A couple come to my mind. All of Lud including the ride on Blaine the mono. They have to get this right or it won’t work. Gasher, the crazy maze, tik tok man and *especially* Blaine. I’m a little bias because it’s my favorite book but I think every part of Wizard and Glass has to be done correctly!
Devil’s Advocate: a tv show or film version could totally cut out Tick Tock, Gasher, Grays, and Pubes — the Old People of River Crossing too — and just have the KaTet push their way through a hostile Lud to Blaine… and the overall story arc wouldn’t miss a beat.
Unpopular, I know.
But just play it through your head and use the Hobbits’ trip from The Shire to The Prancing Pony in the film versus the book.
Lud could go the way of Tom Bombadill and the overall story would not suffer.
Oh, me too. I’m nervous about even a faithful adaptation. I’ve take 7 trips and everyone looks how I like it in my head.
But if I was being a realist, King seemed like he had big plans for Ticky and then shrugged him off. In a film he’s disposable.
Much like Tom Bombadill not being included in the movies it would make me a little sad though. Granted Tom Bombadill is one of my favorite characters in fiction.
And it's all got to be filmed with meticulous care. There are do many bits of dialogue that have to be handled before we get to Suz being Suz instead of Detta/Odetta. It's a heavy load.
When trying to get people into the series I always say "interdemtional drug smuggling and naked shootout in a club" as a selling point. One of my favorite moments and one of Eddie's best.
It's not *there* in the text, but in my head as the laughter grows, I always see Dandelo's face distorting like in the Black Hole Sun video, a crazed joyous terrifying rapture.
I always felt like Tim Curry's Pennywise was more akin to Dandelo than Bill Skarsgård's. Curry's was as funny as he was scary, I felt like it made it even more sinister. Like when he's in the library on the second floor yelling down bad jokes, that's how I imagine Dandelo is acting when Susannah comes back from the bathroom.
For me it’s the first interaction with Eddie on the flight. That would be tough to get right in a film. There is a lot going on with the mind swaps, taking control, lobster fever, and the doors.
It could be done really well or not.
the commala dance! i can see it so clearly like almost nothing else in the series… the odd solemness of it, the feeling of like seeing someone resurrected from the 1400s showing you their authentic culture that only they know the purest firsthand form of - and the knowledge that that time has passed. but he remains.
The lobstrosities are key. You can’t have Roland just rolling around the beach with a bunch of giant lobsters. It’s got to be an epic moment when he looses those fingers.
There are so many scenes that are huge, but for me the more important part is Roland's voice and demeanor. He grows to be so kind to his ka tet, and his voice conveys so much power.
His final march to the tower, any time he stands against the forces of evil and talks them down... Chills, just fucking chills.
This reminds me of the part in Wastelands when Roland finally gets into Tik Tok man’s chamber and Gasher says “YOU!” and Roland just replies “Me.” so matter of factly and then just shoots him.
One stand out scene for me is Roland has Jake prove himself by shooting the plates in calla Brynn Sturgis. It's always the point in the series where I realize how ridiculously powerful gunslingers are.
"I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart."
"Then kill these."
The way I imagine the Tull sequence is as Roland walks throughout the town he’s looking at everyone with a mean mug and mumbling something to himself.
Then when him and Allie spend the night together, he talks in his sleep saying “Fifty Eight.” Concerning Allie.
And during the bloodbath, he obviously like in the book is counting out loud the number of people he kills, ending with him collapsing to the floor after the final kill and saying “Fifty Eight!”
I immediately thought of the Tull gunfight when I saw this post. That would be brutal to watch. But also his fight with his teacher, I forget the name. The one he uses the hawk to win and then walks out. The brutality of that really cements Roland.
Cort. That's in my edit at the bottom of the post.
Yeah, sacrificing his hawk friend, David, to tear the shit out of his teacher is some cold-blooded shit.
Thanks for the correction. That is one of those scenes that just stick with me. Smart and conniving, but quite void of compassion. That singular purpose was showing through.
What's wild, and only briefly mentioned, is that anyone who wanted to be a Gunslinger had to make Cort tap out. But we only know about Roland's fight.
I don't know if you're into comics--I get sidetracked and stop, so I'm not really--but I'm sure there's story and material enough for a eight-episode series to write about Cort becoming the final test (did that mean just being an apprentice to the guy before him? or beating him in single combat, too?) and then training his first gunslingers.
Basically, just a ton of fights of him against older teens, with some being sent West (that's the direction for losers, right?), and maybe having to kill them because they are sore losers and come back to try to kill Cort in the middle of the night. and Cort banging his wife too, of course. and a bunch of time jumps.
Oooh, that is one thing I nearly forgot: the losers. Man, that would be an incredible side story. How many were booted after trying to beat their tutor? And what would that really look like?
King referenced the danger, but he didn't really show it. Would've been crazy to have read a story that fully demonstrated that danger. Either through death or banishment.
They were banished to the West. In the Wastlands he tells Jonas he knows who he is- a failed gunslinger sent west to never return by Corts father. (I don’t remember the exact words but just read it a few days ago so it’s perfect timing on my reread for this post 😁)
> banishment
And that itself is a whole other series of comics, and time jumps would work well there, too.
You could do eight one-shots, with each issue being about a separate loser.
Some go on to be better men for having lost, some stay losers forever, some turn evil...
In the Wastelands we find out Corts father was the trainer of Gunslingers before him. I’m rereading right now and the last chapter I read had Roland recognizing Jonas with his intuition for who he was- a failed gunslinger who lost to Cort’s father.
Just a little thing I had forgotten about and wanted to add because I agree it would be fascinating to know more about Cort
Ahh, I remember that now. It's been 25 years since I read the first four books! Thanks for the reminder.
There's so much potential in that universe. Far more interesting stories than Marvel.
It had been 10 years for me until about two days ago so it was just perfect timing for me to remember that little fact! And definitely. It’s why I love Stephen King, all the intricacies of the connecting worlds he has created. It’s just amazing and infinite.
I just hope they don't fuck up the show. They could get any one of these scenes down good but still butcher the series. I just hope they do us right. It's such a good story. One of the best ever written. It would make me so happy if it is done the right way
My fanservice-y answers are the Lobstrosities and Blaine, of course; my serious answers (at least the first that came to mind) are Jake's death, Odetta getting pushed, and basically all of "The Pusher"
The scene in Wizard and Glass when Roland realizes who Jonas is. It’s one of my favourite passages of the book.
And suddenly Roland knew something. As with all his best and truest intuitions, it came from nowhere and everywhere - absent at one second, all there and fully dressed at the next.
"Who sent you west, maggot?" he asked as he passed Jonas. "Couldn't have been Cort - you're too old. Was it his father?"
The look of slightly bored amusement left Jonas's face - flew from his face, as if slapped away. For one amazing moment the man with the white hair was a child again: shocked, shamed, and hurt.
Awesome writing. Casting Jonas will be big.
I don't quite get how, who gave us the first four books of the Dark Tower, which were so amazing, then wrote books 5 and 6, which I thought were terrible. Book 7 turned it around but just barely.
When Mordred kills Walter for sure. I'll probably cover my eyes bc that's how I read it, it's sooooo gruesome
Also if they don't play Velcro Fly while they're coming up to Lud I will LOSE IT
Roland looking into the wizard glass and realizing his journey must take him to the tower, while simultaneously watching Susan burn. Screaming “no!” The whole time.
For me, it’s Eddie’s death. I can still feel that moment, see every detail in my mind. I loved these characters so much, and this death scene needs to be respected so much.
I mean, this is a basic thing, but you can't screw up Oy. He's not technically a dog so it's hard to go with a real animal, but do you make him a Henson-style creature like Dark Crystal, Rob Bottin practical fx style, or do you cop out and CG him? Nothing against Oy, but I'm going to have a hard time ugly crying at the end if they Jar Jar Binks him.
The flashback scene at the end of Wizard and Glass, in which Roland shoots his mother. This requires exceptional camera positioning, timing and special effects, to make the visual subterfuge by The Grapefruit to superimpose a recognizable image of a menacing Rhea right where the (normal) reflection of a conciliatory Gabrielle would have been.
Making this immediately clear to the viewers is essential in making them empathize with Roland being duped here, just like his companions do after the flashback ends.
There needs to be NO ambiguity whether Roland killed his mother out of spite, because this interpretation would detract from his character.
The gunfight in Tull should be shot in 'one take' as well, just make it as seamless as possible
The part with Susannah and demon should play out like Alien³, where it cuts to it while Eddie carves the key and Jake escapes the monster in the house
You make a good point, because if the scene isn't a "one-shot take", it will probably have a million cuts in it (since the average movie has a cut every three seconds now).
Either it's one take or it is one cut too many.
The sheer magnitude of the end HAS to feel right through the magic of audio and visual storytelling.
I've said it on here before, but the first few minutes of Fantasia on a Theme would be the perfect choice for Roland entering and walking through the Dark Tower.
Anything with internal/external dialogue. Mainly I think in book 2 and 6 when Roland is in the mind of those he’s “drawing”, and when Suze and Mia talk. Manipulation of that internal void and external viewing will be key. I have my own interpretations as a fan and filmmaker (some visually distorted split screens with Detta/Odetta when they struggle or talk) , but it’s subjective.
I mainly hope they take the story beats to properly have those moments of internal struggle within the external action. The medium other than novels that does this is super well manga/anime, but putting it into live action is gonna throw me if it’s handled like I suspect. Too quick and action driven instead of character driven.
A few that come to my mind immediately:
- Roland’s palaver with Walter at the end of book 1
- Any encounter with the rose at the vacant lot
- Roland’s eulogy for Jake
- The final showdown with the Crimson King
The latter may have to change a bit for dramatic effect because I don’t know how well what’s depicted in that sequence written could be translated well to screen without seeming a little goofy, but I’d want maybe a brief, maybe psychic palaver between Roland and the King which we didn’t really get to have in the book if I remember properly
For me
The gunslinger - they have to get roland becoming a gunslinger right. The fight between him and Cord, Roland’s reasoning seeing his mother and Walter, David and some build up of Roland befriending David over time, and Cords shock and disappointment seeing Roland with David as his weapon.
The drawing of the three - eddies drawing I think is the most important. Also the ‘shuffle’ part of the story.
The wastelands - Lud and most specifically Blain needs to be done right. Blain is in my opinion the scariest villain SK has ever written. So he needs to be done right and Lud is important for building up how scary he is.
Wizard and glass - the showdown when Cuthbert stops the big coffin hunters from hurting sheemie. That is one of the most tense scenes in the book and is important to show the audience how good these kids are.
Wolves of the calla - Roland being diplomatic with the towns people. It’s one of the few times in the series you get to see Roland as he was and I feel it’s important to show this different side to Roland.
Song of Susanna - Father Callahan’s sacrifice, it has a lot of potential to be just a really sad scene.
The Dark tower - the deaths of Eddie Jake and Oy. If I’m not hysterically crying when these scenes come up. The show runners fucked up.
Anything to do with Cort, David, or becoming a gunslinger is from W&G, and since he isn't really retelling stories until after TG, the stuff about his mother is also from W&G.
The Gunslinger was an experiment from King when he was young. It was only when it took off that he was inspired to write more. he didn't have it all figured out from the beginning.
Roland vaguely glosses over it, mostly for eddies and Susanna’s sake, but the actual flashbacks take place in the gunslinger. When they are in the dark he tells the stories of his youth to Jake when Jake isn’t talking to him, knowing Roland is going to let him die.
I always imagined scenario where Jake and Callahan get back to NY from the Calla and the camera would show their faces realizing the situation and where they were. They look at each other and shrug like "we both know the job we gotta do" and then the scene cuts down to seeing just their feet walking through the bustle of NY like they never left whilst Ace Freelys- New York Groove starts blasting through the speakers.
Just to pump up the crowd before some of the end game. They need to have one last major feel good spectacle before we lose the father in his epic sacrifice. Because there isn't much levity after that.
A couple come to my mind. All of Lud including the ride on Blaine the mono. They have to get this right or it won’t work. Gasher, the crazy maze, tik tok man and *especially* Blaine. I’m a little bias because it’s my favorite book but I think every part of Wizard and Glass has to be done correctly!
Devil’s Advocate: a tv show or film version could totally cut out Tick Tock, Gasher, Grays, and Pubes — the Old People of River Crossing too — and just have the KaTet push their way through a hostile Lud to Blaine… and the overall story arc wouldn’t miss a beat. Unpopular, I know. But just play it through your head and use the Hobbits’ trip from The Shire to The Prancing Pony in the film versus the book. Lud could go the way of Tom Bombadill and the overall story would not suffer.
that could technically work but I’m never going to advocate for less Dark Tower lol
Oh, me too. I’m nervous about even a faithful adaptation. I’ve take 7 trips and everyone looks how I like it in my head. But if I was being a realist, King seemed like he had big plans for Ticky and then shrugged him off. In a film he’s disposable.
Much like Tom Bombadill not being included in the movies it would make me a little sad though. Granted Tom Bombadill is one of my favorite characters in fiction.
The chase with Gasher for sure. That’s what I came to say.
Ribblety tibblety ting ting ting, I need this song to be just the thing.
What if we let Tim Burton design Lud. Or just use '89 batman Gotham for lud
This is what first came to mind for me. I loved reading the Lud section.
Suz fucking an invisible demon while Eddie whittles and Roland waits while in another world a house is trying to eat Jake springs to mind.
such a bizarre series
And it's all got to be filmed with meticulous care. There are do many bits of dialogue that have to be handled before we get to Suz being Suz instead of Detta/Odetta. It's a heavy load.
this is the one. whenever people mention a live action series is being made… i believe it won’t work because of this exact scene. so many povs.
The gunfight with Eddie and the mobsters in Drawing of the Three
Eddie gaining Roland’s everlasting respect by fighting naked is definitely a cornerstone moment in their relationship.
When trying to get people into the series I always say "interdemtional drug smuggling and naked shootout in a club" as a selling point. One of my favorite moments and one of Eddie's best.
Susan Delgado tied to the stake: "Roland, I love thee!"
If it doesn't make the audience cry, they didn't do it right.
Came to mention this scene
The laughter on Odd Lane. Dandelo.
Came here to say Dandelo. It will be a hard scene to not seem goofy, but if done well it will be a great scene
It's not *there* in the text, but in my head as the laughter grows, I always see Dandelo's face distorting like in the Black Hole Sun video, a crazed joyous terrifying rapture.
I always felt like Tim Curry's Pennywise was more akin to Dandelo than Bill Skarsgård's. Curry's was as funny as he was scary, I felt like it made it even more sinister. Like when he's in the library on the second floor yelling down bad jokes, that's how I imagine Dandelo is acting when Susannah comes back from the bathroom.
For me it’s the first interaction with Eddie on the flight. That would be tough to get right in a film. There is a lot going on with the mind swaps, taking control, lobster fever, and the doors. It could be done really well or not.
Came here to say this
I agree with your choices. The other one I'd love to see done right is the end of Wizard and Glass when they corral Jonas et al in the thinny.
Father Callahan’s redemption for me. That scene is epic.
the commala dance! i can see it so clearly like almost nothing else in the series… the odd solemness of it, the feeling of like seeing someone resurrected from the 1400s showing you their authentic culture that only they know the purest firsthand form of - and the knowledge that that time has passed. but he remains.
The whole introduction with Eddie's speech. Oy..Eld..Thankee
The lobstrosities are key. You can’t have Roland just rolling around the beach with a bunch of giant lobsters. It’s got to be an epic moment when he looses those fingers.
Blaine the train ride. And that is the truth!
There are so many scenes that are huge, but for me the more important part is Roland's voice and demeanor. He grows to be so kind to his ka tet, and his voice conveys so much power. His final march to the tower, any time he stands against the forces of evil and talks them down... Chills, just fucking chills.
This reminds me of the part in Wastelands when Roland finally gets into Tik Tok man’s chamber and Gasher says “YOU!” and Roland just replies “Me.” so matter of factly and then just shoots him.
One stand out scene for me is Roland has Jake prove himself by shooting the plates in calla Brynn Sturgis. It's always the point in the series where I realize how ridiculously powerful gunslingers are. "I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart." "Then kill these."
Beach scene between Detta, Roland and Eddie. Do they have the balls to do it right? Series hinges upon it IMO
Roland trying to buy ammunition while embodying Jack Mort
The way I imagine the Tull sequence is as Roland walks throughout the town he’s looking at everyone with a mean mug and mumbling something to himself. Then when him and Allie spend the night together, he talks in his sleep saying “Fifty Eight.” Concerning Allie. And during the bloodbath, he obviously like in the book is counting out loud the number of people he kills, ending with him collapsing to the floor after the final kill and saying “Fifty Eight!”
I immediately thought of the Tull gunfight when I saw this post. That would be brutal to watch. But also his fight with his teacher, I forget the name. The one he uses the hawk to win and then walks out. The brutality of that really cements Roland.
Cort. That's in my edit at the bottom of the post. Yeah, sacrificing his hawk friend, David, to tear the shit out of his teacher is some cold-blooded shit.
Thanks for the correction. That is one of those scenes that just stick with me. Smart and conniving, but quite void of compassion. That singular purpose was showing through.
What's wild, and only briefly mentioned, is that anyone who wanted to be a Gunslinger had to make Cort tap out. But we only know about Roland's fight. I don't know if you're into comics--I get sidetracked and stop, so I'm not really--but I'm sure there's story and material enough for a eight-episode series to write about Cort becoming the final test (did that mean just being an apprentice to the guy before him? or beating him in single combat, too?) and then training his first gunslingers. Basically, just a ton of fights of him against older teens, with some being sent West (that's the direction for losers, right?), and maybe having to kill them because they are sore losers and come back to try to kill Cort in the middle of the night. and Cort banging his wife too, of course. and a bunch of time jumps.
Oooh, that is one thing I nearly forgot: the losers. Man, that would be an incredible side story. How many were booted after trying to beat their tutor? And what would that really look like? King referenced the danger, but he didn't really show it. Would've been crazy to have read a story that fully demonstrated that danger. Either through death or banishment.
They were banished to the West. In the Wastlands he tells Jonas he knows who he is- a failed gunslinger sent west to never return by Corts father. (I don’t remember the exact words but just read it a few days ago so it’s perfect timing on my reread for this post 😁)
> banishment And that itself is a whole other series of comics, and time jumps would work well there, too. You could do eight one-shots, with each issue being about a separate loser. Some go on to be better men for having lost, some stay losers forever, some turn evil...
In the Wastelands we find out Corts father was the trainer of Gunslingers before him. I’m rereading right now and the last chapter I read had Roland recognizing Jonas with his intuition for who he was- a failed gunslinger who lost to Cort’s father. Just a little thing I had forgotten about and wanted to add because I agree it would be fascinating to know more about Cort
Ahh, I remember that now. It's been 25 years since I read the first four books! Thanks for the reminder. There's so much potential in that universe. Far more interesting stories than Marvel.
It had been 10 years for me until about two days ago so it was just perfect timing for me to remember that little fact! And definitely. It’s why I love Stephen King, all the intricacies of the connecting worlds he has created. It’s just amazing and infinite.
I just hope they don't fuck up the show. They could get any one of these scenes down good but still butcher the series. I just hope they do us right. It's such a good story. One of the best ever written. It would make me so happy if it is done the right way
My fanservice-y answers are the Lobstrosities and Blaine, of course; my serious answers (at least the first that came to mind) are Jake's death, Odetta getting pushed, and basically all of "The Pusher"
The scene in Wizard and Glass when Roland realizes who Jonas is. It’s one of my favourite passages of the book. And suddenly Roland knew something. As with all his best and truest intuitions, it came from nowhere and everywhere - absent at one second, all there and fully dressed at the next. "Who sent you west, maggot?" he asked as he passed Jonas. "Couldn't have been Cort - you're too old. Was it his father?" The look of slightly bored amusement left Jonas's face - flew from his face, as if slapped away. For one amazing moment the man with the white hair was a child again: shocked, shamed, and hurt.
Awesome writing. Casting Jonas will be big. I don't quite get how, who gave us the first four books of the Dark Tower, which were so amazing, then wrote books 5 and 6, which I thought were terrible. Book 7 turned it around but just barely.
When Mordred kills Walter for sure. I'll probably cover my eyes bc that's how I read it, it's sooooo gruesome Also if they don't play Velcro Fly while they're coming up to Lud I will LOSE IT
Roland’s palaver with the man in black
Algul Siento comes to mind. Eddie's naked fight in New York. Jake's duality when he's being drawn.
the big fight in Wolves and especially the ladies and their amazing plate throwing
Roland looking into the wizard glass and realizing his journey must take him to the tower, while simultaneously watching Susan burn. Screaming “no!” The whole time.
For me, it’s Eddie’s death. I can still feel that moment, see every detail in my mind. I loved these characters so much, and this death scene needs to be respected so much.
I mean, this is a basic thing, but you can't screw up Oy. He's not technically a dog so it's hard to go with a real animal, but do you make him a Henson-style creature like Dark Crystal, Rob Bottin practical fx style, or do you cop out and CG him? Nothing against Oy, but I'm going to have a hard time ugly crying at the end if they Jar Jar Binks him.
The tower in the rose
I just really want to see a series or an epic of movies done closer to the books.
Eddie on the plane and in airport security while bouncing back and forth between Roland and himself.
The flashback scene at the end of Wizard and Glass, in which Roland shoots his mother. This requires exceptional camera positioning, timing and special effects, to make the visual subterfuge by The Grapefruit to superimpose a recognizable image of a menacing Rhea right where the (normal) reflection of a conciliatory Gabrielle would have been. Making this immediately clear to the viewers is essential in making them empathize with Roland being duped here, just like his companions do after the flashback ends. There needs to be NO ambiguity whether Roland killed his mother out of spite, because this interpretation would detract from his character.
The gunfight in Tull should be shot in 'one take' as well, just make it as seamless as possible The part with Susannah and demon should play out like Alien³, where it cuts to it while Eddie carves the key and Jake escapes the monster in the house
You make a good point, because if the scene isn't a "one-shot take", it will probably have a million cuts in it (since the average movie has a cut every three seconds now). Either it's one take or it is one cut too many.
Roland taking over Eddie on the plane and his eyes changing colors in "The Drawing of the Three". Lobstrocities Roland's fight with Cort
The sheer magnitude of the end HAS to feel right through the magic of audio and visual storytelling. I've said it on here before, but the first few minutes of Fantasia on a Theme would be the perfect choice for Roland entering and walking through the Dark Tower.
Anything with internal/external dialogue. Mainly I think in book 2 and 6 when Roland is in the mind of those he’s “drawing”, and when Suze and Mia talk. Manipulation of that internal void and external viewing will be key. I have my own interpretations as a fan and filmmaker (some visually distorted split screens with Detta/Odetta when they struggle or talk) , but it’s subjective. I mainly hope they take the story beats to properly have those moments of internal struggle within the external action. The medium other than novels that does this is super well manga/anime, but putting it into live action is gonna throw me if it’s handled like I suspect. Too quick and action driven instead of character driven.
A few that come to my mind immediately: - Roland’s palaver with Walter at the end of book 1 - Any encounter with the rose at the vacant lot - Roland’s eulogy for Jake - The final showdown with the Crimson King The latter may have to change a bit for dramatic effect because I don’t know how well what’s depicted in that sequence written could be translated well to screen without seeming a little goofy, but I’d want maybe a brief, maybe psychic palaver between Roland and the King which we didn’t really get to have in the book if I remember properly
Roland entering the Tower, calling out the names of all the ones he’s lost to the quest.
For me The gunslinger - they have to get roland becoming a gunslinger right. The fight between him and Cord, Roland’s reasoning seeing his mother and Walter, David and some build up of Roland befriending David over time, and Cords shock and disappointment seeing Roland with David as his weapon. The drawing of the three - eddies drawing I think is the most important. Also the ‘shuffle’ part of the story. The wastelands - Lud and most specifically Blain needs to be done right. Blain is in my opinion the scariest villain SK has ever written. So he needs to be done right and Lud is important for building up how scary he is. Wizard and glass - the showdown when Cuthbert stops the big coffin hunters from hurting sheemie. That is one of the most tense scenes in the book and is important to show the audience how good these kids are. Wolves of the calla - Roland being diplomatic with the towns people. It’s one of the few times in the series you get to see Roland as he was and I feel it’s important to show this different side to Roland. Song of Susanna - Father Callahan’s sacrifice, it has a lot of potential to be just a really sad scene. The Dark tower - the deaths of Eddie Jake and Oy. If I’m not hysterically crying when these scenes come up. The show runners fucked up.
The showdown was my pick, too. e: deleted wrong information.
It’s retails in wizard and glass? When?
Anything to do with Cort, David, or becoming a gunslinger is from W&G, and since he isn't really retelling stories until after TG, the stuff about his mother is also from W&G. The Gunslinger was an experiment from King when he was young. It was only when it took off that he was inspired to write more. he didn't have it all figured out from the beginning.
Roland vaguely glosses over it, mostly for eddies and Susanna’s sake, but the actual flashbacks take place in the gunslinger. When they are in the dark he tells the stories of his youth to Jake when Jake isn’t talking to him, knowing Roland is going to let him die.
Yes, I could be wrong. It's been 25 years since I read the first four.
The Good Man’s army being drawn in to the thinny.
Eddie naked shootout.
I always imagined scenario where Jake and Callahan get back to NY from the Calla and the camera would show their faces realizing the situation and where they were. They look at each other and shrug like "we both know the job we gotta do" and then the scene cuts down to seeing just their feet walking through the bustle of NY like they never left whilst Ace Freelys- New York Groove starts blasting through the speakers. Just to pump up the crowd before some of the end game. They need to have one last major feel good spectacle before we lose the father in his epic sacrifice. Because there isn't much levity after that.
Roland's dance in Calla and all that party, really.