Important note before we start: After this third episode discussion, we will be doing two episodes at a time to speed things up a bit and I think that also allows us to go a little deeper with our discussion, because more dots are connected with more episodes. So, next week, Ep. 4 and 5, and so on. But this week, Ep. 3 only, so please keep that in mind when commenting.
Done right, the out-of-nowhere backstory type dramatic change-up is especially effective. For all its flaws — some of them wonderful flaws — an argument can be made that the best parts of “Lost” where the flashbacks (and flash-forwards!) that gave the audience so much food for thought and bonding time with the characters.
In “Station Eleven,” Miranda gets the first big, important backstory and, wow, is it a knockout and a table-setter. She’s central to the series, of course, because she wrote the fictional book at the center. Going back to her past — first in 2005 and then 2020 — plenty is revealed and it immediately rejiggers the narrative in compelling fashion. Last episode, we spent plenty of time in the future, with a little bit of time in the present. Getting an entire episode set in the past, particularly one with this importance, is just solid plotting.
There is also something, as many readers have noted, about the power of the in-the-moment realization that the world is ending for all intents and purposes. How characters process that is fantastic fodder. And Miranda, already such a mysterious character and cryptic presence in the story, comes (almost) completely alive to us.
If you’re looking for bang for the buck — and whether you know it or not, most viewers are, right around the third or fourth episode, when something in the back of their brain is secretly deciding whether to continue or not — then an episode like this is figurative dynamite. We see glimpses of her writing the book; we potentially see motivation for it, though vague at this point; we see her protecting it at various points (and Arthur not honoring that trust); and we see her, ostensibly, burning it. And, as viewers, we’re left to ask, even after an hour and a superb story, “Who is this person, really?”
I’m sure you’ll have a lot to say on that matter, particularly those who are watching it for the first time. If you didn’t listen to the preamble above, there’s a question I raise and really want to know your thoughts on: What do you think of the spaceman (or woman)/astronaut?
I’m going to leave it at that, so as not to be leading. Have at it. As usual, I’ll be reading and dropping into the comments to flesh out the thoughts from above.
I’m still in the ramping up stage of this Substack, so bringing it to more potential readers is the goal and that’s where you can be super helpful. Even if you have friends who don’t know what Substack is, maybe they’d like to find out and you can help them. And, if they love television and other creative ideas explored well, you know where to send them. Thanks in advance for any help spreading the word.
The Box Set: Station Eleven