Station Eleven

[Ylfa]

At last! Anyone else watching?

Where can you watch it? I love the book.

Me too! Amazon Prime, Starzplay.

I've managed 2 episodes. Not keen so far. Loved the book though. Anyone watched it all yet?

I’ve watched three, absolutely in love so far - can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the rest of it. What don’t you like?

Yes! Loving it. Arthur isn’t remotely like I’d imagined him but the actor’s growing on me.

I've watched the first 3 episodes.
I am finding it a little difficult to follow even though I read the book (years ago).
It's good but there's not quite enough scene setting and a lot of jumping around. I'm getting into it more now. There's a good plot summary/review on this website : https://www.vulture.com/tv/station-eleven/
Which has helped me get to grips with it.
I suspect the things I loved about the book can't really be reproduced on the screen.

It was the best book I had ever read and it was universally loved by everyone I knew who read it - including friends who never read - but I absolutely hated the idea of this being adapted in a show. I might give it a try when I have completely forgotten about it.

I’ve never forgotten Station Eleven, the tv show is a reimagining of it but beautifully done. I generally prefer it when tv people take a book and do their own thing with it instead of replicating it too closely.

It does take a few episodes to get going. I went from being confused and unsure about it by it (on the second episode) to being totally reeled in and thinking in the end it's probably the most memorable thing I've watched in recent times.

It's gentle and contemplative. It moves at a slower pace than the usual wham bam TV these days, you do need to adjust. At many points, I thought the show was, as Jeevan would say about the Station Eleven book, "so pretentious" but by the last episode I cracked when the travelling symphony started to sing "Midnight Train" and was bubbling like a baby. Just beautiful.

It changed the book a lot (especially The Prophet storyline and characters crossing each others paths) but IMHO it made narrative sense to do so for TV.I think the cinematography was beautifully done, great scenery, score and costumes too. The actors were superb. I watched it last month and the sense of it has stayed with me. It was really different. I wish they made more TV like this ( and less crime and thriller drama).

Just finished Ep 1. It’s utterly mesmerising, isn’t it?

(I started reading the book on an almost empty train a couple of days before the first lockdown; and when that was announced the book made me feel piercingly lucky.)

The TV series is certainly taking its own route, but it feels justified, and the pacing, acting, cinematography are all stellar. I grumbled about being forced into yet another trial subscription (Starzplay) and swore I’d only watch the episodes available and then cancel. But it’s so good. They can have my £5.99.

I keep missing bits but am really enjoying it. Might end up rewatching. It's quite compelling having another pandemic to think about.

I cannot think of another TV serial that’s used slowness to such good effect. It’s so absorbing; one has the time to really consider the arrangement and detail and significance of every shot.

Not entirely sure about the music … Some of the unusual percussive effects are very arresting - but occasionally the heavy string sounds are just a bit too insistent, leaving no room for the plot to unfold unheralded.

But the casting, and the characterisation of individuals is just extraordinary; a real source of joy and wonder. And I don’t think I have the words to express how outstandingly beautiful they’ve made the interior of every single building - have to fall back on “a feast for the eyes”.

As adaptations go, this one is a triumph.

Ep 5 is so very measured and stately - if a little pristine!

Bothered by the food though. I know it's not entirely realistic but what are they eating after 100 days in the airport? Need to see some hunting.

I was a bit surprised to see bottles still in the vending machine on the night of the party.

And there was almost no litter. What kind of military discipline must have been imposed for that to happen?

Mostly I wondered about their clothes. Did Elizabeth have an army of wardrobe assistants squirrelled away in some unseen corner? Everything looked fresh and clean and ironed even at the end of the episode.

Though I’m entirely willing to accept that a few people might have had steamers in their luggage.

Also, can’t recall how it was addressed in the book, but there must surely have been random people turning up from the wider locality from the beginning? Even after there was no hope of a plane going anywhere.

I decided to suspend my disbelief about a lot of things. We didn't see anyone growing food in fields but whenever the Travelling Symphony rock up anywhere there is always food a plenty. Totters you are right -even the stock of food at the airport would have run out feeding around 100 people fairly quickly.
Elizabeth always looked like a fashion model. I guess they wanted to convey that she is "queen" of the airport kingdom and that the airport fiefdom runs efficiently, clean and tidy "like before.". I guess the airport had shops - perhaps they had a shop with South American style clothing and rugs (given the clothes Elizabeth wore in the final episode). The airport had its own back up generators but even the fuel reserves at the airport would have run out eventually? Don't get me started on pollution, radiation,explosions, contamination of the water table etc.

I don’t think I like this way of watching … Having to wait a week seems so retro; I miss the intensity of the non-stop nights and days I spent (years after they were first shown) with, say Mad Men or GOT.

And Ep 6 really needed to follow hot on the heels of Ep 5, otherwise one loses bits of detail. Hmmph …

Still lovely to look at, but I was slightly less enthralled this week.

Surely someone else has watched it this week??

I have! Still love it. So the airport's all different from the book isn't it? I like the wait, it's way too absorbing already.

It’s so different I wonder how it works if you haven’t read the book? Finally caught up, episode 7 was intense. I want a reread and to watch the series as a whole from the top.

Episode 9. Wow. This is such an amazing series, shame it's only on prime

Beautiful finale. More story telling like this please!

Amazing. The prophet story is strangely unresolved. Love what they did with Miranda

Finally, finally finished watching after a lengthy hiatus.

My God - episodes 9 and 10 were epic. And breathtaking and I loved it so much. Not sure I’ve ever seen a scene as beautiful as the labour ward. And that silent moment in Ep 10. How has this not won every prize?

Absolutely loved this series. I also enjoyed how they had reimagined the story differently from the book, thought I would be disappointed but in fact it was really engaging.