The streaming landscape is currently flooded with prestige sci-fi shows, and thanks to this saturation, only a few actually manage to penetrate the zeitgeist. However, if you go digging, you’ll find plenty of excellent series that have somehow slipped through the cracks. One such hidden gem from HBO appears to have been largely overlooked in the cultural conversation, despite earning a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Station Eleven is based on Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel. Adapted by Patrick Somerville, the sci-fi miniseries premiered on HBO Max with a 10-episode limited run in December 2021. On review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a 98% critics’ approval rating, with the consensus stating that the show “Rewards patient viewers with an insightful and thematically rich assertion that — even in the post-apocalypse — the show must go on.” So, if you somehow missed it, this is your sign to check out Station Eleven.
Why HBO’s Station Eleven Is a Must-Watch
Station Eleven oscillates between timelines: the collapse triggered by a lethal flu and the situation two decades later, where survivors attempt to rebuild civilization amid ruins. Our core group is The Traveling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians who risk everything to bring performances (often Shakespeare) to isolated settlements. By putting the focus on art after the apocalypse, Station Eleven separates itself from the typical sci-fi survival fare to bring us a study on what makes life meaningful.
According to critics, the show is a must-see, with one review on Rotten Tomatoes stating that Station Eleven is, “Absolutely worth a watch if only for the haunting worldbuilding and excellent acting on display.” Another praised it for its optimism: “Station Eleven is a uniquely optimistic end-of-the-world story that ticks every box.”
As the timelines weave together, Somerville’s excellent adaptation is supported by fantastic performances from Mackenzie Davis as Kirsten Raymonde and Himesh Patel as pre- and post-collapse Jeevan. The show was nominated for multiple Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, but despite its critical success, Station Eleven hasn’t yet shown up on mainstream pop culture radar the way other sci-fi shows like Black Mirror and Severance have. However, its 98% rating isn’t a fluke. The unique post-apocalyptic adventure is a rewarding watch that delivers on its themes of art and hope as means of survival after the end of the world as we know it.
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