Stephen King's bestseller Under the Dome
versus the TV mini-series based on it.
[SPOILER ALERT]
In Stephen King's bestselling novel, Under the Dome...
- Junior doesn't lock Angie in a fall-out shelter. He kills her early on along with Dodee Sanders. He even engages in sexual activity with them post-mortem in the pantry he's hidden them in.
- Junior suffers from a brain tumor which is, in part, responsible for his irrationally violent behavior.
- Dodee Sanders, portrayed as the radio engineer in the series, has nothing to do with the radio station. In fact, the rock station from the series is actually a "Jesus Radio" station helping to cover up Rennie's enormous meth operation. It's ran entirely by computer.
- Duke Perkins, chief of police, is working to expose, not turn a blind eye to, Rennie and his illegal activities up unto his death by pacemaker malfunction.
- Linda, portrayed as the lead cop in the series, is far from the lead cop. In fact she's fired in the book later on for being married to Physician Assistant Rusty (not a fireman outside the dome, as in the book). Rusty is found guilty (wrongly) of attempted murder, resisting arrest and whatever else Rennie and his thugs felt like scribbling down.
- Barbie is not involved in collecting money from people or killing Peter Shumway (nonexistent in the book)
- Julia Shumway is divorced. I repeat: No Peter.
- There is no water dispute with a town farmer or propane bargaining.
- It does not rain under the dome.
- Several children and young adults, including Linda and Rusty's girls, have precognitive seizures not just limited to Pink Stars falling but foretelling, in short, a hell on earth and a few murder clues.
- Phil Bushey, portrayed as radio DJ in the show, is actually a drug addict who cooked meth for Jim Rennie. He was not in love with Dodee, but married and estranged to a Sammy Bushey and father to a baby boy. Sammy was raped by three of the town's new "cop" recruits including Junior who drove out, drunk (and maybe high) to abuse their powers and "teach her a lesson".
- Rose is not killed in her restaurant. She lives to escape the dome.
- The mini-dome is non-existent. No egg or cocoon either. There is a small, flat rectangle with a strange symbol and purple flashing light that seems to be the only reasonable explanation for the dome.
- Nearly all of Chester's Mill dies, leaving just about twenty survivors in the end from a starting population of near 2,000.
- There are two other selectmen (councilmen) under the dome besides Rennie but unable to overpower him. One simply goes along for the ride and takes the blame for what are ultimately the consequences of Rennie's actions, including the meth lab.
- The dome let's some air and water as well as sound through.
- Environmental pollution and destruction is more evident and dangerous. At times it seems it could be more threatening than Rennie.
- Joe McClatchey is not Angie McCain's brother. No relation.
- There are not four "pre-selected" youth whose hands are required to conjure a reaction from the dome's "power source".
- Norrie does not have two lesbian mothers and is a resident of Chester's Mill, not a visitor. The mother she does have is a drunk and does not have diabetes.
- Insulin and medication shortage is not a major issue (at least not discussed). Prescription meds and alcohol are locked up "for the good of the people".
- Rennie is responsible for the death of his wife, Reverend Coggins and Brenda Perkins (Police Chief Duke's widowed wife who threatened to expose the secrets Duke was working to bring to the proper authority before his death).
- Rennie drives a Hummer, not a Chevrolet.
- Fire trucks are out of Chester's Mill on a "practice run", not a parade, when the dome comes down.
Feel free to comment and let me know what other differences you've noticed that I haven't listed.
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Check out Under the Dome from your local library. You can also purchase it from Amazon for your kindle, as a hardcover,paperback or audiobook.
Also be sure to check out the television mini-series (on CBS or free with Amazon Prime) based on the book for a significantly different, but just as engaging story-line of what happens when the mysterious dome closes over Chester's Mill.
Also be sure to check out the television mini-series (on CBS or free with Amazon Prime) based on the book for a significantly different, but just as engaging story-line of what happens when the mysterious dome closes over Chester's Mill.
