Dow Jones’s Reviews > The Dead Zone > Status Update

Johnny names deputy Frank Dodd as the killer & Bannerman punches him & argues in his defense but slowly succumbs to the realization that the timeline matches & there’s another case when he was on police training. Dodd’s mom knew all along, covered up, & J seeing into her intensified his headache. Found Dodd w/ lipsticked “I CONFESS” & his own slit throat in a bathroom. Wild stuff & like the movie a bit.

Johnny’s brought up to date on the strangler by reading the newspaper and he calls Weizak to give him a piece of his mind for his indiscretion. Weizak agrees, apologizes, and Johnny feels worse knowing Sam sides with him and was only doing what he felt was the right thing. Johnny’s having a killer headache; is this a tumor? Impending death signal?

S&J have sex twice during her visit to consummate the marriage and child that never were & then they don’t talk for 3 more years. Inside View dude wrote a piece calling J a fraud & he gets hate mail til Christmastime when Castle Rock’s sheriff calls to get his help w/ the strangler case & J flips hearing Weizak gave his unlisted number. Also prepping to start teaching again soon w/ new apt. Driving again.

Johnny kicks the Inside View editor out of his house literally & feels bad for all those poor readers being duped by fraud staff writers. Greg Stillson blackmails his banker bro, Chuck Gendron, to use his Lions Club & businessman powers to find him $50k to run for House of Reps. No violence, just pics of his infidelity.

Johnny receives a ton of mail while at his dad’s house and people are a bit crazy with their packages & requests. Walt downplays Johnny’s abilities & Sarah gets furious. She writes Johnny a card & letter and proposes a visit. It takes everything in Johnny to stay calm and cool when replying as his emotions for her are still strong and new after 6 months of dating, but 5 years for her apart.

Johnny takes up the challenge of a reporter during a press conference & tells of his druggie sis & how she died. Vera was watching, had a stroke, & J&Sam went to visit where she told him to listen to the voice and do his duty. Greg Stillson intimidates & threatens George Harvey’s nephew for wearing a lewd shirt. Kid was a hot shot & pissed his pants.

Johnny knows Vera will die soon if she doesn’t take blood pressure meds. His ops were so expensive his dad can never retire. J’s offered his old teaching job back. During physical therapy, very funny therapist, his vision of her kitchen fire sparks the media fuel that’ll report his powers.

Johnny gets his first two operations and the pain afterwards is crippling. Weizak calls his long-lost mom & hangs up. Sarah comes to visit & she has a bit of a breakdown when Johnny tells her where her lost ring is & she finds & flushes it. Depression is rough & he’s pissing himself frequently now that he’s awake.

Johnny wakes up, meets his parents as Vera’s told to calm down her outbursts, and he starts undergoing neuro tests. It’s here we learn the dead zone is that gap in memory or recall of things previously known. Weizak has a good impression on Johnny and Johnny tells him of his mother’s life and where she lives. Very compelling medical stuff. Fetal position is due to ligaments shortening.

Herb puts his foot down after Vera tries to sell their house and Goodwill everything. Sarah marries Walter Hazlett and they quickly have a baby on Halloween. Two boys discover the killer’s 4th victim in snow. Johnny went almost fetal then slowly recovers & wakes up. Herb & Johnny’s parts bring up profound thoughts and questions on life/death/limbo. Really interesting read.