It's The End of the World as We Know It

Wow, are you watching “Station Eleven?” Because you should definitely be watching “Station Eleven.” The new HBO Max series based on the novel by the same name is about a post-apocalyptic future after a deadly flu pandemic has wiped out much of humanity. Yes, I know, this is precisely the kind of thing I’ve been trying to avoid because HELLO, REAL LIFE. In The Before Times, I was a disaster/apocalypse movie junkie. But the pandemic has tempered my love for the end of the world. And now “Station Eleven” is bringing it back.

It sounds weird to say that a miniseries about the collapse of society and mass death feels hopeful. But dammit, if this thing isn’t strangely affirming instead of just flat-out depressing. “Happiest Season” star Mackenzie Davis headlines the show, and is already proving why my crush on her since “San Junipero” continues unabated. I haven’t read the book, so I have no idea where this will ultimately take us. But for now this show is helping the world make sense, if only for a minute.

Also, it’s got Lori Petty who I’ve had a crush on since at least “A League of Their Own.” And, there has already been some queer undertones (Mackenzie’s character has mentioned being with men and women). So two crushes in one show about trying to build a better world after a global pandemic – and hopefully more gay stuff? Yeah, duh, I clearly love it. Somehow it makes the perfect binge watch during this weird time at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel better than fine about my viewing choices.