You may rule by worry momentarily, however that is not going to final.
On The Stand Season 1 Episode 8, when Glen, Ray, and Larry lastly bought nearer to the entire festivities in New Vegas, Glen realized that the home of playing cards was strained on the basis.
Utilizing his frequent sense, Glen stood tall to the tip, by no means inserting blame the place it wasn’t warranted.
The Kangaroo Court docket dramatics of the trial presided over by Lloyd and Rat Girl have been cringe-worthy at finest. That stated, it was paying homage to Idiocracy, and something that brings that to gentle is at all times welcome.
A variety of this manufacturing performs out in an embarrassing gentle. I’ve questioned if it is as a result of the fabric did not maintain up properly, or perhaps as a result of it simply is not getting a good shot by the producers.
However it lastly hit me that, politically, each ruling events of the supposed democracy rule by worry, and the extra we see of it in actual life, the much less entertaining it’s elsewhere.
No, I am not keen to delineate Boulder and New Vegas with both of our political events, however I’m keen to confess that each side veer too far into Flagg’s territory. Hopefully, you see that, too.
The place are our Glens on this actual world? Glen is a terrific character as a result of he is pragmatic and with out a particular religion. He sees each side of each state of affairs clearly, for higher or worse.
You’d assume seeing that clearly can be black or white, however he even had hassle convincing his compatriots to see issues as he did as a result of they lacked his pragmatism.
Whereas locked within the cage, Glen was speaking out loud, not essentially attempting to make a degree. He was placing collectively the entire proof to assist his idea that they’d landed in a spot that was near collapse.
Whereas Larry and Ray recalled the atrocities they ran throughout within the desert as proof of Flagg’s energy, Glen noticed the alternative. When you’ve got a robust following, you do not have to placed on shows as a result of the religion is powerful sufficient with out it.
New Vegas thrives on a pyramid scheme of worry. Flagg reigns, supreme, then his minions, who waver between whether or not or not they’re working with or for Flagg and what meaning, lord over the following group and so forth to the very backside.
It is these on the very backside of the worry totem pole who in all probability by no means depart the poolside as a result of, in an effort to think about the various ranges of terror above them, they’d should be wasted 24/7.
Simply have a look at their chosen hotspot. Flagg is on the very prime of the resort, and worry rolls down by the extent till you hit the most recent useless physique within the drained pool or these, like Tom Cullen, answerable for cleansing up that mess.
It was his pragmatism that allowed Glen to face as much as Lloyd, to see Lloyd for the fearful man he was, and to forgive him, whilst he was being shot to loss of life earlier than a cheering crowd.
Lloyd was by no means Flagg’s first alternative as his right-hand man. Lloyd was comfortable and simply manipulated, and Flagg needed to hope that was sufficient.
It wasn’t the primary time that we noticed Lloyd fighting good and evil. Very like Harold, he made a poor alternative, and each different poor alternative after that allowed him to miss that first horrible determination, justifying his actions going ahead.
However then he runs into somebody like Glen, who is not attempting to sway him a technique or one other. He is simply saying it as he sees it with out malice or any specific agenda. Even somebody as far gone as Lloyd could not miss the sincerity in Glen’s claims.
And as soon as Lloyd’s resolve began to crumble, everybody’s resolve began to observe, even when not as clearly.
To make sure, the Boulder guests turned the tide for Randall Flagg.
Larry’s presence shook Nadine out of her Flagg-induced reverie. Everybody who had some contact with kindness with out judgment might shake themselves out of their trance, even when simply lengthy sufficient to do one factor proper.
Lloyd was ready to free Larry and Ray, even when he did not get the prospect. Nadine killed herself and her satan spawn. It isn’t simply good versus evil that prevailed, however frequent sense over fanaticism.
And relaxation assured, not everybody nodding their heads together with that thought is working towards the frequent sense that I am speaking about.
We have misplaced our manner, and pointing fingers does nothing for anyone, however nearly everybody does it as a substitute of studying the room and accounting for why one thing is going on in addition to that it’s like Glen did.
That is what makes Glen do heroic. He wasn’t probably the most beloved of the Boulderites, however he was precisely what was wanted for the stand to achieve success. Not The Stand, the sequence, however the stand in opposition to Flagg.
He was on the facet of frequent sense, and though he misplaced his life, Glen was the victor on this battle.
So is it any shock that Kojak adopted swimsuit? He saved Stu from killing himself and directed Tom to Stu’s facet. That leaves the brand new denouement from Stephen King to wrap up the story.
Will it have a parallel as important to our precise lives as Glen’s riveting crescendo? I assume we’ll discover out once we watch The Stand Season 1 Episode 9. Be right here to wrap all of it up!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a employees author and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of tv and movie with anybody who will hear. Comply with her on Twitter and electronic mail her right here at TV Fanatic.