Making a show like “Station Eleven” sounds inherently emotional: the entire series is dedicated to big ideas about art and humanity. And then there’s the pandemic of it all. That communal element was emphasized by the unexpected circumstances of filming: though the crew first got to work in January 2020, production was paused thanks to COVID-19, which kept things at a standstill for over a year. Byt the time the series got back on track, it was February 2021. Somerville notes in the interview that going through all of that brought the crew closer together and made moments like filming episode seven feel extra special. The moment that stood out above them all? “Nabhaan [Rizwan]’s rap of ‘Excursions,'” Somerville said. “Which he did on the day, immaculately. It was just moving.”
Frank’s rap in “Goodbye My Damaged Home” is an emotional wallop. Those first 80 days see the world crumbling on the outside, while Kirsten, Jeevan and his brother Frank (Rizwan) await any possible reason to maintain hope. More than a few scenes see them waiting by the radio for good news that never comes; instead, they learn of all the failing institutions — healthcare, media, the American government, etc. On the only Christmas they ever share together, Kirsten lightens the mood (after a particularly bleak newscast) by singing The First Noel. And something about listening to that eight-year-old sing them a Christmas carol does inspire some much-needed hope. But the world still doesn’t stop crumbling.
The internet goes and the electricity with it. Winter complicates things: their food supply runs low and the apartment is unbearably cold. They walk around in coats with no heat and an open question of what to do next. Hopelessness sets back in. And then comes Frank, who claims he has a genius plan to keep them all hot.