The Stand

Court is fucking in session!

Is that all he has

over you is fear?

Lloyd, fucking shoot that man.

That he's nothing without your fear!

- -

It doesn't feel right. Something's not right!

No!

Make them pay! Make them pay!

Make them pay!

Let's get this party started.

Any last words?

- I will fear no evil! - Shut up!

I brought you the fire.

He's gone.

Who is?

The Dark Man.

Can you see him? Can you see... can you see Stu, Joe?

Joe, tell me, can you see Stu? Can...

Oh, shit.

I wish I could tell you every story has a happy ending.

Truth is, most stories don't end at all.

Not really.

Feels like every day we're making progress.

But the question is where are we headed,

and how much farther do we have to go before we get there?

How long before we go from rebuilding

back to just living again?

And how long after that before this place

goes back to being just like before?

Sometimes it feels like

Captain Trips was like flipping a breaker switch.

Everything's new, a chance to do it all different.

But every day I wonder... will we?

Will we do anything different this time?

Can we, even? Are we capable?

Which brings me to you.

When you got here, you were perfect.

Seven pounds, six ounces of everything

I never knew I always wanted.

Everyone broke out the liquor.

Just about all the booze we'd been hoarding,

raised in a toast to you,

to the future you promised.

It was a hell of a party.

And then...

Dr. Wen and I tried telling each other

it was probably just croup or something.

Even regular flu. Anything but that.

But then, your neck started to swell.

As soon as it was clear you had Trips,

we all asked ourselves the question.

7.3 billion people caught Captain Trips.

7.3 billion people died.

Not one person recovered.

There was no hope.

How could we let you suffer?

I hate that the notion ever crossed my mind,

but it feels important to tell you that it did.

But there was no way. I just couldn't.

I know Glen would say it was selfish

let you keep suffering to spare my conscience.

Maybe he'd be right. I don't know.

No one had ever heard of someone improving

once they caught Trips.

Everyone we'd seen or heard about just got worse

and worse until they died.

Even when I knew we had you back,

I couldn't shake the image.

There you were, surrounded by all those empty cribs.

Of course, they won't stay empty.

Jen and Tyler Curtis' baby was just ten weeks behind you.

He came early.

But he never got Trips.

First baby born to two immune parents.

So far, so good.

Maybe there's hope for us yet.

God, I wish you could meet Stu.

People keep trying to get me to send scouts to Vegas,

see if they can find out what happened to our people,

to Flagg, what made those lights in the sky.

I keep saying, "No, it's too dangerous,

we can't spare the manpower."

Is it possible I just don't want to know the answer?

I mean, how long do I wait before I accept

that he must be dead?

And how long until I stop dreaming about him?

Hey, look at... H-Hi!

Oh, hey. Perfect timing.

I hate going down these stairs alone.

You guys carry on, okay? I'll-I'll catch up.

We're, uh, just on our way to help set up

- for tonight. - Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I don't f... I don't feel much

like being around people right now.

Yeah.

Well, I-I hope you're planning on coming down.

You know, it's important that people see you,

you out there and, you know, both of you.

Yeah.

You're the only connection that the rest of us

still have to her.

Until the others get back.

Right.

Till they come back.

- -

Hey, I...

Are you real?

Ask me again in a little while.

Tom saved my life, Frannie.

Meet Abagail.

Abagail.

Hey, Abby. Meet your daddy.

Hey, there, girl.

Hey, Abagail.

- -

- -

- - Oh!

Let's slow it down, people.

Oh.

I love this song.

I'll be back.

- Something wrong, honey? - No.

: Nothing. I don't know.

I'll bet you do.

I think you'll think I'm crazy.

Aw. Don't know about that.

Why don't you try me?

I want to go back to Maine, see the ocean.

I mean, Boulder's wonderful, a-and it's safe...

Well, no.

Safer than out there. I know that.

I mean, there's civilization and our friends are here,

but it just...

feels like it's so...

I don't... in the middle of things.

You know, back in February,

I knew everyone by their first name?

Then all the snow went, and we've got 500 more.

At least 500.

Three in jail.

Only drunk and disorderly and vandalism right now,

but sooner or later it's gonna be something worse.

- Stealing and... - Murder.

I mean, I don't want to think that way, but yeah.

Mother would have called it the Old Adam.

It always comes out.

Are you saying what I think you are?

Will you risk the baby?

Everything's a risk.

Even now, with Flagg gone.

We don't have to stay. We could come back.

Yeah. We could do that.

Come back and just... if only to see how folks are making out.

Will you think about it?

Yeah, I'll think about it.

In the meantime, may I have this dance?

So, when do you want to go?

Hmm?

Do you really mean it?

Mm, brought all those, didn't I?

[firecrackers popping in distance]

Yeah, it's getting a little loud here, isn't it?

I mean, it ain't New York City yet, but...

When do you want to take off?

- Soon. - Yeah?

As soon as we possible.

Close the circle.

That's right, East Texas.

Close the circle.

- -

- I got it. - Uh-uh-uh.

My turn.

Definitely my turn.