Summary
In the years to come, two of horror’s most prominent minds will be coming together for one of the most ambitious collaborations either has ever taken part in, and that is Mike Flanagan’s adaption of Stephen King’sThe Dark Towerseries. Aimed for a multi-season series at the least, the pending franchise is an adaption of the horror author’s most remarkable series, a fusion of fantasy, horror, and Western themes that follows the last of the gunslingersas he seeks the Dark Tower, the axis of all reality, as evil forces threaten to topple it forever. There are a lot of expectations that come with such a project, but there is one thing that Mike Flanagan should attempt to avoid as much as possible in the show’s first season: Stephen King easter eggs and references.
AsThe Dark Towerseries evolves throughout its various books, comic books, and more, fans who know it have connections to some of Stephen King’s most popular and well-regarded novels, fromThe StandandSalem’s LottoItand so much more. Yet, to stand on its own legs and find its audience, the show’s first season needs to focus on Roland’s core mythology and backstory, the show’s protagonist,and the world that the Dark Tower inhabits. That is why Mike Flanagan’sDark Towerseries needs to avoid these references, no matter how much fans may want it.
The Dark Tower, Explained
The story of theDark Toweris vast and spans an entire multiverse of Stephen King’s creation. At the core of this story is Roland Deschain, the last survivor of a great people known as the Gunslingers. Facing his mortality and survival, he dedicates himself to his people’s final mission:to protect the Dark Tower. The Dark Tower is a nexus point from which all reality is connected, held up by several beams of energy that run through multiple worlds. Every beam that breaks causes untold apocalyptic ruin throughout each world the beam runs through, and the fall of the Dark Tower would destroy all existence.
The first book in the seriesis Roland’s hunt for the man in black, a powerful wizard who helped lead the enemies of the Gunslingers to destroy their kingdom and plunge the land into chaos. The adventure focused on Roland’s past, how he became a gunslinger, and the relentless pursuit of his enemy as he traveled alone. It wasn’t until he came across a young boy named Jake that Roland’s internal struggle for his mission and the walls he put up around himself after he lost everyone that the story truly took hold, and his final confrontation with the man in black opened Roland’s eyes to the multiverse as a whole, and the true power the Dark Tower held.
The rest of the series expanded upon this story considerably, and the books that followed would not only expand the world of theDark Towerbut show just how connected the story was to the other books Stephen King has written over the years. The Man in Black was also Randall Flagg, the mysterious evil leader in the acclaimed novelThe Stand. At the same time, a creature very similar to that ofPennywise the Dancing Clownappeared in the series' final book.
Mike Flanagan’s First Season Needs to Avoid Other Stephen King Books
Avoiding Stephen King’s references in the upcoming Mike Flanagan show is impossible. The director is known for leaving subtle easter eggs in his shows,much like he did inHaunting of Hill House,Midnight Mass, and more. He’s even taken on other Stephen King adaptions in the past, includingGerald’s GameandDoctor Sleep, so avoiding any easter eggs isn’t the solution. The key is not focusing on the essential references that connect his other books directly toThe Dark Tower.
The first mention of acharacter or setting from another of King’s books(at least officially) cannot be found until the second book, in which characters fromThe Eyes of the Dragonare mentioned in passing by Roland as he came across them from a distance not long before the events of the first book. Thus, any direct references or connection to these other novels should wait until the second season of the series, allowing the first season to stand on its own feet and focus on some of the key moments of the history of theDark Tower.
Within the confines of a television show, Flanagan can focus on the events of the first book and other elements. There is so much mythology behind Stephen King’s universe, from mentions of an ancient race known as the Great Old Ones and the Great Cataclysm that ended their civilization to the rise of Arthur Eld, the first of the Gunslingers and a great protector of the realm, and, of course, the events that led Roland to become a gunslinger at such a young age and the fall of his home of Gilead as a whole. The show’s first season has so much story to tell that anydirect references that connect to other King booksneed to wait until the acclaimed director has fully realized this vast world, as theDark Towerseries deserves.
Stephen King
Stephen King is one of the most prolific living authors. A master of horror, King’s classic works include The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, It, and the Dark Tower series. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted to film and television, including The Shawshank Redemption, Lisey’s Story, 1408, Secret Window, and The Stand.
