‘The Stand 1×07: The Walk’ Review
Stars: James Marsden, Odessa Young, Owen Teague, Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard | Created by Josh Boone, Benjamin Cavell
It is fair to say that by now we know that The Stand hasn’t really delivered in terms of the characters, but there is still one way it could redeem itself, and that is to improve on the ending when compared to the 1994 mini-series. With promises of a new Stephen King written ending to the show can it actually deliver?
In the aftermath of the Vigil Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) sends her committee off to face Flagg in New Vegas. On the same journey Nadine (Amber Heard) and Harold (Owen Teague) race to join with the Dark Man (Alexander Skarsgard) and receive their payments.
This is the part of The Stand where things get moving, and while the group may be walking all the way to New Vegas, thankfully this doesn’t slow the episode down. We get to see just what is in store for Harold, Nadine finds out just what her place is in the new world promised to her by Flagg, and the confrontation with Flagg finally begins.
What impressed me about this episode is the fact that the show actually redeems itself a lot in it’s quickening pace as the big finale nears. The main story elements that are important to the plot are well placed, and we even feel a little pity for Harold as he finally realises what his part was in the plans of both Nadine and Flagg. Though it is arguable when you see what happens to her, maybe he got the better ending.
One of the main things that works well in this episode, is that we finally get to see behind the magic of who Flagg is, and where he builds up his power. We begin to see the weakening faith people have in him, and most importantly Lloyd (Nat Wolff) continues to show his fear of the man he should be worshipping. The fact that the Dark Man’s power is so frail though is a nice hint of what is to come, and the cracks that are starting to become bigger in the world he is trying to create for himself.
In many ways the weaknesses of The Stand are past fixing, the characters can’t suddenly have a huge refresh to make them feel more fleshed out and likeable, they are what they are at this point. What it can deliver though is a conclusion to the story that actually feels like it delivers, and in many ways The Walk is an episode that actually feels like it delivers. Hopefully the next few episodes can continue to do this and we will be given a conclusion that feels a little more substantially than the previous attempt.
***½ 3.5/5
The Stand is available on StarzPlay in the UK now.
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