How End of Watch by Stephen King Explores Social Media & Social Engineering

I just finished End of Watch by Stephen King, and it left me thinking about a few bigger-picture ideas—about how pop culture and technology shape storytelling, and how those choices might age over time. This isn’t my typical book review, but a reflection on two key themes in the book that made a lasting impression.

For context, End of Watch (2016) is the final book in King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy, following Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. While the story ties up the overarching narrative, what stood out to me were the subtle commentaries on social media and social engineering—both deeply relevant in today’s world.

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The Aging of Pop Culture References in Literature

One thing that struck me in End of Watch was the mention of Google+, a platform I personally enjoyed back in the day, but seemed to fizzle before it really caught speed. It launched in 2011 and officially shut down in 2019, but for many, it disappeared long before that. In the book, it’s referenced casually, yet it got me wondering: How do pop culture nods like this hold up over time?

It reminded me of watching The Sopranos for the first time about ten years ago. That show was packed with pop culture references, things that might date the material for future generations. I never finished the series back then (remember when we watched things on-demand instead of on streaming services and how changing providers would mess up you watch history?), but I always wondered: do those references make a timeless show feel more temporary?

When I asked a 20-something coworker if he remembered Google+, he vaguely recalled it as something you needed to connect to YouTube—but never actually used it. This raised another question for me: Will future readers understand these references? Will King’s work, 50 years from now, still resonate with a generation that never knew MySpace, let alone Google+?

Stephen King has been publishing for over five decades, and his books are studied in universities—from Hope College (which is close to me) to Arizona State. But as someone who’s deeply involved with tech, I can’t help but wonder how the inclusion of now-obsolete platforms might affect the legacy and readability of his novels.

Will references to Facebook and Twitter one day seem as dated as a rotary phone? Possibly. But will that actually ever effect the readability of the books? I don’t know.

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Not Everything That’s Free Is Worth It

The second idea that really resonated with me from End of Watch was how the concept of “free” can be dangerous, and how social engineering is really becoming the new normal. In the book, the villain distributes Zappit tablets, a seemingly generous giveaway to concert-goers, which are then used for mind control and brainwashing.

As someone who works in IT, this hit home. It reminded me of phishing emails and “free gift” scams we warn people about all the time. Whether it’s a tablet in a horror novel or a too-good-to-be-true offer in real life, “free” often comes with hidden strings attached.

King subtly connects this fictional manipulation to real-world scenarios like catfishing, where the promise of emotional connection or rewards leads people to give away their money or personal information. In the book, Brady Hartsfield uses psychological tactics to manipulate minds, something we’re unfortunately seeing more of in the digital age.

It’s fascinating (and unsettling) to see how modern threats like phishing and social engineering are now being explored in fiction, especially by authors like King who are known more for supernatural scares. Sometimes, real life is the most frightening thing of all.

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Final Thoughts on End of Watch

This post was a bit different from my usual reviews, but I couldn’t shake these themes while reading. As a whole, the Bill Hodges Trilogy blends detective fiction with King’s trademark eerie storytelling. While End of Watch is the weakest of the three in terms of over all story, it offers a solid emotional conclusion to the series.

If you’re new to the trilogy, don’t start here, begin with Mr. Mercedes. But if you’ve already read the first two, End of Watch is worth finishing for closure and deeper themes.

I listened to all three books on audiobook, and I highly recommend them. Will Patton’s narration is fantastic and adds an extra layer of tension and emotion to the story.

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Movie (Or TV) Pairing Recommendation:

While a direct movie tie-in might be hard to match with End of Watch, I’m going to go into television because sometimes a binge-worthy show hits the same as a binge-worthy trilogy. The obvious choice here would be Mr. Mercedes, the TV adaptation of this very trilogy, which sticks close to the tone and tension of King’s original work.

But if you’re looking for something a little more offbeat and tied to the themes I explored in this review, I actually recommend watching an episode each of The Sopranos and Catfish. Both shows reflect the two themes I covered here, The Sopranos for its exploration of pop culture references, and Catfish for its focus on the social engineering, similar to that of phishing.

Start with episode one of The Sopranos, it’s what originally got me thinking about some of the parallels I mentioned earlier. You never know, it might just spark your next TV binge.

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Let’s Talk: Does Pop Culture Date Books?

Do you think pop culture and tech references help or hurt a book’s longevity? Will later generations to come understand a Google+ or MySpace reference the way we understood telegraphs in older novels? And how do you feel about the concept of social engineering being used as a narrative trap in fiction?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment or send me a message, let’s keep the conversation going!