Station Eleven is an American post-apocalyptic sci-fi series produced by Patrick Somerville based on the 2014 novel of the identical name by Emily St. John Mandel.
What would we do among ourselves if the internet went down and all the lights went out, and the way in which we live is unexpectedly diminished? Well, Station Eleven is based on that.
It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world before and after a fictional flu pandemic has devastated the world as a whole, killing most of the population.
Twenty years after the flu pandemic resulted in the doom of civilization, a bunch of survivors who make their living as travelling entertainers meet a violent cult guided by a man whose history is unknowingly connected to a member of the troop.
Although the “Georgian Flu” that destroys the entire world in the series is far more fatal than the coronavirus that we are dealing with right now, it’s a thrill to watch the characters deal with long periods of isolation quarantines and still find peace through art and theatre.
Through multiple timelines and by utilising art and theatre to convey the shared pain that everyone holds, the series winds an exceptionally light and beautiful tale amidst a horrible and gloomy setting.
The series premiered on HBO Max on December 16, 2021. Now that it is finally over let’s see what happened in the series.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the miniseries ‘Station Eleven’.
Station Eleven Ending Explained (Image Credit: HBO Max)How does Station Eleven Start?
The story begins on the evening just before the deadly pandemic blows. At a performance of ‘King Lear,’ the audience watch in fright as a well-known actor collapses on stage and dies.
As panic starts, we meet an eight year old Kirsten who is unable to contact her parents or her friends with whom she goes home and is finally taken by a member of the audience named Jeevan.
In a parallel narrative, we see what is happening 20 years later, and we get to see people divided into parts of small groups who primarily fight for survival.
We see a grown up Kirsten who is a part of an entertaining troop named Travelling Symphony. The troop is invited to the Museum of Civilization, which is in the Severn City’s former airport.
The Museum Of Civilization consists of a tiny but well protected society which is led by Arthur’s old friend named Clark. Clark, because of his old age, has become paranoid and hostile.
He initially keeps the Travelling Symphony in quarantine and then finally allows them to perform and even tells the volunteers to be a part of the play.
To everyone’s shock, The Prophet, an alarming character known for his aggressive actions against a few groups of survivors, starts the play and takes the starring role.
The Prophet and Clark are fighting against each other in the powerful performance. But then. Clark realises the importance of the entertaining troop and allows them to leave, and even welcomes them back for performing.
Station Eleven Ending Explained (Image Credit: HBO Max)What Is The Graphic Novel In Station Eleven?
The primary key to comprehending the “Station Eleven” series lies in the pages of the graphic novel of the exact name that is created by one of the characters. The story within the story serves as a lens through which pivotal moments in some characters lives are shown and given purpose.
Miranda begins to pen “Station Eleven” to deal with the demise of her family in a hurricane and buries herself in it to dodge connection in her grown-up life.
When she finally gives two copies of Station Eleven to Arthur, it cures old injuries and reconnects the two of them. From there, it acts as a source of purpose and understanding for Kirsten, who adapts it into a play to say things to Jeevan and Frank that she is not old enough to tell them.
It also works as a source of rage for Tyler, who turns it into the “prophecy” of a destructive new pseudoreligion.
What Happens After The Travelling Symphony Departs The Museum Of Civilization?
The entertainment troop, The Travelling Symphony, along with a few members from the Museum, depart the Museum of Civilization to go to the ‘New World’. The Prophet reunites with his mother named Elizabeth and joins his army.
Station Eleven Ending Explained: Do Jeevan And Kirsten Finally Reunite?
Kirsten and Jeevan, who were separated in the second year of the pandemic, are finally reunited before the entertaining troop departs from the Museum of Civilization.
Station Eleven Ending Explained (Image Credit: HBO Max)It is also revealed in the second last episode of the series titled ‘Dr. Choudhary’ how Kirsten and Jeevan were separated. When Jeevan went out in the woods to retrieve a copy of Station Eleven that belonged to Kirsten, Jeevan was attacked by a wolf, and the wolf nearly killed him.
A pregnant woman rescued him, took him to the maternity ward, and told everyone that he was a doctor. Kirsten had left by the time Jeevan was recovered and went back to check the cabin.
The separation was devastating for both the characters, and the audience hoped both the characters would finally meet and find closure.
Finally, the show gives the audience the awaited reunion between Jeevan and Kirsten in the finale episode.
Jeevan and Kirsten take a walk together towards the end of Station Eleven while they talk about the first time they met. Before splitting up at a divergence in the path, they promise each other that they will meet each other once again.
Despite the bleak beginning, Station Eleven does not end with tragedy. Kirsten and Jeevan had to part ways, but they got a chance to say goodbye to each other this time. They knew they would be okay this time.
