WARNING: Major spoilers for The Stand episode 3 "Blank Page" (and the book) ahead
The Stand on CBS All Access dropped a The Shining easter egg in episode 3, "Blank Page", that hints at a Stephen King universe connection. The question is, what does it really mean? Are the creators of the latest adaptation of King's pandemic epic acknowledging Randall Flagg's association with King's other work?
The Stand episode 3 is centered around the Boulder Free Zone. When a strange man shows up - and appears to have been crucified - Mother Abigail knows he's been sent by Flagg to deliver a message. The message, of course, is Flagg's intention to kill Mother A and everyone in the Boulder Free Zone. As this man is telling his story, about how Flagg came and offered everyone a chance to "be on top for once", there is a moment where he is kneeling down before Flagg. In the background, the famous carpet from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining can be seen; this carpet pattern is located in the hallway outside of room 237. This connection to The Shining seems to open Flagg up to the larger Stephen King universe. It also hints at Flagg's ability to walk in multiple worlds and dimensions, as he does in The Dark Tower.
In the Stephen King universe, Randall Flagg goes by many different names. In The Stand, he's called a number of things, including The Walking Dude, The Hardcase, and The Dark Man. He's also called The Adversary by Glen Bateman, The Grinning Man by Tom Cullen, and Old Creeping Judas by Ratty Erwins in the novel. In The Dark Tower books, he goes by Walter O'Dim, Richard Fannin, and the Man in Black. The point is, Flagg is far more than the evil man he appears to be in The Stand. He has a long history in King's work and is often considered to be King's greatest villain.
How The Shining & The Stand Could Connect
It is very interesting that Mother Abigail draws everyone to Boulder, Colorado considering its proximity to the Overlook Hotel and the events that take place in The Shining. In fact, the Torrances are from Boulder, Colorado and their apartment is on Arapahoe Street, the same street where Harold Lauder's house is located in The Stand. This seems to point to the fact that there is something about Boulder that draws people to it. While the Boulder from The Shining may not be the same Boulder that's seen in The Stand, there's a distinct possibility that the two realities exist very close to each other. In this way, they are connected in the Stephen King universe and tied together by the Dark Tower at its center.
Danny Torrance may not exist in the exact dimension where the events of The Stand take place, although if he did, he'd likely be one of the survivors of the Superflu. However, it is likely that the Overlook Hotel exists in the same world. That said, a place like that has very little to do with Randall Flagg and his intention to sow chaos in a post-pandemic world. Still, there are several characters in The Stand who appear to shine, and it's possible this ability has something to do with why they've survived.
The Stand Theory: Why Some Superflu Survivors Are Immune
There's a theory that posits that the survivors of the Superflu pandemic are immune because they all have the shine. In fact, it's possible that the reason they are immune is that they shine. This would explain why everyone who survives then begins to have dreams of Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg. It would also explain why so many characters have prophetic dreams and other shine-like powers.
In King's novel, several characters appear to have the shining. Stu Redman has several dreams that seem to predict the future, especially before he meets Mother Abigail. Of course, Mother A herself appears to shine. While she claims to have been chosen by God, she also makes reference to the "shining lamp of God", perhaps to imply that the shine comes from God. Others with shine-like abilities/moments include Joe/Leo and Tom Cullen. On Flagg's side of things, the Trashcan Man seems to have some form of shine, however twisted it may be. The point is that it's very possible the reason this group of people survived the Superflu is that they all shine a little.
Does Randall Flagg Know About The Shine (& The Overlook)?
If the shine exists in the universe in which the events of The Stand take place, then it's also likely that the Overlook Hotel exists as well. That said, Randall Flagg does not necessarily know about such things. However, while it's possible Flagg is unaware of the Overlook Hotel, it's hard to believe he doesn't know about the shine. In fact, if the shine is responsible for the shared dreams, then Flagg is partially responsible for tapping into the collective consciousness of the human survivors to send out his message. He even visits several people in their dreams to make business proposals. For instance, he approaches Nick Andros in this way to offer him a position as his right-hand man.
Nadine Cross is also able to communicate with Flagg by using a planchette via a sort of spiritual connection. This feels similar to how Danny Torrance is able to connect and communicate with the spirits of the dead. Either way, Randall Flagg displays many supernatural powers of his own, including control over wolves and crows, and doesn't seem impressed by what Mother Abigail can do or any of the others.
Overall, the shine doesn't seem to be much of a threat to Randall Flagg. His intention seems set on destroying Mother Abigail and the Boulder Free Zone so that he can rule over the human race as he sees fit. After that, he might hop to a different world where he can sow further chaos, perhaps orchestrating a devious plan of treachery against the Deschain family in service of the Crimson King. It's hard to say. Nevertheless, CBS's The Stand has opened the possibility for Alexander Skarsgard's Randall Flagg to make some appearances in future Stephen King adaptations.