WARNING: Spoilers for The Stand episode 1, "The End", ahead

The Stand on CBS All Access makes a fundamental change to Stephen King's novel by shifting the year in which events take place. Although the latest adaptation of King's epic about a pandemic that spreads across the United States appears to better capture the spirit of the novel than the previous miniseries from 1994, the choice to set it many years after the timeline put forth in the book is an interesting one.

The Stand is one of Stephen King's early novels. Originally published in 1978, it follows the events that take place after a deadly version of the flu, known as the Super Flu or Captain Tripps, spreads across the United States, wiping out all but a few lucky survivors. Like many of King's novels, it takes place in the "present". King rarely mentions the actual year in his novels. Instead, he assumes his readers will imagine his novels taking place in times roughly similar to when the book is published. However, a lot has happened in the world since The Stand was published over 40 years ago. Technology has changed how people perceive and interact with the world around them, and setting CBS' The Stand in the late '70s or early '80s would give it a very different feel.

Related: Why CBS' The Stand Has A Huge Advantage Over The 1994 Miniseries

Part of the problem with setting The Stand in 1978 would be how this would affect the horrific nature of the story. The threat of a deadly pandemic taking place in present times gives the story a more realistic feel, especially considering the reality of the COVID pandemic. For this reason, the latest adaptation of The Stand on CBS All Access takes place during a year roughly equivalent to that of the real world, though it's not explicitly mentioned as being 2020.

CBS' The Stand Is Set In Present Times

Nadine Cross in The Stand.

Choosing to set CBS' The Stand in present times is one Stephen King likely agrees with. After all, the horror genre is dependent on using realistic elements to tell a story that is as believable as possible, even one based around shared dreams and the demonic powers of Randall Flagg. For this reason, it's likely the series was proposed to be set in 2020 or thereabout.

Of course, whether producers knew it before they started shooting or not, 2020 is the ideal year to release a new adaptation of The Stand. Given the current situation involving COVID, telling a story about a deadly pandemic spreading across the United States is more relevant than ever. Watching The Stand, it's easy to imagine Captain Tripps standing in for Coronavirus, setting the stage for an epic struggle between good and evil.

While the exact date is not mentioned in early episodes of the show, smartphones are present in some scenes before the pandemic wipes out the electricity and cellphone towers. Also, a Blu-Ray version of the movie Skyscraper with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shows up at one point. Since Skyscraper was released in 2018, it's safe to assume The Stand on CBS All Access is set in the current year. Given the unprecedented nature of 2020, it makes perfect sense.

Next: Why The Stand Series Could Be The Best Stephen King TV Adaptation So Far