The Leftovers might be the weirdest, grittiest, most beautiful TV show I've ever seen. Each episode is like its own mini-movie, and I think each episode of the first season has left me feeling the same way - drained, intrigued, and satisfied.
This show has some of the most gorgeous cinematography I've ever seen, and the entire cast delivers breathtaking performances - from Liv Tyler's astounding tree chopping scene in one of the first episodes, to Ann Dowd's surprisingly passionate first speaking part at the restaurant on their day off, to Carrie Coon's heartbreaking sobs in the final episode of the season, and many more.
Every character is so believable, and in a way, this sort of dystopian world they inhabit is almost believable too. This might be in part because no one knows what happened yet. We know people disappeared into thin air, we know it wasn't the rapture because not all of the departed were good people, and we suspect some kind of supernatural force but we're not quite sure what that force is.
This mystery is one of the intriguing aspects of the show - I think a lot of people stick with it because above all they just want to find out what happened on that fateful day when they went away. But about half way through season one, you begin to realize that it doesn't really matter what happened, or how it happened, it only matters that it happened. And now the remaining characters are left with so much intensity and confusion and inner turmoil, and I think that more than anything this show is about struggle. It's a look at how different people handle things, and at human nature at its worst, when it's put to the test.
This mystery is one of the intriguing aspects of the show - I think a lot of people stick with it because above all they just want to find out what happened on that fateful day when they went away. But about half way through season one, you begin to realize that it doesn't really matter what happened, or how it happened, it only matters that it happened. And now the remaining characters are left with so much intensity and confusion and inner turmoil, and I think that more than anything this show is about struggle. It's a look at how different people handle things, and at human nature at its worst, when it's put to the test.
Now, suddenly, we're no longer sticking around to find out what happened (I have a feeling we may never find out anyway), but now we're sticking around for the experience. It's not about the destination anymore, but the ride. A beautiful, crazy, heartbreaking & mind bending ride that I hope will never end.
The last episode of the first season definitely had a "this is it" feeling, and I suspect they wrote that episode with the possibility in mind that it might not get a second season, but I've heard that it's already been renewed. I could be wrong, but that is what I've heard. I hope I'm right, because there is so much more to the stories being told on The Leftovers, and so much more to be learned through the struggles of the characters, the brilliant writing, and the experience of not really caring about the destination, but the ride.
Because in the end,
isn't that all that matters?
That we're still here.
And though the ride is bumpy at times,
the view is still so beautiful.
Be the lightning,
Kylie Jude.
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UPDATE:
The Leftovers will return for season 2 in October!
Here is the first trailer for season 2:
Woo!
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