HBO has released some incredible sci-fi titles, but its most underrated is also one of the best TV series ever made. There are loads of perfect HBO shows that, even years after they ended, audiences have continued to talk about. The likes of Dune: Prophecy, The Last of Us, and His Dark Materials are renowned TV shows in HBO’s science fiction catalog. Unfortunately, some titles don’t get the appreciation they deserve, but thanks to the world of streaming, audiences eventually learn about them and share them with others.
Station Eleven is arguably HBO’s best sci-fi miniseries, and its astounding 98% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes proves this. Despite ending in 2022, more and more people are discovering the gripping sci-fi TV show on Max, HBO’s streaming service, and are quickly realizing that it’s one of the best titles to ever grace our screens. Whether you’ve binged it several times before or have never seen it before, viewers should rush to watch Station Eleven.
Why ‘Station Eleven’ Is a Perfect Masterpiece
Station Eleven is a fascinating and moving story based on Emily Sr. John Mandel’s 2014 novel of the same name, which follows a group of people who survive the Georgia flu, a worldwide flu pandemic, which results in the end of civilization. 20 years after the event, the group are traveling performers who cross paths with a vicious cult. While there are changes from Station Eleven‘s source material in the HBO miniseries, readers generally agree that the differences work in the show’s favor.
Station Eleven features thrilling performances from Mackenzie Davis as lead character Kirsten Raymonde and Himesh Patel as Jeevan Chaudhary, with the latter earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Matilda Lawler’s portrayal of a young Kirsten is a particular standout, too, and her on-screen rapport with Patel’s Chaudhary makes for some of the very best moments in the show.
While Station Eleven does somewhat lean into the tropes and stereotypes of a post-apocalyptic TV drama, it’s also a different change of pace compared to other titles. The survivors essentially being a traveling circus is a unique context to establish the characters within, and Station Eleven‘s deep philosophical themes allow for some beautiful end-of-the-world storytelling.
The most important thing about Station Eleven is how it translates this post-apocalyptic world to the screen. While survival is always at the forefront, Station Eleven‘s cinematography isn’t dark and gloomy like most, and it embraces natural lighting and colors, which serve as a representation of hope in the survivors. The show also pushes the message of hope through its storytelling, and rather than having the characters give up on everything, they use their memories of their functioning past world as motivation.
It’s a shame that this HBO miniseries didn’t get more love when it first aired, but considering it dropped in 2021, while we were still in the depths of COVID, it makes sense that audiences weren’t exactly in the mood for this type of show. Thankfully, viewers are starting to discover Station Eleven, especially following the success of other, similar titles, like Fallout and The Leftovers​​​​​​, for example.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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Hiro Murai, Helen Shaver, Jeremy Podeswa, Lucy Tcherniak
- Writers
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Patrick Somerville, Sarah McCarron, Kim Steele, Cord Jefferson, Nick Cuse
