Despite having anear-perfectRotten Tomatoesscore,Station Elevenis flying under the radar, making Patrick Somerville’s dystopian sci-fi a hidden gem.Station Elevenemerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the universal struggle with apost-apocalyptic narrativethat killed 98 percent of the population, leaving the remaining few to ask,“What’s next?”
The most remarkable aspect of theHBO Max showwas that its correlation with the pandemic was coincidental.The post-apocalyptic series had already filmed two episodes when a genuine pandemic broke out, makingStation Elevenmore timely and relevant. Years later, the cautionary tale claiming that“survival is insufficient”at the world’s end is all the more poignant.
Station Eleven Flew Under A Lot Of People’s Radars Despite A Near-Perfect RT Score
Station Eleven Is Near-Perfect Sci-Fi
Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed shows of 2021-2022,HBO Max’sStation Elevendidn’t get the widespread love and attention it warranted.Station Elevenwas hyper-relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, based onEmily St. John Mandel’s novelof the same name. The story carried an emotional weight, which undoubtedly contributed to viewers' apprehension to tune in.
Station Eleven’s premise hit too close to home.
Audiences were fatigued with pandemic narratives. So, for many,Station Eleven’s premise hit too close to home. The show is also difficult to categorize, as it does not fit into the traditional mold of a post-apocalyptic thriller. Plus,other HBO Max shows, such asSuccession,The White Lotus,andEuphoria,dominated the streaming platform’s viewership, overshadowingStation Eleven’s slow-burn narrative.
Station Eleven Is Only 10 Episodes Long (But It Has A Satisfying Ending)
Station Eleven Tells A Philosophical Story
With only10 episodes ofStation Eleven, interest didn’t pick up in the HBO show for another season because it was a miniseries. Still,Station Elevenis worth the minimal time investment,delivering a satisfying conclusion to those who stick with its non-linear narrative. It oscillates between the flu’s onset and how several different groups navigate its fallout 20 years later.
At its heart,Station Elevenis about the connection between Jeevan (Himesh Patel) and Kirsten, withBlade Runner’s Mackenzie Davis playing Kirsten as an adult,and Matilda Lawler portraying her as a child. In the past and present, we witnessStation Eleven’s charactersseeking solutions to traumas that occurred during the pandemic, with the conclusion offering a full-circle, yet understated, resolution.
Ultimately,the end ofStation Elevenis about humanity. It used the apocalypse as a backdrop for the message that healing is possible, even at the world’s end, and that art and connection are the essential tools for survival. While it was undoubtedly underappreciated at its time, perhapsStation Elevenwill become a cult classic, growing more potent with age.
