This one focuses more on the apocalypse like state n more on the character of Larry Underwood.
The crow popping the horse's eye is downright creepy.
But like one reviewer pointed out that aft Walking Dead n the real life pandemic situation, this one arrived late for the party. Again this one too was not able to create any tension or suspense.
19 Reviews
Ignore the negative and enjoy the difference
The_Dread_Pirate29 December 2020
Yes it has timeline hopping. If you pay attention it is fine.
The only negative for this episode is Amber Herds casting as Nadine. She just doesn't have enough depth as an actress that this role needs. All the other actors are on point.
Keep the faith
The only negative for this episode is Amber Herds casting as Nadine. She just doesn't have enough depth as an actress that this role needs. All the other actors are on point.
Keep the faith
Better than Episode 1
stefanlos24 December 2020
While I hate the fact that there telling the story like this.( From the middle and going backwards with disjointed flashbacks) I feel like they nailed alot of scenes from the book this week. I didn't hate this episode maybe I just had to lower my standards.But wow I probably would like this show significantly more If Naden Cross wasn't played by Amber Heard.
Really?
brandonneicke6 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Snot and goo coming out of the guys moms mouth and never once do they clean it.
Looks so uncomfortable. She clearly has a virus and he's kissing her hand doesn't even care if he catches it. A lot of non sense. I'm gonna keep watching cause it's adapted on Stephen king so maybe it will get good.
Looks so uncomfortable. She clearly has a virus and he's kissing her hand doesn't even care if he catches it. A lot of non sense. I'm gonna keep watching cause it's adapted on Stephen king so maybe it will get good.
Episode 2 much better
aarontou31 December 2020
Episode 2 much better than Episode 1. In depth development of Larry and Lloyd.
A very good cast. There is less skipping around. Flashbacks are less numerous and more in depth. Can't wait for Episode 3. I give Episode 2, a seven.
Perfect Adaptation Just Keeps Getting Better!
daleover128 December 2020
Wow, this show just keeps getting better! We've got an excellent portrayal of Flagg , "with two G's" and his right hand man Lloyd! And of course Harold, Stu, Nadine and more! It's hard to write this without giving anything away! NO SPOILERS HERE!! There's no holding back on this show. It can get pretty gruesome, as it should. The way the story and the characters are developing makes you care! I got emotional during this one and laughed too! But I'm kind of a sicko! What do you expect from a die hard STEPHEN KING fan! If you are too then you'll love this. Keep watching! It just keeps getting bettter and better! (I know, already said that!)
Better than Episode 1? I Don't Think So...
Gislef27 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I've read a number of reviews who said "Pocket Savior" was better than episode 1, "The End". And... I'm not seeing it.
Yes, we get to see more of the pre-Captain Trips world, and a bit more of the during-Captain Trips world. But then again, we get more of the back-and-forth time-line jumps, and they're even more confusing than in "The End". It doesn't help that Nadine and Rita look a lot alike. I get that Larry is supposed to be drawn to woman of a certain "type". But we're never told why, and it never seems to have any significance to the story.
Yes, in the novel Larry eventually picks up Nadine after (spoiler) Rita kills herself. And he does it to try and redeem himself, for being a bad person in his past life. But the similarity between Nadine, and the white-haired Rita, makes no sense then. If there's a similarity there, presumably it means something. And if it doesn't, what's the point of choosing them to be so similar?
The timejumps also get a bit confusing when the episode starts with Larry in the hardware store, apparently alone. But then he goes back to where not only Nadine and Joe are camped, but a bunch of other survivors as well.
And then characters like Nick Andros are just... introduced. Granted, Nick kinda gets the short-end of the stick in the novel, too. King makes him out to be a lot more significant than he ends up being. But shouldn't the episode address some of the problems with the novel? Here he's just Abigail's doorman. Big whoop. Maybe he'll be more significant in later episode, but from bad beginnings come bad ends and all that.
And "Ralph Brentner" in the comics becomes a female "Ray Brentner" in the show. Girl power! Does it really signify anything important when minor characters get a gender-swap? Not that Nick ever becomes a major character even though he's often described as such, but what's the point if the production staff only gender-swaps minor characters? They want to make a statement, have Nick become Nikki.
Nat Wolff as Lloyd isn't bad, and Lloyd's interaction with Flagg is pretty good. Wolff does a good mix of animal cunning and stupidity, and I look forward to seeing him become smarter, apparently under Flagg's influence. I'm also looking forward to Ezra Miller as Trashcan Man. And seeing Las Vegas: the production staff is holding their cards tight to their vest. Unlike Boulder, which we're already seeing thanks to the flash-forwards.
Jovan Adepo is... okay, as Larry Underwood. He doesn't have much to do, playing the narcissistic rock star. And at least the character in the novel amounts to something. Not that most of the "good" characters in the novel do. We'll see if the series changes that, or if it can overcome the inertia of "evil" just being more appealing because it's more charismatic and thus more appealing. I find what's going on with Flagg, Harold, Nadine, and Lloyd more interesting than Stu, Frannie, Larry, and Nick. Just like in the novel.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Yes, we get to see more of the pre-Captain Trips world, and a bit more of the during-Captain Trips world. But then again, we get more of the back-and-forth time-line jumps, and they're even more confusing than in "The End". It doesn't help that Nadine and Rita look a lot alike. I get that Larry is supposed to be drawn to woman of a certain "type". But we're never told why, and it never seems to have any significance to the story.
Yes, in the novel Larry eventually picks up Nadine after (spoiler) Rita kills herself. And he does it to try and redeem himself, for being a bad person in his past life. But the similarity between Nadine, and the white-haired Rita, makes no sense then. If there's a similarity there, presumably it means something. And if it doesn't, what's the point of choosing them to be so similar?
The timejumps also get a bit confusing when the episode starts with Larry in the hardware store, apparently alone. But then he goes back to where not only Nadine and Joe are camped, but a bunch of other survivors as well.
And then characters like Nick Andros are just... introduced. Granted, Nick kinda gets the short-end of the stick in the novel, too. King makes him out to be a lot more significant than he ends up being. But shouldn't the episode address some of the problems with the novel? Here he's just Abigail's doorman. Big whoop. Maybe he'll be more significant in later episode, but from bad beginnings come bad ends and all that.
And "Ralph Brentner" in the comics becomes a female "Ray Brentner" in the show. Girl power! Does it really signify anything important when minor characters get a gender-swap? Not that Nick ever becomes a major character even though he's often described as such, but what's the point if the production staff only gender-swaps minor characters? They want to make a statement, have Nick become Nikki.
Nat Wolff as Lloyd isn't bad, and Lloyd's interaction with Flagg is pretty good. Wolff does a good mix of animal cunning and stupidity, and I look forward to seeing him become smarter, apparently under Flagg's influence. I'm also looking forward to Ezra Miller as Trashcan Man. And seeing Las Vegas: the production staff is holding their cards tight to their vest. Unlike Boulder, which we're already seeing thanks to the flash-forwards.
Jovan Adepo is... okay, as Larry Underwood. He doesn't have much to do, playing the narcissistic rock star. And at least the character in the novel amounts to something. Not that most of the "good" characters in the novel do. We'll see if the series changes that, or if it can overcome the inertia of "evil" just being more appealing because it's more charismatic and thus more appealing. I find what's going on with Flagg, Harold, Nadine, and Lloyd more interesting than Stu, Frannie, Larry, and Nick. Just like in the novel.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
I'm really trying.
joshua-arcus25 December 2020
I agree with what everybody is saying about the deconstructed timelines doing disservice to the character development in the book.
But my biggest fear about this show is becoming a reality: Alexander Skarsgard's performance of Randall Flagg is 100% "sexy", and, thus far, 0% scary.
"The Dark Man" is supposed to intimidate and terrify simply with his presence. He's surrounded by darkness and his sadistic eyes pierce through things. Was there no visual effect to make the character portrayal even slightly as Stephen King wrote him to be?
But my biggest fear about this show is becoming a reality: Alexander Skarsgard's performance of Randall Flagg is 100% "sexy", and, thus far, 0% scary.
"The Dark Man" is supposed to intimidate and terrify simply with his presence. He's surrounded by darkness and his sadistic eyes pierce through things. Was there no visual effect to make the character portrayal even slightly as Stephen King wrote him to be?
Looking for Something to Like About This
walston817-304-8887825 December 2020
The original The Stand had a great premise, but seemed to fall apart at the end.
So I was hoping this would be an attempt to tell the story better. If its an attempt, it isn't a good one. At least not yet.
I was looking for SOMETHING to like in this second episode. A good performance. A compelling scene. Some urgency. But it just falls flat. Maybe its because we're having a real pandemic right now.
If the director would quit jumping around and tell the story in more linear fashion, maybe it could hold my attention. Let's hope the next episodes are better.
So I was hoping this would be an attempt to tell the story better. If its an attempt, it isn't a good one. At least not yet.
I was looking for SOMETHING to like in this second episode. A good performance. A compelling scene. Some urgency. But it just falls flat. Maybe its because we're having a real pandemic right now.
If the director would quit jumping around and tell the story in more linear fashion, maybe it could hold my attention. Let's hope the next episodes are better.
A bestselling, award winning book just has to be gutted.
DrStranglove27 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
{Spoilers after the first paragraph}. "A" list cast and "z" list writing and directing means I really would like to know why Josh Boone thought he could re-write Stephen King and come up with anything better. You would think my 6 year old could write a script with this source material.
The cast is doing it's best but the haphazard timeline shifts and the adition of material not in the book are just pointless. Example, Mother Abigail is from Colorado not Kansas and exerts a mystic Jim Jones glow: Larry Underwood a serious drug dealer not just a border line junkie, a sewer scene (thank you "It"), Flagg's involvement from the beginning rather than a "half-life" of evil, why jump around the time line?? None of this makes sense and serves only to confuse a novice and infuriate a fan. (Kind of like Josh's work on "The New Mutants.")
Left with this expensive rip off of a literary classic, I only have one question: "How do Josh Boone & Benjamin Cavell keep getting paid to make this stuff?
The cast is doing it's best but the haphazard timeline shifts and the adition of material not in the book are just pointless. Example, Mother Abigail is from Colorado not Kansas and exerts a mystic Jim Jones glow: Larry Underwood a serious drug dealer not just a border line junkie, a sewer scene (thank you "It"), Flagg's involvement from the beginning rather than a "half-life" of evil, why jump around the time line?? None of this makes sense and serves only to confuse a novice and infuriate a fan. (Kind of like Josh's work on "The New Mutants.")
Left with this expensive rip off of a literary classic, I only have one question: "How do Josh Boone & Benjamin Cavell keep getting paid to make this stuff?
Even worse than the first episode
facebook-304-94408525 December 2020
Why do I care for these characters? The disjointed non-linear way in which this story is told completely diminishes any emotional impact that I'm supposed to feel.
Technically this is fine work, but focusing on individual characters to create this story is a misfire. I'm not sure I even want to continue.
Technically this is fine work, but focusing on individual characters to create this story is a misfire. I'm not sure I even want to continue.
Worse than first ep
JICNZ21 January 2021
I probably won't watch any more of this tripe. I've given it two episodes. I can't work out how they could have made this worse. Terrible pacing? Nope, they've done that. Bad casting? Nope, done that. Terrible story telling? Done that. It's hard to believe that something from such a good novel (okay, overlong and needed editing) could be so boring. I actually skipped bits of this episode just to drive it along a bit. We miss out all the great story of the pandemic but have twenty minutes devoted to two people walking through sewers in the dark. We have no apparent backstory for most of the important characters, but a very long time devoted to two people having a boring conversation. It's just so weird. Woopie Goldberg is terrible casting for Mother Abagail. She's the most iconic, enigmatic person in the story and close to 100 years old, so they cast someone whose ego is bigger than the story, who is just playing herself? So distracting. Nope, can't be bothered with this awful series any more.
Trash
greenhavenall24 December 2020
This could have been good
sarrahchang26 December 2020
This adaption could have been good. Heck one could even live with some of the changes but to start in the middle and jarring the watcher from the middle back to the start would be confusing for those who don't already know the story. Add in the character change of Fran, the necessary back story of some of the key characters and you get a half attempt to be edgy with none of the hard hitting epic ness that The Stand is.
Some of the casting is perfect, Harold Flagg, others make you go um what the. Mother abigale and Larry, and Nadine come to mind particularly. They just miss the mark of the character they are playing. It doesn't work at all.
Some of the casting is perfect, Harold Flagg, others make you go um what the. Mother abigale and Larry, and Nadine come to mind particularly. They just miss the mark of the character they are playing. It doesn't work at all.
Not Even Flagg Could Save Us From Boredom
yund-424 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Loved Episode 1, but this one was the definition of mediocre. Larry was boring and their attempt to make him a nice guy who sometimes "ain't no nice guy" felt forced and fake. Harold and Stu were well-scripted and incredibly well-acted in the first episode, and I just didn't get that with the focal characters of this episode. The best part was the final five minutes with the introduction of RF.
Slow and boring
confidential-6789727 December 2020
PANDEMIC
jreeders51829 December 2020
What a waste
Redbird38231 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It is a shame that this episode is as bad as it is. For the most part, I like the casting. The acting was good too. Joe's part was a little strange, but I think that had more to do with the writing.
A few things derailed this episode. First, the changes were bizarre and unnecessary. Why change Wayne Stuckey? Having Larry steal the song changed him too much. That just doesn't seem necessary. Why the gunfight in the middle of the city? What happened when Rita walked out? Did those guys let her go? Stop following? Why not include the tunnel instead of the sewer? I think the tunnel would have been more powerful.
Second, messing with the timeline really failed this episode. They introduced Nadine and Joe with zero background. I have read the book more than once and it left me confused. What about people that haven't? The gift to harold makes zero sense without build up. That was a key part in Larry's character development. He was also tipped off about Harold from the meeting, but that doesn't come across at all in this episode. Then suddenly Nick is introduced as if he is the side character friend of a side character. Very, very strange and disappointing.
Messing with the timeline made this episode an absolute mess. The first episode had some issues and left zero room for character development, but it was still logical and entertaining. This episode was neither of those things. The only reason I continued watching is that I want to see how they portray Nick and Tom. Its a shame. There is zero connection to Larry, Stu, Fran, or Mother Abigail at this point. What a waste of source material and acting.
A few things derailed this episode. First, the changes were bizarre and unnecessary. Why change Wayne Stuckey? Having Larry steal the song changed him too much. That just doesn't seem necessary. Why the gunfight in the middle of the city? What happened when Rita walked out? Did those guys let her go? Stop following? Why not include the tunnel instead of the sewer? I think the tunnel would have been more powerful.
Second, messing with the timeline really failed this episode. They introduced Nadine and Joe with zero background. I have read the book more than once and it left me confused. What about people that haven't? The gift to harold makes zero sense without build up. That was a key part in Larry's character development. He was also tipped off about Harold from the meeting, but that doesn't come across at all in this episode. Then suddenly Nick is introduced as if he is the side character friend of a side character. Very, very strange and disappointing.
Messing with the timeline made this episode an absolute mess. The first episode had some issues and left zero room for character development, but it was still logical and entertaining. This episode was neither of those things. The only reason I continued watching is that I want to see how they portray Nick and Tom. Its a shame. There is zero connection to Larry, Stu, Fran, or Mother Abigail at this point. What a waste of source material and acting.
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