Station Eleven
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In some ways,Station Elevensubverts the storytelling norms of speculative fiction.
The world is made up of two races now: pre-pans and post-pans.
What they live in now is whats left over; what they do with their lives is survive.
And if thats all true, well, fair enough.
They saw some shit.
After is all theyve ever known.
They crave the progress that pre-pans have seen with their own eyes but now deem impossible.
Post-pans dont assume every stranger is a threat; they dont function out of fear.
They want to write new plays.
Alex is the only post-pan in the Travelling Symphony, and the Travelling Symphony is a cobwebby institution.
With one extremely notable exception.
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Arent Dead, Kirsten connives to reunite everyone at Pingtree once again.
According to a hand-drawn Wanted poster Alex finds along the road, thats what hes called.
The first generation to be free from trauma, Alex tells Kirsten.
The notion is familiar to Kirsten, an echo of a sentiment from Mirandas book.
Only the kids have hope.
Why Kirsten is so convinced she owns the only copy is beyond me.
For the Prophet, its the novels message that holds him: There is no Before.
Regardless, Kirsten tracking down her copy ofStation Elevenis a good thing because the people in Pingtree are languishing.
The Prophets already hobbled through town on his crutches, kidnapping Katrinas grandkids on his way out.
And maybe they will!
Compared to what we saw at St. Deborah by the Water, life at Pingtree is civilized.
People sleep and eat indoors, they educate their children and dine on MREs.
I dont hate Gil for straying.
(I love you, Tracey Letts, but did it really have to end so depressing?)
SO TAKE THAT, GIL!
They also sleep together because drama club is horny.
(Of course she does!)
She takes it outside and flips its pages, tracing the pages with her fingertips.
Its an emotional reunion that sends her back to Alex wanting more information about the Prophet.
Alex confesses she agreed to leave with him.
She wants out from under Kirstens shadow; she wants to be the lead.
And in Wendys new play, she finally is.
Alex is engaged in the time-honored tradition of youthful rebellion but with the stakes turned all the way up.
The Travelling Symphony never should have returned to Pingtree, which reeks of paralysis.
Kirsten, Alex, Gil, lonely Sarah none of them should have ever gone off-Wheel.
Theres tension between them, and it centers onStation Eleven, as everything eventually does.
Jeevan insensitively suggests that the books pseudo-philosophical drivel isnt meaningful (maybe he has a point?
); later, Kirsten accuses him of stealing the book from her rucksack.
Outside the cabin, a wolf bays.
