Station Eleven’s 10 Best Episodes, According To IMDb

Station Eleven is easily one of the top ten series of 2021. Much was discussed about this show regarding its topical content, as it takes place during and after a world-ending pandemic. While some people found this content hard to watch, the show is actually very optimistic – both about the future and about human nature.

It has garnered widespread acclaim, and it has often been called one of the best new shows of 2021. But, obviously, not every episode is a hit. These are the greatest installments of the program, according to the users on IMDb.

10 A Hawk From A Handsaw – 7.2

The show’s lowest-rated episode is its second, “A Hawk from a Handsaw”. Unfortunately, the disappointing quality of this episode may have turned potential viewers off the show. It’s still a solid episode, but it’s undeniably slower and less interesting than the premiere.

Many didn’t like the shift in focus to the Traveling Symphony, believing the story and characters to be less interesting. However, it is notable for introducing The Prophet, who runs one of the most dangerous cults in TV.

9 Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Aren’t Dead – 7.4

The show returns to the Traveling Symphony for the fourth episode, “Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Aren’t Dead,” and once again it results in a lower-than-average score. Viewers simply didn’t connect with either the overarching story or characters of the Traveling Symphony – at least not at first.

However, things were beginning to look up. This episode featured a fun setting in the country club, and it contained a wonderful ending in which it is blown up by two children using land mines.

8 Survival Is Insufficient – 7.6

The show had a problem in its early run, and that was that all the even-numbered episodes were devoted to the Traveling Symphony. However, judging by the IMDb rating, “Survival Is Insufficient” was the most well-regarded of the early bunch of episodes. The reason for that is two-fold.

First, it focused on The Prophet and shed further depth on both him and his cult. Furthermore, it contained some forward momentum in regards to the show’s story, as both Kirsten and the Prophet set off to find the Severn City Airport.

7 Hurricane – 8.1

“Hurricane” is a unique episode within Station Eleven, as it’s the only one to (mainly) feature the character of Miranda Carroll. In many ways, it’s a great bottle episode while still tying into the overall story of the program.

Miranda is the creator of the Station Eleven comic book, and this episode details not only its creation, but its creator’s relationship with Arthur Leander. It’s a devastating tale, and it further deepens the depth and complexity of the story.

6 Who’s There? – 8.1

“Who’s There?” is when the story of the Traveling Symphony really gets going. Finally, their individual story begins to tie into the overarching plot by arriving at Severn City Airport. This drastic change in direction was well regarded, and it nicely paid off some simmering storylines.

With this episode, viewers could finally see the bigger picture of the show and began to understand not only its general structure, but the general aim of its complex story.

5 Wheel Of Fire – 8.3

Station Eleven has a shocking opening scene, as Arthur Leander drops dead of a heart attack while performing King Lear. Thus begins Station Eleven, with a death and the apocalypse. “Wheel of Fire” is a very hard but very rewarding episode.

Many viewers unsurprisingly found parallels between the story and the initial outbreak of COVID-19. It captured a general sense of panic and unease while also depicting a pandemic that was far more destructive than COVID. By the end of the episode, viewers knew that the modern world had ended.

4 The Severn City Airport – 8.5

Clark is one of the most complex characters in Station Eleven. He is a deeply flawed individual and he isn’t particularly likable, but he also means well and proves himself a good leader. This type of layered writing has made Station Eleven one of the year’s best shows.

“The Severn City Airport” is a great hour of TV, depicting the world on the brink of collapse. This type of tension proves magnificent to watch, and Clark is a commanding protagonist that instantly demands attention.

3 Dr. Chaudhary – 8.9

Jeevan is a perfectly cast character, and possibly the greatest of Station Eleven. His character is one of the most interesting and relatable, and Himesh Patel is one of the show’s strongest actors. “Dr. Chaudhary” is the third and final episode solely focused on Jeevan and young Kirsten, although their relationship is torn apart about halfway through the episode.

It’s an emotionally devastating story, complete with the separation of Jeevan and Kirsten and the death of the young mother. They are emotions that hit hard for many viewers, as evident by the episode’s strong IMDb rating.

2 Goodbye My Damaged Home – 9.1

“Goodbye My Damaged Home” is the second episode based around Jeevan and Kirsten, only this time they are joined by Jeevan’s brother, Frank. Another bottle episode of sorts, “Goodbye My Damaged Home” takes place entirely inside Frank’s penthouse apartment and proves a devastating hour of television.

The episode is highly regarded not only for the fine writing and acting, but for the apocalyptic atmosphere it generates and the emotional death of Frank at the hands of the intruder. It’s arguably the show’s finest hour.

1 Unbroken Circle – 9.1

Thankfully, Station Eleven ended in a wonderful fashion with “Unbroken Circle”. This was a marvelous episode of television that beautifully concluded the individual story strands and tied them together in a satisfying bow.

Characters were reunited, arcs were concluded, and the ending provided a warm and optimistic tone that nicely contrasted with the gloom of the prior episodes. Furthermore, this episode perfectly embodied the show’s thesis, which is that art has the universal power to bring people together and heal the deepest rifts and wounds.

About The Author

Nathan Sharp
(852 Articles Published)

Nathan Sharp is a writer from outside Toronto, Ontario. He has a love of movies and television, having enjoyed them for more than twenty years. His preferences include drama, action, and horror, with the former being a particular point of interest and fascination.

He also has a love of video games, particularly those of Rockstar.

Whether it be about film, television, or video games, Nathan loves a good discussion and has written hundreds of articles for Screen Rant.

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