TV Show Reviews

The Stand Episode One: ‘THE END’ – Depressing How Similar to 2020 It Is

Imagine this: 2020 meets The Walking Dead meets government conspiracies. That’s what CBS All Access’s The Stand episode one reminded me of. At times, I didn’t know if I was watching a prelude for the hit AMC show or a conspiracist’s wet dream about how COVID-19 first originated. Either way, it was unsettling how familiar a lot of it felt. Misinformation spread around, families torn apart, mass graves, and people starting to take advantage of this new chaotic world.

Spoiler-Free Review

I imagine that is what The Stand was going for. Granted, The Stand is based on a Stephen King novel from 1978. The world has had massive outbreaks of new illnesses. And pandemic films and tv series are quite popular. There’s just something about being in the middle of a pandemic that felt eerie to me. Depressing as well. And maybe even a little bit of foreshadowing. There’s a line in the first episode when Owen Teague’s Harold Lauder made an observation that the disease – Captain Trips. That it was likely made in a lab and the scientists making it were gleeful of their finding, until a spill happened and the disease infected the whole world. That….hit home a little. Not just for COVID-19, but for many incidents.

Episode one was just our introduction to this depressing world we’re going to live in for the duration of the story. It also introduced us to some of our main characters – such as Harold Lauder. And James Marsden as Stu Redman. I’m happy Marsden’s getting more front and center roles – he’s playing Stu very well. A man with honor who is both empathetic and realistic. We get glimpses of Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail. And a very brief glimpse of Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg. But, I already know we are in for a very sinister treat. This is a Stephen King story. It isn’t just about an illness – there’s no King story without the supernatural.