# I'm planning to re-watch "The Stand" mini-series - anyone in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625 "2011-04-08T03:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/41 "2011-04-09T22:24:08Z")
I think it was because they were so close. It took longer as it spread out, but since it mutated so quickly very few were immune. One little vignette from the book has a babysitter with some children that got sick, and apparently started to get well, only to get it again in another form. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/42 "2011-04-09T23:59:31Z")
As mentioned in the other thread, we’re watching “The Stand” mini-series in four parts, the first part being watched and discussed today. So, how’d ya like that? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/43 "2011-04-10T00:02:23Z")
Campion, you bastard! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/44 "2011-04-10T00:05:24Z")
Harold, as I recall was a) fat b)slightly threatening in the books. So that wasn’t working for me, for him to be this really innocuous skinny shlub. Also as someone else said, I pictured Randall Flag as being very well groomed, and rather cheerful. The whole refugee-from-ZZ Topp look does not thrill. Surprisingly good production values, considering. I actually like Molly Ringwald. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/45 "2011-04-10T00:38:39Z")
I didn’t think Molly Ringwald was horrible as Fran, just not as I pictured her at all. And really, her mother was so horrible I wish they had shown some of that, even if it was just to say “thank god that bitch is dead!” instead of the cheesy scene about her in the garden. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/46 "2011-04-10T01:20:36Z")
Just started part one right now. I haven’t seen this for 17 years, so it’s a weird feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/47 "2011-04-10T01:36:04Z")
Merged two threads about the mini-series. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/48 "2011-04-10T01:41:03Z")
BTW, the ad for “Flu Friend” slayed me, it was sooooooooo 90s with the slightly hip-hop black businessman high-fiving the cartoon product. Oh, and I was curious to see how they put “Baby Can You Dig Your Man?” to music, they did an excellent cheesy job of it and when she said “It’s #1 on VH1” I lol’ed… let just say even then that didn’t exactly evince hard-rockin’ street cred. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/49 "2011-04-10T02:03:35Z")
I had forgotten how much I loved an uncredited Kathy Bates as Ray Flowers in _Speak Your Piece_. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/50 "2011-04-10T02:53:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Merged two threads about the mini-series. Thanks, dude. I didn’t plan this perfectly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/51 "2011-04-10T04:09:36Z")
OK… at about 49:30 in “The Plague”, a familiar-looking black man accosts Larry… anybody recognize him? Is it Kareem? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/52 "2011-04-10T04:19:16Z")
Since the US response was lead by the dad from ALF (who immediately just _grabbed_ Stu Redman by the arm, despite the fact that Stu has been exposed to a disease with a 99.4% communicability+fatality rate), we were doomed from the beginning. ☹ I’ve always been confused by the nature of the accident, one so severe that people died where they stood, released the plague, and allowed Campion to flee. Before the miniseries I had always assumed that the accident was non-plague related (like an explosion or a chemical/gas breach or something) but the miniseries makes it even more baffling by showing many of the victims with the physical symptoms of Captain Trips (swollen neck, etc). Anybody with a theory that makes sense? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/53 "2011-04-10T05:34:46Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Since the US response was lead by the dad from ALF (who immediately just _grabbed_ Stu Redman by the arm, despite the fact that Stu has been exposed to a disease with a 99.4% communicability+fatality rate), we were doomed from the beginning. ☹ > > I’ve always been confused by the nature of the accident, one so severe that people died where they stood, released the plague, and allowed Campion to flee. Before the miniseries I had always assumed that the accident was non-plague related (like an explosion or a chemical/gas breach or something) but the miniseries makes it even more baffling by showing many of the victims with the physical symptoms of Captain Trips (swollen neck, etc). Anybody with a theory that makes sense? I believe there is a line about how the virus was more concentrated inside the facility so it killed people immediately. It may have just been in the book though. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/54 "2011-04-10T05:49:33Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > OK… at about 49:30 in “The Plague”, a familiar-looking black man accosts Larry… anybody recognize him? Is it Kareem? Yup - his character is called the Monster Shouter. I’m not sure if this was in the book or not, but I have a feeling that the plague being released, the gate being slow and Campion running was all nudged into place by the Dark Man. My theory is that the Dark Man jostled someone’s elbow at just the wrong time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/55 "2011-04-10T07:41:27Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > OK… at about 49:30 in “The Plague”, a familiar-looking black man accosts Larry… anybody recognize him? Is it Kareem? Yeah, I didn’t know that was him until last night; I was never a big sports fan, and prior to last night, I’d always just watched the movie on TV, where they tend to really minimize the size of the closing credits, so they can fit in more commercials. Watching it on Netflix, I could really watch the credits. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/56 "2011-04-10T13:34:35Z")
> [@LVBoPeep](#): > > I didn’t think Molly Ringwald was horrible as Fran, just not as I pictured her at all. She wasn’t horrible; her acting was perfectly adequate. It’s just that she wasn’t _right_; she wasn’t what Franny looked or sounded like. (Also, they should never, ever let Molly Ringwald have any control over her own wardrobe (in anything, not just _The Stand_). I think she thinks she’s looking avant garde, but she just looks either funny or dreadful.) > [@LVBoPeep](#): > > And really, her mother was so horrible I wish they had shown some of that, even if it was just to say “thank god that bitch is dead!” instead of the cheesy scene about her in the garden. She didn’t hate her mom, but she and her dad were very close, something she had never achieved with her mother. [QUOTE=Cat Whisperer] I’m not sure if this was in the book or not, but I have a feeling that the plague being released, the gate being slow and Campion running was all nudged into place by the Dark Man. My theory is that the Dark Man jostled someone’s elbow at just the wrong time. [/QUOTE] I can just hear his giggles of glee (in my imagination, that is). Yeah, I think it’s always been a plot hole, that people on the army base died essentially instantaneously. I think King loved the imagery, and didn’t examine the plausibility of it too deeply. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/57 "2011-04-10T17:06:13Z")
So, my wife and I finished watching it(part one, I mean). It’s a bit slow, actually. Does it pick up now that all the world is pretty much dead? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/58 "2011-04-10T17:36:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > So, my wife and I finished watching it(part one, I mean). > > It’s a bit slow, actually. Does it pick up now that all the world is pretty much dead? I think it really starts picking up/getting interesting once the main characters begin to coalesce. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/59 "2011-04-10T18:15:06Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It’s stream only anyway. Huh. Never noticed it’s in my saved queue instead of my real queue. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625/60 "2011-04-10T19:10:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > So, my wife and I finished watching it(part one, I mean). > > It’s a bit slow, actually. Does it pick up now that all the world is pretty much dead? I think part of why King’s books don’t translate well to movies is that movies can’t develop the side stories and smaller character points and the imagery that sets King’s stories apart. If he has his way with screenplays, they don’t fit into movie format either, and turn into miniseries that only work on TV. (Unless a film studio would commit to multiple movies for the same story) IIRC, that’s why he was so happy to have The Shining redone, he hated Kubrick’s adaptation and was really excited to to the TV miniseries. BUT - I think that’s why people often think the miniseries adaptations are slow when King is able to take the time to put his imagery on film. It doesn’t always translate as interestingly as his prose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-planning-to-re-watch-the-stand-mini-series-anyone-in/577625.md?page=4)