The Leftovers

[Axolotl]

The joke about The Wire was pretty good.

Way less funny than the greatest moment of HBO synergy ever -

Which also brings to attention how humorless this show is in general. It seems like it doesn't know how weird or ridiculous it actually is. Look at the ridiculously self-important opening credits to see how seriously this show takes itself. I'm not optimistic even though apparently the next 2 eps are supposed to be great.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Which also brings to attention how humorless this show is in general. It seems like it doesn't know how weird or ridiculous it actually is. Look at the ridiculously self-important opening credits to see how seriously this show takes itself.

I measure all humorlessness against The Walking Dead, so this show is actually not bad.

I feel like the pilot had a more severe self-importance. Even as things get more serious, I feel like it is acknowledging absurdities.

SPOILERS

Although (I forgot to mention this), I was not on board at all with that final woodchopping scene. As the music swelled, I  honestly tried to get into it, but it just didn't take.

Also you're right about the opening credits. Change em.

[Tictacbk]

Which also brings to attention how humorless this show is in general. It seems like it doesn't know how weird or ridiculous it actually is.

Isn't almost everything regarding the bagel supposed to be funny? Also everything with those twins is funny. Or at least tries to be funny. It's not all just unintentional humor like The Walking Dead.

[diggler]

I thought the statue was pretty unintentionally hilarious.

[Drenk]

Which also brings to attention how humorless this show is in general. It seems like it doesn't know how weird or ridiculous it actually is.

Isn't almost everything regarding the bagel supposed to be funny? Also everything with those twins is funny. Or at least tries to be funny. It's not all just unintentional humor like The Walking Dead.

Yes. I followed Lindelof when he was on Twitter, and he's funny. The show knows it's funny. A bagel, guys! A bagel and, yet, it was terrifying. I'm glad it wasn't a mystic disparition, though.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I thought the statue was pretty unintentionally hilarious.

That was intentionally funny. The mayor at the first meeting mentioned something about how bad the statue was. That it was "scary" or something... don't remember exactly. It was fleeting.

[diggler]

I thought the statue was pretty unintentionally hilarious.

That was intentionally funny. The mayor at the first meeting mentioned something about how bad the statue was. That it was "scary" or something... don't remember exactly. It was fleeting.

I thought they meant that it being covered in a sheet was creepy, but I guess you're right. Everyone's solemn look as it was revealed made me laugh pretty hard.

So far the most fun mystery to discuss isn't how everyone disappeared but what is and isn't meant to be funny.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Decent episode. The show is compelling and has momentum even when devoting an entire hour to one character. Excited for the next developments; pieces are clearly moving into place for something more lively.

Side note. This is probably the single worst AV club review I've read. She got almost every important detail of the episode wrong. Honestly if I were her I would just print out that review, with the comments, and hand it in as my resignation letter.

[diggler]

I liked this one a lot too, although the ending did that thing again. "What happened to you?" "I'm fine... I'm fine."  No you're not, you had a serious incident that you need to explain for context.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS.

Title of this episode was "B.J. And The A.C."

Baby Jesus and the Antichrist, right? Christine's baby being the Antichrist.

There's enough strange stuff happening at this point that the show officially does need to deliver on it, or Lindelof is digging himself a hole from which he will never emerge. I don't care about the mystery of what happened and don't expect that to be answered; I do care about the mystery of what's happening now. In this episode: Kevin's car dying, but more importantly all the prophetic stuff.

I think at the very least, the show has a problem with world-building. The Guilty Remnant is suddenly national? Also it's unclear what role religion plays in the world today... They had public prayer in school and at the police station, but people are nihilistic and the church was basically empty?

This episode had yet another misunderstanding caused by inexplicable silence, to drive the plot, when Christine simply failed to tell the doctor where her injury came from. Just failed to say anything. Not even "oh, I know how this looks, it wasn't this guy." Are they planning one of these per episode?

[Tictacbk]

This episode had yet another misunderstanding caused by inexplicable silence, to drive the plot, when Christine simply failed to tell the doctor where her injury came from. Just failed to say anything. Not even "oh, I know how this looks, it wasn't this guy." Are they planning one of these per episode?

This was the first one to really bother me. Why the hell didn't she say anything AND why the hell did he run out of there like he was guilty? That made absolutely no sense.

Also I'm starting to think Lindelof is the perfect guy for this show.  After the LOST experience you know he's gotta have an idea of where everything is going this time around. Anyone else and I might not be so sure.

[Jeremy Blackman]

HBO orders a second helping of The Leftovers

http://www.avclub.com/article/hbo-orders-second-helping-leftovers-208109

HBO has given a second season to The Leftovers, its ribald bedroom farce in which characters stumble around the rambling country manor that is Earth looking for their partners, only to be told that they “just missed them,” because they were raptured or whatever. The renewal is the most official, yet hardly the first pronouncement to be made about whether someone is or isn’t giving up on the show—and in this case HBO is declaring that it’s sticking with it, believing that it will only get better: “We are thrilled to bring back The Leftovers for a second season with the exceptional talents of Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta... It has been truly exciting to see the overwhelming response to their provocative and original storytelling,” HBO said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing the journey as the show delves deeper into the lives of those who remain.”

Hopefully that last part is a hint that the second season will spend more time on chapters focusing on individual characters, which—like the Lost episodes they resemble—have been the richest in storytelling, and the most adept at not wasting time on any of the terrible teenagers. Or possibly it’s a hint that the finale involves the discovery of a secret hatch inside Justin Theroux, allowing him to climb down to previously unimagined depths of wallowing.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

Everyone still watching? I'm enjoying it.

So Kevin finds himself alone in his house, now having lost both his wife and daughter to the Guilty Remnant. He has also learned that they plan to brutally martyr each of their members. How can he not go into full attack mode at this point?

Jill joining the Guilty Remnant is sort of perfect; she is exactly the kind of insufferable nihilist that belongs there. I am, however, wondering how much sympathy we're supposed to have for the Remnanteers. I have zero sympathy for Kevin's wife (hate her, actually), and not much for Jill either.

Can't Kevin just yank Jill right out of there, since she's a minor in his custody and has to go to school and stuff?

The show's greatest weakness has been Jill's gross friend, Amy. She adds absolutely nothing except whiny skeevy grossness. I know it was a fakeout, but I was so happy when I thought it was her opening the cult's door, because she'd have to shut her mouth. So what now then? Will she end up working in that motel with Dana Brody? Or can something else happen to her? Can she get mauled by that dog Jill set loose? Just aim for the vocal cords.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

I'm watching it still, and liking it, although I will admit it's more for the overt intensity, almost melodrama, than anything else. It's still got a great cast and performances, but specifically it's the elevation characteristic of each episode is what REALLY draws me in each week. Things just build and build and BOOM. You're just there with it (for the most part).

I really thought Jill's friend was the one Garvey had an affair with, and that's trickery on behalf of the show, I'm sure. The only reason I like having her around as a character is that I knew girls in real life like that back in the day. Not exactly girls I wanted to be friends with, but ones who would talk off my female friends' ears, were obnoxious attention-seekers, and yet my friends would somehow be drawn to that, as useless as this person seemed to me. She's a good counter to Jill, although I know exactly what you mean.

Do you think everyone would go this nuts in society if people disappeared, or are these stories focusing on the ones who are being driven crazy by the mystery? or perhaps even those driven crazy by thinking they have answers?

[Brando]

I decided to catch up with the show this week.

I thought the first two episodes were just bad. The show didn't seem to know what it was. Peter Berg's direction of the first two episodes wasn't any good. How many obvious character reveals did he have in just two episodes? We already guessed it was Tom who shot the agent. You don't need to have him step out of the shadows as some big reveal. We already guessed Laurie is Keven's wife when he asked for her. He had one for his own character. He had an insignificant role but there was reveal of his dead body.

I agree with previous post about the world building and character's not talking to one another. There's prayer in schools which is significant and suggest religion has grown in importance. So why is the church empty? Is cause of Matt's obsessions or cause no one goes to church? Since the prayer in school there really hasn't been anything else on religion.

I thought everything got a lot better in episode three. The character episodes are really good.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Nora yet. I think she is by far the best character and best actor on the show. Her storyline is the best. She has an incredible sense of humor but when she tries to make a joke they don't land. She is just so full of pain that people can see it. Nora was right. FUCK his Daughter. Shouldn't we have seen Nora's flashback to Oct 14 before she was healed? I think it would have had a better impact.

I am, however, wondering how much sympathy we're supposed to have for the Remnanteers. I have zero sympathy for Kevin's wife (hate her, actually), and not much for Jill either.

I'm wondering too. I have zero sympathy for the Remnant. I do have a fear that the show expects us to dislike the Remnant right now but to eventually change our opinion. I hope they don't turn the Remnant into the "Others." We already know the government is faking raids in order to kill them. The problem is that they don't seem to be anything other than an annoyance.