Series
- Fridge Brilliance: Bruce, Johnny's physical therapist and best friend, was introduced in the series but was not in the book. The series has one It's a Wonderful Plot episode where Bruce sees what would happen to Johnny if Bruce wasn't in his life. It ends with Johnny getting himself killed trying to assassinate Stillson. This is exactly what happens in the book.
- Though it's worth noting that, with or without Bruce, the series has a MAJOR difference from the book in that Johnny's parents are dead (or, in his father's case, believed to be dead). Their purposes in the book are supplied by Rev. Purdy and Bruce. With Johnny having no one to turn to on those ends (as he's alienated from Purdy in this no-Bruce universe), he hits a Despair Event Horizon, stalks Sarah and JJ for a time (alienating them), and becomes a super-creepy hermit until Stilson arrives—which, interestingly enough, supplies some even more Fridge Brilliance: Johnny might be trying to redeem himself by stopping Armageddon.
- The whole Retcon about Janus's Coalition may not be as much of a letdown as you'd think: Janus and his "crew" staged an elaborate con game, via the use of the symbols (rings and all) of The Illuminati, to instil fear into people, making them believe that Janus and company are the super-powerful Conspiracy of legend (as opposed to a small band of soldiers). As such, they recruit willing Mooks and "contacts", building their power structure until their illusion of power becomes reality.
- Also, it's worth noting that Walt notes that the Janus's old unit in the photograph isn't supposed to even exist...which could easily imply that they were a branch of The Illuminati after all.
- Fridge Horror: In the pilot, when Johnny sees his vision of Sheriff Bannerman dying in the line of duty, and himself comforting Sarah, marrying her, and eventually having more children with her, we see his vision up until he's holding a small boy, too small to be JJ, and introducing him to a new baby. He's holding the boy, which means he might be experiencing the whole scene, including what he could see of his second son's future at that moment. We cut away at that point, but Johnny may well have seen exactly what he was sacrificing, including the very existence and future lives of two children who would be very real to him, when he went to rescue his romantic rival. Women who suffer miscarriages grieve for the child they lost and all they might have become; imagine not just potential, but actually knowing who those children would be, and losing them!
