leave Tom behind. She then ridicules Tom and frightens him against the Pepto Nick tries to give him (telling him it’s poison). 

  • Dayna Jurgens 94: Kellie Overbey / 20: Natalie Martinez  

Dayna Jurgens is a PT instructor from Ohio. Outside the city, her party is set upon by Doc and Virge, former members of an Army detachment, sent to suppress the media and shoot looters.  In the aftermath, they have formed a violent gang, maintaining the “Zoo” of 8 captive women they use as sex slaves.  Kept sedated with pills.  The women stage a revolt, faking taking their pills, so they will be alert enough to fight back. 

  • Garvey                   94: N/A / 20: Angus Sampson
  • Judge Farris/Harris 94: Ossie Davis / 20: Gabrielle Rose   

Farris is a man in his late-seventies who joins Larry’s party in Illinois. Referred to as The Judge, Farris is a sharp, well-spoken, educated, and insightful man who served as a circuit-court judge in the 1950s, but has since retired. He is one of the first to see Larry’s true potential and leadership and recommends him for the Committee to Stu.

  • Charlie Impening 94: N/A / 20: Bruce Blain   

A minor character in the novel who lived in Boulder before the superflu and worked at an IBM plant on a custodial crew. He was pessimistic about the Free Zone’s chances come winter, and especially come Flagg. He packed up and left to parts unknown (others suspected to Vegas).

GOOD VS. EVIL:

GOOD

EVIL

UNDECIDED

Mother Abagail

Randall Flagg

Harold

Stu

Lloyd

 

Frannie

Nadine

 

Larry

Julie

 

Nick

 

 

 

CROW’S EYE VIEW

FLASHBACK – BOULDER

Frannie’s Diary

Fran writes in her diary, which is almost a love letter to her unborn child, explaining what things were like before and how the world has come to this place.  “If you’re reading this, that means you’re alive.  This is how you got here, what kinds of lines had to be crossed.  We’re doing our best to rebuild, starting humanity again, like rebooting a computer.  That’s the plan anyway.”

 

Prep for Meeting

The Committee meets in preparation for the first big Town Hall Meeting of the Boulder Free Zone.  Stu has been selected to speak by the others but is reluctant.  Glen says people want to know things will be okay, the messenger is more important than the words that come out of his mouth.  But what should they tell them about the bigger issues, like Heck Drogan?  While Stu thinks they have a right to know the truth, Frannie thinks they don’t really know what that is and why panic everyone?  Like a true politician, Glen answers – don’t like, just don’t say more than you know. 

FLASHBACK – 2 MONTHS EARLIER 

Harold & Frannie

Fran awakes from another nightmare to find Harold awake and watching.  He can’t sleep because all he ever thinks about is her, and he loves her – he lunges in and tries to kiss her but she pushes him away.  When he thinks this is all how it’s supposed to be (it’s been fated for them), she firmly responds that she will never feel those things for him.  Hurt and angry (and thinking this is about Stu Redman), Harold goes to sleep. 

Meanwhile, on the road, Stu & Glen pass another of Harold’s signs on the side of a truck and think they must be close and can probably catch up with them soon. 

The Zoo

The next day, Harold and Frannie come to a blockade in the middle of the highway, cars and a trailer stopping their progress.  A man unexpectedly emerges from the truck, gun drawn (Garvey).  He handcuffs the two and says he’s going to show them a ‘demonstration’, taking women he’s been keeping out of the back of the trailer.  Garvey reflects that society is ‘back to nature now’, with the alphas like him on top (things went south before when people thought they should all be equal – giving a chance to ‘beta snowflakes’ like Harold).  Giving Harold a ‘chance to compete’, he starts punching and fighting him. 

While busy, the other women silently plot to steal a nearby crowbar and fight back.  Eventually, Garvey tells Harold he has a choice – he can man up and do something, or lay there and watch – as he heads over to Fran.  But before he can assault her, Glen and Stu pull up to the blockade and start shooting.  The women attack and Garvey shoots one of them.  Then, Dayna Jurgens takes the crowbar and hits Garvey from behind, bashing his head repeatedly. 

Frannie & Stu

Later, Stu explains why he came after them, to see if they wanted to go with them to Boulder, and explains the shared dreams.  Harold derides the suggestion of prophecy.  Glen manages to persuade him but understanding Harold too is a ’man of science’ (sharing he had made the same mistakes).  The reason they spent their whole lives railing against those things – god, magic – not because it wasn’t true but because there was no proof it was.  “Either way, don’t you kind of want to know?… Let’s see how far down the rabbit hole goes’”. 

When Frannie is awakened by another dream, she goes out to talk to Stu and asks if he’s having the other dreams…with the Dark Man.  She also tells him she’s pregnant; she’s not really keeping it a secret but hasn’t told anyone yet (just her dad).  Admitting she’s really scared, Stu comforts her.

FLASHBACK – 3 MONTHS EARLIER 

Nick & Tom

Tom – “should have just asked Mother for directions but I guess it doesn’t work that way”.  Inside a store, Tom and Nick look for supplies and Nick is approached by Julie Lawry (wearing some kind of pink princess ballgown).  Julie realizes he’s deaf but also thinks he’s hot.  She starts kissing him but they’re interrupted by Tom who begins reciting his speech – Ms. Sykes says, “labels are limitations”.  Tom says Nick can write but he can’t read (and finally learns his name).  Julie starts to ridicule him, calling him a ‘feeb’ and trying to get him to say, “I’m a retard.”  She wonders why Nick doesn’t ditch him and as Tom starts to get upset, Nick begins pulling him away. Tom pauses when Julie apologizes (doesn’t want them to leave), but Nick keeps going. Julie picks up a shotgun and starts shooting, so they run outside. Once safe, they hug, and Nick sees a sign for “Hemingford Home” (retirement home – Stephen King). 

 

At Hemingford Home, Abigail sits alone among the dead, wondering if she will make it to tomorrow morning.  Nick and Tom enter and find her, with the first joyous gathering between the three. 

PRESENT – BOULDER

Town Hall Meeting

The major characters get dressed and ready for the Town Hall Meeting – Larry pours his pills out; Harold practices smiling.  The community packs into the meeting hall and Stu introduces himself to the crowd, who is immediately edgy.  Impening calls out, wanting to know about Heck Drogan and when the power will be back on in Boulder.  As Stu fumbles and things ramp up (*BC), Frannie pointedly wonders ‘who has experiencing working a crowd’ and Larry steps up to the mic. 

He has everyone who’s been working at the power station stand up for a round of applause.  Then the Burial Committee (the “Body Crew”).  Finally, the teachers – Nadine and Sofia Jacobs.  He finishes by saying the Power Crew has invited them all back Friday night for the Turning On, and they cheer.  Once in a positive mood, he turns the proceedings back over to Stu. 

Stu starts by saying that Heck ‘ran into the wrong guy’ out there.  But the situation highlights what they have here in Boulder, why Mother Abigail brought them all together, to ‘keep them safe in these uncertain times’.  He goes on to ask for volunteers to start a City Watch that can patrol the streets, thinking the Burial Committee (who’s almost finished) could transition over to help.  Finally, he states that Mother asked the 5 people on the stage to take the lead in getting things running in Boulder.  He calls for a vote, but Harold stands up to suggest a motion that they accept the Ad Hoc Committeein toto’ as the Permanent Committee. The crowd agrees, erupting into thunderous cheers. 

Harold & Nadine

Later that night, Nadine surprises Harold as he returns home, telling him they have a lot to talk about.  She shows him her stone and says Flagg sent her to find Harold – ‘he believes we can do great things together’.   Inside by the fire, she seduces him, admitting she knows he’s a virgin and she is too; she’s saving herself for Flagg but ‘other than that one little thing’, she can make his dreams come true.  Harold is surprised at her plan for them to leave Boulder and she follows by saying they need to complete their task first – to kill Stu, Mother Abigail, and her 5 chosen.  Then they’ll go to Flagg – she is his Queen and Harold can be his Prince.   She is his queen, and he can be his prince.  Just figure out how they’ll kill them – that’s why he chose Harold.

Colonel Dietz. Located Atlanta facility code PB-2.  This is Report 16, subject file Project Blue, subfile Princess/ Prince.  This report, file, and subfile are Top Secret, classification 2-2-3, eyes only.  Prince still tests virus-clean.  He has one abnormality – he dreams a great deal more than average, almost all night, every night. 

Public Safety

The next day, Stu hands out uniforms to the new City Watch.  He asks that they keep a lookout for stray lights when the power goes back on (turn off so they don’t overload the grid) (*BC – Stu Sheriff).  Teddy and Harold continue to pal around (calls him Hawk).  Harold is starting to freak out until he is overcome (sound of birds, then silence) and finds something in his jacket pocket, an old pamphlet for Boulder Ski Patrol (avalanches). 

Teddy – harmless, fun loving everyman – shows us inside of what Harold’s dealing with, but also someone who sees him as okay.

Committee – The Spies

In another meeting, the group discusses that Mother only sees bits and pieces – they need to send spies to Vegas to find out what’s really going on.  Nick proposes sending 3 and they shouldn’t know about each other.  Stu volunteers but they all agree it can’t be one of the 5 Committee Members; they are crucial to running Boulder and given their visibility, their absence will be noticed.  In addition to Stu’s concerns about sending someone else into danger, Glen notes that it’s a direct violation of Mother’s instructions.  They all consent to doing it, including Nick.  “If we’re not prepared to lead, they why are we here.” 

  1. Frannie – Dayna Jurgens (she would have to get around stalls on the road, through mountains, past Border Guards, infiltrate Vegas without being noticed or killed, and then return to tell what she saw)
  2. Larry – Judge Farris (while she’s older, she might be less suspected as a likely spy. She too readily accepts as an honor)
  3. Glen (*BC -Nick, hypnotize)Tom Cullen (was hoping for another suggestion but Fran agrees, it’s the last person Flagg will suspect. He loves this place and Mother maybe more than anyone. Stu – he survived this long on his own, who are we to say what he’s capable of; he can make the decision. Nick – “Tom will surprise you”)

They talk to Tom and have him repeat the instructions (like a new script) – Go watch and tell, how many people, how many guns, did you see the bad man.  Will know it’s time to come back when you see the full moon.  Sleep in the light, walk in the night.  If they send men after him, if it’s more than one person run, if it’s one, kill him.  The whole Committee feels bad but vote to send him anyway and Frannie thinks they should be united on the decision.

Later, we see Mother Abigail talk to Nick, saying she knows it must be frustrating, waiting for God’s will to tell them what to do.  But she insists they take no action for now; there are too many unknowns. (*BC – MA not active)

Larry says goodbye to the Judge; Nick and Larry send off Tom (‘wish my main man Nick could come – matching jackets).  Frannie – trying to keep a record of their new civilization.  “I hope you’ll forgive us for what we’ve done”.  (*BC – Diary/Ledger)

Explosives/ Power On

As the community gathers, Stu and Frannie announce the countdown and the power comes back on in town.  They celebrate while on the roof, Larry plays America the Beautiful on guitar. 

But elsewhere, Harold and Nadine have gone to scout the Ski Lodge (Harold has read up on avalanche management and controlled explosives) – and they find boxes of explosives in storage.  Nadine is discovered by Teddy and when Harold emerges, she starts getting nervous.  She raises a gun and fires at Teddy. 

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