The Dead Zone

Johnny Smith discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma.

Creators and Cast

Creators

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Michael Piller

Creator

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Shawn Piller

Creator

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Stephen King

Creator

Cast

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Anthony Michael Hall

Johnny Smith

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Nicole de Boer

Sarah Bracknell Bannerman

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Connor Price

JJ Bannerman

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Kristen Dalton

Dana Bright

Episodes

Specials

6 episodes

S0 E1 · Unaired Pilot

The unaired pilot is an earlier version of the first two episodes of the series, "Wheel of Fortune," and "What It Seems." The main differences are that several scenes were re-filmed, and two actors (Reverend Purdy and Dana Bright) were later re-cast. See the episode review for more information.

S0 E2 · Behind the Scenes: Genesis

No summary.

S0 E3 · Behind the Scenes: Writing

No summary.

S0 E4 · Behind the Scenes: Music

No summary.

S0 E5 · Behind the Scenes: Special Effects

No summary.

S0 E6 · Behind the Scenes: Guest Stars

No summary.

Season 1

13 episodes

S1 E1 · Wheel of Fortune (1)

2002-06-16

Johnny Smith was leading an idyllic small-town life: working as a high school science teacher, engaged to the love of his life, Sarah, and being a devoted son to his widowed mother, Vera, who lives nearby. But after a near-fatal car accident puts him in a deep coma, Johnny awakens six years later to find everything has changed: Sarah is now married to someone else, local sheriff Walt Bannerman; the child they are raising is actually Johnny's son and knows nothing about his real father; and Johnny's mother Vera has passed away, leaving Johnny's finances under the thumb of Reverend Purdy, an influential religious leader who is also his mother's former lover. But, most importantly, Johnny himself has changed: he now finds himself with the gift (or curse) of second sight.

S1 E2 · What It Seems (2)

2002-06-23

With the help of his new friend Bruce, Johnny attempts to stop the Bangor Strangler from claiming another victim.

S1 E3 · Quality of Life

2002-06-30

Johnny returns to his old school as a substitute teacher and as a hockey coach. During practice, Johnny has a vision inside a player's heart that indicates he may have a serious heart condition. However, there is no medical evidence to support him. Johnny's vision of Todd, and his previous publicity, cause an outcry by the parents who demand that Johnny be fired.

S1 E4 · Enigma

2002-07-07

Johnny becomes involved in helping an elderly patient find a long-lost love.

S1 E5 · Unreasonable Doubt

2002-07-14

Johnny is summoned to jury duty on a murder trial. Johnny starts to get visions which lead him to believe the accused is innocent. He is the only not-guilty vote

S1 E6 · The House

2002-07-21

Johnny moves into his new house and starts having visions of a tub filled with blood. He also sees visions of his dead mother, and comes to believe that Rev. Purdy killed his mother. The facts seem to suggest that Purdy did indeed engage in a cover-up concerning the death of Johnny's mother. In a final confrontation Johnny touches Purdy and gains a vision of Purdy finding Johnny's mother dead by suicide. Realizing what the death of a child can drive a parent to do, he goes to the aid of a local neighbor girl whose brother died on a military mission and whose mother is preparing to kill herself.

S1 E7 · Enemy Mind

2002-07-28

While helping to track down a runaway, Jill, who is involved with drugs, Johnny is exposed to a drug that causes him to start getting weird (weirder than usual) visions. He insists on trying to find Jill, despite the concerns of Bruce and Sarah. Confusing matters further is that Jill's boyfriend is in trouble with his supplier. The boyfriend gets killed and Jill and Johnny go on the run. In the final showdown, Johnny manages to fight past his hallucinations and knock the drug dealer off a high ledge, while Jill is reunited with her mother.

S1 E8 · Netherworld

2002-08-04

Johnny ends up in a fantasy world (or vision?) when he wakes up one day to find himself married to Sarah and the father of her two children.

S1 E9 · The Siege

2002-08-11

Conrad Hurley, a disgruntled electrician fired by the town council, goes into the bank with a shotgun and a revolver, tries to rob it, and takes everyone present (including Sara) hostage. Waiting outside for Sara, Johnny gets a vision of a future massacre and goes in to try to alter the future he perceives. Guided by his visions and scrambling wildly to adapt to the altering futures he keeps seeing in which he dies, Sara dies, Conrad dies, and/or everyone dies each time he changes something, Johnny soon becomes Conrad's unlikely ally. Finally Johnny manages to earn Conrad's trust and manage to talk him into releasing the hostages and giving himself up.

S1 E10 · Here There Be Monsters

2002-08-18

Johnny and Bruce drive into the small town of Hobb's Landing where Johnny gets a vision of himself being burned at the stake. He goes to the police and has a vision of the murder of a local girl. The police hold him on charges of witchcraft and he is sent to trial.

S1 E11 · Dinner With Dana

2002-08-25

A jealous ex-lover stalks Dana as her affair with Johnny heats up.

S1 E12 · Shaman

2002-09-08

While travelling out in the wilderness Johnny is plagued by visions of a meteor hitting a mountain and people vanishing. To find out which mountain it is he goes out into the wilderness and injures his leg. Taking refuge in a cave, Johnny picks up a fragment and has a vision of an Indian shaman in the past...who can see Johnny as well.

S1 E13 · Destiny

2002-09-15

In the past Johnny Smith as a child and Greg Stilson, the son of a Bible salesman, briefly meet and Johnny has a future vision of danger. In the present Johnny has a vision of a restaurant graduation party tragedy and warns his employer, the father of a student. Stilson, now a Senatorial candidate being backed by Rev. Purdy, comes to town after the tragedy and Johnny gets visions of catastrophe in Stilson's wake. Johnny and Sara get together while in flashback we see how Stilson has been a total bastard all of his life, and that Johnny came out of his coma just as Stilson was sworn in as state representative. When they meet at a rally Johnny shakes Stilson's hand and sees him as the source of catastrophe - Washington D.C. devastated by a nuclear holocaust.

Season 2

19 episodes

S2 E1 · Valley of the Shadow

2003-01-05

The season premiere finds Johnny still shaken by his Armageddon visions and growing increasingly obsessed with Stillson, whom he's secretly investigating. But another mystery draws him back into the public eye: a test of Johnny's powers by an adversary who is as obsessed with him as Johnny is with Stillson.

S2 E2 · Descent (1)

2003-01-12

As Walt begins to wonder what's between Johnny and his wife Sara, a group of teenagers disappear into an abandoned copper mine that was owned by Johnny's grandfather. Walt brings Johnny in to help with the rescue and Smith soon begins to get visions not only of the teens but of the miners who died in an incident in 1949 brought on by his grandfather's actions. The ghost miners seem to be striking back at Johnny and Walt is seriously injured. The teens are rescued but Johnny gets a vision of Walt's funeral as he is taken away in the ambulance. (To be continued)

S2 E3 · Ascent (2)

2003-01-19

Johnny uses his powers to reach into Walt's comatose mind and lead him back to consciousness.

S2 E4 · The Outsider

2003-02-02

Johnny must stop the release of a new anti-wrinkle cream based on his vision of it causing birth defects in the future.

S2 E5 · Precipitate

2003-02-09

Johnny must stop a series of bad future visions based on the blood donations he receives from six different donors.

S2 E6 · Scars

2003-02-16

After learning Stillson's congressional rival, a long-time incumbent is a war veteran with a dark secret. Johnny ponders whether the truth is more important than Stillson's defeat.

S2 E7 · Misbegotten

2003-02-23

Johnny is kidnapped by three women who take him to a haunted house - each has their own reasons. Penny is romantically obsessed with Johnny and wants to have his baby, Maddy plans on making a "Blair Witch" style Internet event and sell it to Rev. Purdy, and Anita is seemingly obsessed with the mystery of the family who was killed there. While Dana and Sara reluctantly go through the piles of "fan mail" that Johnny receives, Johnny himself unravels the mystery through his visions, and discovers that the young son Nicholas who survived is responsible...and that Anita is that boy, dressed as a woman. With the women's help the police arrive just in time as Anita/Nicholas goes berserk. Johnny manages to restrain her long enough to save his life and Anita is taken away.

S2 E8 · Cabin Pressure

2003-03-02

Johnny and Rev. Purdy are traveling on a plane when Johnny gets a vision of the plane crashing and eventually determines that the pilot will put the plane into a dive as the engine explodes. He manages to convince the air marshal he's telling the truth but he sees the same vision of destruction compliments of the co-pilot and realizes both men are trying to save the plane. Using his gift Johnny determines the wings are covered with ice due to an instrument malfunction. When the co-pilot is injured Johnny is forced to take his seat and direct the pilot with his visions to take the proper steps to save the plane.

S2 E9 · The Man Who Never Was

2003-03-09

Isolating himself from a demanding public, Johnny gets visions of himself disappearing after making contact with something belonging to a shut-in, Jeffrey Grissom, brought in by his delivery man. Johnny briefly visits him and Grissom talks about wondering where his old home was, then Johnny returns the next day with information to find out Grissom and any trace of him have completely disappeared. Johnny is determined to follow up when he gets a vision of people removing Grissom and the new family moving in. Johnny gets visions of people going through his own home as well and gets close enough to the people following him to get a vision of Grissom in a new home and visits him there. Grissom reveals he is a retired spy kept buried by the U.S. government due to valuable knowledge in his head.

S2 E10 · Dead Men Tell Tales

2003-03-16

Johnny becomes involved with the mob when his visions lead him to help a mobster whom he sees being gunned down.

S2 E11 · Playing God

2003-03-30

A wild old high school friend, Jason, comes to see Johnny seeking a vision of the future as he will be dying of a heart condition. Johnny sees him receiving a successful heart transplant and gives him the good news, but later gets a vision of Jason's sister Kate being killed in a driving accident and becoming the donor. Johnny later gets a vision of the other driver's license plate while Jason takes a turn for the worse, then sees a vision of him and Kate arguing which leads to her going out and getting in the accident. Johnny soon realizes even if he saves Kate and gets Jason a heart through Purdy's connections, someone else who would have received the heart will die. Johnny tracks down the drunk driver, Patrick Hanchin, and confronts him, but sees that even if Johnny stops him from killing Kate, he'll hit a school bus.

S2 E12 · Zion

2003-04-06

Johnny goes to the funeral of Bruce's father and somehow gives Bruce visions of what Bruce's life would have been like if he had never met Johnny.

S2 E13 · The Storm

2003-07-06

In the aftermath of Kate's death, Johnny's friends stage an intervention to shake him out of his guilt, but as Bruce drives him to Purdy's lakeside resort, he senses a storm is brewing. Now Johnny is forced to try to come to terms with his destiny in order to save the people he loves.

S2 E14 · Plague

2003-07-13

Johnny is troubled by a disturbing vision of a sudden viral epidemic that cuts a swath through the children of his town.

S2 E15 · Deja Voodoo

2003-07-20

Johnny meets a beautiful woman in danger is reminded again of the potentially dire consequences of even the smallest of choices.

S2 E16 · The Hunt

2003-07-27

A Covert Branch of U.S. intelligence recruits Johnny to track down the world's most wanted terrorist.

S2 E17 · The Mountain

2003-08-03

Johnny, Walt, Sarah, and JJ get involved in a search for $2 million on a missing plane.

S2 E18 · The Combination

2003-08-10

Johnny tries to prevent a boxer from dying in the ring.

S2 E19 · Visions

2003-08-17

Johnny tries to determine who the mysterious hooded man in his visions are and aid him in the present, while determining more about what the future holds for him personally.

Season 3

12 episodes

S3 E1 · Finding Rachel (1)

2004-06-06

Johnny attempts to piece together his visions to fill in the large gap of missing time in his memory in order to figure out what happened to one of Stillson's campaign volunteers who mysteriously disappeared while she was with him.

S3 E2 · Finding Rachel (2)

2004-06-13

Arrested for the murder of Rachel Caldwell, Johnny seeks the assistance of her sister, a reluctant Rebecca--who believes that he is guilty--and his friends to prove his innocence and help figure out what really happened to her.

S3 E3 · Collision

2004-06-20

While following a missing person's case of an eleven year old named Katie Mercer, Johnny's visions of the girl intercede with visions of the night of his crash 9 years ago. He struggles with the help of Rebecca to relive and endure the night of his accident so that he could figure out where Katie is located as the intensity of the physical and emotional pain of his visions start to wear him down. As Johnny sorts out this strange intertwining of the past and present, he is led to the mysterious person that saved his life.

S3 E4 · Cold Hard Truth

2004-06-27

When shock jock Jack Jericho who spews venomous attacks on the airwaves gets a concussion from being beaten by a group of bikers he offended, the most unlikely person comes to his aid. Johnny who is the target of Jack's many radio bashings becomes concerned that the radio host's self-destructive behavior is leading him down a path that would end in his death. In the midst of all this, Johnny attempts to help Walt and Sarah with J.J. who is having problems at school and at home.

S3 E5 · Total Awareness

2004-07-04

Johnny is stalked both by a woman who has killed three other psychics, and a mysterious security organization working for the government.

S3 E6 · No Questions Asked

2004-07-18

Walt's past comes back to haunt him; Johnny helps Walt deal with his problems but Walt specifies there can be "no questions asked."

S3 E7 · Looking Glass

2004-07-25

Lawyer twins use Johnny to help prove his visions can be false and an invasion of privacy but Johnny believes his visions of a murder are real.

S3 E8 · Speak Now

2004-08-01

Johnny has a vision of himself interrupting a wedding, and becomes involved to determine why the marriage should or shouldn't be stopped, while dealing with the repercussions of Sarah's decision to abandon him and marry Walt.

S3 E9 · Cycle of Violence

2004-08-08

While at the school Johnny gets a vision of a student going on a shooting spree and must find out who it is before it's too late.

S3 E10 · Instinct

2004-08-15

A series of wild and domestic animal attacks lie at the heart of a mystery that Johnny must solve before the entire town is destroyed.

S3 E11 · Shadows

2004-08-22

Johnny must unravel a series of future visions of himself killing a man in revenge for the death of someone close to him.

S3 E12 · Tipping Point (1)

2004-08-22

The continuing strain of visions takes its toll on Johnny while he and Rebecca try to bring Stillson to justice for Rachel's murder, and Reverend Purdy confesses his sins.

Season 4

12 episodes

S4 E1 · Broken Circle (2)

2005-06-12

Johnny is forced to try and save Greg Stillson...by stopping Rachel Caldwell from making a fatal mistake, even though it may cause nuclear armageddon.

S4 E2 · The Collector

2005-06-19

When a friend of Sara's goes missing, Johnny becomes involved trying to find her twisted abductor...before he kills the missing woman.

S4 E3 · Double Vision

2005-06-26

Johnny runs into an attractive psychic as they both try to find and stop a sniper.

S4 E4 · Still Life

2005-07-10

A painter's daughter and model has disappeared and Johnny tries to help locate her, but is swept into a web of obsession and hidden secrets.

S4 E5 · Heroes & Demons

2005-07-17

An autistic boy makes his way to Johnny to "ask" him to help clear his father - a cop on death row for the murder of an undercover cop.

S4 E6 · The Last Goodbye

2005-07-24

Johnny gets a vision of a rock star who is believed to have died...but Johnny realizes he's still alive.

S4 E7 · Grains of Sand

2005-07-31

When an immigrant woman dies, Johnny is determined to take care of her baby and reunite it with the father.

S4 E8 · Vanguard

2005-08-07

Johnny must help a former student, now a researcher for a plastics company, with a future of destruction setting off the doomsday of Johnny's visions.

S4 E9 · Babble On

2005-08-14

Johnny has been getting visions of his dead father, who is apparently trying to warn him of some coming disaster.

S4 E10 · Coming Home

2005-08-21

Johnny gets a vision of death concerning Sara's father, who is apparently being stalked by a "Shadow Man" who is preying on an old folks' community home.

S4 E11 · Saved

2005-08-28

When Stillson's girlfriend disappears, he must reluctantly turn to Johnny Smith for help in locating her.

S4 E12 · A Very Dead Zone Christmas

2005-12-04

Johnny prepares for a Christmas celebration and has to deal with a visit by Alex, an amnesiac Santa, three young brothers without a family, and... turducken.

Season 5

11 episodes

S5 E1 · Forbidden Fruit

2006-06-18

Johnny vows to find a way to stop Miranda from marrying Greg Stillson...before she ends up being killed. Meanwhile the mysterious Janus further insinuates himself into Stillson's and Purdy's lives.

S5 E2 · Independence Day

2006-06-25

Johnny has a vision of a dead Bruce in a multi-car accident on the highway, but finds that his every effort to stop it only makes things worse.

S5 E3 · Panic

2006-07-02

Johnny is trapped in his house with J.J. and another neighborhood teen by vicious killers, and discovers a family secret while trying to keep one step ahead of the intruders.

S5 E4 · Articles of Faith

2006-07-09

Johnny helps in the investigation of a hate-crime commited by the son of a neo-Nazi, but soon has reason to believe the boy's confession may be false.

S5 E5 · The Inside Man

2006-07-16

Johnny ends up taking the place of the inside man in a museum robbery to stop the crime and prevent several deaths, but soon finds he may have to help them escape to prevent innocent people from being killed.

S5 E6 · Lotto Fever

2006-07-23

Johnny must deal with an angry man who got winning Lotto tickets from Johnny after meeting him... but is now frustrated with all the problems the money brought with it.

S5 E7 · Symmetry

2006-07-30

After Johnny is attacked, he begins to experience visions of his attacker's life and the life of one of the attacker's victims.

S5 E8 · Vortex

2006-08-06

To save a child, Johnny infiltrates a compound belonging to a cult, but soon finds that the place is loaded with explosives and must stop a confrontation between the cult leader and the FBI before the entire place goes up.

S5 E9 · Revelations

2006-08-13

A woman claiming to be Purdy's lost-long daughter arrives in Cleaves Mills. Johnny has a vision of the woman causing harm to Purdy, who ignores Johnny's warning. While investigating the woman, Johnny learns of Purdy's secret past.

S5 E10 · Into the Heart of Darkness

2006-08-20

The Collector returns, seeking his revenge on Johnny. Now Johnny must race against time to save a newly pregnant Sara from his grasp.

S5 E11 · The Hunting Party

2006-08-27

Johnny tries to thwart the assassination of the Vice President and protect the man that Janus' secret conspiracy has set up to take the blame, but it soon becomes clear that Janus has his own plans to assure Stillson's ascension to the White House.

Season 6

13 episodes

S6 E1 · Heritage

2007-06-17

Johnny views visions of his friends in danger at a festival. He believes he has averted the disaster, but a fire later claims two people changing Johnny's life and the world's fate.

S6 E2 · Ego

2007-06-24

Johnny investigates a psychiatrist after a vision shows her being shot, he uncovers several patients who would like her dead.

S6 E3 · Re-Entry

2007-07-01

Johnny gets a vision of disaster on a private space mission and is forced to work with Stillson to save the crew.

S6 E4 · Big Top

2007-07-08

Johnny visits an "Alice in Wonderland"-themed circus and becomes part of a ten year old murder. Johnny later realizes that J.J. may have inherited a part of his psychic powers.

S6 E5 · Interred

2007-07-15

Johnny has a vision of a man who has been buried alive. Johnny, with the help of Turner, rushes to locate the man.

S6 E6 · Switch

2007-07-22

Johnny is taking a train trip when he has a vision of someone throwing a woman from the train. Johnny goes to help and becomes romantically involved with her, but soon suspects that she's a fraud.

S6 E7 · Numb

2007-07-29

Sarah must take unexpected actions to save Johnny's life after he goes into a coma.

S6 E8 · Outcome

2007-08-05

Johnny must turn to a friend of Sarah's for help when he gets a vision of an imminent bus station bombing.

S6 E9 · Transgressions

2007-08-12

Johnny becomes involved in a murder case involving a young woman and demonic possession, where everything isn't as it seems.

S6 E10 · Drift

2007-08-19

While on a trip to visit Bruce, Johnny views a racehorse being stolen in a vision. He also realizes that he may have lost the chance to reunite with Sarah and J.J. thanks to Stilson's efforts.

S6 E11 · Exile

2007-08-26

Johnny goes to the aid of his psychic friend, but soon finds he's the one who needs help. Meanwhile, Sarah moves out of Johnny's house and goes to Stillson, who reveals information that sheds light on the events leading up to Walt's death.

S6 E12 · Ambush

2007-09-09

While further investigating Walt's death, Johnny determines a link between him and his successor, Anna Turner.

S6 E13 · Denouement

2007-09-16

In the sixth season finale, visions of Walt lead Johnny to an amazing discovery about his father Herb, and secrets from the past are exposed.