The Stand finally raises the stakes for the survivors in “Blank Pages”
We still don’t like the non-linear way The Stand is telling its story, but things are coalescing as it goes on, with the newest episode raising the stakes.
The Stand continues to introduce complex characters and finally advances the storyline in this week’s episode, “Blank Pages.” While last week we were shown some interesting backstories along with teases of what’s to come for our survivors, Episode 3 shows us what’s at stake for them. Just because these people were immune to the pandemic doesn’t mean they’re safe.
“Blank Pages” starts to unravel the backgrounds of two of the more interesting characters in the story: Nadine Cross (Amber Heard) and Nick Andros (Henry Zaga). The episode opens with a young Nadine at what seems to be an orphanage. Right off the bat, it’s clear she’s an outcast. Things get very interesting when a Ouija board comes into play. Though Nadine seems like a sweet and innocent girl, she’s also connected to a dark power somehow. The scene isn’t super lengthy, but it’s definitely effective, and I found it to be the strongest opening in The Stand so far.
We don’t get much else of Nadine’s upbringing, but thanks to the opening scene we now have an ominous feeling about her character, which is only amplified later on in the episode when she uses a planchette to contact Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard). This woman is certainly on my radar now, and I’m curious to find out whether she’s good or evil — or, more likely, somewhere in between.
Meanwhile, back in the present, the biggest plot point involves a man who traveled from Las Vegas to Boulder. Stu Redman (James Marsden) and Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) find him injured on the road. They determine from the deep wounds on his forearms that he’s been crucified — yikes — and bring him to the hospital, and to Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg).
Unsurprisingly, Abigail knew the man from Las Vegas was coming, and the man says that he had dreamed about her. Vegas, of course, is where Flagg resides, and the man explains that he’s come with a message. Immediately after, he becomes possessed by Flagg, who threatens the group.
Finally, the survivors get a taste of the evil that’s coming. They’re trying to rebuild society as peacefully as possible, but now they know that’s going to be way more difficult than they thought.
We’ve seen almost all the central survivors have dreams of Mother Abigail, Randall Flagg, or both, and this episode shows us more. Nick, a deaf and mute man who lost his eyesight in one eye after getting into a fight, is offered a new eye and a voice by Flagg, if he chooses to worship him. When Nick sees Abigail, on the other hand, she tells him he was the one chosen to be her voice.
Elsewhere, we see a flashback of Stu meeting Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear) while traveling to Colorado, although he doesn’t know that’s where he’s headed yet. Through Glen’s paintings, Stu realizes they’ve also been having similar dreams about Abigail.
At this point, most of the survivors know they’re connected through these dreams, with some realizing it sooner than others. After the pandemic, major forces of good and evil have arisen, and the living are going to have to navigate through them. I’m excited to see more of what’s happening in Flagg’s camp, and hopefully more Lloyd Henreid (Nat Wolff).
“Blank Pages” does a pretty solid job raising the stakes while still exploring new characters in that annoying, non-linear timeline it loves so much. While this episode does get a bit melodramatic at times, there are a few strong scenes that hold it together. Things can (hopefully) only go up for The Stand from here!
Episode Grade: B
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