Station Eleven TV Show Review: An Artistic Take on an Apocalypse
Station Eleven is an HBO Max miniseries based on the fictional bestseller of the same name. It is a story about the events immediately leading up to a pandemic that quickly wipes out almost 99% of the human population. And with time skips and flashbacks, viewers get a glimpse into the lives of a handful of characters who are all connected by a string of fate.
The heart of this story is about how humans deal with trauma and tragedy in different ways. Ultimately, as humans, we crave human connection and are bound together through unspoken bonds. Kirsten, one of the main protagonists, is a member of the Traveling Symphony, an acting troupe that goes from town to town performing Shakespearean plays. They carry on the traditions of the past in a post-pandemic world, despite how everything has changed. They’re presented to us as the team we want to root for.
On the other hand, there is a person called the “Prophet,” who is presented to us as a mysterious and dangerous cult leader. He preaches the mantra that there is no “before,” essentially saying that the past should be left in the past. His worldview clashes with that of the Traveling Symphony, causing conflict and danger.
Underpinning all of this is the fact that Kirsten and the Prophet have been tied together by fate and coincidence, starting from when they were both children. Through the episodes, we learn about Station Eleven, a comic book written and illustrated by a woman named Miranda. This comic book has influenced both Kirsten and the Prophet deeply, affecting their values in surprisingly different ways. They went down polar opposite paths despite developing such a deep connection to the same book, which was really interesting to explore. I feel like this touches upon the fact that there is no good or evil in the world, just misunderstood and different points of view.
I loved the scenes of the “past” that explored the circumstances of Arthur and Miranda. The episode featuring the two of them was undeniably my favorite. A close second is the pilot episode. The combination of pandemic panic mixed with early character introductions was so well done.
A standout character for me was young Kirsten, played by Matilda Lawler. I think she is an incredible and versatile young actress, and I enjoyed watching the early stages of the pandemic through her experiences. The most touching parts of this series were of the friendships and human connections forged through hardship, particularly the bond that developed between Kirsten and Jeevan.
Station Eleven is a mix of apocalyptic survival and deep human musings. While there are no epic action sequences of shootouts or mass panic, you get to see more mild moments of survival. Overall, I think this TV adaptation did a good job in bringing the original story alive, from the sets to the costumes to the camera angles.