The House of the Dead is the fourth episode of CBS All Access miniseries, The Stand.
Synopsis[]
The Boulder Free Zone Committee looks to solidify their leadership and bolster the community with a town hall meeting, but Flagg continues to make inroads as he plots to destroy the newly-forming society from within.
Plot[]
After the warning from the dying crucified man in Vegas, the leaders in Boulder are at a crossroads. They need to decide what to do. Deciding to omit details about the dying man's message to avoid widespread panic, Stu calms the assembled community and appoints a city watch to patrol the town. Harold Lauder then surprises everyone by leading the crowd in electing the ruling council as permanent leaders for the community. However, he is still secretly planning to murder Stu.
Back home, Harold is surprised by Nadine Cross, who takes him inside seductively before telling him that she knows that he wants to kill Stu and reveals that her mysterious benefactor wants to enlist Harold's help in taking out Abagail and the council. In exchange for Harold's cooperation, Nadine agrees to fulfill Harold's sexual desires as long as she herself remains unsullied and thus able to become Randall Flagg's bride once their murderous task is completed. Harold eagerly agrees to this offer.
In a flashback, Harold gets rebuffed by Frannie Goldsmith when they traveled together across the country, with him initially attributing this to her developing feelings for Stu. As the two continue on the road, they are stopped by a trucker who has forcibly abducted two women to serve as his sex slaves. Easily overpowering Harold and Frannie, the trucker binds Frannie and prepares to beat Harold to death before he is distracted by Stu and Glen Bateman. While one woman is killed in the crossfire, his other hostage, Dayna Jurgens, beats the trucker to death with a metal pipe. The group then decides to meet Abagail in Boulder, with Frannie quickly growing close to Stu and revealing she became pregnant just before Captain Trips struck.
The council privately decides to send three individuals from the community to spy on Flagg's rival community at Vegas and report back after the next lunar cycle. Despite the considerable risk, all three recruits - Dayna, Judge Farris and Tom Cullen - all agree to the task.
Flashbacks reveal Nick Andros and Tom coming across a young woman named Julie Lawry, who nearly kills them both after they are put off by her cruelty towards Tom. Following their escape, Nick and Tom encounter Abagai, the lone survivor of a nursing home, and begin to create the new community at Boulder.
As the community celebrates the restoration of electricity following the three spies leaving for Vegas, Harold and Nadine sneak into the town's ski patrol supply area to steal explosives used to trigger seasonal avalanches. However, they are discovered by Harold's friend on city watch, Teddy Weizak. In order to keep their secret, Nadine guns Teddy down before a horrified Harold.
Flagg's plot to destroy Boulder's leadership is quickly gathering momentum, with Harold and Nadine already claiming their first victim as they gain the means to blow the Boulder committee sky high. However, Stu and his associates have made their own secret move against Flagg, as they've got an advance party performing reconnaissance to figure out just what Boulder is up against before a war starts.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- James Marsden as Stu Redman
- Amber Heard as Nadine Cross
- Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood
- Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith
- Owen Teague as Harold Lauder
- Henry Zaga as Nick Andros
- Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen
- Irene Bedard as Ray Brentner
- Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman
- Alexander Skarsgård as Randall Flagg
- Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail Freemantle
Guest Starring[]
- Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens
- Eion Bailey as Teddy Weizak
- Angus Sampson as
- Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry
- Gabrielle Rose as Judge Harris
- Nicholas Lea as Norris Ridgewick
- Olivia Cheng as Sylvia Wen
- Gordon Kyle Diez Cormier as Joe/Leo Rockway
Co-Starring[]
- Bruce Blain as Poul Impening
- Lisa Chandler as Susan
- Joe Costa as Townsperson #1
- Liza Huget as Townsperson #2
- Tarun Keram as Steve
- Angus Sampson as Garvey (murderous truck driver)
- Mike Wasko as New Arrival
Gallery[]
Photos[]
Trivia[]
- In the ad for Hemingford Home that Nick and Tom see, one of the "happy residents" pictured is a badly photoshopped Stephen King.
Production[]
Featured Music[]
- "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" by Johnny Cash (over the montage of characters preparing for the Town Hall Meeting).
- "Gimme Little Sign" by Brenton Wood (over the closing credits).
References[]
See More[]
| The Stand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Medium |
Novel • 2020 Miniseries • 1994 Miniseries | |||
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Main characters |
Stu Redman • Nadine Cross • Glen Bateman • Fran Goldsmith • Abagail Freemantle • Larry Underwood • Tom Cullen | |||
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Villains |
Randall Flagg • Trashcan Man • Julie Lawry • Lloyd Henreid | |||
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Supporting characters |
Harold Lauder • Rita Blakemoor • Leo Rockway | |||
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2020 Miniseries Episodes |
"The End" • "Pocket Savior" • "Blank Pages" • "The House of the Dead" • "Suspicious Minds" • "The Vigil" • "The Walk" • "The Stand" • "Coda: Frannie in the Well" | |||
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1994 Miniseries Episodes |
"The Plague" • "The Dreams" • "The Betrayal" • "The Stand" | |||