WARNING: Spoilers for The Stand (book & 2020 series) ahead
Teddy Weizak doesn't leave much of an impact in The Stand, but the CBS miniseries found a way to improve the character within its first episode. In the 2020 adaptation, Teddy is used to help shape the arc of one of The Stand's main antagonists, Harold Lauder. Teddy's new influence in the show will likely heighten the emotional impact of Harold's ending.
The television adaptation of the famous Stephen King novel follows the aftermath of a killer flu that wipes out most of the world's population. The series focuses on survivors of the virus who go on to form a new society nicknamed the Boulder Free Zone. Members of the community are plagued with visions from one of two figures — an elderly prophetic woman named Mother Abagail and servant of the Outer Dark, Randall Flagg. Both sides eventually come head-to-head in an all-out war.
The Stand is a classic tale of good versus evil, and Harold is the story's most complicated offering of evil. The newest adaptation pegs him right off the bat as an antagonist in the making; his dark intentions will likely be revealed later in the series. However, the Stephen King television adaptation intentionally shows small glimmers of goodness and a conscience in Harold through his relationship with Teddy.
Teddy isn't much of a memorable character in the original novel. He's a member of the burial committee who is eventually killed in an explosion set off by Harold and fellow survivor, Nadine. In the CBS adaptation, Teddy is a friend of Harold's. They work together and engage in friendly conversation. At one point, Harold saves Teddy's life while on the job and earns himself the nickname "Hawk." Fans of the original novel recognize the powerful significance of this simple nickname.
In the novel and every subsequent adaptation of The Stand, Harold displays sociopathic tendencies, but learns how to become more social and likable. He inserts himself into the community of the Boulder Free Zone and eventually earns the nickname "Hawk" as a sign of respect from men in the community. Harold eventually spirals out of control and flings himself to the brink of immersing himself in Randall Flagg's darkness. However, he has time to sit with his actions and decides to end it all. He leaves a suicide note for members of the Zone to find and purposefully signs it Hawk.
The CBS adaptation of The Stand uses Teddy Weizak to plant the seeds for Harold's character growth. Harold tends to come off as cold or hostile with most of his interactions with other members of the Zone — but not with Teddy. The character is leveraged to show there is some goodness buried deep down within Harold. His interactions with Teddy aren't quite natural and easy, but there's still a simplicity with them. They're friends. Teddy isn't necessarily meant to dismiss Harold's actions, as Harold does some things in the book that are pretty unforgivable. Instead, aligning Teddy's arc with Harold's proves that good and evil isn't always black and white. By improving this minor character in The Stand, the miniseries deepens the themes laid down in Stephen King's book.