Earth Abides, on MGM+

Considered the granddaddy of environmentally-themed end-of-the-world novels, George R. Stewart’s pandemic epic was also inducted into the libertarian Prometheus Hall of Fame. Yet, it was only previously adapted for the radio (starring John Dehner). Seventy-five years-plus after it was originally published, the doomsday disease scenario obviously lands differently. Regardless, life must go on for the few people still left alive, in creator Todd Komarnicki’s six-episode Earth Abides, which premieres tomorrow on MGM+.

Geologist Ish was on a rock-hunting expedition when he was bitten by a rattlesnake. He partially extracts the venom, but for days, he fitfully slips in and out of consciousness. When he finally comes to, he finds civilization has fallen, much like Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, or Bill Masen in The Day of the Triffids. (By the way, Ish’s mother named him after Christopher Isherwood, not Ish Kabibble.)

Ish’s first encounter with survivors turns out to be quite depressing. Appropriately, it happens in Las Vegas, stirring up memories of The Stand, which Stephen King readily concedes was partly inspired by Stewart’s novel. Frankly, the scene is so bad, he figures he might as well head home, but on the way, he chances across Lucky, a very good dog, who will be his loyal companion for years.

Next, he comes across Emma, who is special. Like the woman he previously encountered, she also lost a child, but she is mentally stronger. She is also quite resourceful, especially when it comes to hunting and gardening. Since they sort of are the last man and woman in the world, they start building their new family and community in Ish’s San Lupo Drive neighborhood.

Despite Ish’s reservations, Emma leaves instructions for how other survivors might find them—and some do. The first few turn out well, but Charlie and his band of wanderers are a different matter. They charm most of the San Lupo residents, but Ish and the audience can tell Charlie is a vicious sociopath.

Clearly, Komarnicki has had a busy month, considering Earth Abides releases less than two weeks after the opening of Bonhoeffer, which both attest to his interesting taste in source material. Frankly, there are many competing takeaways viewers could glean from his adaptation of Stewart, beyond the environmental implications. Some might see Charlie’s invasion and exploitation of survivor communities as an analogy for either illegal immigration or colonization. However, one thing is undeniably in the world of San Lupo: gun ownership is absolutely necessary for survival.

Throughout the series, Komarnicki and directors Bronwen Hughes, Stephen S. Campanelli (Momentum, Grand Isle), and Rachel Leiterman maintain a good deal of tension, while showing the passage of years and even decades. Komarnicki and his writing team tinker with many of the details of Stewart’s original story, but they stay quite faithful to his original conception of Ish’s character.

Indeed, Alexander Ludwig has both the right brooding intensity and over-educated sensitivity for Ish. He also develops terrific chemistry with Jessica Frances Dukes, as Emma. Her character is not as sharply sketched out, but she has some powerful moments expressing her grief as a mother.

Aaron Tveit hits the right smarmy, unsettling notes as the predatory Charlie. Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Luisa d’Oliveira, and Elyse Levesque all add a lot as three of the early arrivals at San Lupo. However, the younger cast-members are not well-served by their more melodramatic storylines.

Earth Abides makes good use of its six very full episodes to thoroughly explores themes of loneliness, guilt, and renewal. It is a thoughtful show that, much like Komarnicki’s Bonhoeffer, defies lazy left-right interpretations. Recommended for viewers who enjoy outbreaks and apocalypses, Earth Abides starts screening tomorrow (12/1) on MGM+.