The Leftovers

[Jeremy Blackman]

I did not love this episode. It was... difficult... so that's part of it. But I also think it could have lost 10-15 minutes of recapping.

SPOILERS

We are shown a flashback of the ultrasound, and then Laurie has to fully describe it too? I'm sorry, but how could any Leftovers viewer have possibly forgotten that scene? And the pills. Kevin Sr. reminds us that the dog's pills were strong and knocked him out, then we see Laurie staring at the empty pill bottle, then Laurie exchanges a look with the dog (which I liked), then Laurie tells the dog what she did (which infuriated me... we are not dumb viewers, so why put a button on it?), and then finally Laurie explains what she did to Kevin. That is FIVE explanations for this one event.

Perhaps more importantly, there was a lot of emotional exposition that I wish had remained subtext. Too many one-on-one conversations just draining that subtext away, especially the one between Laurie and John. (Laurie's talk with Kevin was pretty good, though, mostly.)

And in general, this one needed a heavier Lindelof rewrite. Not really up to par. Felt much more like Season 1 than 2 or 3.

There were things I loved about the episode. But I suppose my expectations are sky high right now.

[Drenk]

SPOILERS

It was maybe my favorite episode of the Leftovers.

I absolutely don't agree with you, but I also don't feel able to say why it resonated so much with me. I don't want to.

I don't understand the criticism about the episode explaining itself too much? What you mentioned is never there to explain the scene. A part that infuriated you (the dog) made me laugh. Why would I want to feel clever because I understood—of course I understood—and let a humane moment like her comment to the dog go? And of course that Laurie is gonna say to Kevin why everyone is knocked out, I don't see how you can take it as the show explaining again what happened. Seriously. That scene is so beautiful, I didn't even notice that. Come on. There was a whole scene last week explaining the whole episode with God talking to Matt. That's what I find too on the nose.

For the one and one conversations: Laurie is everyone's therapist, almost. But it is not draining any subtext. The episode is about her. She never talks about her. And yet the events around her transform something inside her.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

I want to love this episode, so I will revisit it again and give it another chance. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood.

To be clear, I loved when Laurie looked at the dog, because that said everything. Then she had to actually speak to the dog to say what we had definitely just figured out. It felt like she was saying that just in case I had not made that connection. It was dumb and redundant. She was speaking to the audience, not to the dog.

I'm sure Season 1 is full of those moments, though... Maybe I'm unreasonably expecting perfection right now.

I think Laurie's chat with John is really problematic. He was saying things that the show had so beautifully communicated before. He even explained why they were shredding the money — to Laurie no less! Are we really meant to believe she didn't know why he was shredding the money? Are we meant to buy that they've never talked about this before? That was obviously just for the audience (not an actual conversation between two people). Just... too much clarity. Too many cheap words. I don't like that in my Lindelof.

[RegularKarate]

This was definitely my favorite episode of the season so far, but I agree with most of its faults.

SPOILERS

- Agree about the ultrasound, but we only needed to cut out the previously on.
- Agree about her comment to the dog, but we did need Kevin Sr. to explain the pill thing to Laurie so she would know about the pills. She tells Kevin about the pills again so that we could get that dry "I drugged them" delivery.
- Agree with the Money Shredding convo
- The whole "drugging the family so they could have a private talk" was dumb. This is my problem with this show. The only real justification for this is to make it seem like she wants to stop Kevin from going through with it and then *SHOCK* reveal that she isn't. "I didn't think they'd let me talk to you" is weak AF.


Oh, and can someone who was paying a little more attention tell me why Nora wouldn't give Laurie's Zippo back?

[Drenk]

SPOILERS


She wanted a peaceful last moment with her ex-husband. Drugging everyone so they wouldn't jump on him (they do think he is the Messiah, after all) doesn't seem weak to me. Plus: she's about to kill herself. It's a last thrill. She enjoys it. It's fun for her.

Nora is bitter and angry and acting like an asshole: she doesn't give the zippo back after saying "just like I gave Lily back" which is a stupid analogy, of course, but she's hurt and angry. Most fights in my happened for dumb things like that.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

Even though I've loved the recent turns this show has made, the wildness in Kevin senior's episode as an example, I believe this one was almost like a kickback to season 1. Even the piano cue heard throughout it popped it's head up for the first time this year (if I'm not mistaken). It's almost as if Laurie's"rationality" was guiding the tone unlike previous eps.

[Drenk]

The piano cue is in every episode.

[polkablues]

Man, Carrie Coon's Emmy submission reel should just be the clip of her saying "Okay" after Matt tells her he's going to stay with her at the beach. I know I'm a broken record about it, but she is on such an entirely different level, it feels unfair to the other actors who have to try and share a scene with her.

To be clear, I loved when Laurie looked at the dog, because that said everything. Then she had to actually speak to the dog to say what we had definitely just figured out. It felt like she was saying that just in case I had not made that connection. It was dumb and redundant. She was speaking to the audience, not to the dog.

100%. In an otherwise near-perfect episode, I didn't appreciate the show treating me like an idiot. I was fine with all the other instances you cited as problematic, but this one was egregious.

[Fernando]

Man, Carrie Coon's Emmy submission reel should just be the clip of her saying "Okay" after Matt tells her he's going to stay with her at the beach. I know I'm a broken record about it, but she is on such an entirely different level, it feels unfair to the other actors who have to try and share a scene with her.

Yes, Carrie has been stellar here, also really good in Fargo and Gone Girl. I look forward to see her in anything she does.

So there are just two episodes left, can they wrap this up in two hours? My guess is that the last episode has to be more than an hour, 90 minutes would be great.

[Drenk]

As long as the finale of season 2. 70 or 80 minutes. I don't remember.

[Shughes]

SPOILERS

I agree with most of the issues raised about this episode talking down to the audience. And I'd add to that list some of the stuff with the Zippo lighter. We know the significance of the lighter to her so there was no need to bluntly remind us of it in visuals with the flash of Jill AND in Kevin's dialogue. I think one or the other would have been fine but both were overkill. That's the kind of lowest common denominator bullshit I'd expect in a lesser show, but not here.

Saying that I think the visual memory flashes are something this show uses very well at times and often to add a poignancy to key scenes.

I also really like that she gives the lighter, and it's message, to Kevin.

Norah was acting like an asshole in this episode and for the first half I found her really irritating (maybe I was supposed to) but towards the end of the episode I was completely bowled over by the character and performance (again).

[Jeremy Blackman]

That's how it's done. 

SPOILERS

The experience of watching this was a lot like "International Assassin" for me:

I was so delighted throughout this episode that I was laughing with glee. One of the best hours of television I've seen. We don't even deserve this show.

Just... everything. I loved everything. This is in a completely different galaxy than last week's episode. The "God Only Knows" cue, and that scene, will be an enduring highlight of The Leftovers for me. It's like the show is tapping right into my soul.

Evidence that it was all in Kevin's head: Laurie wasn't there, because he doesn't know she's dead. If this were real, wouldn't she make an appearance, given how important she was in his life?

Evidence that it was real: Christopher Sunday is really like that, and that's really what he said to Kevin Senior. I would almost say that Australian Sheriff Kevin being there is more evidence, because I don't think Kevin has ever seen him. Was his face on TV earlier this season?

[Tictacbk]

Spoiler, of course.

Evidence that it was all in Kevin's head: Laurie wasn't there, because he doesn't know she's dead. If this were real, wouldn't she make an appearance, given how important she was in his life?

Could also be taken as evidence that Laurie didn't go through with it? Loved this ep, can't wait to see what they do in the finale.

[RegularKarate]

They'll play Season 2 into music during the finale's titles, right?

They are setting us up for the whole "the answers don't matter, it's the journey, man" bullshit that ultimately keeps this from being great, but I knew that's where it was headed so I'm ready for it and can probably enjoy the finale more than the Season 2 finale.

[Drenk]

If you want an answer for The Departure I don't know why you keep watching the show. There was emotional resolution in these last episodes for Laurie and Kevin, and I expect the finale to give a resolution for Nora. I expect an ending. It's not just a road trip.