The Stand, trying to put the meandering, confusing mess of the pilot behind it, feels a little more coherent in the second episode “Pocket Savior.” The bouncing back and forth between the past and present is still there, and honestly necessary, but executed a bit better this time around. However, the series continues to struggle with the immense cast and sheer scope of what they are trying to say and do, making for another uneven viewing experience.
As in the pilot, where the focus was primarily on Harold (Owen Teague), this week it’s Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo) who gets his chance in the spotlight. He is the prototypical musician in some ways — charismatic, talented, and fun to be around but also incredibly selfish, reckless, and self-destructive. This makes him a great target for both good and evil, but for now, he seems to have made his choice as he makes his way to Boulder to see Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg).
RELATED: TV Review: ‘The Stand’ Episode 1: “The End”
Along the way, he meets Rita Blakemoor (Heather Graham), sparking a rushed romance and yet another struggle for Larry in terms of doing the right thing. Later he continues his journey with a mysterious woman named Nadine (Amber Heard) and a boy she had taken to protecting named Joe (Billy L. Sullivan), who doesn’t talk due to some unknown trauma but sees many things others don’t. Neither of these travel companions are given time to develop much in this episode, but the idea of something not being quite right is pushed on the viewer anyway, in less than effective ways.
Over on the dark side and still very far away, we meet Lloyd Henreid (Nat Wolff) who finds himself stuck in a jail cell as everyone else dies around him, including his cellmate. Desperate, starving, and alone, enter Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård) and a deal is struck. Everyone knows, even possibly Lloyd to some extent, that this will turn out bad. However, at this point in his life, anything is better than being left to die in a cell.
RELATED: TV Recap & Review: ‘The Expanse’ Season 5 Episode 4: “Gaugamela”
The arcs for Larry and Lloyd are done well, giving some depth and sparking some interest there that makes you want to root for them. Yes, even Lloyd, who you know is getting played and is really more dumb than actually evil. Watching the choices they make, both before and after the apocalypse hits. It feels very personal and real, something the pilot really struggled with conveying to the viewer as it bounced all over the place with no real direction.
There was a real feel of horror, grief, heart, and humor at times, which for the most part helped move the episode along at a nice pace. That being said, the show still suffers from the immense story it is trying to convey. Fans of the book may be frustrated while others who have not read it may feel like the narrative hand-holding is a bit much. There is a lot of minor things, and characters that just don’t get fleshed out. I understand why, but as the show moves along, that might hurt it more in terms of getting the viewer invested in the actual characters.
With more characters to introduce, I’m curious about how this series will play out down the line. While “Pocket Savior” was not groundbreaking in any way, it was a step up from the pilot, which hopefully is a good sign moving forward.
RELATED: 12 Fun Christmas Horror Movies to Lighten Up the Holidays
