Nerds That Geek Miniseries Review: ‘Storm of the Century’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

It has often been said that modern society is only a couple meals away from anarchy and that’s a thought that most of us don’t want to subscribe to. Because mankind has done a lot of work to build a world free from fear and chaos, and while it hasn’t quite been one-hundred percent successful at that, we’ve come pretty darn close. For a lot of people live relatively safe and simple lives, full of food and comfort and the thought that we could potentially de-evolve into barbarians over something as simple as food seems distant and silly. But the fact of the matter is, we still have a long way to go as a species, and we are quick to give into our baser instincts, when the opportunity presents itself.
 
However, while we don’t like to acknowledge that particular fact, we see it happen time and time again on the news before wondering aloud what exactly is wrong with people. If anything, seeing those primal acts happen from afar gives us a strange sense of comfort since it seems like such things only happen in places foreign to us, and that thought helps us to believe that such madness could never find its way to our hometown. But one has to wonder, how we would react If that kind of ugliness came to our doorstep, and it presented us with an unwinnable scenario, the kind where it was us or them. Would we hang onto our civility? Or do what must be done in order to see another day? And it just so happens that Stephen King explored those questions in his 1999 miniseries, Storm of the Century.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this particular tale, in it we are introduced to the good people of Little Tall Island, a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone and everyone gets along with one another so well, that Norman Rockwell would have been proud to paint and immortalize this community. But with everyone living on such a tiny island, from time to time they are faced with some ugly challenges from the natural world and this winter they’re staring down a powerful blizzard, one that brings something unexpected with it. For a mysterious man named Andre Linoge has appeared on the island, and he presents the good people that live here with quite the devastating choice, one that will transform the lives of everyone on this island, forever. 

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So, the first real item of note that is worth discussing, is the sheer fact that this is an original King idea, one that is specifically written for the small screen and dang it, it’s really good. Because over the course of three episodes, King does an incredible job of building this small and colorful world and I love the fact that the story takes place in a perfectly isolated environment, allowing for us to properly explore what people would do when presented with the choice that Linoge gives them. Because one might think that handing over a child is an unthinkable sin, but when the alternate option is to see their lives end in horrific fashion, well it doesn’t take long for the good people of Little Tall Island to discuss their options and that’s where the story shines.
 
Because it quickly becomes an exploration of fear and what it does to people when it doesn’t let up and the end results are fascinating to watch on screen. For suddenly these fine Americans, the kind that would seemingly give their neighbor the shirt off their back and a bowl of hot soup if it would help them out, engage in legitimate discussions of sacrificing a child to save their own hide. And it is chilling to watch fear infect just about everyone in this small town and see them transform into a mob that is able to rationalize the ‘pros’ of surrendering a child to ancient being that will likely take an innocent life and corrupt it with evil, and that truly speaks to fear’s far reaching power and it’s a sequence of events that gives the audience pause as they quietly wonder how they would handle this situation.
 
If anything, all of those elements make this story supremely bleak when all is said and done. But much like an accident on the highway, you’re compelled to see this through to the end and that’s thanks in large part to the fine acting present here since Colm Feore does an amazing job as the twisted yet charismatic Linoge, and Tim Daly’s performance as Constable Mike Anderson is the perfect foil to Andre’s evil, since he’s the only man who doesn’t give into the fear permeating this island. In fact, he is perhaps the only redeeming character in this tale since he’s the voice of reason and his actions serve to remind us of the most important lesson that this saga has to offer in that; we simply cannot give into fear and must fight it with every fiber of our being. Either way, this was quite the cool miniseries when it hit the airwaves in 1999, and if you get a chance to see it, please do so, because it really is a fascinating ride.

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