The Stand Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back

We all know stories get better when the villains get a turn to play in the sandbox.  Sure, they don’t play nice, and that’s what makes it so much fun.  I don’t know if that’s universally true, but it’s sure true for The Stand

It feels like the introductions are finally over, and now the story itself is finally moving forward.  Herold gets his best scenes, and Dana... wow!  It was nice to finally settle in on a somewhat new character.  What am I talking about, it was just nice to have the story told from beginning to end.

There were enough changes to give the story real tension.  I won’t spoil it yet.

The Dark Man is scary partly because we don’t overdose on him ahead of time.  Up until this episode, he’s only appeared briefly in a few scenes.  Keeping him in the shadows was nice.

Often, the middle of a story is the best because that’s where the bad guys get to reek havoc and raise the temperature.  Just think, why is Empire Strikes Back the greatest Star Wars move ever?  (And it is.)  Because it’s dark, full of tension and there’s something big enough to actually fear.  This episode of The Stand gives us a dose of the Empire Strikes Back.  No, it’s not that good – but it’s the best offering we’ve had so far.

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