Stephen King‘s sprawling dystopian epic is regarded among his very best work, if not the best. Initially published in 1978, The Stand received an uncut and unabridged release in 1990 that spanned 1,152 pages, edging out It as his most extensive novel. Whichever version, the sheer scope of the story and the volume of central characters make it a daunting task to adapt to the screen. CBS first attempted it with Mick Garris’s well-received miniseries in 1994 and now brings a very different reimagining to CBS All Access for a ten-episode series. Of the six episodes offered for review, this new approach to King’s source material boldly reduces its scale to give riveting emphasis on character building yet struggles to set the stakes.