4 Biggest Differences Between 'The Institute' & Stephen King's Original Book

Stephen King's 2019 novel The Institute was an instant bestseller, captivating readers with its dark portrayal of superpowers and the ruthless system that seeks to control them.

However, as with any adaptation, the TV series of the same name had to make some changes.

1. Tim Didn't Kill Anyone

In the series, Tim left the police force following a scandal in which he shot an armed teenager. Although he was wearing a service uniform, Tim had a day off at the time. He had also been drinking before the tragedy, which worsened his situation.

In the book, Tim fires a warning shot at the ceiling but damages a lantern. The lantern falls on a passerby's head, but no one is killed.

2. Luke Wasn't a PC

During his time at the Institute, Luke learned that he was a PC with the gift of foresight. The Head of Security, Trevor, and Dr. Hendricks tried to find out if Luke could foresee the future behind Ms. Sigsby's back.

In the book, Luke was only a TK. There was no conspiracy, nor was Sigsby having an affair with Hendricks. At the end of the novel, Luke met with Mr. Smith, the head of all the Institutes, and caused him to doubt his work.

Luke explained that foresight is based on probability theory and that all predictions depend on random variables that can alter the course of history.

3. Annie & Michelle's Fates Were Changed

In the series, Tim befriended a homeless woman named Annie. The woman believed the Institute was involved in a sinister conspiracy. She could even feel the Hum – an energy flow created by the minds of the captive children. Because of this, she was able to predict the plane crash.

Annie shared her suspicions with Tim, who told journalist Kate about them. Kate turned out to be an Institute agent who killed Annie. Before that, Kate got rid of her friend Michelle, who worked for the Institute and wanted to leak information about the organization to the press.

In the book, however, Michelle doesn't betray the Institute, there is no fake journalist named Kate, and Tim didn't investigate the Institute's activities until he met Luke.

Annie didn't die, nor did she predict any crashes, although she believed in conspiracy theories about the kidnapping of children. Michelle also died in the novel, but during a confrontation with Luke's team.

4. Ms. Sigsby Died

In the series, Luke and his friends destroyed the Institute. Stackhouse died during the destruction, Dr. Hendricks escaped the building beforehand, and Ms. Sigsby left the organization unharmed.

She took the flash drive containing evidence against the Institute that Maureen had collected and left in an unknown direction.

In the book, Stackhouse and Hendricks survived the Institute's destruction, but Luke didn't know what happened to them afterward. Sigsby died when the police car carrying Luke, Tim, and Sigsby was shot at by the Institute's people.

Luke kept the flash drive, and he and his friends hid it in a bank safe in case the Institute tried to get to them again.