WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Stand Episode 1, "The End," now streaming on CBS All Access.
One of the most ambitious and timely of Stephen King's novels is The Stand, which explores the collapse of civilization following a devastating pandemic. Developed by the military in a top-secret bioweapons facility, the contagion -- dubbed Captain Tripps -- sweeps across the world in a matter of days, killing billions when the story opens. And while CBS All Access' adaptation of The Stand remains relatively faithful to the source material, the opening episode has one major deviation from King's book, revealing early that Randall Flagg helped kickstart the contagion's outbreak in the first place.
Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard) is a recurring antagonist in many of King's novels, often taking on different monikers as he carries out his twisted agenda. Often depicted as the living personification of evil, Flagg is a supernatural figure with dark powers that influence anyone drawn into his web. The Stand novel has the villain appear after the pandemic has largely decimated the population, rising to take advantage of the chaos by starting his own community of survivors in Las Vegas, with designs to annihilate all who dare oppose him.
The benevolent, mystical figure Mother Abigail warns all who would hear her message about Flagg right from the beginning, alerting them of the existence of "the dark man" who will test them. And just as Abagail appears in dreams to the good-hearted people that have survived the apocalypse, Flagg appears to the more twisted survivors, initially manifesting as a large wolf until transforming into a man clad in denim. In these dreams, Flagg tells his prospective followers to join him in Las Vegas, Nevada, to rebuild civilization in his image.
A flashback closing out the premiere of The Stand expands on the sad story of Charles Campion, a soldier guarding the military's secret bioweapon facility in California. This is the same facility that developed Captain Tripps. As the manmade virus accidentally infects the personnel and a lockdown order is issued, Campion notices the door leading him to the exit has serendipitously been caught open. After contemplating whether he should follow orders and remain or risk the contagion spreading beyond the base, Campion flees to recover his wife and their baby from their home. They then end up on a cross-country drive to Texas, infecting anyone they come into contact with along the way. The flashback reveals it was Flagg who quietly propped open the door, thus allowing Campion's escape. As the young soldier starts his fateful journey, Flagg grins in the backseat of his car.
Whereas the outbreak of Captain Tripps was completely the fault of the government and Campion's reckless decision to reunite with his family in the novel, CBS All Access' miniseries adaptation of The Stand places the blame on Flagg as part of his wider machinations to subjugate humanity. No longer simply taking advantage of the chaos, the villain nearly wipes out humanity by facilitating Campion's escape and allowing the virus to spread out of control. While the dark man has yet to utter a single word, he has already heralded the apocalypse and, judging by his closing smirk, is only getting started.
The Stand stars Alexander Skarsgård as Randall Flagg, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, James Marsden as Stu Redman, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Henry Zaga as Nick Andros, Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen, Irene Bedard as Ray Bretner, Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Weizak, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, Fiona Dourif as Ratwoman, Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens, Hamish Linklater as Dr. Jim Ellis, Daniel Sunjata as Cobb and Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman. The Stand releases new episodes Thursdays on CBS All Access.