HBO’s 10-Part Sci-Fi Masterpiece Hits Too Close To Home

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HBO’s Station Eleven is a critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic series, but its release couldn’t have come at a worse time. History shows that real-world events can easily overshadow even great entertainment. For example, the 2002 comedy Big Trouble, based on a Dave Barry novel, was essentially cancelled after its release because it featured a plot about a plane hijacking so soon after 9/11.

The HBO series Station Eleven, while critically acclaimed, unfortunately premiered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s award-winning 2014 novel, the show is set in a world devastated by a widespread flu that has wiped out most of the population.

It was unfortunate that the series debuted in December 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic was still raging after nearly two years. Although Station Eleven is set 20 years after a societal collapse, its themes felt particularly relevant and unsettling at the time.

Station Eleven Premiered During The Pandemic

Okay, so I just finished watching Station Eleven, and even though it’s only ten episodes, it packs a huge emotional punch. It juggles a lot of characters and has this really cool way of looping back on itself, which I loved. Mackenzie Davis is fantastic as Kirsten Raymonde, and she’s part of this traveling group called the Traveling Symphony. Basically, the world has gone to pot, but they keep going, traveling around and performing music – it’s a beautiful, and surprisingly hopeful, concept.

As the band of traveling musicians journeys on, they stumble upon a cult with surprising ties to one of their own. But first, the story introduces us to a variety of people they meet along the way, including Lori Petty, who plays a founding member of the Symphony, fellow musicians Andy McQueen and David Cross, and the author Miranda, played by Danielle Deadwyler.

Miranda created the graphic novel featured within the show, Station Eleven, which adds another intriguing element to its already complex storyline. The show also jumps between different time periods – showing us both the beginning of the pandemic and what life is like twenty years later – making the story even more layered.

Certainly, Station Eleven isn’t the first show to jump between different time periods, and its storytelling isn’t the most complicated we’ve seen on television lately. However, the show’s story felt particularly impactful – and unfortunately timed – when it came out. Station Eleven premiered while COVID-19 was still a major concern.

Because of ongoing lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic, people weren’t really looking for entertainment about the end of the world. While CBS’s 2020 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand also struggled, it had additional problems that made its lack of success less surprising.

Station Eleven’s Story Was Written Long Before The COVID-19 Pandemic

Even without the unfortunate parallels to a real-life pandemic, CBS’s adaptation of The Stand would have faced challenges. Station Eleven, however, was a captivating show with a fantastic cast, and likely would have been even more appreciated if it hadn’t been released at such a difficult time.

The show Station Eleven wasn’t created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—the book it’s based on came out in 2014. What made the timing difficult was the long development process. The rights to adapt the novel were secured in 2015, five years before the pandemic started.

The show had been in the works for some time when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Creator Patrick Somerville and director Hiro Murai joined the project in 2019, and the cast was announced between October and November of that same year.

Station Eleven Is An Easier Watch Now

The production of Station Eleven faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing filming to relocate from Chicago to Mississauga. Interestingly, the show’s story feels less unsettling now than when it first came out, offering a different viewing experience with the benefit of time.

The core story is still captivating, and while its connections to real-world events aren’t as immediately apparent now that some time has passed, the show feels surprisingly relevant. In fact, seeing occasional references to the COVID-19 pandemic actually makes the science fiction narrative even more emotionally impactful.

The success of popular movies like 2025’s 28 Years Later, which explore similar ideas, demonstrates how far our culture has come since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic is still talked about, it’s largely become a shared memory for many.

Considering all of this, the thoughtful and moving story within Station Eleven—about the power of storytelling itself—feels especially relevant when looking back at that uncertain and challenging time in history. Though Station Eleven wasn’t originally meant to be so timely, the feelings it evokes still connect with audiences today, even years later.

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2026-02-19 17:29