A REVIEW OF “THE STAND” EPISODE 6: "THE VIGIL"
Mother Abigail and Flagg take a nice walk in the woods.
Apologies if these reviews are resembling “Faces of Meth,” but “The Stand” gets less interesting each week. There are certainly highlights in “The Vigil,” but they mostly don’t come from the book. We’re treated to 2 enlightening scenes written for the show. First off, we spend the most time with Mother Abigail so far, as she faces off with a vision of Flagg. It’s nice to see them interact, even if it’s for a short period, but as I’ve said before, we need more Mother Abigail. Next, we have a cathartic confrontation between Fran and Harold, where the latter finally lets loose everything that’s been stewing inside of him since episode 1. It’s just as sad and shocking as it’s supposed to be. Owen Teague sells it so hard, you have to wonder if the writers see him as the show’s protagonist. I think he’s had more screen time than anyone.
Clifton Collins Jr. has a welcome cameo as Bobby Terry, one of Flagg’s men. He bids goodbye after assassinating the Judge (Gabrielle Rose), a Boulder spy who never even made it to Vegas. Since killing her wasn’t Flagg’s plan, Bobby Terry is dispatched by Flagg in the show’s proud tradition of missed opportunities. Flagg beats him to death in a casino elevator, even though he’s a supernatural being who turns into animals and crucifies people! Who cares what he can do with his fists when his eyes have an otherworldly glow? Anyone else in that hotel lobby could take him out the same way. At least hire the mentally handicapped arsonist who just arrived at the (heh) Inferno Hotel.
Trashcan Man (Ezra Miller) doesn’t believe in “stop drop and roll.”
Ah, Trashcan Man, we meet at last. Most of my criticism so far has been on the plot and structure, while the cast does solid work, but here it’s the reverse. Don’t call it a miscasting, but the usually-great Ezra Miller goes too hard into the role. His voice is too much, and even his hair is a little too stylized. Still,l has the best intro of any of the characters (soundtracked by Daniel Johnston, another unstable genius with an odd voice. Nice touch!).
The episode ends with Harold and Nadine blowing up Mother Abigail’s home along with Nick and a few others in the process. We’ll get a survey of the wreckage next week, but for this iteration of “The Stand,” the damage has already been done.
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