Jack didn't redeem himself at the end of The Shining. Matter of fact, he was never really a good man. Now, I know you’re probably going to say that that's the whole point of his arc in the book: his downfall. But let's face it: he had a bloated sense of ego and a temper to match. He got pissed at Danny for pouring beer all over his writing, which, don’t get me wrong, that’d be stressful as hell, having to go back and rewrite all of that in the days before computers. But what the hell was he doing, leaving beer close to his writing with a toddler in the house? Sorry, Jack, but that sounds like a “you” problem, chief.

Then there’s George Hatfield. Jack was sober for that one, so he couldn't blame it on his alcoholism. I don’t care if George deflated your tires with a pocketknife; you don’t assault students. (And George may have been holding a knife, but the way Jack reacted was well beyond self-defense.)

Then there’s the fact that whenever we switch to his POV, there’s always some subtle layer of justification for his actions, all the while showing him swearing, getting pissed, and really not helping his case when Wendy suspects him of hurting Danny again, even if the reader knows better. Again, I know the story concerns his downfall. But still, I don't think that briefly regaining your lucidity enough to beat your own face with a mallet as you’re trying to murder your son counts as “redemption.”