After the chilling events, of a possessed man, in the last episode, we begin episode 4 of The Stand with the 5 people in charge at Boulder discussing what should be done next. They decide that having a Town Hall meeting with the survivors would be the best course of action but they are unsure of what to say to the group. The religious meaning behind the visitation of the Dark Man could send the town into a frenzy and the group isn’t sure this is the best way to approach the situation.
During the meeting, we can see some small cracks starting to show in the townsfolk as they start asking questions of Stu and company. Stu is not the best public speaker and is not handling the questions well when Larry steps in to calm the situation down. Once the people are under control Stu explains that there should be some permanent leadership put in place and the group of 5 are voted in as the leadership by committee.
After this Stu sets up a neighbourhood watch, of sorts, with volunteers working in shifts to ensure the safety of the town going forward.
It was after this meeting, on his way home, that Harold is surprised by Nadine at his house. Nadine uses her sexuality and Harold’s natural hatred of Stu to recruit Harold to the side of the Randall Flagg, or the Dark Man. Nadine tells him that they need to eliminate the 5 in charge to become the followers of Flagg. It is a very uncomfortable scene to watch as Harold is a very awkward individual and Nadine uses this to bend him to her will. Nadine is an evil woman and Harold will be her patsy in Boulder as the rest of the show unfolds.
We move back to the committee members and their current meeting discussing the clear threat that could be coming for them. Not knowing what they are up against the group decides to send 3 people, separately, to Las Vegas to investigate what exactly is going on. It is an incredibly dangerous mission as it could mean that any one of those 3 people will not be returning. It is also a dangerous undertaking because it is going against the direct wishes of Mother Abagail and who knows what consequences this could have for the 5.
The episode finishes with Nadine, and her lacky Harold in tow, stealing explosives from a ski ranger shack. In the process of this Harold’s only friend in Boulder, Teddy stumbles upon the two and their thievery. Nadine pulls out a gun and kills Teddy worrying he would expose their plan. This draws a very evil smile from Harold completing his heel turn. ( Yes, I’m going to work in a wrestling reference)
The fourth episode of The Stand built on the unease that we saw in the first 3 instalments of The Stand series. The wheels are being set in motion for everything to start falling apart. Nadine and Harold are beginning to put their plan in motion and the group of 5 are so preoccupied with what is going on in Las Vegas that they are blind to all else. This could be the reason why Mother Abagail did not want any action to take place.
Flagg made no appearance in this episode but Amber Heard did a great job as his proxy. Her acting has been superb so far and she has the evil vixen role nailed. She has become a very despicable person during the show and Heard has been able to flush out the character perfectly.
Heard is not the only one crushing her performance as nearly every actor is on top of their game. In a story of good and evil, each actor is making us genuinely care about the fates of all involved. A particularly great scene is the goodbye between Tom Cullen, one of the spies sent to Vegas, and Nick. Tom saved Nicks’s life on their way to Boulder and the goodbye between the two is heart-wrenching as they know they may never see each other again.
The table has been sent for a very exciting episode 5 of The Stand as the spies make their way to Vegas and Harold/Nadine look to set their plan in motion. Tune in next time!