‘The Stand’ is an upcoming American dark fantasy television show that will be streamed on CBS All-Access starting on December 17, 2020.
The show is based on the 1978 novel of the same name written by Stephen King. ‘The Stand’ is an apocalyptic world decimated by the plague and features a struggle between good and evil.
The fate of mankind is held by Randall Flagg, the notorious “Dark Man,” who possessed a dark smile and unimaginable powers. While the show is set to take off, the book should be your first stop.
What Is ‘The Stand’?
The plot surrounds the tragedy of the world dealing with a dark pandemic. These characters would have given anything for safety, but no deposit bonus codes were issued for this community. A weaponized strain of influenza nearly kills the entire planet except for a few survivors united in groups. The survivors establish a new social system, new community, and engage with internal and external conflicts with each other. Classic rules would say that the chances of this show ending up like ‘The Walking Dead’ will be likely. Instead, that is far from the truth.
The story starts off with the readers finding out that a lethal strain of influenza was developed as a biological weapon in the U.S. Department of Defense laboratory. The virus is 99.4% fatal. A security breach causes its accidental release and security guard Charles Campion is able to escape the facility before it is locked down and takes his family out of the state. However, Campion’s car crashes and bystanders in Arnette, Texas become infected.
The government tries to contain the virus, but eventually the entire world is infected. The society collapses with near-extinction of humanity. However, there are a few characters that are immune to the virus. The community gets entangled with “the dark man” and many conflicts follow.
Reception
The book is highly appreciated by his readers and is considered to be one of the best novels that King has ever made. ‘The Stand’ is King’s longest stand-alone work with 1,152 pages and has sold over 4.5 million copies. The book received some much traction as Marvel Comics published a series of comics from 2008 to 2012. Flash forward to the present, the show will have its own series.
The series stays away from the classic movies on netflix and features a new roulette of survival. The appeal was so outstanding that ‘The Stand’ was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1979. In just weeks time, it will likely have a strong following on the stream channel as well.
Conclusion
The show has been in the making for about five years, but has hit speed bumps along the way. The fact that the show is finally being released is a huge step forward for fans of this book. While you can wait to read the book if you are afraid of spoilers, the best play is to start reading the book right now, so you can be ready for the show. You won’t be disappointed.
