‘The Stand’ Recap: ‘Pocket Savior’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘The Stand’.
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Each and every one of us out there, firmly believe that we have a genuine purpose in life and that belief exists for a reason. Simply because, we all harbor unique and magnificent talents, the kind that really do set us apart from the pack and they motivate us to make them the focal point of our lives. Because deep down we know that if we can make that happen, we will enjoy happiness and peace in ways we never thought possible. But what is genuinely fascinating about our quest to fulfill our purpose, is that said quest, only works within certain parameters. Specifically… modern society. For without its intricate structure, the quest to become a doctor, a mathematician or a musician seemingly becomes meaningless.

For we need people to make our purpose thrive, which begs a horrifying question… in that, what would our purpose become if by chance the world came to an end and humanity ceased to exist? Which is a conundrum that this week’s episode of The Stand takes the time to explore, by introducing us to a musician who is without purpose, and when we catch up with Larry Underwood in ‘Pocket Savior’, he’s basically reflecting upon the chain of events that brought him to this point in life. After all, it wasn't that long ago that his new single, ‘Baby Can You Dig Your Man', was climbing the charts, meaning that at long last; his dreams of being a successful musician were finally coming to fruition. Which should have given him great internal peace since he was fulfilling his purpose in life at last. But instead, all he found was strife, courtesy of the horror that is Captain Trips.

For the arrival of the Superflu and the end of the world sent Larry’s life into a tailspin, one that forced him to kick into survival mode after his mother passed away from this horrific bug. Which made it seem as though the story was going to immediately focus upon what Larry's new purpose in life was going to be. But instead, the episode opted to offer up some unique examinations on this matter, such as how a lack of a purpose can in fact… destroy a person. Since Larry’s new apocalypse companion, a well-to-do woman named Rita Blakemoor, struggled mightily with the end times. For now, there was little for her to do and little for her to look forward to, and without any direction or purpose in life, she took her own, believing that there was simply no point to her existence anymore. 

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Which should have in turn, given Larry clarity and direction as well. But instead, he was still just a man getting by, one that eventually became close with a woman named Nadine Cross and her adopted son named Joe, and they both believed that their purpose at this point was to answer the call that Mother Abigail was sending their way. But even after arriving in Boulder… Larry was still lost and without direction and well, while some would cite this lack of clarity for a character to be a horrible idea storytelling wise, this is actually quite the brilliant decision for certain. Because it appears to be a part of a grand master plan. One that will allow for this series to explore what comes next when one has survived an outright, life-changing cataclysm and of course… what our purpose might look like in life if we were forced to start over from scratch and were facing dangerous odds, the kind that just so happened to be brewing in the background of this particular tale.

For while Larry tried to figure out what his tomorrow is going to look like and his place in the Boulder Free Zone, evil was making some serious moves. For Randall Flagg was making efforts to gather followers of his own and he found simple ways to gain their trust and their loyalty and it was quite unsettling to know that he’s eager to prey upon the weak and broken to his bidding. Since those are the kind of people that will go down swinging when given the opportunity and it is equally as unsettling to know that one of his recruits, has made their way to the Zone. For Nadine holds the sigil of evil that Lloyd Henreid accepted as well, and that undoubtedly means that trouble is brewing in the Free Zone, the kind that will put a damper on everything that Mother Abigail is working to build.

If anything, this was simply a wonderful way to continue to flesh out this new imagining of Stephen King’s iconic novel and a wonderful way to set the stage for a grand showdown between good versus evil. For slowly but surely, sides are being taken and lines are being drawn. And Nadine's decision to commit to evil so early in the story, will undoubtedly allow for this series to properly examine how sometimes evil is a choice. One that people gradually commit to and grow into and it will be quite interesting to watch her gently slide into the darkness as this story rolls along, and it will be equally as fascinating to watch our heroes grow into something more as they discover their powerful purpose in this grand fight, all thanks to evil’s powerful and aggressive machinations. Until next time.

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