‘Mr. Mercedes’: How Different Is The Show From Stephen King’s Novel?

“Mr. Mercedes” executive producer Jack Bender said that the Audience Network series doesn’t have any major differences from Stephen King’s novel of the same name on which the show is based. But Bender admitted that they added a few new elements and made some slight changes from the book to effectively tell the story on the small screen.

In a recent interview with Assignment X, Bender said that he doesn’t think that there’s a “significant” difference between the TV series and the book. But Bender, who directed seven out of 10 episodes of the show’s Season 1, acknowledged that there are “minor” departures here and there.

“Ida Silver is one,” Bender said of Hodges’ straightforward yet caring next-door neighbor, played by Holland Taylor. “[My fellow executive producer] David Kelley invented her. But she’s a wonderful change, a wonderful addition.”

Bender also confirmed that Brady (Harry Treadaway) is a bit closer to his electronics store coworker, Lou (Breeda Wool), on the show than in the book — a deliberate choice they made to avoid giving viewers new information through narration.

“Stephen King writes such brilliant inner monologues,” Bender said. “When you read that book, Brady’s point of view on the world and seeing the people and doing all that stuff, you learn so much [of them] from Stephen’s brilliant inner monologues. But we decided early on, we didn’t want to do it narrated. We felt that would be too easy. And I think the writers, and Harry Treadaway’s performance, and what I did [as a director], I think we walk that tightrope, which is tricky without the narration that’s in the book.”

Brady’s care for Lou became evident in Season 1, episode 4 after Lou was gay bashed by their client Ryan Springhill (Dave MacDonald) for the second time. While in the break room, Lou broke down because of what happened. And in an attempt to cheer her up, Brady — who is secretly the man behind the jobs fair massacre — bought her a pack of Oreo cookies from the vending machine.

“Mr. Mercedes” Season 1, episode 5, titled “The Suicide Hour,” airs on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT on Audience Network.