ne day, popular high-school biology teacher Johnny Smith (Hall) finds himself up a tree, literally. Actually, his entire class has joined him so they can discuss nature. Between classes, Johnny sneaks into the janitor's closet to steal a few moments with his fiancee, Sarah (deBoer), the school's
music teacher.
Later that evening, the two go to a carnival, and Johnny ends up facing off against the wheel of fortune to help out one of the students at school. Johnny gained some psychic abilities after a childhood accident, and has an amazing run of luck, picking number after number. Afterward, Sarah and Johnny make plans for the future.
Back at Sarah's apartment, Johnny drops her off so he can fetch some videos for them to watch. It's a rainy night, and in one fateful moment, Johnny's life is changed forever when his car is hit by a truck.
Johnny suddenly awakens to discover he's been in a coma for six years. When a nurse touches him, an overwhelming vision takes hold of him. He sees the nurse's young daughter trapped by a fire and he warns the nurse that it's not too late to save her daughter. Johnny finds out later that because of his
warning, the nurse's daughter was saved from a real fire.
The doctor dismisses Johnny's vision as a hallucination. He tells Johnny that his brain is working in a different way, by using a part of the brain that is a dead zone for others. But when the doctor touches him, Johnny has another powerful vision, this one involving the doctor.
As Johnny begins his long recovery, he discovers that Sarah has moved on and is married to another. With the help of his physical therapist, Bruce (Adams), Johnny begins to get stronger—physically—even though the slightest touch can trigger his visions. Much as he'd like to forget his "gift" by going back to being a teacher and living a normal life, the effect his abilities have on others is undeniable. And when Johnny foresees the death of someone he knows, denying his talent may prove impossible.
Adapting Stephen King royally
USA Network's new series mines the Stephen King novel The Dead Zone, bringing the characters to life in the framework of a story that should have no problem continuing as a series. With an engaging cast and a clear vision, The Dead Zone quickly moves past being just another
project "based" on material from King.
"Wheel of Fortune" does a good job at introducing the show's characters and the storyline. Even though it ends on a sudden cliffhanger, the episode manages some nice emotional resonance, especially involving Johnny's doctor and Johnny's relationship with Sarah. There is also a good sense of the friendship that has grown between Johnny and Bruce.
The one missing piece is a scene that deals with the loss of Johnny's mother. It may well have been cut for time, but leaving out that part of the story takes away from the whole. While the serial-killer storyline feels tacked on, it's sure to drive the second episode. Since it was an element in King's original story, it's hard to be too critical about it.
Besides the sure writing, Johnny's well-defined visions use unusual camera angles and special effects to give the series a unique style of its own. However, what really drives the series is the performance by Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny. His vivid performance takes a charming, easygoing character into dark places as he discovers himself in the middle of a nightmare that shows no signs of ending. While the actor gets good support from deBoer, Adams and Rick Tae, as Dr. Tran, the show's emotional core clearly rests on Hall's broad shoulders.
