Station Eleven (HBO MAX series) (2 Viewers)

[TheRealJRad]

I'm not getting all the love that everyone else is so far

I finished it up, but it felt more out of obligation. I found it boring. Just miserably boring.

 

[Optimus Prime]

So, I started watching and I'm 3 episodes in

I'm not getting all the love that everyone else is so far

I'm all for a slow burn show but it's a fine line between slow burn intriguing and slow burn boring

I'm hoping this is one of those shows where once it's gets going it goes like gangbusters

And I'll say the same thing I always say with a flashback/time jump heavy show

Everyone wants to be Lost

Just watched episode 5, the airport episode

That was slow burn intriguing

 

[Zack Lee]

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I think you missed a part (that others seemed to have missed as well)
When Kirsten goes to Tyler’s compound, he tells her that after she stabbed him, he wasn’t able to wrangle the kids very well so they started to try to implement the prophecy themselves- the kids who had the mines at the golf resort were rogue
— now we don’t have to assume Tyler is a reliable narrator - but we don’t have to doubt it either
The thing that works about believing Tyler’s story is that it makes Kirsten’s stabbing of him the indirect cause of both the club house deaths and probably Sarah’s
All bc she was trying to protect everyone

And I’m not trying to be snarky but I’m not sure you ever believed this show when it told you that it wasn’t like all the other apocalypse shows

And I’m not removing myself from that either- when Alex gave Tyler the knife for Hamlet, I had the rest of the show mapped in my head involving stabbing Clark and the Jeevan was going to echo his ep 1 walk to stage but this time he could save the actor, et al
But luckily the writers are better than I am and wrote something much more subtle and beautiful

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I did sort of catch that he said somebody else's story took over but didn't know which little girl it was. But who told them to (or how) to go digging up mines? I just felt like that part of the story had holes in it. And I didn't view this as a post Apocalyptic story after the first few episodes were over. I guess technically it classifies but it was more like that was a backdrop for a completely different kind of story it was telling.

Im not a person who just isn't moved by art. I can be very moved by say Phantom of the Opera or Opera singing. But I would never be moved by Hamlet so all of that pouring out their feelings through the play didn't really push any buttons for me.

on the last part you said about "the writers are better" brings me back around to wondering how closely this stuck to the book. Was it a liberal adaptation or was it relatively true to the book. Might have to find out.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

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I did sort of catch that he said somebody else's story took over but didn't know which little girl it was. But who told them to (or how) to go digging up mines? I just felt like that part of the story had holes in it. And I didn't view this as a post Apocalyptic story after the first few episodes were over. I guess technically it classifies but it was more like that was a backdrop for a completely different kind of story it was telling.

Im not a person who just isn't moved by art. I can be very moved by say Phantom of the Opera or Opera singing. But I would never be moved by Hamlet so all of that pouring out their feelings through the play didn't really push any buttons for me.

on the last part you said about "the writers are better" brings me back around to wondering how closely this stuck to the book. Was it a liberal adaptation or was it relatively true to the book. Might have to find out.

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seemingly there are many deviations from the text

i'd argue that the hamlet usage should not be viewed as 'art' but as 'pop art' in the same way that a graphic novel becomes the bible of the post-pan or the use of Tribe Called Quest or TLC/Creep or Pretty in Pink, et al. they're both framing mechanisms but also ways for characters to express themselves/communicate bc they don't quit have the tools to communicate other ways
they're also the antithesis of the 'museum of culture' where our relics of distraction are cast in amber to remember...what exactly?

and speaking of the museum, that's why the mines were dug up - he wanted them to blow up the tower (and maybe the rest of the airport) - the golf club bombing was an audible by the kids
and i don't think the idea that a prophet sets disciples on a path and if the prophet disappears, the disciples apply the prophecy in troubling ways is that big of a stretch from religious history writ large

 

[UptownSaintsFan]

So, there are a TON of deviations from the book. A ton. I think it's worth reading a recap if you're interested. I definitely liked the book a lot more. that being said, i thought the show, while a little slow at times (i'm looking at you traveling actors), was just beautifully written, acted, and engrossing. The scenes that were the most engrossing weren't because of the action, but because you were so drawn in by the actors and the music.

Does anyone have a better sad face/sad eyes than Mackenzie Davis?

My wife, who had not read the book loved the show. I thought the finale was weak, but still very good. I haven't seen many better acted shows this year (plug for Mr. Inbetween on Hulu if you want a really well acted show that also has a lot of action).

 

[Zack Lee]

So, there are a TON of deviations from the book. A ton. I think it's worth reading a recap if you're interested. I definitely liked the book a lot more. that being said, i thought the show, while a little slow at times (i'm looking at you traveling actors), was just beautifully written, acted, and engrossing. The scenes that were the most engrossing weren't because of the action, but because you were so drawn in by the actors and the music.

Does anyone have a better sad face/sad eyes than Mackenzie Davis?

My wife, who had not read the book loved the show. I thought the finale was weak, but still very good. I haven't seen many better acted shows this year (plug for Mr. Inbetween on Hulu if you want a really well acted show that also has a lot of action).

Thanks for the book info. I tend to agree. Glad I watched it, it was very thought provoking but the traveling actors was not my cup and the last episode was weak compared to the rest of it.

 

[ClayT101]

I am watching it. I think it would be better without all of the play stuff. But I guess if you do that, it guts the series. I have 3 more episodes, I'll watch them just because I have watched most of it.

The apocalyptic scenes are cool.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

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I loved this show all the way until the finale.

We're just never going to address the fact that Tyler was a mass kidnapper strapping bombs to kids? Like "Oh Well his parents had a rough divorce but his mom still loves him" so its all good? And his child jihadists just lay down their bombs ... because why?

Kinda like GOT - amazing show but they blew the ending in a catastrophic ball of fire.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I finished the show

It did pick up - it never went gangbusters but it did get interesting as the threads started to get tied off

I was wondering what happened to Jeeven and his standalone episode was good - but man was the Kirsten/Jeeven reunion disappointing. i don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that. Lackluster is even too strong a word

I will say casting did an excellent job with girl/woman Kirsten

My final verdict - it was okay - very well cast, acted, written and shot but I wasn't moved as much as some were

 

[UptownSaintsFan]

I finished the show

It did pick up - it never went gangbusters but it did get interesting as the threads started to get tied off

I was wondering what happened to Jeeven and his standalone episode was good - but man was the Kirsten/Jeeven reunion disappointing. i don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that. Lackluster is even too strong a word

I will say casting did an excellent job with girl/woman Kirsten

My final verdict - it was okay - very well cast, acted, written and shot but I wasn't moved as much as some were

Spoiler

I thought the Jeevan ending was good. It was kind of a conclusions since he finally finished walking her home. The interesting thing to note is that none of that Jeevan stuff is in the book. Though i've got to say, i'm surprised she wouldn't go visit his family or something. I also agree with the guy above who was blown away that they just gave Tyler a pass. I agree. Also not in the book.

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

Right which is why you go show -> bc the other way is always frustrating since you have to erase what you’ve already painted
Reading after a show means you get to dig deeper into a story you already love

The book is always better so don't read the book first and then get disappointed with the movie/show. Watch the show first and then compare it to the book as you read it. Then it's possible that the book answers some questions you had about the movie which may elevate how you feel about it. You helped me see the light on this recently. I used to always think that you should do the book first but nope, movie/show before the book.

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

been thinking a lot about the comparisons - i think the chief difference is how each handle the trauma/tragedy
like for The Leftovers it was front and center all of the time - for station 11 the bad stuff is super sublimated
like everyone in Station 11 is some version of Nora except the prophet who is the GR

Which one should I watch first? Leftovers or this one? I'm kind of thinking Leftovers since I said I was going to watch it up to a year ago and never did.

 

[Wisco Steve]

Which one should I watch first? Leftovers or this one? I'm kind of thinking Leftovers since I said I was going to watch it up to a year ago and never did.

I love them both, immensely. The Leftovers is so damn good...a bit of a wilder ride imo.
I'd rock that first, it will frame the art of Station Eleven really well.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Which one should I watch first? Leftovers or this one? I'm kind of thinking Leftovers since I said I was going to watch it up to a year ago and never did.

Agree with S_S
Just remember you have to push through the first few episodes of The Leftovers- it’s a bit disorienting at first
And also that s2 & 3 get MUCH better (and s1 still very, very good)

 

[Zack Lee]

So most people must have been disappointed in the finale because this thread just died. I just finished the book. To say that they took liberties is an understatement. But in some ways the direction the series went was better. The writer didn't tie up loose ends nearly as well. But it wasn't a bad book. There was a lot of really interesting perspective on how strange current society would look decades after the fact. And a lot of thought provoking conversation about how so many people walk around like ghosts "like they are living the wrong life" but now they are stuck with it.