'Earth Abides' Is a Quietly Compelling Take on Rebuilding Humanity from Scratch

Earth Abides premiered this week on MGM+ (for those who stuck around after the From season finale), and I’ll admit: I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t even seen a trailer or much promotion for it. It’s based on George R. Stewart’s 1949 novel, which I haven’t read, and stars Alexander Ludwig (Heels) as Ish.

Ish is a geologist, and within minutes of the premiere, he’s bitten on the hand by a rattlesnake. He manages to suck out enough venom to survive but ends up unconscious at home for days. When he finally wakes up, he gradually discovers that nearly everyone is dead. A fast-moving pandemic wiped out humanity. Apparently, skepticism stemming from overreactions to the previous pandemic led people to dismiss the real danger this time. Hmm.

Ish takes a quick trip to Vegas, hoping to find other survivors, and meets two: Leah Gibson and Martin Donovan’s characters, who are immune to the disease. They’re hopelessly depressed, spending their days drinking and wallowing in despair. Ish isn’t much better off until he finds a dog. The companionship lifts his spirits and gives him a reason to live.

And live he does, for another year, alone and bored until he spots chimney smoke in the distance. That’s where the opening episode of this six-part miniseries ends. A quick search confirmed it’s not another zombie show but rather a story about rebuilding civilization with simpler tools and ideals.

That simplicity is the real appeal of the series. It’s straightforward: the world ends, and a geologist named Ish (alongside a character we’ll meet in the next episode, Emma, played by Jessica Frances Dukes) takes on the challenge of rebuilding society. How do they do it? That’s my favorite part of post-apocalyptic stories like The Walking Dead: not the zombies but the formation of new colonies and ways of life. This is my Roman Empire.

Even better, the series reportedly spans many years, showing what emerges and how it unfolds. I’m not saying anyone would want a life-destroying pandemic, but the idea of a simpler society — no smartphones, no social media, no Cabinet appointments — feels oddly compelling right now. What does going back to basics mean in our time? How would it actually play out?

I’m not sure how it will all unfold, but the pilot is well-produced and engaging enough to keep me invested in the remaining five episodes. And with Aaron Tveit set to appear later, there’s even more to look forward to—though the trailer hints at a sobering possibility: no matter how we try to rebuild, humanity might always find itself at odds.