Station Eleven

Station Eleven (now 5 episodes in) is a slow burn, surreal, and enigmatic. It's clearly not going to be for everyone, but any review under 5 stars isn't doing justice to what is going on with this show.

There's a slightly ominous aspect to it that provides a foil for its seeming lack of coherence (which is really only surface deep). It's coherence lies in the themes it follows rather than any fixed and characterised point of view.

This is a very carefully constructed and intelligent piece with a haunting sound track and an at times brilliant interplay between characters left traumatised by their experience of a world coming apart at the seams and their non-volitional survival - in various ways they are all in shock. There are some quite sensational performances from some of the cast, but they also have some great material to work with.

This is intelligent and thought provoking TV, delivered with passion.

The first episode was a bit slow for my liking but the story is interesting enough to keep my attention. I particularly enjoyed the third episode. Would like to see where this goes. I say give it a chance, watch it for yourself since most the reviewers here want the same post- apocalypse show/movies that we already have a thousand of.

Station Eleven is at its best when it focuses on the stories set during the outbreak of the flu and immediately after. The storylines featuring the traveling troupe just aren't good. The troupe is made up of unlikeable characters who can't stop making stupid decisions and acting dumb (including the insufferable adult Kirsten).

However, when this show does decide to focus on the outbreak storylines such as Jeevan and young Kirsten, Miranda, and Clark and Elizabeth the show is fantastic. You feel the intended emotions during these parts because the characters are relatable and you actually care about them. I really wish they would've spent more time on the earlier stories and less on the traveling troupe of boredom.

The first episode was fantastic but #2 jumps years into the future with slowed down pacing and struggles to create emotional connection or a coherent storyline. If you get past it, episodes 3, 4, and 5 are major reveals that must be watched before you pass judgement on the show.

This post apocalyptic series is delivered through a jumble of flash forwards and flashbacks. Anyone who has not read the book will be confused for the first few episodes. Episode 4's little inside joke about nonlinear delivery methods brought a smile to my face.

Like Murai's Atlanta, it gets better with time. This is a trippy series that rewards the patient.

I had to write this just because of the poor reviews on here. Judging from the majority of these reviews, the basic person's attention span is pitiful, at best. No one cares about your quick consumption instant gratification society or your opinions on real art. Real art is thoughtful and unapologetic, it doesn't ask for your acceptance. That being said, I think this series is thoughtful and impactful. It's only made more powerful by Hiro Murai's choices in directing. I didn't know what to expect coming into this series, but I ended up enjoying it tremendously. The premise hits extremely close to home and the main characters and plot are interwoven into an extremely interesting plot. I haven't read the source material, but I love the idea of how the book itself is a plot point. I don't like spoiling things with reviews, but I will say that most of these reviews are from people with a lack of patience. If you can't appreciate a slow burn or a story driven by it's characters more than action or petty drama, you won't enjoy this. The acting is pretty well done, but the show does take it's time revealing details. I felt like the payoff was worth it, though you'll have to be the deciding factor in that.