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The Leftovers “The Book of Nora” Review (3×08)

4 Jun

“I’m here.”

In the end, a simple game of Mad (Matt) Libs might be the perfect encapsulation of what this show is all about. You have a framework, a scenario, something you’re working within the boundaries of even though there are endless possibilities to choose from. The most important part is the choice: what word do you choose? Does it have a special meaning? Do other people choose similarly? Differently? How do you deal with the blanks that pop up in life? This show is not about providing those blanks; it’s about “letting the mystery be”, following people as they go on journeys that might never be logically parsed but still maintaining a sense of empathy and compassion toward them. It’s about exploring how people’s belief systems are crafted in response to a lack of answers, and it does it so goddamn well.

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The Leftovers “The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)” Review (3×07)

28 May

“It doesn’t make any sense!”

“International Assassin Part 3” opens with Kevin and Nora in a bathtub, back in the good ‘ol days when they could joke about how they wanted to dispose of their bodies post-death. It’s a wonderful little scene, and though the subsequent hour goes on twists and turns of epic proportions–something this show is familiar with–it all comes back to that scene in the end. Of course, it may not be that scene in particular, more so what that scene stands for: the pairing of Kevin and Nora, two people who are perfect for each other precisely because of how messed up both of them are. And thus, by circling back around to the Kevin-Nora relationship at the end of this wild, surreal adventure, The Leftovers once again makes it very clear that this is a character-driven show about grief.

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The Leftovers “Certified” Review (3×06)

21 May

“I want fucking closure.”

At the beginning of “Certified”, Laurie sits in her office talking to a woman who lost her child during The Departure. In fact, this is the same woman we saw in the very first scene of the series, and seeing her again here transports us back to the good ‘ol days of season one. We’re transported back for a very good reason, though: witnessing Laurie’s story come full circle. She hasn’t simply done a 360; she’s grown and changed and regressed and struggled, a process very true to life (and especially true to life under these extraordinary conditions). However, she is at the point of suicide once again.

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The Leftovers “It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World” Review (3×05)

14 May

“Ta da. You’re saved.”

The Matt-centric episodes have been some of the best hours this series has produced thus far, and though I’m probably in the minority when I say that this one doesn’t resonate quite as much with me, it still features some top-notch scenes throughout. It’s a fascinating setup: Laurie and Matt going at it, two ways of thinking clashing amidst the strangeness of a lion orgy on a ferry from Tasmania to Melbourne. The episode mines a fair bit of humor from the scenario, and the show once again strikes a nice balance between sheer absurdity and profound character drama.

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The Leftovers “G’Day Melbourne” Review (3×04)

7 May

“Then you should go be with them.”

I feel like I say this every week, but what a gut punch of an episode. This show is simply operating on another level than the rest of television at the moment, and it’s truly a marvel to watch as we approach the end. “G’Day Melbourne” in particular is a masterclass in writing: it’s a brilliantly structured slow collapse, i.e. we see the end coming from a mile away, but there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it. Obviously, there was a reason Nora and Kevin were in love in the first place, but we see that their mindsets are taking them in separate directions. We see it during the sex scene in the airport bathroom, during their actions alone, and even during their more light-hearted interactions. Nora referring to their relationship as a “toxic, co-dependent” one is extremely accurate, even if she says it in a joking manner.

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The Leftovers “Crazy Whitefella Thinking” Review (3×03)

30 Apr

“It’s all just a story I told myself. I’ve got to be crazy, haven’t I?”

This week’s episode takes us through several intertwined storylines that are heartbreaking and frustrating in equal measure. I don’t mean frustrating in the sense of weak writing; rather, they’re frustrating as collections of choices and occurrences, frustrating because their subjects make decisions that seemingly get themselves–and others–in more and more trouble. Primarily, we have Kevin Garvey Sr. stumbling his way through Australia, trying to follow what he deems to be signs. Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. However, the sheer fact that Garvey Sr. is so hellbent on believing places his storyline smack dab in the middle of the series’s themes.

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The Leftovers “Don’t Be Ridiculous” Review (3×02)

23 Apr

“I just want to take some fucking control.”

In my opinion, Nora Durst is the most fascinating character on television right now. A lot of that is due to Carrie Coon’s performance–she is incredible, and I could praise her to no end–but a lot of that is also due to the writing for her character. She’s held up as a contrast of sorts to people like the faith driven Matt, her determination palpable when it comes to disproving Departure related incidents. Actions like printing out a picture of Pillar Man’s corpse don’t exactly speak kindly to her as a compassionate human being, but if you look at her actions in the context of her past, you see that this all develops out of a deep reservoir of pain.

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The Leftovers “The Book of Kevin” Review (3×01)

16 Apr

“We can’t just be going through all this for nothing, man.”

Most of these characters are probably thinking something along these lines. After all, this series is built upon faith, upon belief, upon the everlasting search for meaning in an increasingly confusing world. This is something that’s been well established over the course of the first two seasons, and it’s out in full force in the season three premiere. This episode wants to throw us back into the show’s world, but it also wants to paint a portrait of what essentially amounts to mass soul searching. We see an entire town that’s surprisingly content with the idea of an impending apocalypse, and we see people reverting to old patterns while other issues bubble to the surface. All of these are in service of something greater–or so they believe–and it’s a universal feeling that the series taps into here.

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The Leftovers “I Live Here Now” Review (2×10)

6 Dec

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“I don’t understand what’s happening.”

What a finish to an absolutely incredible season of television. This is a finale that could’ve easily been overstuffed, that could’ve easily collapsed under the weight of the myriad storylines and questions circulating in the show. Yet, it finds a wonderful balance between providing some form of closure plot-wise and delivering the full emotional power behind its characters. It’s just brilliant all around, and it cements this show as one of the best on television (if not THE best).

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The Leftovers “Ten Thirteen” Review (2×09)

30 Nov

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“It’s pointless.”

How appropriate. The show returns to this knock knock joke from the beginning of the season in “Ten Thirteen”, this time telling it in a Meg context as she sits on a bench with Evie. It’s a dumb joke that also plays as a nihilistic statement, as an encapsulation of many of the storylines of the show. It’s the central statement of Meg’s storyline, one that has become increasingly prominent as time has progressed.

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