So, what’s left to do after a story’s big bad is dispatched and the primary conflict vanishes with all the speed and finality of a nuclear explosion? The answer, it seems, is to address some unfinished business from the source text and to remind the audience, again, about the larger themes of the broader story. Neither is a particularly necessary addition, though, and while this last episode of “The Stand” works well enough as a standalone installment, it brings little to a limited series that’s done an admirable job with its characters, story, and themes up to this point.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Finale Recap: ‘The Circle Closes’ Wraps Up With A Redundant Whimper Instead Of A Confident Bang at The Playlist.

It’s been a long, twisty road full of flashbacks, flashforwards, and location jumps, but it has all led to this. This series (and episode) is called “The Stand,” after all, so what would all of this be without a bracing confrontation between the forces of good and evil, one that makes all of the pandemic drama, new friendships, surprise betrayals, and mystical dreams worth it? Luckily for this series, its eighth episode delivers on the promise, and while a few character moments seem a bit clipped, the overall result is an exciting, tense, and fitting cap on a conflict that has defined the story’s primary narrative.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 8 Recap: The Long-Awaited Showdown Of Good Vs. Evil Has Arrived With A Flash & A Bang at The Playlist.

Benjamin Cavell and his writing team have been moving with a purpose through the first six hours of their limited series, but in this, the 7th episode, they finally allow the show to catch its breath. Split between competing timelines and locations up till now, “The Stand” has reached its eponymous moment, when the forces of good march against those who serve evil, and it wisely savors the moment.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 7 Recap: ‘The Walk’ Finds The Heroes On The Road To Their Last Stand at The Playlist.

Blessed with momentum and a narrative engine firing on all 12 of its character’s cylinders, “The Stand” puts the pedal to the metal in its 6th episode, “The Vigil,” where things blow up (literally). Free of the flashbacks and with the last of the important characters introduced, here, the series hurtles towards its final act with this episode, where characters make good on their well-drawn set-ups, threats come alive, and Chekov’s dynamite finally gets its payoff.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 6 Recap: ‘The Vigil’ Lights The Fuse On An Explosive Conflict at The Playlist.

C.S.
Lewis
once wrote, “You can be good for the mere sake of goodness; you cannot be bad
for the mere sake of badness.” Mr. Lewis obviously never met Stephen King,
though, and he certainly never saw Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård) in New Vegas, where the
idea of being bad as a hobby goes pro. With nearly every character now
introduced, and the opposing forces of good and evil defined in both place and
purpose, “The Stand” now has room to run, and picks one hell of a spot
for its first destination.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 5 Recap: Buy The Ticket & Take the Ride With ‘Fear And Loathing In New Vegas’ at The Playlist.

“The Stand” has hardly been in a sprint during its narrative journey thus far, but that’s only because the mini-series has been juggling about a dozen chainsaws en route. In its fourth episode, “The House of the Dead,” the method to that madness is, at last, taking shape, for the terminus is a place with a gaggle of trees and nothing nearby to fell them. Indeed, a portion of the story that might have dragged on for hours now passes like a two-stroke, 55.5-cc motor-axe chewing through virgin pine, and while “The House of the Dead” contains a few more glimpses backward, the story’s loop is at last closed.  

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 4 Recap: ‘House Of The Dead’ Merges The Timelines, Allowing Its Cast & Story To Break Through at The Playlist.

Need a second to catch your breath to settle into the world of “The Stand” after two hours of dual-timeframe world-building and about 8 new characters? Too bad. In “Blank Page,” the series’ most dense episode to date, the audience meets no less than three new characters, get further information on the established player’s pre/post-pandemic, and comes to understand the series’ central conflict: all packed into a collection of dizzying location and time-jumps that demand one’s full attention.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 3 Recap: The Series Exposes Its Seams By Over-Stuffing “Blank Page,” Which Is Anything But at The Playlist.

If the first episode of the new “Stand” CBS All Access mini-series was designed to ease viewers into this global pandemic world based on Stephen King‘s epic terrifying novel, the next one, “Pocket Savior,” didn’t get that same memo. Doubling down on the flashbacks, societal collapse, and character introductions, this second episode puts the pedal to the floor. And for those that felt like episode one didn’t go hard enough with the post-apocalyptic energy, this one has all the empty streets, roving rape gangs, and public masturbation talk anyone could hope for.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Episode 2 Recap: “Pocket Savior” Doubles-Down on Flashbacks and Apocalypse Energy, For Better & (Only Occasionally) Worse at The Playlist.

Stephen King fans wait with bated breath this week in anticipation of the first episode of “The Stand” mini-series, and as it turns out, there’s nothing to worry about. This nine-episode CBS All-Access adaptation opens with just under an hour of character introductions for three of its leads, and enough world-building to give the audience their bearings without overwhelming them. And while book purists might offer a few protests over some of the series’ character and plot changes (including one game-changing one in the episode’s closing minutes), each serves a purpose and elevates the material.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Begins With ‘The End,’ Adapting King’s Magnum Opus Into Smart, Exciting Storytelling [Recap] at The Playlist.

Today is the day, folks. After fans have been waiting for decades, CBS All Access debuts the first episode of the long-awaited epic miniseries, “The Stand.” This new series aims to be the definitive adaptation of Stephen King’s attempt to tell the “American Lord of the Rings.” And that’s where The Playlist Podcast comes in. Does the new ‘Stand’ live up to the hype? We discuss, as well as talk to showrunner Benjamin Cavell about adapting the behemoth.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Co-Creator Benjamin Cavell Talks Stephen King’s Epic & His Love Of ‘The Running Man’ [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

Amber Heard might be recovering from her personal life being put on display in front of the entire world due to the recent Johnny Depp lawsuit against a British tabloid, but it appears that the actress still has plenty of professional gigs to be excited about, including the upcoming series “The Stand” and the new version of “Justice League.”

READ MORE: Amber Heard Says She’s Returning To ‘Aquaman 2’ Despite Rumors & Online Protests

Speaking to Comicbook.com, Heard was asked about the recent reports that she was called back to set to shoot some additional footage for Zack Snyder’s upcoming director’s cut of “Justice League.” And she explains why she’s “super excited” about that project and why it’s the same reason she’s psyched about “The Stand.”

“I’m super excited about it.

Continue reading Amber Heard Is “Super Excited” About ‘Justice League’ Reshoots: “I F*cking Love Nerds” at The Playlist.

Tired of global pandemics yet? CBS All-Access hopes not, and for a good reason: their nine-episode adaptation of Stephen King’s 1141-page behemoth, “The Stand,” is damn good. A sprawling post-apocalyptic epic about the flu-immune survivors of a deadly pandemic, and the figureheads of good and evil that draw these characters into opposing camps, the series spans several months, the full breadth of the United States, and contends with heady questions about the human condition and man’s struggle to define itself as either builders or destroyers.

Continue reading Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ Is A Sprawling Post-Apocalyptic Epic About A Global Pandemic With Human Resonance [Review] at The Playlist.

Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel, the full trailer for “The Stand” debuted yesterday at New York Comic-Con. “The Stand” is King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil, sounds timely, right? Cast members Whoopi Goldberg, James Marsden, Greg Kinnear, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Amber Heard, and Owen Teague, as well as Executive Producers Benjamin Cavell and Taylor Elmore, made themselves available for a lively NYCC chat too.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ NYCC Trailer: Stephen King’s Apocalyptic Pandemic Vision Looks Scarier Than Ever at The Playlist.

Despite being just the weirdest year ever, it’s also been a super-strong, solid one for television. Maybe it’s because movies got kneecapped during the pandemic or maybe it’s because we’re all stuck at home more than ever, but there’s definitely lots of good TV to watch, including our picks for the 20 best shows of 2020 at the halfway point, which didn’t even include August’s acclaimed “Lovecraft Country.”

READ MORE: Fall Film Preview: 40 Most Anticipated Films To Watch

However, the Fall has always been the big season for television.

Continue reading 2020 Fall TV Preview: 45 Shows To Watch at The Playlist.

Let’s get this out of the way quick so we can move on, shall we? It hasn’t been a great week for director Josh Boone. His long-delayed X-men/Marvel movie “New Mutants” finally came out after nearly 3 years of delays and was trashed by critics as soon as it arrived (many calling it the worst “X-Men” movie of all time, he even deactivated his Instagram it got so bad).

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ Trailer: The Long-Awaited Stephen King Pandemic Thriller Miniseries Arrives December 17 at The Playlist.

There have been dozens of films and TV series based on works written by Stephen King. The Master of Horror is well-known as a bit of a workaholic idea factory, able to churn out novels and stories at an impressive pace, leading studios into bidding wars for the next great King project. That being said, the author doesn’t really do much on these adaptations, rarely ever lending a writing hand. But for the forthcoming adaptation of “The Stand,” King felt the desire to tell a tale that he’s never had the chance to tell before.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’ TV Series Arrives In December With A New Ending & Finale Episode Written By Stephen King at The Playlist.

Up until now, CBS All Access has been the de facto “Star Trek” network, as the streaming service has struggled to gain traction outside of the sci-fi franchise. That being said, later this year, CBS All Access is going to adapt one of Stephen King’s most revered novels, “The Stand,” for a new star-studded limited series, in an attempt to show that the streaming service is more than just spaceships.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’: Here Are The First Photos Of Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg & More In The New Stephen King Series at The Playlist.

As documented in our Best TV of The 2010 Decade feature, which you should read, the 2010s were the age of PeakTV, Prestige TV and the dawn of the streaming age. Now in this new decade of the 2020s, we enter the Streaming War era. Yes, Netflix is here and here to stay, HBO isn’t going anywhere and Showtime, FX and all the other major players are solidified in status.

Continue reading The 60 Most Anticipated TV Shows Of 2020 at The Playlist.

Just because “It: Chapter Two” is out in theaters now doesn’t mean that the Stephen King adaptation train is coming to a stop. Not one bit. In fact, just as King’s epic about the Losers’ Club comes to a close, another classic book is just starting to come together.

According to Collider, the cast of the CBS All Access series “The Stand” will feature Pennywise’s brother Alexander Skarsgård, alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Brad William Henke, and Daniel Sunjata.

Continue reading ‘The Stand’: Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg & More Join The Cast Of CBS All Access’ Stephen King Series at The Playlist.

Anything with Stephen King’s name attached to it seems to be gold right now in Hollywood. So many of the author’s novels have been recently adapted into films and TV series, with most of them turning into hits for the studios involved. For CBS and its All Access streaming service, the big King project on the slate is a nine-episode limited series based on King’s “The Stand.” And apparently, the series is hoping to break new ground by having the author return to write a new ending for his beloved novel.

Continue reading Stephen King Hired To Craft A New Ending & Write The Final Episode Of CBS’ Upcoming ‘The Stand’ Miniseries at The Playlist.

Continue reading Producer Says ‘The Stand’ Is In A “Holding Pattern,” Plans For Companion TV Series Axed at The Playlist.

Samuel L. Jackson Eyes Stephen King's 'Revival,' Josh Boone To Direct Before Making 'The Stand'

Continue reading Samuel L. Jackson Eyes Stephen King’s ‘Revival,’ Josh Boone To Direct Before Making ‘The Stand’ at The Playlist.

Continue reading Josh Boone’s ‘The Stand’ Will Be Expanded To Include 8-Part Showtime Minieseries at The Playlist.

Continue reading Director Josh Boone Says ‘The Stand’ Will Now Be A Four Movie Event “With A Cast That Will Blow People’s Minds” at The Playlist.

Matthew McConaughey Wanted For Stephen King's 'The Stand' And Former Michael Mann Project 'Gold'

Continue reading Matthew McConaughey Wanted For Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ And Former Michael Mann Project ‘Gold’ at The Playlist.