Elizabeth managed to pick up the Con Crud™ at Comic-Con, and doesn’t have much voice to speak of, so this week’s “episode” is a text messenger conversation about Station Eleven episode 8.
Elizabeth
Almost ready, was just rewatching the last five minutes
Kathryn
I just skimmed a couple more recaps
Elizabeth
Done, ready any time you are!
Kathryn
Ready here! Man, this episode packed a punch in a (mostly) quieter way than the previous one did.
We got a LOT more forward movement in the story tho
Elizabeth
Very, wow.
Right off the bat, loved all the music this episode.
Kathryn
Oh jeez, that ending chorus…
Elizabeth
I love Ave Maria and we got TWO versions of it
(That was what Miles was playing on the ukulele)
Kathryn
According to one recap there were THREE versions
Elizabeth
Oh what, which was the third?
Kathryn
Apparently it was playing in the background of one of Kirsten and Tyler’s conversation.
Elizabeth
Heh, missed that completely
Kathryn
Speaking of which, I’m 100% sure the dynamic between Kirsten and Tyler is differrent from the book, and I am HERE for it.
Elizabeth
Really? Is it more or less antagonistic than what we saw here? Because she was actually kind of supportive here
And she was totally distracting the room when they were performing in the museum for Clark
Kathryn
I may be remembering the book wrong, but I feel like The Prophet was more of a general boogeyman in the book than he is here.
Elizabeth
Iiinteresting. He’s surprisingly relatable
Kathryn
So many interesting parallels between him and Kirsten
Elizabeth
But we don’t know if he blew those kids up do we?
Kathryn
We don’t, and that’s one of the creepy parts.
Elizabeth
Yeeeaaahh
Events at the end lead me to believe he was involved for sure
Kathryn
Both he and Kirsten are some of the youngest of the pre-Pans, and they were both shaped by the first 100 days in quite different ways.
And his damage made him reject everything that came before
Elizabeth
The episode was doing a TON of parallels, both between what happened to him and her, and what happens in the Station Eleven book and now
Also I’m glad right at the beginning we got the answer to my question “What happened to the people in the Airport?” The answer: they’re fine? Kinda?
Kathryn
There’s definitely a trapped-in-amber feel to the airport.
Elizabeth
They’ve survived pretty darn well so that means they’re doing something right
But out and out kidnapping and hostage holding is a bit far
Kathryn
Quite. Enough that plenty of people, even the Traveling Symphony, think that even a cage is nice if it’s comfortable and safe.
God, that goodbye between Kirsten and the Conductor…
Elizabeth
awwww. Also the question: how’s Sarah doing? The answer: not great.
Heart attack
Kathryn
Dying, and it seems to be a combination of a weak heart and being brokenhearted about Gil.
Elizabeth
Yeah I thought the same
I’m impressed as hell by the Airport’s medical technology, I guess an airport would have a pretty good sick bay
But it’s not enough I guess
Kathryn
A little nitpicky but some recaps have pointed out that there’s no way the airport would have or even be able to source enough food for that many people for that long, especially if Clark is so paranoid about infection.
SPEAKING OF CLARK…
Elizabeth
Boy oh boy he is looooosing it
Remember that saying about how when we get old we become more ourselves?
Definitely happening to Clark
Kathryn
One of the many things I love about this show is that it’s really hard to figure out everyone’s motivations because that’s exactly the same problem with real human beings.
Everyone’s a mess of trauma and bitterness and bad experiences making them wary of everyone.
But at the same time, Clark is basically a howling void of need.
Elizabeth
He’s trying SO hard to not care that he’s not likable.
Except Miles. Aw.
Kathryn
Poor Miles, he deserves better.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth pushes him around too
SPEAKING of Elizabeth, I mean she’s OBSESSED with the Symphony putting on this play
Kathryn
Right? What the heck, is she actually seeing what people in the airport NEED, or is there some other motivation for her needing to see the play.
Elizabeth
Seems personal
Kathryn
The play which Clark thinks would cause “dangerous” emotions in the young people, which is all kinds of fascist reasoning.
Elizabeth
Oh boy howdy. I rewatched the How To Drink episode about the Hayes Code, and how it established that there are certain things one Does Not Do in entertainment because it’s Not Good For Society
Clark would probably agree
Kathryn
Ack
Elizabeth
I thought Elizabeth was recapturing faded glory (she’s taken over directing with Sarah being sick)
Kathryn
Yes, and this is shortly before or after the scene where Clark was arguing with Arthur that humans create things because it’s good to create things
Elizabeth
That flashback where Clark was arguing with Arthur, basically Clark had become a “CEO Whisperer” because he decided being an asshole got things done and being nice never got anybody anything?
And Arthur said he liked Nice People and Clark said that’s because he could dominate them
And I don’t think Clark was wrong
About that last part
Kathryn
Oh yes, Arthur’s a pretty big asshole himself
Elizabeth
But Arthur said despite what everybody thought, he hadn’t cheated on Miranda?
Kathryn
Yeah. But he DID violate Miranda’s trust by showing someone her artwork. And then of course introducing his recovering-alcoholic friend to his stash of booze and watching him pour out a drink with nary a comment.
Elizabeth
Yeeeah, and having a young hot waiter who offered him 8 balls.
Kathryn
Eesh.
It’s really sad that Clark was still angry at Arthur for driving away Miranda, since Clark liked her. And I’m not sure Miranda gave that much thought to Clark.
Elizabeth
Honestly I don’t think anybody gives much thought to Clark
Kathryn
Clark is just so BITTER that he didn’t have the love and respect that Arthur got so effortlessly. And at the same time it doesn’t look like Clark believes he would DESERVE love and respect if he got it.
Elizabeth
I wonder if the world hadn’t ended, would they have patched things up?
Kathryn
I kinda wonder the same thing about Arthur and Miranda.
Elizabeth
Kinda mean of Arthur to not give Clark a LITTLE heads up that Tyler and Elizabeth were listening to his post-bender rant
Kathryn
Arthur seems like the person that drives friends and lovers away, and then charms them back because that’s just the way he IS.
Was.
Elizabeth
Yep
Okay so when did Kirsten figure out that Tyler was Arthur’s son? Because she figured that out early on I think?
Kathryn
I think when he was telling her that his father’s first wife was the person who created the Station Eleven graphic novel.
Elizabeth
Oh man, when she’s trying to convince the Symphony to leave, and they’re talking all glowingly about Elizabeth and she says “who the FUCK is Elizabeth” and someone says “wasn’t she married to Arthur Leander”
And her face and the music when the penny drops
Kathryn
Ooo, definitely the bottom falling out of her world for a minute.
Elizabeth
But when he comes to get her to take her to Sarah, and then when she meets up with him after, she still goes with him, so she seems pretty sure he doesn’t have it out for HER
Kathryn
They have too many connections for either of them to reject each other. And I think a big part is their connection to Arthur.
Kirsten LOVED Arthur. I don’t know that she said that before
Elizabeth
They were so sweet together in the flashback, Arthur was really impressed by her and treated her so nicely. And he told Clark that he knew her life was sad
Kathryn
Makes you wonder why he apparently couldn’t have the same empathy for his own son.
Elizabeth
Heh. His son wasn’t an actor.
Kathryn
Probably a big factor, yeah.
Elizabeth
Though my goodness I loved the little play they did for Clark in the museum with the scene from Station Eleven
Kathryn
So did I!
Elizabeth
And all the connections there, right down to Kirsten looking at Clark and saying she’d met him before, because young Kirsten had
Kathryn
Now I’m REALLY curious to find out how destroying the Museum is going to affect things in the Airport.
Because Clark’s leadership only lasts because he’s convinced everyone that it’s too scary out there, and they have a duty to preserve the past.
Elizabeth
For someone who doesn’t want the Before Times to come back, Tyler is awfully good with technology and bombs.
Kathryn
Yep. I thought for sure the technology he’d grabbed was his Walkman, or his Gameboy, and that setting the memorial to the flight on fire was just his last FU to Clark for punishing him for trying to save somebody
And then BOOM.
We’re gonna find out soon if Tyler had anything to do with the child suicide bombers, and I don’t think it’s gonna be happy
Elizabeth
Nooo probably not. I wonder if we’ll get more of a backstory of Elizabeth’s henchman who koshed Tyler over the head at the end, the one who’d invited the Symphony to the museum, the one who’d been with her at the very start of the pandemic and then took off. He’s loyal, but he seems a little broken, mentally
Kathryn
Like his whole existence is just as Flunky, but there’s something scary under the surface.
Elizabeth
Yes that exactly
Also at the end, the figures walking through the fields towards the airport, were those Tyler’s people, Red Bandanas (or are the Red Bandanas actually Tyler’s people too?)
Kathryn
One of the recaps said it was children, and Tyler said after Kirsten woke up that the kids would come running if he lit a flare
Elizabeth
Ahhh, interesting. I did see them in the woods when Miles (in the gas mask) came across Kirsten and Tyler washing their hands in the stream
Kathryn
So they’ve been following close to Tyler without letting any of the Airport people know they were there.
Quick question…
When Tyler told Kirsten “I release you from the Undercity”, what did he think he was releasing her from?
Elizabeth
Oh, good question, I sort of thought the Undercity was him and his tribe, why did I think that. He was saying they were quits now.
I think?
Kathryn
That was my feeling too. The line “There was a before. It was just awful.” was really powerful, and also makes a stark divide between him and Kirsten’s outlook.
Elizabeth
Very. Also she was saying he hadn’t come back to the airport because of the book, he came back because everybody was still alive. I don’t think she judges him but she does want him to know that she doesn’t have the choice to go back to a lot of her loved ones
I thought for a minute that she and Tyler agreed on the Before Times because she was so disgusted with everybody for being all “Bathrooms! Sewing machines!” But Kirsten is just mad because none of that is worth being held prisoner.
Kathryn
The conflict at the end is gonna be EPIC, and I don’t think Clark is gonna survive it. I just don’t know if he’s going to get taken out by Kirsten, Tyler, or Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
Oh man oh man, I hope Miles doesn’t go before he does, that’ll BREAK HIM.
Kathryn
Or maybe it’ll be Alex. Alex is a bit of a wildcard at this point. I REALLY can’t figure out her motivation, except that she seems to be easily led astray by a charismatic personality.
Elizabeth
I’d just been typing that earlier. First she wants to go with Tyler even though he might have blown people up, then she’s narcing out Tyler and Kirsten to Elizabeth on the walkie talkie.
Like, pick a SIDE and STICK WITH IT, kid
Kathryn
She was also pretty salty about needing to have the lead role in Hamlet. I think she mostly wants to side with people who’ll tell her she’s important.
Elizabeth
That sounds about right.
And I don’t think she, or anybody else in the Symphony, is going to get a chance to say goodbye to Sarah, and I wonder if they’ll know Elizabeth didn’t want them to talk to her till after the Play
So, one question.
Kathryn
Yes?
Elizabeth
Well, two
One: we haven’t been told definitively that Jeevan is dead, have we?
Kathryn
Nope.
Elizabeth
Got it.
Kathryn
Or that he deliberately left Kirsten behind
Elizabeth
Two more episodes to get THAT story.
Last question
Is there even the SLIGHTEST chance that Miranda’s still alive?
Kathryn
At this point I can’t even speculate. The comments I’ve seen floating around confirm that they’ve DEFINITELY changed the ending, but I have zero idea what that change might be.
Elizabeth
Gonna have to have Station Eleven shaped blinders on till I watch the last two episodes….