The Vigil

The Vigil
Series	The Stand
Season	1
Episode	6
Air date	January 21, 2021
Writer	Jill Killington & Knate Lee
Director	Chris Fisher
Episode guide
Previous	Suspicious Minds
Next	The Walk

The Vigil is the sixth episode of the CBS All Access miniseries adaptation of The Stand. It aired on January 21, 2021.

Synopsis

While all of Boulder fears for Mother Abagail's safety, Stu organizes search parties to ensure her return, presenting an opportunity for Harold and Nadine. In New Vegas, Flagg recruits a dangerous new follower.

Plot

Trash arrives in Las Vegas and is taken by Lloyd Henreid to meet with Randall Flagg in his private penthouse suite despite Lloyd's visible doubts about Trash's capabilities. Flagg promises Trash with the opportunity to create a mighty fire by retrieving a powerful nuclear warhead for him from a nearby military base, with its personnel killed by the contagion. Trash eagerly agrees to his task while Flagg orders Lloyd to search the area outside of Vegas for Judge Farris, the next spy sent by Boulder.

The identity of Tom Cullen as the third spy remains hidden from Flagg, frustrating the villain to no end, even as Tom continues to work as part of the gladiatorial ring's cleanup crew. With that in mind, Flagg stresses that Farris needs to be taken in alive so he can interrogate her.

Flagg learns that a group of gang members tasked by Lloyd to capture Farris failed to bring her in alive. Bobby Terry claims that Farris attempted to kill him, prompting him to shoot her in self-defense. Livid that his orders weren't followed, Flagg traps Bobby in a glass elevator to his penthouse and devours him in full view of the New Vegas community. As Flagg emerges, he realizes Julie Lawry is aware of Tom's identity and, after speaking with her, has his men search for Tom who has since gone into hiding after deciphering Dayna Jurgens' final message to him.

As Stu Redman and Harold search for Abagail, Harold contemplates shooting Stu in the back but decides an explosive end would be more fitting. Nadine drops off the bomb, disguised as a package of care cards drawn by her students with the committee, to be opened at the vigil. In the meantime, Frannie Goldsmith conducts her own investigation of Harold, only to be discovered and locked up Harold after she finds his bomb-making materials.

In a vision, Nadine's adopted boy Joe is able to locate Abagail, with the kindly, old woman taken to the infirmary. As the Boulder community moves away from Abagail's home to celebrate the news, Nadine and Harold set off the bomb, with Frannie arriving on the scene too late to warn everyone. The exact damage toll from the bomb is currently unknown, though Nick Andros was next to it when it went off, suggesting he was killed instantly.

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
• Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid
• Irene Bedard as Ray Brentner
• Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman
• Alexander Skarsgård as Randall Flagg
• Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail Freemantle

Guest Starring

• Ezra Miller as Donald Elbert/Trashcan Man
• Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry
• Fiona Dourif as Rat Woman
• Clifton Collins Jr. as Bobby Terry
• Nicholas Lea as Norris Ridgewick
• Gordon Kyle Diez Cormier as Joe/Leo Rockway
• Gabrielle Rose as Judge Harris

Co-Starring

• Mark Gibbon as Burly Guard #1
• Paul Jarrett as Head Custodian
• Sunita Prasad as Sophia
• Seth Whittaker as Burly Guard

Production

Featured Music

• "Black Betty" by Ram Jam
• "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed (over the closing credits)