NOTE: This article is only about Jim Rennie in Stephen King's original novel. For his more anti-heroic version in the TV minieries, see here: Jim Rennie (TV Show).
James "Jim" Rennie, or also better known as Big Jim, is the main antagonist of the 2009 Stephen King novel Under the Dome.
Big Jim Rennie is the religious, power obsessed, and manipulative second selectmen of Chester's Mill, a small town that is mysteriously covered by a invisible dome.
Under the Dome - Novel
On Dome Day, Jim Rennie arrives and sees this as an attempt to seize control of Chester's Mill. Rennie had already had control over many of Chester's Mill's most important players, even the first selectman, Andy Sanders. After the death of Chief Duke Perkins, Rennie appoints Peter Randolph as the chief of police. And then his reign begins.
He has Randolph appoint his young son and his friends as police officers, who violently beat, rape, and abuse the people of Chester's Mill.
During the time in the Dome, Rennie kills many of the citizens of the Mill and is one of the most evil Stephen King villains in years. For he is more realistic and all of his actions have caused pain the everyone around him.
His reign of terror ended when Jackie Wettington killed his son Jim Rennie Jr. from killing Dale Barbara, and Sanders, who couldn't cope with the loss of his wife and daughter, broke free from Rennie's control and joined Phil "The Chef" Bushey and they killed Randolph and Melvin Searles, and blew up the meth lab, killing themselves in the process and resulting in a firestorm.
With the loss of power, Rennie and Carter Thibodeau turned on each other and Rennie killed Thibodeau. Rennie eventually died hours later when hallucinations of the people that died during the time of the dome chased him to the toxic environment.
Victims
- Lester Coggins (deceased; murder)
- Brenda Perkins (deceased; murder)
- Carter Thibodeau (deceased)
- Dale "Barbie" Barbara (framed)
Proxy Victims
- Angie McCain (deceased; murder)
- Dodee Sanders (deceased; murder)
- Andrea Grinnell (deceased)
- Carolyn Sturges (deceased)
- Stacey Moggin (deceased)
- Rupert Libby (deceased)
- Mickey Wardlaw (deceased)
TV Show
Dean Norris as Big Jim Rennie
- Main article: Jim Rennie (TV Show)
Big Jim appears as one of the main antagonists in the TV show adaptation of Under the Dome, where he is portrayed by Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris. However, he went from the main antagonist to the anti-hero in the final season of the show.
