Thy Kingdom Come

Kingdom Hospital
2004

4 Stars

Back in 2004 (a time that seems so very long ago, and yet frightening to contemplate upon), renowned horror writer Stephen King embarked upon a grand venture to create the first “novel for television”. A very brave endeavour indeed, attempting to bring the feel of a book to the television screen, without it being based on a novel beforehand. A collection of core characters, along with those that begin in perhaps only one scene in the first few episodes, only to prove of vital significance later on in the story, with storylines interweaving and intertwining, culminating in one final outcome. In his writing, King has pioneered some of the greatest tales of horror and suspense of the last thirty years, and in every one weaves together interlocking story arcs like a literary seamstress. Kingdom Hospital is no different, and watching it now, one can truly appreciate King’s talent.

Based on Lars Von Trier’s (Dear Wendy, Antichrist) groundbreaking series Riget (which I shall be watching and reviewing soon), Kingdom Hospital revolves around the bizarre goings on at a state of the art New England medical facility, a place where phantom ambulances haunt the parking lot and the restless dead cause the earth to move.

The main story arc revolves around a young ghost girl named Mary (played with just the right balance of annoyingness and cuteness by Jodelle Ferland), whose spirit channels the comatose body of artist Peter Rickman (Jack Coleman) and psychic Sally Druse (Diane Ladd). Caught up in the plight of young Mary is maverick doctor Hook (an excellent performance by Andrew McCarthy), whose relationship between the patients and staff of the hospital drives the narrative.

Meanwhile, Bruce Davison gives a sterling show as Dr. Stegman, a surgeon who desperately tries to hide his gross incompetence in causing the vegetative state of a ten year old girl. His gradual decline into insanity at the hands of both the ghosts of Kingdom Hospital and the delightful downs-syndrome dishwashers Abel and Christa is simply a delight to watch, and a really quite impressive performance.

To list every character and every storyline in all their merits would be impossible, as King does what he does better than any other writer working today in creating a veritable chorus of everyday folk in all their foibles; a young doctor obsessed with a colleague twice his age; a hilarious German orderly; a neurotic British seismologist; a possessed serial killer; a giant CGI anteater, along with many others all coming together to make a real hospital community.

The story is excellent, and the acting spot on, coupled with a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack and a sepia tinge that make for a top-notch eight hours of television.

So why only four stars? Well, anyone who is well-versed in King’s work will most likely be aware of his inability to pull off a good ending to anything with a particularly supernatural overture. In IT, we have the most bizarre and unbelievable finale, and the end of Desperation is just silly, just to name two. Unfortunately Kingdom Hospital is no different, and after watching the entire series, one does feel that the ending is something of a cop-out. I won’t give anything away, lest anyone feels so inclined as to go and watch it, but King’s resolution to the overall story jut feels too simple, and yet too silly to justify the events before it.

That said, Kingdom Hospital is certainly to be rated amongst King’s greatest works, and is well worth a look. I can by no means do it justice in a five hundred word review; there’s simply too much going on. So, please, rent it, YouTube it, or Heaven forbid, go and buy it. And check your soul in at the door.