The Stand begins and The Flight Attendant comes in for a landing
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, December 17. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
The Stand (CBS All Access, 3:01 a.m., miniseries premiere): “A character-based approach is appropriate given that King’s characters are often cited as his greatest strength. But The Stand is so big, with so many characters—King’s expanded version, generally considered the definitive text, runs more than 1,150 pages—that an adaptation’s emphasis on one plotline is likely to come at the expense of a half-dozen others. Garris’ four-part version wasn’t enough to contain King’s story, and neither is this nine-part effort. Will those unfamiliar with the story be able to enjoyably process the complex narrative and abundant character arcs with the added challenge of navigating a peripatetic, time-hopping structure? The pilot, the cleanest and most efficient of the six episodes available for review, argues that they will.” Read the rest of Randall Colburn’s pre-air review. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya’s recaps will run weekly.
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max, 3:01 a.m., limited series finale): In its first four episodes, The Flight Attendant gives off the same sunny appeal of blue sky TV shows like Monk and Psych. But the back half of the season is where Steve Yockey’s adaptation of Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel really takes off. Cassie (Harley Quinn’s Kaley Cuoco, in another standout turn this year) has quickly gone from flaky party girl to unreliable narrator to semi-proficient private eye, though she’s made plenty of forehead-slappingly bad decisions along the way. The globe-trotting finale “Arrivals & Departures,” which follows the gutting penultimate episode, “Hitchcock Double,” sees Cassie team up with someone who once posed the biggest threat to her life, as she confronts both her present and her past. The 45-minute episode is a moving conclusion to the first season of this HBO Max Original, which has grappled with substance abuse and trauma recovery with great sensitivity and style. Look for our post-mortem interview with series creator and executive producer Steve Yockey on the site later today. [Danette Chavez]
Can you binge it? You can, and it is eminently bingeable.
Regular coverage
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access, 3:01 a.m.)