Is the pandemic-set ‘Station Eleven’ great TV or not? We fight it out
EDITORS: The following contains spoilers from the season finale of “Station Eleven.”
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Since its debut last month, “Station Eleven” has drawn both acclaim (from critics including our own Robert Lloyd) and criticism (from fans of the novel on which it’s based, which it changes in key ways). Now, as HBO Max’s tale of a pre-, post- and post-post-apocalyptic society much like our own concludes, senior editor Matt Brennan and columnist and culture critic Mary McNamara have it out about whether the series was truly great — or something less.
Matt Brennan: With its emotional finale, “Unbroken Circle,” “Station Eleven” ties off the loose ends in its sprawling narrative: Tyler (Daniel Zovatto), a.k.a. the Prophet, reconciles with his mother (Caitlin FitzGerald); graphic novelist Miranda Carroll (Danielle Deadwyler) meets her fate; Sarah (Lori Petty) shuffles off this mortal coil; and, most importantly, Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis as a adult, Matilda Lawler as a child) reunites with Jeevan (Himesh Patel), capping off one of the most finely wrought love stories in recent TV history. Despite the tidy conclusion, I can only hope creator Patrick Somerville and HBO Max are in negotiations for a second season. Because in stretches the first comes achingly close to being a masterpiece.
Close. But no cigar.
Or, more precisely, it is half masterpiece, half not. In a way, “Station Eleven” is an interesting Rorschach test of apocalyptcism’s appeal. For me, it’s what I’ve taken to calling the series’ “present” — the scenes set
