Thoroughly confused on ending. Along with Stu Redman, Glen Bateman and Larry Underwood, Brentner travels to Las Vegas and is instrumental in convincing Underwood to leave Redman behind after he breaks his leg. Ironic, don't you think? Redman escapes from the Stovington facility after a government employee attempts to execute him (it is implied the character "knows too much") and he kills his attacker in self-defense. WebAfter seeing both the light and the dark, Frannie makes her stand. When Bateman leaves with Stu Redman, Kojak is initially left behind. As the harem subplot was cut from this version, she is instead introduced in a relationship with a man named Mark when she is found by Redman's party. Andros expresses a desire to press charges against his attackers, and the sheriff tracks down and arrests three of the four before falling ill with the superflu. Underwood leads the party after Redman breaks his leg during the journey to Las Vegas, where Underwood and Brentner eventually die in the nuclear explosion caused by the Trashcan Man. She also knows if hes lying here, hes not lying about much. They experience a frightening trek through the Lincoln Tunnel, an incident that Underwood is often haunted by for much of the story. A former butcher, Horgan joined Flagg's group as a cook, described by Lloyd Henreid as a "fat, loud sack of shit" but also an excellent chef. Larry Underwood thinks Harold is a politician type and has mixed feelings about him, while Leo Rockway refuses to even go near Harold and tells Larry that he feels scared. And with this more pronounced circular storytelling structure, King also manages to tip the hat to fans of the ambitious and weird-as-hell Dark Tower series. The author wrote the finale that allows Frannie ( Odessa Young ), who couldnt trek to Las Vegas with the others since she was eight months pregnant, to make After a discussion, Cross agrees to join Underwood and find other survivors. Thats not Kings style. Cross desperately proceeds with a final attempt to seduce Underwood, an act that would break her virginal commitment to Flagg and free her, but Underwood is, by this stage, firmly committed to Lucy Swann and rejects Cross's advances. She is one of the 0.6% of the population that is immune to the superflu and initially appears to some of the plague survivors in their dreams, drawing them to her farmhouse, just as Randall Flagg (also known as the "Dark Man" and the "Walking Man") draws the evil survivors to his settlement in Las Vegas. On her deathbed, she shares one final vision: four men from the committee will travel to the West coast to confront Flagg. In the 1994 miniseries Kojak is a golden retriever mix, while in the 2020 miniseries he is a purebred golden retriever. When pressed, his mother points out his greatest character flaw to him directly: "You're a takeryou came home to me because you knew that I have to give." In the 1994 miniseries, Dayna was portrayed by Kellie Overbey. The character does not appear in the 2020 miniseries. The grass yellows up and dies where he spits. They eventually enter a marital relationship upon settling in Boulder. He was portrayed by Nat Wolff in the 2020 miniseries, where instead of being killed by the explosion, he is decapitated by a metal ornament knocked loose by the Hand of God's lightning. More (or less) than a man, he is the embodiment of evil, an antichrist-like being whose goal is destruction and death. Farris attempts to infiltrate Las Vegas from the north, but is intercepted by a pair of Flagg's sentries in Idaho. He performs minor tasks but is highly ranked in Flagg's society, reporting directly to Henreid or Flagg himself. Benjamin Cavell: Totally. This event is the beginning of a turning point in Larry's life. Flagg. He doesnt know himself." This character is named Len Carsleigh in pre-1990 editions of The Stand. After burying her elderly father in his garden, Goldsmith decides to join Lauder and they leave the vacant town. Hes reborn with a similar level of power and ambition but hes really starting from scratch in some way and remembering who he is and what he does. In the 1994 miniseries, Campion is portrayed by Ray McKinnon. Although he is an ally of Flagg, Dorgan does so only because he thinks Flagg's world is the only society with a chance of regaining a sense of law and order, but Dorgan eventually loses faith in Flagg's society and remains in Las Vegas because Flagg will murder him if he leaves. In the 1994 miniseries, Harold was portrayed by Corin Nemec. After the outbreak of the superflu, Cross finds an emotionally damaged young boy whom she calls "Joe," who has regressed to a savage state of mind but trusts Cross and remains with her. April 26, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Lauder reaches the point of readying his gun to assassinate Redman, while scouting for a missing Mother Abagail, but does not pull the trigger. In the 1994 miniseries, Lucy was portrayed by Bridgit Ryan. East of Colorado's Eisenhower Tunnel, The Kid ends up trapped in a car and surrounded by wolves, which kill him when he eventually tries to flee. The fact that he is significantly older is noted in her diary, along with many other aspects of the trip. He rescues Lloyd Henreid from starving to death in prison and, with Henreid as second-in-command, establishes a community in Las Vegas, Nevada. Redman, together with Larry Underwood, Bateman, and Ralph Brentner, travels towards Las Vegas, but breaks his leg in Utah and is forced to stay behind, along with Kojak the dog. Very clearly Mother Abagail and Flagg are two sides of a coin, mirror characters in some way. I dont even think he said dance. It was changed to Randall Stevens for 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994) as a tribute to King's character Randall Flagg from 'The Stand' and 'The Dark Tower'. Lauder leaves a prominent note on the roof of a barn, as it overlooks the most popular route into town, detailing their plans for future travelers. Erwins is killed in the explosion at the end of the book. The character was written as female in the 2020 miniseries, portrayed by Gabrielle Rose. He is the younger brother of Goldsmith's best friend, Amy Lauder, and is a social outcast at his local high school. After reaching Boulder, she begins a relationship with Brad Kitchener, the only technician, even trying to have children with him. Underwood later breaks into Lauder's home with Frannie Goldsmith, after Joe instructs him to embark on an investigation before something horrible happens. He often found himself in trouble during his years as a youth due to his fixation with fire, and his nickname comes from his childhood habit of starting fires in trash cans. Upon learning that Cullen remembers his father's return from the Korean War, Andros realizes he must be much older; perhaps in his forties. Henreid attributes his newfound abilities to Flagg, although Jurgens later suspects that Henreid's natural ability to anticipate problems has only been amplified by a fear of disappointing Flagg through failure. Lauder succumbs to Cross' seduction, fulfilling Flagg's wishes by constructing a bomb to kill the Free Zone's leadership committee. Bateman also experiences dreams of Mother Abagail and joins Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, and Harold Lauder on their journey to meet Mother Abagail (and to satisfy a sociological curiosity as to how humanity will rebuild itself). In Las Vegas she recognizes Cullen and informs Henreid of Cullen's status as a spy. Though compassionate, he goes to extreme lengths to cover up the accidental outbreak and subsequent pandemic for as long as he can, which includes ordering the execution of journalists who try to reveal the truth. Redman develops pneumonia, due to injury and hypothermia, but witnesses the destruction of Las Vegas. Floating in the air, Flagg reintroduces himself as Russell Faraday, and demands worship. The girl is a Mother Abagail version of that. This version of Jurgens takes on characteristics of Susan Stern and Mark Zellman from the novel and retains her death scene, albeit toned down (stabbing herself in the neck with a broken bottle). Flagg forces Henreid to shoot Bateman and, as Bateman dies, he forgives Henreid with his dying breath, saying "It's all right, Mr. Henreid. you dont know any better." Part of a harem of women who were taken captive by a gang of ex-soldiers and repeatedly raped, Susan Stern a former student at Kent State University is one of the women Stu Redman and his party rescues. Cross attempts to seduce Underwood but he rejects her, having committed to Swann. The tribe worships him as a God and his powers start growing once more. and "Laws, yes!" This version of Flagg is naked, kind of aloof, and calling himself Russell Faraday. Unlike the book, Flagg seems to Something or someone is watching from the rows of corn that flank the cute little house. When Cross finally decides to tempt Underwood, however, he rejects her and commits himself to Swann, much to her surprise. Lauder attempts to profess his love to Goldsmith but is rejected. Andros eventually recovers from the infection to his leg and begins his journey to Hemingford Home, Nebraska. Horgan decides to take a "stand" against Flagg and publicly challenges him prior to the executions of Underwood and Brentner, leading to the realization from a few people in the crowd that Flagg has lied about what the Trashcan Man has done. One of the most beloved characters from Stephen Kings The Stand always had a bit of a bittersweet final act in the book in that her pregnancy didnt allow her to go Bateman becomes part of the reform committee in Boulder and is later one of the four men who Mother Abigail proclaims must meet Flagg in Las Vegas. newsletter. The Kid does not appear in the 1994 miniseries, nor is he mentioned. Hes up to his dastardly tricks. The character is last heard speaking to an army officer via radio in Los Angeles; it's unknown whether he survives the superflu or the chaos that follows. When we meet him in the finale, hes so at ease. Cullen's anonymity seems to stem from his disability, as Flagg tells Dayna Jurgens that every time he tries to see the third spy, all he sees is the moon; this confirms her sighting of Cullen earlier (while both were on Las Vegas work crews). Farris sees Terry in the car, holding a rifle and smiling wildly, prompting The Judge to attempt to pull his own gun, but Roberts shoots him first. Swann becomes romantically involved with Underwood, but senses her feelings are unrequited due to Underwood's strong attraction to Nadine Cross; Swann's feeling persists despite Cross's lack of interest in Underwood. At the execution of Underwood and Brentner, Henreid is then killed in the nuclear explosion caused by the Trashcan Man's atomic warhead. He later meets Lucy Swann and Joe, and travels with them to Boulder. Farris and one of the sentries are killed in a shootout that leaves Farris' head obliterated, a sign that Flagg's power is fallible, and Flagg kills the surviving sentry for disobeying orders. The Kid's body is later found by Redman, Underwood, Bateman, and Brentner on their journey to Las Vegas. With The Circle Closes, Stephen King has essentially written a Is that girl in the finale Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) or do they both represent the same entity? He controls his people using fear as a motivator. John Mulaney at the Boston Symphony Hall for his Netflix special John Mulaney: Baby J. (Marcus Russell Price/Netflix) 8 min. The Hand explodes a nuclear warhead he planned to drop on Boulder, destroying Flagg and his followers in one swift blow. Born in 1882 to freed slaves from South Carolina, Abagail outlived three husbands and all her seven children. Hes always outside. Flagg offers Bateman his freedom on the provision that he "get down on [his] knees and beg for it." Joe, who has sufficiently recovered to the point that he reveals that his real name is "Leo Rockway", is suddenly reluctant to be in the company of Cross. The baby is left alone on the porch, crying its little head off. The wheel turns, both Frannie and Mother Abigail say in this finale, a phrase common in the Dark Tower series, and baked deep in its structure. Flagg initially tells Horgan that he had intended to let him leave without consequence, but then mutilates and eventually kills Horgan with a ball of lightning that emanates from his finger. Much of the new ending is the same. Due to his savant talent regarding destructive devices, the Trashcan Man is assigned to search for weapons in the desert and assist in arming the fighter aircraft at Indian Springs Air Force Base. However, instead of Satan, as has been suggested in relation to the Dark Man, King compared Flagg to 1950s serial killer, Charles Starkweather. After treating his severely burned arm, the Trashcan Man finds a bicycle and proceeds to travel westward with haste. (note: this version of her earlier experience is only in the revisedexpanded version of the novel.) In the 1994 miniseries, Frannie was portrayed by Molly Ringwald. The differences reflect a writer whos in an evolving relationship with the world around him. He appears at the onset of a devastating plague known as Captain Trips, Tubeneck, or the Super Flu. In the 1994 miniseries, Bateman was portrayed by Ray Walston. The Stand Quotes. A teacher at a private school in New Hampshire, Cross has retained her virginity due to a vaguely defined, but powerful, sense that she is destined for something "dark and unique." WebThe Stand is an American post-apocalyptic fantasy television miniseries, based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Stephen King and a remake to the 1994 adaptation. Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith in 'The Stand'. In an attempt to maintain plausible deniability, he activates a contingency plan to have spies release the virus in the Eastern Bloc and China, ensuring these Communist nations are destroyed along with the United States. In the 2020 miniseries, she was portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg, who had previously turned the role down in 1994. As much blame as the show gets for making the decision to relegate her to a backburner, King lets Frannie down a little bit in the original text, too. After traveling with her, she abandons him. During the occasional passages told from Flagg's perspective, it becomes evident he does not know his origins and has no memory of his life before Captain Trips, though he vaguely remembers isolated, violent, or hateful events, such as participating in the Vietnam War, Ku Klux Klan lynchings, race riots in the 1960s, the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, and a vague speculation that he was involved in Charles Manson's family. Like most of the characters we followed in this story, she dreams of Flagg. Cavell says that King felt comfortable enough with the way the scripts were going for the Fran and Stu raise a baby, and the good guys have won. One common theme among Randall Flaggs notable aliases are the initials R.F. The superflu wipes out Goldsmith's community, with she and Harold Lauder being the only local survivors after a parking lot attendant, Gus Dinsmore, contracts the virus and dies on June 30. Was there anything King wanted done or not done to set up the finale? Henreid subsequently finds himself feeling more intelligent and able than he thought he was, running several of the day-to-day activities in Las Vegas and overseeing operations at a military base. The 2020 miniseries also features a young girl portrayed by Kendall Joy Hall who is implied to be the spirit of Mother Abagail. He frequently references himself in third person. Fix her broken bones, ensure Stu gets home safely and that their child will be once again safe and secure with her loving parents. But once we saw how different it felt, in a wonderful way, from the interactions we had with Flagg, there wasnt any disagreement between the way Flagg and Frannie interact and the way he has with others or any redundancy. In the 2020 miniseries, she was portrayed by Odessa Young. We see him in the wake of Glens death unexpectedly float down to the floor when hes been levitating. In the 1994 miniseries, Horgan was portrayed by Sam Anderson. At this time, Flagg also gives Henreid a black stone with a red flaw to symbolize Henreid's allegiance to Flagg. Keep up with your favorite shows delivered to your inbox! He has survived the nuclear explosion, at least in some form, but doesnt seem to be as powerful as he used to be, something that becomes even more evident as this confrontation unfolds. Padick was raped by a drifter at the age of thirteen during an explorative journey outside of his home area, whereby the young man wanted to experience the wider world. In the midst of the commotion, Henreid is forgotten in his cell and eventually becomes the sole-surviving inhabitant of the prison complex. Randall Flagg is representative of evil and the devil. He feels guilty over his relief that he does not have to deal with her anymore, a confirmation of his mother's assessment of him. While working with the crew, she observes Tom Cullen on a passing truck. The Trashcan Man transports the warhead across the desert in a trailer attached to an all-terrain vehicle, contracting a lethal case of radiation poisoning in the process. In the novel, he is presented as diametrically opposed to Mother Abagails personification of good. Horgan plans to flee to Brazil with several others after first asking a reluctant Henreid to join them, saying sadly that he would go to Boulder if he thought they would accept him there and adding "it's justall gone bad here". Fun Facts It is Jurgens's desire to protect both Cullen and his status as a spy that compels her to commit suicide, rather than submit to further questioning from Flagg. At the end of the novel, the "Hand of God" detonates a nuclear bomb, destroying Las Vegas and all of Flagg's gathered followers. Shed still be Frannie, but from time to time hed look through her eyes, get a lay of the land. Stern is later killed by Lauder's assassination attempt on the committee. This plot is ultimately hindered by the return of Mother Abagail and Frannie Goldsmith's premonition. As hes getting ready to drop a line down into it, the little girl from before appears out of nowhere and begins confidently giving instructions on what to do. Its a constant struggle against the forces like Flagg that would exploit our worst and most base instincts and desires. A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Stephen King rewrote the ending of The Stand again and its the best version, Sign up for the Henreid ultimately refuses the offer, but quietly tells his friend he will keep his flight plan secret, while adding he will stay with Flagg until either himself or Flagg is killed because he owes that much. Lucy Swann and Underwood become very close with Farris, and Underwood is upset when he successfully recruits Farris as the first of three Free Zone spies, but is unable to inform a distraught Swann of his whereabouts after he sets out. Cross meets Larry Underwood when Joe finds him sleepingJoe is working up the courage to kill the sleeping Underwood, but Cross intervenes. He also can shapeshift. Unlike Frannie Goldsmith, Swann supports Underwood's decision to travel west to confront Flagg, unaware that she is pregnant. No. He later appears very prominently in Flagg's society, and accompanies Lloyd in sending the Trashcan Man to Flagg, later is among the group which apprehends Dayna Jurgens, and breaks Larry's guitar before he and Ralph are taken on stage to die by dismemberment.