The Dark Tower Ending - I HATED IT! **SPOILERS**

[~Ally~]

I was disappointed at the ending too, I expected a really cool and twisted ending that only S. King knows how to tell. What really disappointed me though, was King killing off Randall Flagg the single most coolest character in modern fiction!

I wasn't disappointed that SK killed off Flagg--Dude had it coming and was long overdue--but more pissed at how he did it.

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Flagg was Roland's nemesis and for Mordred to kill him felt wrong. The final showdown should have been between Roland and Flagg. The "Man" had tormented Roland for most of his life and he was owed the pleasure of disposing of him. I expected an epic showdown between the two and felt cheated on Roland's behalf--and Flagg's--that Mordred simply gobbled him up! He had survived under many guises for an amount of time/years "mortals" probably couldn't comprehend and wouldn't have been naive enough to place himself in a situation that allowed Spider~boy to so easily overpower him.

I was also disappointed with how King/Patrick simply "erased" The Crimson King. Can anyone else say aaarrrgggghhhh??!! Another battle that Roland--and the readers--was denied. He was the freakin' Crimson King! Throughout the books we were conditioned to expect a madman that Roland would struggle to defeat in his battle to reach the Tower...and he was rubbed out! Pah!! Yes, I understand that King is the writer and we all have our imaginations rendering us capable of completing Roland's journey "next time" how we wish. Yet Roland was THE Gunslinger and those two kills should have belonged to him alone.

[Elemeno P]

I wasn't disappointed that SK killed off Flagg--Dude had it coming and was long overdue--but more pissed at how he did it.

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Flagg was Roland's nemesis and for Mordred to kill him felt wrong. The final showdown should have been between Roland and Flagg. The "Man" had tormented Roland for most of his life and he was owed the pleasure of disposing of him. I expected an epic showdown between the two and felt cheated on Roland's behalf--and Flagg's--that Mordred simply gobbled him up! He had survived under many guises for an amount of time/years "mortals" probably couldn't comprehend and wouldn't have been naive enough to place himself in a situation that allowed Spider~boy to so easily overpower him.

I was also disappointed with how King/Patrick simply "erased" The Crimson King. Can anyone else say aaarrrgggghhhh??!! Another battle that Roland--and the readers--was denied. He was the freakin' Crimson King! Throughout the books we were conditioned to expect a madman that Roland would struggle to defeat in his battle to reach the Tower...and he was rubbed out! Pah!! Yes, I understand that King is the writer and we all have our imaginations rendering us capable of completing Roland's journey "next time" how we wish. Yet Roland was THE Gunslinger and those two kills should have belonged to him alone.

Ally....I'm with you on the

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CK offing

....expecting something more epic....put it all together and I loved it, but yea...

[Brainslinger]

I'd argue that

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Roland DID still defeat the Crimson King. His conventional guns couldn't do it now that the Crimson King had become undead, so he picked up another. The Artist. Patrick certainly didn't think it up by himself. Roland had the idea and told him what to do.

I know what you mean though.

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I would have much preferred a proper of face-off between Roland, his ka-tet (at least one or more surviving members, I accept some not making the journey) and the Crimson King and/or Walter. Suddenly bringing in Pantrick Danville out of nowhere didn't feel quite right. I liked the character well enough though, and thought the Dandelo sequence was interesting. I thought it preferred the Odd's Lane scene to have been a last trap laid by Walter rather than Dandelo though.

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Of course we know Walter is effectively immune to Roland's guns too (they either miss, ala The Gunslinger, or misfire ala Wizard and Glass) so maybe that was another reason Mordred was utilised. That being said, I got the impression from Walter's conversation with Mordred that he isn't immune to a good throttling! I seem to remember him stating Roland almost got him at the end of their palaver when he jumped over the fire!

[Ranger_Strider]

I agree to that point.
The Crimson King was so easily dealt with in the turn of the wheel we get to witness.
I think he should have posed a bigger problem.
I wrote it off to the needs of the publishing industry.
SK had to bow to the "chronicle" paradigm.
It is , after all, all about the money.

Sorry Steve, I just realized after reading Insomnia that you told us all about it way in advance; it was my faliure in not being a constant enough reader. (Two senior citizens from Derry defeated CK and had no idea what they'd accomplished!

[Ranger_Strider]

I'd argue that

Show Spoiler

Roland DID still defeat the Crimson King. His conventional guns couldn't do it now that the Crimson King had become undead, so he picked up another. The Artist. Patrick certainly didn't think it up by himself. Roland had the idea and told him what to do.

I know what you mean though.

Show Spoiler

I would have much preferred a proper of face-off between Roland, his ka-tet (at least one or more surviving members, I accept some not making the journey) and the Crimson King and/or Walter. Suddenly bringing in Pantrick Danville out of nowhere didn't feel quite right. I liked the character well enough though, and thought the Dandelo sequence was interesting. I thought it preferred the Odd's Lane scene to have been a last trap laid by Walter rather than Dandelo though.

Show Spoiler

Of course we know Walter is effectively immune to Roland's guns too (they either miss, ala The Gunslinger, or misfire ala Wizard and Glass) so maybe that was another reason Mordred was utilised. That being said, I got the impression from Walter's conversation with Mordred that he isn't immune to a good throttling! I seem to remember him stating Roland almost got him at the end of their palaver when he jumped over the fire!

I recommend that you read Insomnia if you want to understand how the Crimson King was really defeated.
I do agree that the palaver amongst the golgotha at the end of The Gunslinger holds many clues and answers for those that do not like the way DTS ends.

[Unregistered]

Well. At least the man in black told you it was going to end that way in the first book.

[ghost19]

Perfect ending to the series, read it again. Stephen King didn't "cheat" anyone....muttering under my breath.

[~Ally~]

Perfect ending to the series, read it again. Stephen King didn't "cheat" anyone....muttering under my breath.

I'm not sure who your comment is aimed at here, but in general I don't feel people should be told they need to read something again just because they don't like the ending. I don't 'like' the ending to this series, as I've said numerous times here I appreciate/understand why King wrote in that way, and respect that is his ending, but I personally don't like that ending for Roland. That doesn't make me an incompetent reader that has somehow 'missed' something...I still love the series and always will.

[Mr.Ace]

Nо, thе еnding is grеаt. Аnd whаt's truе disарроint thаt thе dеаth оf Flаgg, I mеаn, I tоtаllу аgrее with ~Аllу~ - Rоlаnd shоuld kill him.

[sharla]

The message is as clear as daylight. If nothin changes, nothin changes. Roland had many ops to make choices that Mattered, but he always chose the tower. The tower over jake. The tower over susan. The tower over eddie and susannah. Always the tower. When he finally got to the top, he was right back where he started...getting another chance to make the choices that Matter. Has he learned? How many times has he made it to the tower and started all over? How do u know the story we see isn't the Nineteenth time he's done it? Its about Man and Obsession and Love and Living.
i swear i'm not smokin pot.
I cried at the end. I felt hopeless for the old bastard. He's likable, brave, humble, deeply emotional and yet he is twisted and bent over this damn tower. He almost can't help himself. Its like watching someone drown in an inch of water.