The Stand takes major steps backwards in “The Walk”

While The Stand had been gradually building up tension and developing characters week after week, new entry “The Walk” is nothing more than a filler episode when audiences really need more excitement.

Last week’s episode “The Vigil” ended with Nadine Cross (Amber Heard) and Harold Lauder (Owen Teague) setting off their bomb meant to kill the survivors in Boulder, and ultimately were only successful in killing Nick Andros (Henry Zaga). As you can imagine, the group of leaders is now in need of guidance more than ever, and fortunately, Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) wakes up and tells them what to do.

Shining a light on the glaring issue with adapting an 823-page (1308-page if we’re talking the uncut version) book into a nine-episode miniseries, “The Walk” is both rushed and boring, as it moves the story along but fails to connect with the viewer.

After she awakes, Abigail quickly tells the group that she had been mistaken about Nick, and that actually, Stu Redman (James Marsden) is the chosen one. She advises them to leave Boulder that day to travel to New Vegas to confront Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), and warns them all that not everyone will survive the journey. This bit makes it fairly obvious there will be a death this episode, or at the very least a major mishap.

The episode then goes the usual way a story does when select members are off on a journey. Stu has to say goodbye to Frannie Goldsmith (Odessa Young), which is actually really upsetting considering everything they’ve gone through, plus the fact that she’s pregnant. But as everything is rushed along, we don’t get enough time to feel much. Similarly, Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) says goodbye to Joe (Gordon Cormier), leaving him in Fran’s care.

The seventh episode of The Stand gets us closer to the conclusion, but the show seems to be losing steam as it goes

If you were under the impression that Nadine and Harold would still be a team after leaving Boulder, think again. Soon after they flee on motorcycles, Nadine runs Harold off the road and suggests that he’s better off dead than in the hands of Flagg. In a surprisingly gory scene, Harold is hurled off his bike and left badly injured after Nadine takes off. Their relationship was once interesting, but it’s run its course. Harold later shoots himself after coming to terms with his fate.

As the Boulder group — Stu, Larry, Ray Brentner (Irene Bedard) and Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear) — set off on their adventure, we get an unnecessary montage with oddly uplifting music, really muddling the overall tone the series had developed. Are they in danger going to meet Flagg, or are they on a promising expedition? To be honest, I wasn’t sure while watching this.

Ultimately, it turns out that Stu is the one who won’t survive the journey, which was hinted at far too heavy-handedly, making it no surprise at all. After falling back into a deep break in the highway, he breaks his leg and pretty quickly tells the others they must go on without him. Considering throughout the show Stu had been painted as the hero character, this makes sense, but again the scene is extremely rushed and leaves little time to get emotional.

Now free from Harold, Nadine is reunited with Flagg. While out in the desert she is somehow transported to New Vegas, where she and Flagg consummate their relationship. This, of course, is not without some concerns, as Nadine quickly realizes something is “not right,” and Flagg turns into some sort of monstrous, ashy being on top of her. This scene is inevitable, but it goes on a bit too long. We already knew there was a sexual attraction between the pair and that Flagg is an other-worldly force, so why take time out of an already rushed episode for this? Well, we do find out one reason at the end.

Nadine’s storyline in this adaptation is much more positive than it is in the book, but unfortunately it’s getting uninteresting and unoriginal.

When the Boulder folk finally get to Vegas, they’re transported by limo with Lloyd Henreid (Nat Wolff), a character who had so much potential in the beginning but completely dwindled as the episodes went on. The entire thing is just silly. They look out their windows and see the Vegas strip, complete with Randall Flagg’s giddy face on almost every building. Like other parts of this episode, I can’t tell if their arrival is supposed to be actually dangerous or what.

Once Larry, Glen, and Ray are greeted by Nadine, the situation escalates when they see that Nadine has a big pregnant belly and her face looks sunken in and ghostly. Just as it was inevitable that Nadine and Flagg would have sex, it was also pretty obvious that they would procreate. This big “surprise” in the episode’s conclusion is ineffective and really does nothing for me. As the credits rolled, I found myself thinking, really?

The Stand took a few steps forward with the previous few episodes, and unfortunately took some major steps back with “The Walk.” I can no longer tell if this show is supposed to be scary, dramatic, or perhaps even funny at times. With two more episodes left, however, of course I’m going to keep watching and hope for the best.

Episode Grade: C

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