What makes no sense, and I thought this since I first read the abridged book in 1980, is why did Glen, Larry and Ralph have to die?
They are "sent West", Stu gets a pass by breaking his leg so Tom can find him and escort him safely back to Fran, the other 3 end up in Vegas. It was never clear what they are expected to do, so you are waiting for some divine deus ex purpose and something they actually DO that resolves things a purpose. But no, they get captured and banged up. Glen gets shot in his cell. Larry and Ralph get taken out for execution. Then Trash turns up with the missile and blows the town up killing Flagg and all the "evil" people. Which would have happened anyway.
So why did they have to go West just to die in the bomb blast with the baddies? Them being there did nothing to make Trash turn up with the bomb. They died for nothing. Same with the 3 "scouts"- the judge and her who just went there and got killed, they didn't learn anything or bring anything back. Tom got out alive, finds Stu, then the bomb goes off. The whole point of the exercise was what? Five got sent there to die for nothing. All they had to do was to stay in the Frees one, and Trash turns up with he bomb and blows up Vegas. Problem takes care of itself.
This is the one thing that always bugged me about this great book and it's film.
