Greg Stillson - Role in The TV Series

Role in The TV Series

In the USA Network television series The Dead Zone, Stillson is played by Sean Patrick Flannery. During his childhood, he is used by his abusive father, con artist James Stillson, as a ploy and accomplice in his various petty crimes. Stillson encounters Johnny Smith when they are both nine years old; Smith has a vague vision and passes out upon meeting him. Years later, Stillson — by then the mayor of Cleaves Mills, Maine — passes Smith's car accident on his way to the office of Charlie Richardson, who he and Sonny Elliman threaten for leaking stories to the press. As Smith wakes from his coma, Stillson is sworn in as a member of the Maine House of Representatives.

When Stillson runs for Congress, he visits a disaster site to make a speech. However, the reporters abandon him when they spot Smith, who had saved hundreds of lives by foreseeing the event. When Stillson learns of Smith's investigations into his background, he tries to dissuade Smith by offering him connections after he is elected. Smith responds by helping Stillson's opponent, Harrison Fisher, best him in a debate. Smarting from the defeat, Stillson vents his hatred for Smith, whom Elliman assaults. After scandal forces Fisher from the race, Stillson asks Smith to "join forces" with him to put their combined resources behind the congressional campaign. Smith declines the offer.

Stillson falls in love with Rachel Caldwell, a student filmmaker who has been hired to make a campaign documentary. Rachel goes missing after she unwittingly walks in on a demonstration of a voting machine designed to steal votes for Stillson. Despite being questioned by both Smith and Sheriff Bannerman, Stillson devotes his campaign's resources to finding Rachel. When Rachel's body is found and Smith is arrested for her murder, Stillson gives Elliman photographs of the psychic's "armageddon board" with instructions to distribute them to the press. However, Smith is eventually exonerated, and resumes his investigation into the killing.

Stillson discounts voters' names that are even remotely similar to convicted felons, resulting in his "election." During the victory party, Stillson walks in on Sarah searching his office. He attempts to seduce her, but his advances are cut off when an aide bursts into the office, giving her an opportunity to escape. Later, Stillson throws his support behind a crime bill named after Rachel. Stillson is visited by Rebecca and Smith, and asks that Rebecca attend the bill-signing ceremony in Washington. Rebecca declines the offer. Smith shakes hands with Stillson, but one again collapses from the resulting vision of the nuclear apocalypse. Stillson phones for paramedics.

Later, Rebecca changes her mind and decides to attend the signing ceremony. James, however, becomes leery of what looks like a relationship between Stillson and Rebecca, and orders Elliman to place wiretaps in her apartment. Smith finds the wiretaps while Elliman is captured by Bannerman. On the morning of the signing, Stillson and Rebecca are hustled to his suite when Smith is spotted nearby. Rebecca, under the impression that Stillson murdered Rachel, tries to kill him out of revenge. However, Smith bursts in and reveals that James killed Rachel. When James confesses, his son strangles him in a fit of rage.

Stillson authorizes Congress to give federal subsidies to fund a biomedical firm, whose research would provide soft money for his re-election campaign. Stillson and his newly-hired advisor, Malcolm Janus, discuss the work of Alex Connors, a employee at the biomedical firm who is a former student of Smith's. Stillson visits Connors, learning that he and Smith had a falling-out over his current work. Stillson tells Janus that Smith must be kept out of Connors' research in order to secure the firm's funds. Stillson later runs into Smith, who offers to avoid Stillson if he distances himself from Connors. Stillson seems to agree, but orders Connors kidnapped.

Over the next several months, Stillson becomes romantically involved with Miranda Ellis, the daughter of Maine senator Harlan Ellis. However, an inebriated Stillson confesses to Miranda about murdering James. Not long after, she goes missing. Stillson and Smith reluctantly partner up to search for her, but turn up no leads. Later, Janus tells Stillson that Miranda is alive and gives him her whereabouts; Stillson admits to telling Miranda the truth about James' death. Stillson holds a press conference to announce Miranda's safe return and publicly propose to her.

As Stillson goes over wedding details with Miranda and Harlan, he learns that one of his rivals in Congress, Patrick Kelley, has been invited to the ceremony. He also learns that Miranda has been seeing a doctor for a heart condition. Stillson meets with Kelley to discuss an intelligence leak to a newspaper, as Kelley is the committee chairman for Homeland Security. Stillson tries to threaten Kelley with the leak, but is rebuffed. Later, Janus shows him photographs of Miranda at Smith's residence. Enraged, Stillson orders Janus to "handle the situation." At the wedding, Kelly is harangued by reporters over the intelligence leak. However, as Stillson waits at the altar, Miranda collapses and dies.

During a congressional recess, Smith confronts Stillson over the deaths of James and Miranda. Later, he is instructed by Janus to join Vice President Eric Danbury on a hunting expedition. During the trip, Stillson witnesses Danbury's assassination. He returns fire in the direction of the assassin, and is publicly credited with taking down the triggerman. He is appointed vice president upon Danbury's death. However, when the Rev. Eugene Purdy tries to withdraw his support for Stillson, a struggle with Janus results in Janus' accidental death as well as a fire that kills Sheriff Bannerman. When Stillson and Smith shake hands at Bannerman's wake, Smith does not have an apocalyptic vision.

In the final episode of the series, "Denouement", Smith learns that Stillson in fact has taken the Janus' place in the Corporation for a Better American Society, and has orchestrated nearly everything that has been going on. While still charming Sarah and J.J., Stillson asks them to move with him to Washington. When Sarah refuses, Stillson becomes violent and knocks J.J. to the floor of her house. Upon hitting his head, both J.J., as well as Johnny at another location, have a vision of the nuclear apocalypse again. Sarah angrily tells Stillson to leave, and he dejectedly returns to Washington. However, J.J. keeps his vision to himself.