As the final episode of Station Eleven begins, Miranda (Danielle Deadwyler) talks about her logistics job while hanging out with Arthur and young Kirsten (Matilda Lawler). When Arthur says Tyler would love this, Miranda gives him an extra copy. Arthur asks how it feels to accomplish something. Miranda admits she lost everyone but had to finish the graphic novel first. In her motel room in Malaysia, she gets a call from Clark Thompson (David Wilmot) who is at the Severn City Airport. He explains he was on his way to Chicago to pick up Arthur’s body. Miranda is drunk and hoping she’ll see the sunrise since the whole world is ending. Clark wants to tell her something. He reveals the first few months she was with Arthur were the happiest of his life. He wishes they had stayed in touch although she admits she doesn’t do that.
He begins telling her about having dinner with Arthur a couple of months ago in Chicago. During their get-together, he told Arthur she wasn’t an arsehole and was just an artist. She knows because Arthur called her after that and admitted Clark said some things that opened his eyes. She tells him how she went to Chicago and had the book printed. She was going to send him one, but she has it with her. As for Arthur, she believes their paths crossed at the wrong time. Miranda coughs a few times before telling Clark there is only one road to the airport. They’re basically on an island and can still survive. Clark reveals Tyler and Elizabeth (Caitlin FitzGerald) are there with him. As she coughs again, she encourages Clark to help them. Once the call ends, Miranda cuts the tape from her door, steps into the hallway, and hears Jim coughing as well.
Jim claims he is dying and his filling just fell out. Miranda says she needs help. At the Museum of Civilization, the locals learn the Traveling Symphony has completed the eight-day quarantine. As they walk through a room with plants, Alexandra (Philippine Velge) asks Dieter (Joe Pingue) if this is before. He says no although it is like before. The kids are surprised to see August (Prince Amponsah), Vlad (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), and the others walking through their hallways. When Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) asks what happened here last night, she is told they had an electrical fire in the museum. They pass by Miles (Milton Barnes) who says they’re going to switch to vegetable oil to prevent the locals from having another dark night. The Symphony approaches the stage as Elizabeth welcomes them. Kirsten talks to her in private and says they want to leave with Sarah (Lori Petty).
Elizabeth explains she is sick and can’t travel right now although she will likely recover. It will take a day or so to get the doctor there so they should have her back after the play. Elizabeth says she learned about the Symphony in year 10 and asked Clark about it in year 15, but she isn’t going to let this derail them. Elizabeth is told the Symphony has visited many towns that have struggled to survive for 20 years, but none of them have locked them up or taken their members hostage. She wants to open the doors. Kirsten is sorry for the fire. She tells Elizabeth they’re not special though. When Elizabeth is asked what she lost, she says the Museum of Civilization and her son. Kirsten argues otherwise since Tyler (Daniel Zovatto) came back and that never happens. Elizabeth thought her son was burned alive and she believes he did that to eliminate her hope. After listening to her complaints, Kirsten tells Elizabeth she is going to play the Gertrude role.
Elizabeth claims she is a director now, but Kirsten says she is going to direct. Regardless, Kirsten believes the play is a good way for her to talk to her son. She makes it clear they’re going to leave after that. Alex and the others learn that Kirsten is going to be directing now as Elizabeth agrees. Sarah is shown in a hospital bed and Tyler’s children soldiers walk toward the airport. We learn that Clark ran into the fire causing both of his arms to be burned when Elizabeth tells the doctor Jeevan (Himesh Patel). Later that night, Alex approaches Kirsten to ask who is going to be playing Hamlet. Kirsten admits she has selected the prophet for the role before explaining she went to find him when they got separated because she was going to kill him.
He had children everywhere and claimed Alex was in danger. Alex doesn’t care and explains she saw Kirsten leave with the prophet last night. Regardless, Alexandra wants to stay there for at least a year. Kirsten tries to convince her otherwise. She was right at Pingtree since Kirsten doesn’t feel like she needs the knives anymore. They embrace before Elizabeth comes toward them to ask Alex what she is doing awake. When Kirsten walks away with Elizabeth, we jump back to the motel where Jim learns MC stands for Miranda Carroll. She reveals she started doing graphic novels on the day her family died and her whole family died on the same day. When Jim says he is sorry about that, Miranda claims she is glad they’re not here. Jim finds out that the FAA just updated its website regarding airplanes at the Severn City Airport. Her friends landed a couple of hours ago while another plane landed half an hour ago.
Miranda knows nobody was infected on the first plane, but the Gitchegumee Air came from Chicago so its passengers could be infected. She tries to get in touch with the pilot to warn him not to let these people off the plane. Jim lays on the ground to go to sleep while telling Miranda that the pilot’s name is Captain Hugo Bennett. We see a video of Hurricane Hugo’s path and a young Miranda drawing something similar. As Miranda rushes to get the right phone number, we see her drawing a spaceman as a young girl. She finds out that the phone number is 414-175-6283 right before her laptop dies. Jim helps her remember the number. While calling the number, a young Miranda encounters the spaceman after running down the road. A quick flash of lights leads us to Jeevan who is working on Clark’s burns. He learns there is another patient behind him. When he walks back there, he is introduced to Sarah.
She answers Jeevan’s questions by saying her name is Sarah and she is ready. He holds her hand while saying she can let go while the lights flicker and the room goes dark. She passes away a few seconds after that. Elizabeth takes Kirsten to the prison-like room where they’ve been holding Tyler since he gets out of everything. Kirsten gives him a script book while explaining Elizabeth is playing Gertrude because he is going to be Hamlet. He isn’t interested though. Kirsten recommends talking to his mother although he warns her to get out of there with all her friends. She isn’t leaving until they’ve performed. Before she goes, she tells him to focus on act three, scene four. As Elizabeth enters the room, Tyler begins reading lines from the book and she responds accordingly. He hasn’t forgotten her and eventually says you are my mother. Kirsten listens from outside the room as they continue rehearsing their lines.
Elizabeth breaks character after asking him what he’ll do. Tyler admits he doesn’t know. In the morning, Jeevan gives Miles paste that must be applied to Clark’s arms. He says there is a lot that can be done in the next few weeks so having just one person is a big deal. Then, he reveals the other patient didn’t make it. Miles tells him that Sarah was the conductor of the Traveling Symphony which has visited. Jeevan looks at a yellow poster about the Symphony while Elizabeth and Kirsten walk together behind him. He looks back a second too late and misses them. Clark says the answer is no because this isn’t art therapy. He doesn’t want Elizabeth playing Gertrude and Tyler playing Hamlet. Elizabeth pleads with him because it is the only way she can talk to Tyler. Kirsten agrees Tyler is dangerous. She tried to kill him but couldn’t. When he asks why not, she pulls out the Station Eleven graphic novel and gives it to Clark. He knows it is Miranda’s book before they learn Arthur gave it to her. They learn she played Young Goneril in King Lear and was often called Kiki.
Kirsten knows Arthur loved her and believes he loved Tyler too. Clark relents and agrees to let them do the play, but he is going to be Claudius since Arthur would’ve wanted that. Kirsten hears on the radio that Sarah died. She decides to keep it secret from the Symphony until after the play because it would hurt their performances. Then, the play begins with August carrying a crossbow. Alex approaches the prophet to ask how he feels. He responds he feels like he doesn’t know what he is going to do. She thinks that is the perfect feeling for the scene. She gives Tyler Kirsten’s knife which he quickly hides before Kirsten can notice. Kirsten approaches him to confirm he is ready. After he asks why she is helping him, Kirsten responds that stabbing him didn’t work. The crowd gets noisy when Elizabeth and Clark are introduced. Alex steps on stage to tell Clark her duty is done and her thoughts and wishes bend toward France.
Miles joins Kirsten as they intently watch the play. Tyler descends the stairs as he says his lines and approaches his mother and Clark. He begins delivering his lines while we see a flashback of Elizabeth giving him Miranda’s graphic novel. He pulls out Kirsten’s knife and points it toward Clark’s face. Clark quietly tells Tyler that he loved him too. Tyler drops the knife and tries to leave, but his mother stops him to ask him to stay with them. After the play, a tearful Kirsten is approached by one of Tyler’s young girls who has a bunch full of landmines. She tells the girl about Sarah dying and having to tell her friends. The little girl says they’re beacons while claiming the prophet has lit the torch. She believes Station Eleven is going to land. Kirsten shows her the Station Eleven graphic novel which is where the prophecy comes from. She knows the prophet hears it because he remembers it. The little girl sits down and begins reading it with her. Tyler apologizes to Elizabeth for burning down the tower, but she is glad since she hated it.
She apologizes for everything that happened here. She isn’t sure why he didn’t invite her because she would’ve gone with him. Tyler believes she wanted to stay. He admits he was happier after he left the airport. She realizes he will likely leave again. Tyler asks her to just come with him and she says okay. Kirsten continues reading the graphic novel to the young girl. Alex watches Elizabeth and Tyler embrace. As Kirsten gets to the part about finding you again, we see a flashback of her with Jeevan. She holds the little girl’s hand. Frank (Nabhaan Rizwan) admits it is a good story because he loves a good comeback. In a flashback, Miranda contacts the pilot, Hugo, of Gitchegumee Flight 452. She tells him to go against every instinct he has and let the dead be gone. She tells him everything about her, including being born in the Virgin Islands and losing her family to a hurricane. Since he was named after Hurricane Hugo, she believes he gets what she is saying.
She says it is over and there is no rescue mission. Hugo is asked to lock the doors and not let any of the passengers out because they’re all ghosts already. He insists the people on the plane don’t deserve to die like caged animals and she agrees. The spacesuit man visits her. She tells Hugo how a livewire came into her home, killed everyone in front of her, and she should’ve died too. Since she was coloring on the countertop, she survived. The people in the airport are on the countertop right now. Hugo admits he has a family and a small child, but his wife isn’t answering. She asks about the message. Miranda climbs up the spaceship’s ladder and finds herself standing on a beach. Hugo says he told his wife he’d come home soon. Her battery likely dies causing the conversation to immediately end. Hugo decides to follow her instructions and keep the passengers locked in the plane. Miranda is shown in a room with Jim and both look dead. Clark tells Miles that the people on the plane are heroes because they saved everyone in the airport.
Miles believes he helped too. Clark says he was good with big speeches, but they can’t forget that Miles turned on the lights. Brian (Enrico Colantoni) is shown reciting lines while the others hang out together. A song is sung for Sarah as Miles and Clark join them. Kirsten continues reading the book with the little girl. Then, she walks Haley Butterscotch (Kate Moyer) to the room with the others before asking her what is wrong. Haley runs away from Kirsten who doesn’t chase her. Instead, she looks at the people in the room and sees Jeevan standing in the crowd. He walks over to her and they immediately hug. The next day, the Traveling Symphony packs their stuff and prepares to leave the airport. They also have a coffin with Sarah in it. Jeevan looks at their wheel. Dan (Dylan Taylor) tells him that they usually don’t leave the wheel so this is big. Alex rides over on a horse to tell Kirsten she loves her and goodbye. She rides off seconds later.
Haley gives the Station Eleven novel to Tyler who thanks her. Clark tells Elizabeth and Tyler not to be strangers before they walk away with the kids who leave the landmines on the ground. Alex rides behind them while Clark questions what the heck is happening. Later, Kirsten and Jeevan walk behind the caravan and talk while Brian jumps onto the back with Dan. Jeevan says his island is called Delano which is where Lara is from. They begin talking about their initial meeting and Jeevan offering to walk her home. Kirsten says he walked her home before hugging him. She thanks him. Jeevan says there goes her family. Kirsten says she will put the airport on the wheel so he should bring his family next year. He reveals his family already knows all about her because he tells them the story. They say goodbye to one another before Jeevan walks off in the other direction.
Station Eleven Review
Although the finale had a few great moments during Hamlet, I can’t help but feel like it never reached a climax. I kept waiting for more to happen and something big to change everything for the Traveling Symphony. It never happened. Some episodes were better than others and the finale seemed like an ordinary episode with nothing setting it apart from the others.
It tried to make everything perfect for the main cast of characters and that includes Tyler and his children. While we can all understand why they decided to take this route, it really devalued the grittiness of the show. Furthermore, this and some of the other things that happened bent reality in order to deliver a rosier ending.
Having watched it twice, I was compelled to skip forward a few times because it seemed to drag on a bit too long. Again, I’d like to watch this series while switching up the episodes to follow a linear storyline. While I don’t really have time for that, I think this might change things a lot and eliminate many of the show’s biggest problems.
When all is said and done, Tyler’s performance during Hamlet was powerful, but I felt nothing other than that. There was no other defining moment in Station Eleven’s finale. At the very least, Unbroken Circle closed enough doors to eliminate the need for any further episodes. It just wasn’t for me, but I hope the recaps were helpful.
The episode scores a 6 out of 10. All Station Eleven recaps are available on Reel Mockery here.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
