The Dark Tower has received almost universal panning from critics, primarily for producing an adaptation that condenses 6 books worth of material into a feature-length summary. King's books are layered and complex, and deserve more room to breathe than was allowed in this case. Cramming 44.7 pages of writing into every minute of running time isn't conducive to a good viewing experience. The makers of Mr Mercedes have done the opposite, eking a single book out over ten 60-minute episodes. Predictably, the finished products are worlds apart. I hungrily devoured the Bill Hodges trilogy, finishing each one in turn and counting the days before the subsequent release. I had no idea there was a TV adaptation in the works, and so finding out that there was came as a very welcome surprise, but not without some trepidation. I watched the pilot without having looked at who had been cast in the main roles, and in hindsight I honestly can't think of a better choice than Brendan Gleeson (thankfully sans any attempt at an American accent) as the retired detective taunted back into action by 'the one that got away', played with just the right amount of nuanced psychopathy by Harry Treadaway. The addition of a sexually liberated neighbour character initially had me worried, but acts as an offbeat comic makeweight to the otherwise considerably bleak subject matter, and adds some extra heart to the dynamic. I can only hope that the series continues in the same vein, with the wonderfully cantankerous Hodges raging against the dying of the light in his own inimitable style in the hope of getting that one last clearance that has tormentingly eluded him for so long. Also, and I know this is a lot to ask, could Finders Keepers and End of Watch get their own adaptations in due course? Pretty please?

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