As the episode of Station Eleven begins, Elizabeth (Caitlin Fitzgerald) is shown outside near the remnants of the airplane Tyler burned. She says hello Tyler (Daniel Zovatto) before revealing they premiere in three days in midsummer. Clark (David Wilmot) seems okay with the Traveling Symphony being there. Elizabeth doesn’t think her son ever saw her this excited and instead saw her as the bad guy. She wishes Tyler was there with her before she gets up and goes back. We see adult Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) laying on the ground while we hear young Kirsten (Matilda Lawler) talking about Miranda’s book and the fact that only five copies were published. Jeevan (Himesh Patel) interrupts to ask if the book was self-published before adult Kirsten awakens. She quickly looks at her wrist which appears to be okay now.

We quickly see a flashback of young Kirsten before adult Kirsten hears and sees a horse in front of her. David scares her causing her to throw the knife in her direction. We see a flashback of Tyler as Elizabeth approaches him. Kirsten walks toward him while saying the book he has belongs to her. He doesn’t deny it, hands it back, and admits it has been a while since he read it. When she asks what happened, Tyler reveals she killed all the bandanas, but they got her with the dirty chemistry. As Tyler gets up, he claims the poison causes people to see ghosts and asks what she saw. Kirsten confirms she saw some events from the first 100 days. Then, they begin talking about Cody who was killed. She gives her condolences. Tyler says there is no before and sits down a bag full of airport security cameras. As they walk toward the airport, Tyler explains he burnt his copy of Station 11 before he left although he remembers many of the words.

He doesn’t believe the people from the airport are going to remember him because they suspect he is dead. He warns her that someone is coming up behind her. She gives him a hat and they agree to let the stranger take them in. Within seconds, Miles (Milton Barnes) holds them at gunpoint. Kirsten says they’re actors with the Traveling Symphony. Meanwhile, Clark tells a group that he often feels hated when he enters a room. He admits he feels it and accepts it. Then, he joins the kids in Elizabeth’s classroom so he can show them the karaoke machine. He explains they can use the machine to perform any song for your friends, but a kid replies that the Traveling Symphony can do that for them. He insists it is different before Elizabeth is asked about being an actress. She says she was and Clark Thompson was as well. They begin discussing the upcoming premiere on midsummer’s eve. Clark reminds them the performers will have to get through the quarantine procedure first because they can’t risk infection.

As they leave the room, Clark complains that she couldn’t just use the date instead of midsummer’s eve. Elizabeth claims nobody is sick out there anymore so he is just unnecessarily scaring children although Clark believes it keeps them calm. When Elizabeth’s radio sounds, Clark learns about Miles catching two strangers and bringing them in right now. He tells Elizabeth he let her get what she wanted with the theater troupe, but he isn’t going to let it become a distraction that will put their people in danger. When Elizabeth says their people want to open the doors, Clark grabs the radio and orders Miles to bring the strangers to the tower so he can interrogate them himself. Once he walks off, Elizabeth radios Alexandra (Philippine Velge) to say she is going to bring something down that she might like. Miles leads Kirsten and Tyler to the tower so they can meet with Clark. We see a picture of Tyler’s handheld gaming system that he wants to steal from the museum.

Once they arrive, Clark greets them and welcomes them to the Museum of Civilization. Kirsten introduces herself although Clark knows a lot about her story already. He explains they quarantine here and that is a major part of their success. Tyler chimes in to say he told her these woods were dangerous before calling himself Lonagan. He tests Tyler by getting him to recite a few words from Hamlet. Although Clark removes their restraints, he isn’t satisfied yet. Elizabeth eavesdrops on them as Clark says this identity verification is going to be a real delight. Visitors often lie to try to get into the Museum of Civilization so they’re going to make them perform a scene to prove themselves. Kirsten tells Tyler they’re going to do the one with the spaceship before they recite lines from Station Eleven. While they perform, Tyler takes the gaming system and hides it. During a flashback, we see that Kirsten met Clark at some point. Once they finish, Clark begins applauding their performances. In a flashback, Clark tries on Arthur’s crown in his dressing room. Arthur Leander (Gael Garcia Bernal) walks in and hugs him. He is glad to see his friend and asks how bad the rehearsal was. Clark insists it was fine. Soon, young Kirsten enters the room and says hello to Clark.

Arthur reveals she is his understudy and knows the entire play. When Kirsten leaves, Arthur says the kid wrangler says their life is sad although they don’t see it. Arthur wants to go to a bar, but Clark is sober and has been for 9 years. He doesn’t think Arthur remembers though. Once Kirsten steps outside, she hears Alex singing using the karaoke machine. She quickly reunites with Sayid (Andy McQueen), Vlad (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), and the others. Soon, she learns that Sarah (Lori Petty) had a heart attack and is recovering inside somewhere. Dieter (Joe Pingue) says they have a facility here although they haven’t allowed anyone to see her yet. Kirsten complains that they’re locked up. Sayid agrees but says it is nice because they’re safe for a change. Kirsten wants to know what the plan is to get Sarah back. Alexandra says they have to stay and perform for the Museum of Civilization. Kirsten wants to leave though.

Kirsten doesn’t like it when she learns from Alex that Elizabeth has been directing them in Sarah’s absence. While Kirsten claims Sarah was taken hostage, Alex says they saved her and quarantine is just something they do here. Alex claims Elizabeth offered them houses if they stayed, but Dieter says they can stay until after winter and Sarah recovers. August (Prince Amponsah) got a sewing machine from Elizabeth so he is happy here. Kirsten begins learning more about Elizabeth including the fact she was a movie star who was married to Arthur Leander. While Kirsten tries to wrap her head around everything, Elizabeth begins preparing for the upcoming performance. Clark approaches to say he just watched them perform. The guy was okay, but Kirsten was the star. Elizabeth recalls Arthur saying such. Clark admits he forget how powerful performing could be even without a stage. He is worried they’re making the wrong decision since the Traveling Symphony is better than he thought.

He also didn’t know Hamlet was so insolent to the power structures since he insulted the king. Elizabeth listens as Clark warns her it could be bad if their teenagers feel that type of anger. He withdraws his vote so they can’t perform, but Elizabeth doesn’t think he can do that. He doesn’t want them to leave either since they know how to get here and could lead others back. As Clark walks away, we see a flashback in which he complains and curses someone. When a waiter walks by, Clark says it is confrontation therapy. The waiter says Arthur told him they used to party so he wanted him to know he has eight balls. Seconds later, he sits down for dinner with Arthur while Tim gives him encouragement and tells him to use this opportunity. Tim warns him to use his anger taking control since Arthur triggers him as he tells Arthur more about Tim. Clark says he met him years ago, but Tim moved in with him recently and he has been good for him. Arthur says he should’ve invited him over too.

Clark didn’t because he thought it would be better if it was just the two of them. When he is asked about screaming on the phone, he says it was work since he is a CEO whisperer. Clark explains many of the CEOs are sensitive so they have to learn the alpha moves. Arthur admits he respected Clark more when he showed people how he felt and says some people only make things for their own private reasons. Clark believes Arthur likes those people because he dominates them from the start. He elaborates saying they don’t push back against him because he is a movie star. He goes on to say people do that since they don’t care about Arthur who calls him a community. Clark agrees he liked creating things like they used to.

Arthur says Miranda always knew that and it is about creating something great as Clark pours a glass of whiskey and drinks it. Clark claims Miranda didn’t care if she was creating something great or whether anyone ever read it. Instead, he believes she had to do it and he knows because Miranda was his friend too. He suggests he lost Miranda because Arthur needed more attention. He mentions Miranda saying, “I’m at my best when I am escaping” which was in the book as well. Arthur is adamant he wasn’t sleeping with his costar regardless of what the others believed and assumed. They discuss Miranda leaving and burning down his pool house. Clark tells Arthur he was great today although he shouldn’t be because he doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t want to be Arthur so he isn’t jealous, but he misses friendships. Back in the present, Miles tells Elizabeth he is worried about the man and locked him up. He wants Elizabeth to go see him.

Elizabeth doesn’t think it could be Tyler since he is dead. She says they have a lot going on as they approach Sarah who is in a hospital bed. At Miles’s recommendation, she promises to deal with the man and let Sarah’s friends visit her after the play. Later, Clark tells Miles he is changing his mind about the theater before asking whether people like him anymore. Miles insists people love him. In a flashback, we see Clark snorting coke naked in a room with a naked man. Miles promises he built something great here by guiding them through an impossible time. A disheveled Clark wakes up and says good morning to Arthur in the middle of the afternoon. His lover sneaks out before Clark suggests Arthur is trying to get rid of him before Arthur arrives. Clark says he feels sorry for Tyler for having Arthur as a father. He soon finds out that Tyler and Elizabeth are waiting in the other room. Elizabeth tells Tyler to say hello to Clark who had a bender last night.

When Tyler asks if he is his uncle, Elizabeth says Clark and Arthur used to be friends although Arthur says they’re still friends. Miles kisses Clark and says it is a different time because they’re so old now. Later, Tyler scares Kirsten before saying he found her friend. As she follows him, he explains you can get anywhere using the jetways. She says this means there is a before while he leads her to Sarah’s room. They split seconds later because he has something else to do. Kirsten continues until she finds herself above Sarah’s bed. Kirsten suspects they’re holding Kirsten to force the Traveling Symphony to perform. Sarah says her heart is broken. She asks Kirsten not to tell them she is dead until after the play. Kirsten crawls back through and thanks Tyler. He tells her how to get outside and back to quarantine before reminding her that nobody gets out of this place alive.

He claims the before is coming back and he isn’t going to let that happen. She follows him outside. Alex spots them from the other side of the fence and immediately contacts Elizabeth using the radio to see if she is still awake. Kirsten and Tyler find a memorial for the people on Flight 452 of Gitchegumee Air and a quote about them from Clark. Tyler tells her about the people and explains they landed on the same day as they did, but they were sick and not allowed off the plane. A flashback shows Tyler reading Station Eleven while playing with the lighter. He hears Clark says it is time for Elizabeth and Tyler to go. Kirsten says he ran away, let everyone think he died, and thought about Station Eleven when he was alone. She admits she was lucky to find a grownup who cared about her during the first 100 days.

She goes on to say she was in a play with Arthur Leander who she loved. Tyler listens as she says Arthur talked about his son a lot. They were supposed to meet at the premiere, but they were late. Arthur gave her Station Eleven. When she read the graphic novel, it didn’t matter what was going on around her. It was the world to her. She doesn’t believe Tyler came back for the handheld gaming system. Instead, she says they didn’t die and they’re all still alive. Tyler remembers being locked up for trying to help someone. He says he remembers damage and escape as we see flashbacks of the man in the plane being killed and Tyler burning the book. He admits there was a before although it was awful. He puts his hand on Kirsten’s head and releases her from the undersea. Tyler gets up and begins pouring gas on the memorial while Kirsten heads back inside.

Clark realizes that a part of Station Eleven was written about the dinner party when Miranda poured out her glass. Tyler sets the plane memorial on fire while Clark watches from a window. Kirsten walks away from Tyler and the fire as he begins using the gaming device for something. Elizabeth approaches and calls his name. She touches his face and asks him to say something. When Clark arrives with an armed comrade, Tyler curses him and says it is his fault because he brought everything back. Clark says thank god he is alive although Tyler claims he doesn’t know either of them. As Tyler messes with the device, Clark curses him for causing his mother 20 years of pain. Tyler says he didn’t do this to her before blowing up the tower. Clark begins crying about losing the museum. Brian (Enrico Colantoni) arrives, knocks Tyler out, and tells Elizabeth he’ll take care of him. Elizabeth says he came back and Brian repeats that. We see several people walking through the grass.

Kirsten returns to the others while we hear her telling Frank that the story ends without a proper conclusion. Frank (Nabhaan Rizwan) asks what she thought and not what the author thought.

 

Station Eleven Review

Station Eleven is typically something I’d really enjoy because it is trying to be something different and deep too. Now that I’ve finished episode 8, I think I’ve watched two or three that were good and possibly great, but the others didn’t interest me much. I’d be curious to see what the series is like if it was watched in a completely different order starting with episode one and jumping to episode 7.

It looks like the next episode or episode nine would be next if it focuses on Jeevan and Kirsten at the cabin. I have a feeling the show would be a lot more tolerable if the episodes were laid out differently although I am not sure I would bother watching a few of them again. There is likely an interesting story in there somewhere, but unfortunately, the execution wasn’t good enough.

I’d recommend watching the first two or three episodes before determining whether it is something you’d like. You’ll likely figure it out that quickly since the first two episodes are polar opposites and showcase both timelines pretty well. I’ll admit I got bored about a quarter of the way through the second viewing for the recap although the adult Tyler character is likely the most fascinating in that time period. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Station Eleven recaps are available on Reel Mockery here.