Kimberly Langton

**Kimberly Langton** is a fictional character and the protagonist of the TV series, Predictions. She possesses psychic abilities that allow her to see moments of the future and past, usually triggered by touching objects or a person related to that future. She is portrayed by Kimberley Walsh in the film adaptation and -- in the USA Network television series.

In the novel, the phrase "dead zone" refers to the part of Kimberly's brain that is damaged beyond repair, causing dormant parts to awaken in order to compensate, leading to psychic abilities; when information in her visions is obstructed, Kimberly says it exists in the dead zone. In the movie adaptation starring Walsh, the phrase "dead zone" refers to blind spots that only appear in precognitive visions, representing that the future is capable of being altered. In the TV series starring --, the phrase "dead zone" refers not to her brain damage but instead to the previously dormant part of Kimberly's brain that awakens and activates her psychic abilities.

## Series

In the television series *Predictions*, Kimberly is introduced in the pilot episode, "Wheel of Fortune (Part 1)". Born Kimberly in 1990, this version of Kimberly is a dancer in Malibu is living a good life. She is best friends with Samantha Morrison, an hairstylist and neighbor of her's. She has a better relationship with her father, John. A horrific car crash puts Kimberly into a coma for a year. Kimberly comes out of her coma and learns that her father, John is now married to Samantha. The two had fallen in love during the ordeal. On September 1, 2001, rising politician Greg Stillson is sworn in as a state representative. At the moment Stillson takes his oath, Kimberly awakens from her coma, saying, "Something's wrong."

Johnny quickly discovers he now has psychic visions that can be triggered by physical contact. His doctor tells him that a dormant portion of his brain, an area one might normally consider a "dead zone" of the brain, now seems to be active and may be responsible for his powers. Johnny and Sarah reunite and he learns he has a son. Sarah wants JJ to come to know and love Johnny, hoping to eventually explain their connection to the child. Sarah is conflicted about her feelings for Johnny, while Johnny is torn between hoping Sarah will leave her husband and thinking he should move on with his life. His physical therapist Bruce Lewis also becomes his confidant and best friend as he tries to resume a normal life in Bangor.

Driven to action by visions of death and crime, Johnny repeatedly uses his power to aid Sheriff Bannerman, and the two develop a grudging respect for each other. On many of his adventures, Johnny is aided by Bruce Lewis, who helps ground him and offers emotional support. Unlike his novel and movie counterparts, Johnny is able to increasingly accept his powers over time and become more comfortable with their use, though he still dislikes public attention and resents strangers believing he can solve all their problems. In the first season episode "Shaman," Johnny has a vision of a Native American shaman who had similar abilities centuries before and realizes he is not the first one to have this gift. By holding onto the shaman's personal item, Johnny is able to send messages into the past during moments the shaman also held the object. Johnny realizes he can preserve or alter the past by communicating with and influencing another "dead zone" psychic. In the season two episode "The Hunt", Johnny learns the U.S. government employs other psychics to help with counter-terrorist operations; he aids them for a short time.

During the first two seasons of the show, Johnny has a casual relationship with local journalist Dana Bright. In season three, he has a more serious relationship with therapist and psychiatrist Rebecca Caldwell, though this ends at the beginning of season four. In the fourth-season episode "Double Vision", Johnny meets another psychic named Alex Sinclair who has experienced metaphorical visions since childhood. The two feel a romantic connection but fear their combined psychic abilities will only too much stress for a relationship. They meet again on different adventures.

During the first season, Johny is haunted by visions of a dark tower surrounded by flames. After encountering politician Greg Stillson in the season 1 finale, his vision becomes clearer and he realizes that the dark tower he sees is actually an ash-covered version of the Washington Monument that exists in a possible future where Still has caused an apocalypse on Earth. Johnny's quest to stop "armageddon" becomes the ongoing subplot of the series during his other adventures, and he later shares his vision of the future and his fear of Stillson with Bruce. In the season two finale "Vision," Johnny learns he can sometimes communicate with Christopher Wey, a man who will become a "dead zone" psychic in the future when he wakes up from a coma after the apocalypse has happened. As with the shaman, Wey communicates with Johnny in the "past" by touching a personal object, the head of Johnny's cane. Eventually, Wey works alongside future versions of Johnny and JJ who are hoping to change their reality by sending messages into the past.

In the season two episode "Zion", Johnny's power temporarily activates Bruce's dead zone. Rather than a vision of the past or future, Bruce experiences a timeline where he never left his home and so never met Johnny. This alternate timeline resembles the canon of the novel and movie, showing Johnny as a suspicious and unsocial loner who attempts to publicly assassinate Stillson. Bruce is shocked by Johnny's attitude and behavior in this version of events, saying, "This is the you that would have been had I not been there for you." Before the vision ends, Bruce sees Johnny fail to kill Stillson and in turn be gunned down by the man's security detail. Bruce then has a vision of his father telling him that his destiny is to protect Johnny Smith.

After six seasons, *The Dead Zone* was canceled without resolving whether or not Johnny would prevent the apocalypse. In the final episode, Johnny learns his father had psychic abilities. The same episode depicts JJ suffering a minor head injury and then experiencing a vision of the apocalypse when Greg Stillson touches him (a vision Johnny experiences simultaneously elsewhere). JJ tells his parents only that he saw something "terrible" when he touched Stillson, and the last scene of the episode shows Johnny preparing to discuss it further.