Episode 1: "The Rabbit Hole"

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Rob from NJ

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Sep 4, 2014
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The first episode, "The Rabbit Hole", has been posted on Hulu's website! The changes are really interesting, like the writers didn't think the story would be thrilling enough as is. Franco usually strikes me as smug, so I kind of saw him as miscast initially, but he grew on me as time passed.
I HATE the changes already. King's book was perfect and they screwed with it from the beginning. Second, I HATE that I had to purchase Hulu. They don't have CLOSED CAPTION and they didn't release the series all at once like Netflix does. I HATE that I have to spend $5 more so I don't get the annoying commercials. Netflix does not have commercials. They have one streaming price. Oh, yeah...they have a better selection. "Hulu and Chill" is NOT in the national vernacular.

Dear Stephen King: Why the hell would you let them bastardize another one of your great novels and then hide it in obscurity on Hulu?
 

~Ally~

Well-Known Member
Nov 11, 2008
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3,626
I can't find fault with the first episode at all...I'm highly impressed. As with any book to screen adaptation there's always going to be changes, but at the moment I don't feel there's any significant changes that detract from the original story. The writers/producers are actually right on track for where I expected/hoped the first episode would end. It's a nice little "cliffhanger" -- even for those of us who have read the book -- and builds suspense for the next episode. The only problem is...
I want to watch all of the episodes now!! :biggrin2:
 

Rob from NJ

New Member
Sep 4, 2014
4
7
56
I can't find fault with the first episode at all...I'm highly impressed. As with any book to screen adaptation there's always going to be changes, but at the moment I don't feel there's any significant changes that detract from the original story. The writers/producers are actually right on track for where I expected/hoped the first episode would end. It's a nice little "cliffhanger" -- even for those of us who have read the book -- and builds suspense for the next episode. The only problem is...
I want to watch all of the episodes now!! :biggrin2:
What do you mean no significant changes? Read on...
OK...first...his name is Jake and not George in 1960. (Oh, wait..it's 1960 and not 1958..hello?!? Where's the Poulin shooting incident and Cribbage stuff. Why is it in Kentucky and not Derry? Why is the Yellow Card Man allowed to go beyond the area of the 'rabbit hole'? He met Sadie early. Where's the Kennebunk Fruit Stand and the great root beer? What the heck is this boarding house? The whole evilness of Derry is lost and its mirror Dallas loses some of its charm. This is so bastardized and it's only the first episode. But I agreed with one thing you said....Netflix would have released the entire series at once so we could 'binge'.
 
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~Ally~

Well-Known Member
Nov 11, 2008
10,095
3,626
I HATE the changes already. King's book was perfect and they screwed with it from the beginning. Second, I HATE that I had to purchase Hulu. They don't have CLOSED CAPTION and they didn't release the series all at once like Netflix does. I HATE that I have to spend $5 more so I don't get the annoying commercials. Netflix does not have commercials. They have one streaming price. Oh, yeah...they have a better selection. "Hulu and Chill" is NOT in the national vernacular.

Dear Stephen King: Why the hell would you let them bastardize another one of your great novels and then hide it in obscurity on Hulu?

Hmmm...so you have a lot of hate then?? I'm sure you didn't have to purchase Hulu...nobody is forcing you to watch it. Personal choice my friend. :smile2: And I am more than aware of the original story, thank you, but for me personally none of the changes appear detrimental to the story so far. We're all entitled to our opinions, I'm quite happy with what I've seen, whereas you're disappointed...c'est la vie.

PS; It's only the first episode...maybe you'll witness Jake enjoy his root beer in episode two. :wink2:
 

raggedyman79

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
126
602
44
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
I HATE the changes already. King's book was perfect and they screwed with it from the beginning. Second, I HATE that I had to purchase Hulu. They don't have CLOSED CAPTION and they didn't release the series all at once like Netflix does. I HATE that I have to spend $5 more so I don't get the annoying commercials. Netflix does not have commercials. They have one streaming price. Oh, yeah...they have a better selection. "Hulu and Chill" is NOT in the national vernacular.

Dear Stephen King: Why the hell would you let them bastardize another one of your great novels and then hide it in obscurity on Hulu?
He's pretty loosey-goosey with how his work is adapted. And I don't think Hulu is particularly obscure. Lots of people I know watch Hulu. SK also is a fan of new mediums; he was one of the first writers to embrace the Amazon Kindle. So having his work be among the first projects in Hulu's original programming is probably really appealing. And if they're willing to pony up the money for the rights, he's probably not ashamed to sign off.
 

raggedyman79

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
126
602
44
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
What do you mean no significant changes? Read on...
OK...first...his name is Jake and not George in 1960. (Oh, wait..it's 1960 and not 1958..hello?!? Where's the Poulin shooting incident and Cribbage stuff. Why is it in Kentucky and not Derry? Why is the Yellow Card Man allowed to go beyond the area of the 'rabbit hole'? He met Sadie early. Where's the Kennebunk Fruit Stand and the great root beer? What the heck is this boarding house? The whole evilness of Derry is lost and its mirror Dallas loses some of its charm. This is so bastardized and it's only the first episode. But I agreed with one thing you said....Netflix would have released the entire series at once so we could 'binge'.

LOL From one extreme to
the other! The basic gist of the story is still intact. The yellow card man's jurisdiction has expanded to add more scary elements. The miniseries is obviously playing up the "you don't belong here" angle, which is okay, since it's organic to the book. Nothing was changed or omitted so egregiously that I'll stop watching.
 

Rob from NJ

New Member
Sep 4, 2014
4
7
56
Hmmm...so you have a lot of hate then?? I'm sure you didn't have to purchase Hulu...nobody is forcing you to watch it. Personal choice my friend. :smile2: And I am more than aware of the original story, thank you, but for me personally none of the changes appear detrimental to the story so far. We're all entitled to our opinions, I'm quite happy with what I've seen, whereas you're disappointed...c'est la vie.

PS; It's only the first episode...maybe you'll witness Jake enjoy his root beer in episode two. :wink2:
Yes..I DID have to purchase Hulu. Because that's the only place where it's available. Epic fail Stephen King and whomever contracted the rights to them. This is looking like "Under The Dome" already. By then end, President Kennedy will be changed to Margaret Thatcher and we'll be in London instead of Dallas. The book was PERFECT! Why mess with it? I have read it four times. And if the root beer is in episode two, then it's wrong. It should be in episode one and 5 minutes in. Bastardized.
 

AnnaMarie

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Feb 16, 2012
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Can I just clarify...the majority of people here do know that "Netflix and Chill" has absolutely nothing to do with actually watching Netflix, right?? :blush: Just checking so we're all on the same page.

A certain baseball player recently discovered what it means.

Was Drew Storen Literally Doing ‘Netflix And Chill’ When Nats Traded Him To Blue Jays? | MLB | NESN.com

But that takes nothing from Rob from NJ 's point.

Btw, Rob from NJ, thank you making me glad I am not paying to get the station it is showing on here. (though I am glad it is showing in Canada for anyone willing to pay for the channel.)
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
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120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
The first episode, "The Rabbit Hole", has been posted on Hulu's website! The changes are really interesting, like the writers didn't think the story would be thrilling enough as is. Franco usually strikes me as smug, so I kind of saw him as miscast initially, but he grew on me as time passed.

James Franco can be very good (127 Hours and Milk to name a couple) but I think you can really tell the projects he is interested in and the ones he isn't interested in. He phones it in for some roles but can be awesome in others. Hopefully, this will be one of his good ones.