Equally important is that Stillson is no longer a thug turned populist demagogue but more of a traditional corrupt politician. This represents the attention paid to developing the key supporting characters. In this version Sarah (Nicole de Boer) is still married with a child, but the child is Johnny's and she is married to Sherrif Walt Bannerman (Chris Bruno), now spared from a fatal encounter of his own with a rabid St. Bernard named Cujo. What would have been a mandatory soap opera love triangle has been avoided, and indeed the two-part "Ascent"/"Descent" near the start of this second season resolves a lot of the inherent tensions in these relationships by bringing them into the open. In this season episodes start focusing on the relationship between Johnny and his son ("Plague," "The Mountain").

The series also takes advantage of three created characters. As Bruce Lewis (John L. Adams), Johnny's physical therapist turned friend, our hero has not only a sidekick ("Precipitate") but a willing ear for exposition and explanation. Then there is Dana Bright (Kristen Dalton), a reporter who becomes interested and then enamored with Johnny, providing another convert in the inner circle who can provide help. Finally, from Johnny's evangelical mother in the novel the series transmutes the Reverend Gene Purdy, who served as a villain at the beginning of the series before Stillson arrived, but now becomes both an ally ("Cabin Pressure," "Plague") and a voice of conscience ("Playing God").

The other key thing about this series is that it deals with a world in which Johnny Smith has a reputation in what can be considered a rather realistic manner. This means dealing with people who are out to get him in various ways ("Valley of the Shadow," "Misbegotten") as well as those who consider him to be a curiosity ("The Storm"). It also provides an interesting episode in which Johnny works with the government to try and "find" Osama Bin Laden ("The Hunt"). We also find "The Dead Zone" playing creatively with Johnny's powers when he has a blood transfusion ("Precipitate") and an interesting encounter with a woman in a bar ("Deja Voodoo"), and shares his visions with not only Bruce ("Zion") but a figure that has been haunting his life ("Visions"). These are probably the episodes that best indicate that this is a show that is both creative and intelligent. I thought the first season was pretty good, but the second is even better.

There are two things to know about the production schedule for the second season. First, the episode "The Hunt" was originally scheduled to be the 12th episode of the season and air on March 30, 2003 but was delayed until July 27 because of the outbreak of the war with Iraq. Second, "Zion" was supposed to be the final episode of the second season but the USA network asked for another six episodes starting with "The Storm." Called by fans "Season 2.5" this includes my favorite episode of the season, "Deja Voodoo," and a pivotal story arc involving the "Burned Man" (Frank Whaley). Good thing the Third Season is on right now because who wants to wait for the next DVD set for anything more than the great extras.

Indeed, this set has some great extras because one additional thing that makes this DVD a class act is the high involvement of Anthony Michael Hall and others in the commentary track. Every episode has such a track and Hall is on most of them, as are most of the major guest stars, such as Hall's fellow alumni from "The Breakfast Club" Ally Sheedy ("Playing God"), Academy Award winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. ("Zion"), and Reiko Aylesworth ("Deja Voodoo") from "24." There are several examples of storyboard comparisons with the finished episode and interviews with notable guest stars. In terms of fan friendly DVD extras "The Dead Zone" sets the standard for others to follow.

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