'The Shining (1997)' Retro Recap: 'Part 3'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Over the past couple of days, our discussions on the 1997 made for television remake of The Shining have helped to bring one important thing to light; that this miniseries is a phenomenally good and faithful adaptation of the source material, and it’s done an amazing job of taking its time in order to tell this harrowing story. After all, the first chapter did a wonderful of job of establishing our characters and their true identities, before ramping up the tensions and the scares in part two but seeing as to how I haven’t watched this miniseries in ages, I couldn’t 100% remember if the finale lived up to the quality of the first two episodes. 
 
I remember it being good and being satisfied with the ending the first time around and as I settled in to watch this grand finale, I came to the realization that this ending, doesn’t match the quality of what came before it…instead it exceeds it through and through. Because ‘Part 3’ of this tale is a tour de force of storytelling, one that ramps up the terror to new levels by in essence, spending most of its time completing Jack’s transition into madness and that’s really what makes this episode so incredibly impressive.
 
Because this is the completion of Jack’s journey and really, it’s stunning to see him go from a hopeful man in the first episode, to a complete and utter monster in this tale and what truly brings his story around full circle in this one, is the sheer fact that the Overlook Hotel finally pulls out the big guns and uses Jack’s greatest weakness to win him over by supplying him with as much booze as possible, and it turns out that what it takes to break a man like him is to liquor him up…and amplify the fear and doubt in his mind and give him something to believe in and once he takes that first sip, you know that the Overlook has him hook, line and sinker. 

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But while that’s heartbreaking and dark in its own right, it was grossly overshadowed by Jack’s assault upon his family because that whole sequence was downright savage and uncomfortable to watch. If anything, this part of the story really felt like it was never going to end as it continued to assault my senses and while it was tough to sit through, the payoff was worth it. Because the biggest surprise to come out of this miniseries, is the sheer fact that it ends on a positive note, with Jack redeeming himself for all of his mistakes in life, and the family he shunned is what’s responsible for bringing him out of the darkness.
 
This little twist is surprising for several reasons. First because Stephen King stories tend to steer clear of happy endings in order to give us a realistic finale, and while this isn’t exactly a perfectly joyful ending, it’s damn happy for a King story and it was equally as surprising to see King use the age-old concepts of a father’s love and his desire to give his son every chance to succeed in life in order to close out the story. But it works, and it gives the ending some serious gravity and it is quite wonderful and satisfying to see Jack redeem himself and do something heroic and know that he truly loved his family through and through.
 
When all is said and done, I truly have a newfound respect for this miniseries. Because it really is a living tapestry storytelling wise and it takes us on such an incredible ride, and while I know how the story continues since I finally got the chance to read Doctor Sleep, it was nice to see Stephen King try out a happy ending for a change, if only for a moment, and honestly, I may need to re-watch this saga once again in the coming days to further reflect upon all the nuances and little moments that I might have missed because this really is an amazing adaptation of this timeless tale. 

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