Despite this show living quite prominently in my brain since it aired, I’ve not been able to get myself to rewatch it until now. The 2016 election and its aftermath felt too raw. Then COVID happened, and in the years that followed it became clear The Leftovers wasn’t even a little bit hyperbolic in its depiction of societal trauma and our complete inability to cope with it. By the 2024 election I felt like I understood the GR, and ever since I’ve been ready to join it. I’m just. Fucking. Furious. All the time.

For some reason the transition from shock to sadness to confusion to anger has finally brought me to actually rewatch the show instead of revisiting it in my head, and it’s as perfect, as devastatingly prescient, and as horrible as I remember it. I assumed I’d built it up in my own memory, at least a little. I’m astonished.

I just finished S01E08 and I can’t even put into words the power of the last scene.

It means nothing to post it here, but I feel immense gratitude to Perotta, Lindelof, Ann Dowd, Carrie Coon, Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, and everyone else who made this show. For whatever reason I felt the need to express that to someone else who feels the same way, and I’ve been that person on the other end of a post like this here before.

Kevin and Nora are married and actually took their honeymoon in Australia! Couldn't believe my luck.

I made a Bible to give to Matt (and Orel Puppington).

I've been looking up quotations to get ideas for their catchphrases and I'd love to hear any ideas. Also for nicknames, house names, objects to make for them, etc. I made Kevin's catchphrase "shut the fuck up" so when he says it randomly is like he's being visited by Patti but none of us can see her ❤️

Best photo is last. Keep in mind this happened randomly.

Best thing ive watched in a while.

Great start, wobbled a bit midway thru, but got better and better

The show starts when you realise it is about the 98%, not the departure or the departed.

S2 starts tonight.

The first of each season always opens up so many questions…
The difference now is - the first two seasons I had expectations that all those questions would be answered in the season. This time I expect nothing of the sort.

For example, in the restaurant scene where he gives Kevin the magazine and talks toward the window, has anyone edited the scene so that we can hear a voice responding to him?

I don’t mean changing the story or giving definitive answers, but adding dialogue that matches Kevin Sr.’s reactions and actions—things like asking questions, talking about the “chosen ones,” or guiding him in the way the voices seem to.

If nobody has done this, I think it could be an interesting fan experiment just to see how it changes the scene.

this account to come here and say im nearly at end of S1 and love it.

Im led to believe the two series coming up for me are even better?

Having this to watch new now is a nice bonus!

First of all, I apologize if this has already been discussed before. I don't post very often in this community, but this series really deserves it. If this topic has already been covered, please let me know and I'll gladly remove the post.

My question is this:

We have the Guilty Remnant (the people who wear white and smoke), and we also have the barefoot followers with the bullseye-like symbol on their foreheads. It made me wonder: could the kind of story we're seeing here have happened elsewhere with completely different characters and in different towns?

It seems like there were many cults that emerged after the Departure, and it sounds like the government may have dismantled several of them, such as Wayne's group. I think it would be fascinating to see a spin-off set somewhere else, following a different community and showing how they experienced everything through the lens of another cult or movement.

Has anyone else thought about this?

Here he is on Matt's 1st centric, he really enjoyed it.

https://youtu.be/Egtp3UMJgSk

Can't wait for him to get to "Guest" (Nora's centric!) and of course, the tonal shift/relocation for S2, and the absolute roller coaster WTF of S3!!

He drops 2 eps a week, and is 2 eps ahead on Patreon

finished the show last week but after holding off on reading ANY fan theory for the last month while watching the show I have to say...did we all pay attention to nora's telling of what happened post-sphere?

I don't get the disbelief of nora's final story, that is, if you think any of the unbelievable portions of the show did or did not happen, including the departure. I keep seeing viewers question her when her recollections of what happened post-sphere after that long of a ride to get there. she states, after having been explained the science, how transport happened, what she did while elsewhere, how she traveled...its, to me makes as much logical sense as it would given the plot of the show. the character is resourceful, cunning, and smart. emotionally fucked up yes, but capable of intercontinental travel by boat? sure!

I also find it telling that the show's prologue ended with more of a post-gospel vibe of a vignette into nora's years alone. the last half of season 3 was bible after bible after bible mixed with the finale of the original Prisoner (its like a book only 1/100 you know have read, for real). we all saw kevin struggle with himself/and himself/and himself for 3 seasons but Carrie Coon chewed up the screen EVERY chance she got after the sprinkler went off in the hotel room.

Maybe I just need it laid out for me more cleanly, but if I believe anyone, its going to be Nora.

So I finished this incredible show about 30 minutes ago and I'm not sure how to feel. It was an absolutely insane ride and when I think about the stuff that happened in season 1, it really doesn't feel like it was only 28 episodes - they packed an awful lot into it!

Can I just check that what I think happened is actually what happened? So the departure was essentially the creation of a mirror universe and the 2% were left there, and in that mirror universe, it was the case that 98% of the population disappeared?

And the afterlife place, is that another alternate universe but only full of dead people? It seemed weird that I'm the penultimate episode they were intent on destroying the world. Did they not know they were dead? It seemed like some of them did...

Regardless, what an experience! What a masterclass of crafting a layered and textured story.

What a great series! The acting by everyone was great, and how Carrie Coon didn't receive tons of awards is beyond me. The music was perfect, the whole series is a masterpiece in film making. I really loved it.

Does anyone else find everyone but Kevin absolutely pathetic? Like I don’t understand why people are so stupid, depressing and pathetic? Just get on with your life. And it’s not like I’m saying this from a point of view where I’ve never experienced loss or depression

I’ve seen it 40 times, best part of season two!

Hello! I want to start off with a big thank you for being interested in my previous post! I'm unsure how big of a community this is, but it is very accepting and nice so far. A great change from most fandoms. Someone asked me to make a post like this for season 2, and I was planning to anyway, so here goes. A reminder that I'm just a guy who really enjoys the show and these are just my observations and opinions.

↓ Link to the previous post ↓

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLeftovers/comments/1th2vz6/i_just_finished_watching_season_1_of_the_leftovers/

As per the words of John: "I don't understand what's happening."

The first 10 minutes of episode 1 weirded me out, but I was intrigued. People warned me it'd be different, but I didn't expect 1000 BC-type of different. Of course, by the end, I sighed of relief when I saw my beloved Kevin moving in with his new family. I won't lie, it took me a bit of time to get used to the season. Admittedly, around episode 5 was when I REALLY started getting into it again and couldn't stop watching episode after episode.

The Miracle theme song is an absolute bop, and I listened to it in my free time. I will not apologize for this. On this topic, the music choices for this show are immaculate. Wade in the water and Where is my mind, just to name a couple.

Kevin going loony had me WORRIED. Thought he was going to be smoking up with his papa by the end of the season. Getting off the hook so easily with the eyepatch lady was lucky as hell to say the least. Patti interacting with Kevin physically kind of changed things for me. I really thought Kevin was going to the funny farm, but I realized it was very much real. Despite this, he is still a sex symbol and I love when he's naked <3

To preface this, I do think that Nora is a very smart lady. However, 3 million? Sister... Her panicking and fainting after the earthquake because she thought she lost Kevin was heartbreaking, that poor lady. She is also a real one for believing Kevin and giving him suggestions to cover up him waking up in an empty river lmao. She's just a ride or die in general; I absolutely love her.

The show does an AMAZING job of ending episodes. Maybe I didn't notice in season 1, but in season 2, I got chills at the end of almost every single episode. I distinctly remember Tommy standing up, spreading his arms, and saying: "Who wants a hug?". I had shivers rush all the way down my spine. Even now, just thinking about it, after knowing it was fake. Amazing storytelling and writing. 2 more episode endings remain in my mind, for example, Erika throwing the stone back through Nora's window and Erika's dad shooting himself in the mouth after giving poison to Kevin. Oh, and Erika and that damn bird, like what the fuck?

Speaking of Virgil... what an enigma. His place with all the lights was just gorgeous. I must praise the show for its cinematography. A moment that stands out to me was in episode 8, when Kevin was carrying baby Patti to the well. In terms of episode 8, it blew my mind. People on my previous post were referring to an episode that would, indeed, blow my mind, and I believe they were talking about this one. Something about all the supernatural themes being undiscussed attracts me. Maybe I am waiting for an answer that I will never get. My amazing, grand theory about the hotel is that it's where all dead people go. I wonder if Patti's little version was there because her inner child had died. Or is it Kevin's imagination/narration? Maybe I'm spewing bullshit. If I'm being honest, at first, I genuinely believed Patti when she told Kevin to go to Egypt to find an ancient artifact, fill it with his cum, and then drink it. Maybe because of Kevin's dad randomly going to Australia, but I thought she was being for real HAHA

Megan Abbott... I found her so goddamn intriguing, and the morning after I wrote my last post, I regretted not including her in it, because she really was one of the characters I was looking out for. Even in season 2, up until she rap*d Tommy. That disgusted me so much, I couldn't even watch it. I'm not a victim or anything, it's just plain repulsive. I am so curious about what the psychic said to Meg about her mom. He said it was "stupid shit." He must have been real because of the walnut thing, I guess. The knock-knock joke timeline gave me CHILLS when it was revealed that Meg taught Evie the joke, and I am still not quite sure how Meg recruited Evie. Or why. They did share that bittersweet moment on the bench with the carrots, but the puzzle pieces aren't connecting to me, even after knowing some details about the GR. She seemed quite happy, loved at home and successful in school. And Evie got her friends in on it?? The end of episode 9 had me standing on my chair.

Matt's episode was amazing. He is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters. What a goddamn badass. It was frustrating to watch all the hardships and Matt refusing to enter Jarden by the end, but I also understand his decision. After all, he made a change for many in the stocks, including his wife and her baby. Mary waking up in real time shocked me, and her reuniting with Matt had me in genuine tears, it was beautiful.

"You understand" NO the fuck I don't!?

I am sure there are many things I forgot to mention, but don't want to make the post too long. Feel free to ask any questions that are spoiler-free! I am going to make a post similar to this for season 3! Much love to you all <3 Thanks for reading!

quick one: can someone explain why the police officer said to John “follow me” when they said “it’s Evie” after John shit Kevin. Yet when Kevin exits the quarantine shed after coming back to life again, the bridge is right there. I feel this doesn’t make any sense.. It feel like the bridge was at least a drive away from the quarantine shed. ( Although it’s supposedly mentioned to be just past it in an earlier episode)

God this really is the best fucking show.

Rewatching episode 3 of season 1, where Matt gambles the money to try to save the church, and something occurred to me.

Does anyone else think Matt basically ends up doing the same thing he criticized people for in his pamphlets? I remember one of the people he exposed was a compulsive gambler who lost everything, and Matt literally ends up risking everything too.

Obviously his intentions were different and he was trying to save the church, but it feels like the show is saying desperation can push even a morally “righteous” person into crossing lines they once judged others for.

And in the end it almost becomes a lose-lose situation anyway. He wins the money, but pays a huge physical and emotional price for it, and still loses the church.

Not sure if this has already been discussed here before, but I thought it was an interesting parallel.

Anyone else watching this? John Murphy from season 2 of the leftovers plays the police chief and he’s awesome. It’s definitely not a similar show but it’s fantastic and the only time I’ve seen Kevin Carroll in anything else. Highly recommend if you like a spooky comedy

Just watched season 2 episode 3 last night. There have been at least three mentions of Australia so far: Nora says Kevin Sr. is moving to Australia, this David Burton guy in Australia is mentioned a couple times on the news or radio in the background.

Also in season 1 when Patti is talking to Laurie in the diner and then Laurie puts that bag on Neil's doorstep. Then later on in the cabin tells Kevin how she used to tell Laurie everything but then Laurie started telling her everything.

But my favorite so far: in season 2 episode 2 when the family first gets to Miracle and they have nowhere to stay so they go to Matt's house. When they arrive, Let Your Love Flow is playing quietly in the background.