The newest Stephen King adaptation to television is quite a bit different than the stories he's well known for. Lisey's Story debuted on Apple TV+ on Friday and rather than featuring a killer clown such as in It, or a special take on vampires like in Salem's Lot. In many ways, Lisey's Story stands out because the focus isn't really anything supernatural at all. That's not to say that there aren't aspects of something literally otherworldly, but this particular story is more about the human condition. This story's focus is much more about dealing with loss, with a healthy dose of mental health issues thrown in for good measure.

What also sets Lisey's Story apart from most of Stephen King's other work is that this has a bit of a mystery mixed in as well. There's the mystery that the main character, Lisey Landon is trying to unravel in the form of a "Bool Hunt" after her husband's death. There's also the mystery of just how he died in the first place. Finally, there's the mystery of just what sort of otherworldly presence is involved in this story. It's the mystery aspect of Lisey's Story that actually makes it perfect for the small screen rather than a movie theater. Eight episodes of television will hopefully be able to really look at this book adaptation and do it justice.

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Meeting The Fam

lisey's story characters

The focus of Lisey's Story's first episode, "Blood Bool: Part 1" is all about introducing the main characters of the show. It turns out all of them are damaged in some way. There is, of course, Scott Landon who is dead. A famous author who was shot during a groundbreaking for a library by an obsessed fan. However, he didn't die from that wound. At least it doesn't seem to be what he died from. That's the first twist the viewer is introduced to as they're also introduced to his widow, Lisey Landon. In this Stephen King story, it's two years after Scott's death and Lisey is not handling it well.

Of course, at least part of the reason Lisey isn't handling it well is that she's being constantly hounded by a college professor named Roger Dashmiel (Ron Cephas Jones). After she rebuffs his requests to get his hands on Scott's final unpublished manuscripts, Professor Dashmeal enlists the help of Jim Dooley (Dane Dehaan). Because Stephen King is weaving all sorts of different mental health issues into this story, it comes as no surprise that both these men have some serious anger issues. Though clearly, Dooley's are quite a bit more pronounced than Dashmiel's.

There are also Lisey's two sisters. Amanda and Darla - played by Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh respectively - have their own baggage and problems. Though Amanda's problems are much more severe than anyone else in the show so far. Amanda is a "cutter" who is also prone to bouts of catatonia. In the first episode of Lisey's Story, Stephen King paints the most shallow picture of Darla, whose biggest problem appears to be that she doesn't like her husband very much.

Beyond those six main characters, there are a few bit players here and there. One, the doctor whose care Amanda is eventually remanded into does play a big part in setting up what supernatural aspects this Stephen King story has in it. But Lisey's Story centers around the six main characters of the show. Considering the acting firepower encompassed in those six characters, it makes quite a bit of sense why the focus is on them. In addition to the aforementioned actors, Scott Landon is played by Clive Owen, and Lisey Landon is portrayed by Julianne Moore.

It's clear that Apple TV+ wanted to make sure if there are any shortcomings in Lisey's Story, the acting chops of the cast was not one of them. To that end, the show appears to have accomplished its goals. The actors, when given good dialogue, do it up well.

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Aggressively Depressing

Lisey's Story's first episode, "Blood Bool: Part 1" is a well-done piece of cinema that feels more like a play than a television show. There isn't a ton of action in the first hour of the series. Part of that is because it's all about introducing viewers to the cast and characters. The story is, like just a few other Stephen King adaptations, more about the minds of the people involved rather than a monster or ghost or alien stalking them.

Because the cast is as talented as they are, the main point of this story is driven home quite clearly. There isn't much happiness in the world of Lisey's Story. In fact, the only happiness ever shown on screen in this first episode is when Lisey is remembering her and Scott's wedding night. Because of that, the show is aggressively depressing. In a way, this Stephen King story stalks the viewer with a kind of "wait till they see what's next" kind of steady stream of bad news.

To be as clear as can be, there really aren't any light-hearted moments in Lisey's Story. That makes this show stand out from the rest of the stable of shows on Apple TV+. Even the more serious programs like Servant let up on their aggressive tone every now and then. There's no letup here. That can make it hard to watch from beginning to end as several characters go through some very traumatic events. The first episode of a series is always going to have some drawbacks because they are focused on really introducing the viewer to the story and the people in it. They're rarely the best part of whatever series they are a part of. That makes the opening act of

Lisey's Story that much better. It sets the stage, introduces the people viewers will get to know over the eight-episode run and does so while grabbing the audience and not letting go. As far as series premieres go, this particular Stephen King adaptation does its job quite well.

Lisey's Story's first two episodes are on Apple TV+ now, with new episodes airing every Friday through July 16.

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