Despite having a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, Station Eleven is flying under the radar, making Patrick Somerville’s dystopian sci-fi a hidden gem. Station Eleven emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the universal struggle with a post-apocalyptic narrative that killed 98 percent of the population, leaving the remaining few to ask, “What’s next?”
The most remarkable aspect of the HBO Max show was that its correlation with the pandemic was coincidental. The post-apocalyptic series had already filmed two episodes when a genuine pandemic broke out, making Station Eleven more 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’s Station Eleven didn’t get the widespread love and attention it warranted. Station Eleven was hyper-relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on Emily St. John Mandel’s novel of 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 as Succession, The White Lotus, and Euphoria, dominated the streaming platform’s viewership, overshadowing Station 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 only 10 episodes of Station Eleven, interest didn’t pick up in the HBO show for another season because it was a miniseries. Still, Station Eleven is 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 Eleven is about the connection between Jeevan (Himesh Patel) and Kirsten, with Blade Runner’s Mackenzie Davis playing Kirsten as an adult, and Matilda Lawler portraying her as a child. In the past and present, we witness Station Eleven’s characters seeking solutions to traumas that occurred during the pandemic, with the conclusion offering a full-circle, yet understated, resolution.
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Ultimately, the end of Station Eleven is 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, perhaps Station Eleven will become a cult classic, growing more potent with age.
Station Eleven
- Release Date
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2021 – 2022
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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Helen Shaver
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Mackenzie Davis
Kirsten Raymonde
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Himesh Patel
Jeevan Chaudhary
