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

[Dane=O]

Of all the theories I have read here, (I skipped some pages, say sorry, say thankya) all of them seem to overlook two key points; the will and the watch. Ka is a wheel, and how many times did someone say "I set my watch and warrant on it" in the series? This is the biggest swerve of them all.
I think (Feel free to pick me apart).....
Roland was wrong. Time is only one-way in Keystone Earth, not Mid-World. Every time a new threat to the Tower emerges, Roland re-emerges, forms a new ka-tet, and is utilised by the Tower to right the wrongs perpetrated upon it.
Calvin Tower's ancestor's will is the key to my theory. How else would someone from over a century ago know Roland's name, unless they had dealings with him? The family lines may stay intact, and even bridge the two (or more) worlds, but the individual players change with the exception of Roland. Once Roland fought off the plague of the Crimson King, Eddie and Jake were absorbed into Calvin Tower's family line (Their new surname, Toren, was Tower's ancestor's original name), and presumably, Eddie and Susannah bore another child into the bloodline, who would either serve, or bear progeny of its own, to serve in Roland's Ka-tet. Roland and Randall are immortal servants of the Red and the White, and every incarnation of them results in the same outcome. When Roland finally reaches the Tower with a) both guns b) all the artefacts of Eld, and c) his ka-tet intact, then the Tower will be truly saved. The watch started losing time once Susannah started having her dreams; the proximity to the Tower was a coincidence. The reason Roland was so afraid of her leaving, though he did not know it, was that the final break in the ka-tet would doom him to repeat his trial. When he reached the Tower and sent Patrick on his way, the watch started going backwards, in effect resetting time. The watch's batteries were guaranteed for 50 years, a big deal was made of this point. The watch wasn't malfunctioning, it was literally resetting time in Mid-World. Had the narrative swept to, say, Lud, I am sure we would have eventually seen the poison cloud shrink, and return to the canister from which it was released.

[blunthead]

Of all the theories I have read here, (I skipped some pages, say sorry, say thankya) all of them seem to overlook two key points; the will and the watch. Ka is a wheel, and how many times did someone say "I set my watch and warrant on it" in the series? This is the biggest swerve of them all.
I think (Feel free to pick me apart).....
Roland was wrong. Time is only one-way in Keystone Earth, not Mid-World. Every time a new threat to the Tower emerges, Roland re-emerges, forms a new ka-tet, and is utilised by the Tower to right the wrongs perpetrated upon it.
Calvin Tower's ancestor's will is the key to my theory. How else would someone from over a century ago know Roland's name, unless they had dealings with him? The family lines may stay intact, and even bridge the two (or more) worlds, but the individual players change with the exception of Roland. Once Roland fought off the plague of the Crimson King, Eddie and Jake were absorbed into Calvin Tower's family line (Their new surname, Toren, was Tower's ancestor's original name), and presumably, Eddie and Susannah bore another child into the bloodline, who would either serve, or bear progeny of its own, to serve in Roland's Ka-tet. Roland and Randall are immortal servants of the Red and the White, and every incarnation of them results in the same outcome. When Roland finally reaches the Tower with a) both guns b) all the artefacts of Eld, and c) his ka-tet intact, then the Tower will be truly saved. The watch started losing time once Susannah started having her dreams; the proximity to the Tower was a coincidence. The reason Roland was so afraid of her leaving, though he did not know it, was that the final break in the ka-tet would doom him to repeat his trial. When he reached the Tower and sent Patrick on his way, the watch started going backwards, in effect resetting time. The watch's batteries were guaranteed for 50 years, a big deal was made of this point. The watch wasn't malfunctioning, it was literally resetting time in Mid-World. Had the narrative swept to, say, Lud, I am sure we would have eventually seen the poison cloud shrink, and return to the canister from which it was released.

Fascinating.

[beavermatic]

I absolutely loved the ending. Not sure how anyone could dislike it,

Show Spoiler

or the different "checkpoint" endings. there are 3 of them. King specifically warns you at each of these "endings" that stuff is about to go south, and if you want the book to end like this, stop here, and that you've been forewarned. I pity noone who did not heed the warning and did that to themselves. But the ending was perfect, and while shocking at first, it's the best outcome. In presence of such a great deity, what do you expect? Is he toying with roland, is he torturing him, does he really require these items before thou shall pass, is he redeploying him each time to cleanup midworld and further connect the parallel worlds. Does it really "restart"? Or does roland start a new journey in a slightly alternate reality of the previous. Is roland being punished for trying to achieve the powers of the dark tower and taking so many lives down with him? Is it his eternal hell? Can Roland ever die reaching the tower? Is Gan being honest and will let him pass next time? Will Roland's spell ever break and he remembers it all on his next venture to the tower? Is Roland just a puppet and Gan is pulling the strings? Was it all setup... a sick game of the demigods upon the gunslingers? does he need roland to keep going for a greater purpose... keep him on his toes and active until something terrible arises that requires his attention? What is roland trying to achieve, what was he really ever there for? Was it anything at all? Was it just to prove that he could? Was there ever a purpose other than just curiosity? Did roland know it was Gan?

The ending truly fascinates and makes you think.

[Chairmanmeow]

I know, way late to the discussion but I just finished the series and feel like I have to get some thoughts out.

First, I actually did like the ending, and the fact that I'm still trying to puzzle it all out and think about it makes it even more successful to me.

Absolutely HATED the jarring fake out at the end scolding the reader for wanting an ending. I had heard the ending was not satisfying to a lot of people so for a minute there I thought I was in for another lousy King ending. I dislike it even more considering what a good ending SK came up with.

I also hated the "don't come visit me" in the afterward, it's insulting. As if I would. I know there are people who actually do try to do this and I feel sorry for SK because of it, but he's addressing the reader directly here (you and me) and it's disrespectful (one more reason I would never try to be SK's pal in real life!).

Show Spoiler

In retrospect, I like the fact that the end battles with the Crimson King and Mordred were somewhat anticlimactic. It's like Roland says several times, it all comes down to just a few minutes or seconds in battle, all the long preparation. Even Mordred recognizes this, he wants to kill Roland as quickly as possible in a surprise attack, no messing around. Some drawn out karate fight with the CK where all seems lost until the very last second would be cliche and boring.

I also think that Roland has fought the CK before, on previous trips, and using Patrick was part of the "right" way of finishing the quest.

I think Roland did save the tower, and it happened pretty much similar to what we've read. All of the ka-tet have been through this before. Roland has become like Flagg, quasi immortal and his repeating the cycle is not a punishment, but rather a reward. He gets to go back and have the chance to not make the same mistakes and cause pain and suffering to those around him. This time he has the horn. This time he might not drop Jake. Susan might be alive this time around. The ka-tet might not break.

One of SK's better endings I think, thought provoking and satisfying, and I don't regret any of the journey through this series.

[not_nadine]

my head, it spins

Thank you for your post.

[blunthead]

What a minute, this thread started in July 2008, before The Dark Tower ended!

[FlakeNoir]

What a minute, this thread started in July 2008, before The Dark Tower ended!

The Dark Tower was first released in 2004. (Wait, is this a joke? Because I haven't had coffee yet.)

[Spideyman]

What a minute, this thread started in July 2008, before The Dark Tower ended!

The Dark Tower never ends-- it is part of the SK Universe.

[GNTLGNT]

I thought I was in for another lousy King ending.

...yep, that's our Unca Stevie!....millions of Constant Readers follow him coz they just LOVE suckage...