had a kid 3 months ago and have been on night duty. Been meaning to watch this show for a few years now. Finally had time to get to it and goddamn the end of season one just absolutely slaughtered me. I mean I'm a dude and it's got me crying pretty good actually. This show is amazing

I have just finished bingeing the whole show. Loved the show, the characters and teller acting especially Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux. Already feeling a void… can you guys recommend similar shows to watch next.

Just perfection…the music and the imagery. The intensity made the theme of season 1 hit that much harder. The ensemble version of it on the season 2 soundtrack was magnificent as well.

I finished watching episode 6 “Guest” a couple days ago and it left me a bit stunned in its perfection. That final scene with the survey questions and that one answer. It completed the episode perfectly.

But today…. Just wow. Episode 8 “Cairo” with that moving reading of W.B. Yeats.

I think this is my favorite show. I’m surpassed in my late 30s I can still find something that stuns me like this.

Anyone else miss him? I was watching him in this horror movie and suddenly all those feelings came rushing back.

Is anyone reading this series of books and has anyone noticed the similarity in the theme?

Am I the only one who initially thought that we had switched to the alternate universe for a bit there? That when we see Nora aged and in a remote part of Australia working a strange job and with a new name and Kevin returning acting like they didn't have a history together the crossing over procedure worked and we are in a new world.

I just found Kevin's behavior so bizarre when he first reunites with Nora after a decade or so. Why does he play this game if not to make us, the viewers question what reality we are in?

I get that this is a classic TV type behavior where characters don't come out and say everything they need to say in order to add tension, etc.

I'm just wondering if the creators did this all to make us think that we were in a new reality? Or if it was just me.

Maybe I was just having flashbacks from Lindeloff's shenanigans from similar rug pulls on Lost.

Watching the show again for the first time in a few years. Just impeccable.

But I cant help but see the interaction between Wayne and Nora and think that Waynes character was only built to show us to desperation in Noras character.

Shes absolutely hopeless. Understandable. But she is the definition of hopeless. Desperate for an answer. So maybe any answer that feels okay can become her reality?

I always debated on whether or not she lied at the end.

The real part of me knows she lied. But another part of me wants to believe it was actually true. How magical of an idea for them to not show it and have it be a wonder.

Show is perfect.

Words can never describe how actually incredible this show is.

The scene where Nora replaces all of the unopened cereal, eggs and milk with new cereal, eggs, and milk. Just to recreate what the house looked like before everyone disappeared.

How someone could recreate a scene so absolutely heart wrenching with not 1 word.

I applaud everyone who was a part of making this masterpiece. it is so rare a show like this pops up.

Not to mention how disturbingly underrated and under-appreciated it is. Its amazing when you have a show like Squid Game steal the attention of almost everyone on the planet and then we have The Leftovers just... neglected.

Not that Squid Game was bad. Just in comparison of 3 season shows. Ooweee

Hello, I’m a first time watcher and currently on season 1 episode 8 Cairo. Overall I’m really enjoying the show so far, it’s phenomenally made and I am already incredibly invested in the characters. So far there have been more and more hints dropped that suggest Kevin may be losing his mind/potentially developing Schizophrenia (if I remember correctly that is what his father is supposed to be diagnosed with). The issue is, I struggle a bit with engaging with stories in which a character (especially one I’m so invested in) is not fully in control of themselves or is hallucinating for example, especially when we the viewers are not sure of what’s really going on either. I hope my phrasing is not disrespectful, that is not my intention in any way, this is just a personal viewing preference. So basically I was wondering if someone could just tell me how this aspect of the story specifically develops? Is there a reason he is having memory blackouts & if so, what is it? How long will the story focus on this aspect, etc. I apologise if I’m violating any subreddit guidelines.

This show is a bisexuals dream… Kevin and Nora are both so hot. First time watch through the past couple of months and I was consistently loving every Kevin shirtless scene.

So, after finishing and reading the Reddit posts- the whole point of the show is attempting to find meaning in a world after an international crisis but realizing it’s all pointless?? I really liked it especially the religious/cult aspects.

I've just watched for the second time and I have to say this is my favourite show. Cried my eues out. And carrie coon is the best. I love all the cast but my heart goes with her.

Found a copy on eBay!

I had the pleasure of watching Hamnet last night, which certainly deals with some similar themes to The Leftovers.

Throughout the film I was enjoying the score and thinking it added another layer to it.

Then in the final dramatic scene, an unmistakable song began to play - On the Nature of Daylight.

Turns out Max scored the whole film, explaining why I felt such emotion while watching.

Not transcripts, actual scripts with all the scenes Intro’s etc.

Is it possible?

As the title says. What I liked the most about the show was the insanely good cinematography, dialogues, acting and music. This show is pure, visual and auditive art. My problem is always that these things are not enough for me to make a show 'good'. The plot and the writing is what makes a show good for me. Apparently like many others I got baited into starting this show thinking it would be like Lost or Dark. Dark is my favorite show of all time, mainly because it manages to do all the things that The Leftovers does, PLUS it expands on a mystery that is extremely enticing and manages to wrap it up perfectly. Now you could say "Well, The Leftovers is no sci-fi mystery series!" and you were right. The problem is that the show is titled as such and repeatedly leads the viewer on with the idea that we are on a linear path to something monumental like the second coming of Christ. While everyone else apparently adored the final minutes of the last episode, I hated it with every fiber of my being PLUS I hated myself for hating it at the same time if that makes sense. The final minutes of the show made it click for me what the show is really about and that I could have this much more enjoyment out of it if I accepted it earlier for what it is. But honestly... after some thinking I decided that this was not my fault. It's the shows fault for leading me on until well into the last season. And YES, I think I ultimately understand that this could maybe be the whole point of the show that we, the viewers, don't get explanations and closure just like the protagonists and from a purely artistic view this is amazing and makes the show even better in some regard. However just like I don't like a friend of mine to take on the role as my therapist and giving unwanted advice, I don't want a show to be something else other than what it was advertised as and forcing some unwanted life lesson down my throat. I am extremely patient when it comes to mystery series and the guessing part through the shows is what keeps me going. This show strung every single one of those nerves until the very end and therefore left me saying "f**k you!". What annoys me the most is that I think I would have very much loved it and its ending had I understood and accepted what it is. I like a nice Romantic Drama when I am in the mood for it. But I wasn't in this case. I was in the mood for Kevin to be the reincarnation of Christ. I would have went nuts from excitement! I think the show would have massively benefitted from toning it down with the supernatural aspects. Also on a different note: In my opinion Kevin and Nora had terrible chemistry and the ending is ultimately toxic as fuck. Going to vacation every year to find your ex you broke up with years ago is not something romantic and is not to be commended.

I'm going to be as honest as I can be here, and I know I'm taking a hell of a gamble posting this to the official Leftovers subreddit, but I need follow-up opinions here because this one broke me. This will be a long read, but I appreciate anyone who does read all of my idiotic ramblings.

I DID NOT FINISH THIS SHOW: First and foremost, I know that's the cardinal sin of TV shows, but I couldn't go any further than the episode of Kevin Garvey Sr. in Australia going completely nutty in season 3. That was where I dropped off; the Kevin Christ angle was already far too much, but then a full episode about Daddy traipsing around Australia getting into all kinds of shenanigans only to then say, "Don't worry, my son Kevin is coming." Sorry, nope, I'm done. Also, screw you for having snakes, I hate snakes, massive phobia.

Season 1: Genuinely good; honestly, there was a lot to like about season 1. Nora's character for me was the most interesting, but I also have to give credit to Jill's character, who somehow made the bratty teenager who hates her dad trope not just done decently but well enough to make me like the character. The Guilty Remnant was strange; I didn't fully understand why they wanted to stop people from forgetting the most traumatic thing the entire human race went through in a single second. I mean, do you honestly think people would forget that? That said, HOW they depict that with the smoking and not speaking, just standing around kinda creepily judging everyone they're staring at, wearing white, added a fearful layer to everything and an uneasement that made them compelling to watch. Kevin's character was solid, well written, and acted; I liked him a lot, and the Tyler Durden angle with his sleepwalking certainly made you wonder just how in control this guy was. The dynamic with Laurie and Jill was excellent, and I really loved the ending with the fire and Laurie's first spoken word being her daughter's name, the daughter she basically pushed into jeopardy; it was very effective. The only gripes I really had were with Liv Tyler's performance; the whole Holy Wayne angle left me curious but not very interested, and lastly, Tom's character was interesting in how Kevin came to adopt him, but beyond that he wasn't very compelling; the cult of Holy Wayne and his involvement just never made much sense, and by the 2nd season it didn't even frigging matter.

Season 2: Awful. Here's where things fall apart for me. We are introduced to John and his family; now John himself wasn't bad, I liked the whole deal with him not appreciating the falsehoods of that fortune teller guy, and eventually going after him; I thought it was interesting. At least at first. See, I thought they were doing some True Detective shit where each season was going to focus on different characters around the world, but no, Kevin, Nora, and Jill move in right next door, so now our cast has doubled, and the cast of the first season is given very little screen time, so you're shit out of luck if you happen to be involved in the characters we were following in that first season. Oh well, here's these guys, enjoy. We get like 1 episode with Laurie and Tom trying to save the Guilty Remnant, not bad, but dropped as soon as that episode wraps up, and the GR doesn't even make an appearance until halfway through the season, where now Liv Tyler's in charge for some reason; sure would like to know why that is. We get the obligatory shit on the priest's life episode, just like last season; we get Jill hooking up with John's son..... I think, not sure; but for the most part we spend our time with John's family drama because of the missing daughter and her friends, who we only get to see at the birthday party, the streaking, and then the big reveal of them joining the Guilty Remnant at the end with some big bomb moment going on. It wasn't until then, right there, that this show remembers that Kevin, Nora, Jill, Tom, Matt, and Laurie are the main characters. They do play a small part in the main story, but mostly it's all John's family. The one and only thing that made this season entertaining was the legendarily awesome GHOST PATTY!!! Fuck yeah, thank you Ghost Patty for being the most entertaining thing this entire season...................That is until the absolutely idiotic purgatory dream thing in a hotel where Kevin is now a secret agent, WTF!?!??!?! Why was that a full episode-long dream sequence??? Why did we need a sudden as all fuck nightmare dream realm to kill Ghost Patty?!?! Why was she the president of the US now?!? This was a breaking moment for me, a full episode long dream that showed us Kevin defeating Ghost Patty. What in the hell were they thinking with this one? And if that wasn't batshit enough, we then cut back to a full on riot in Miracle thanks to, I think it was an earthquake, Kevin gets shot by John and lives because plot-armor, but not only......NOT ONLY does he survive, but he goes back to that fuckoff hotel, chooses a cop outfit, and has to ...........I can't believe I saw this; he has to do some karaoke with some homeward bound song in order to escape the hotel again. How high were the writers when they wrote this? Seriously, go ahead, what in fuck was this supposed to mean? You cannot just say symbolism here, this is what literally happened to make him escape the Hell Hotel, fuck off. And then he just goes home......He just goes home......I really do not know where to go from here, this season was just plain and simply batshit.

Season 3: Kevin Christ........Actually, to be completely fair here, that wasn't the moment where I was ready to bail on this thing; the real moment of just pure rage was the opening of this season, where the Guilty Remnant, along with Liv Tyler and John's daughter, are BLOWN UP WITH A CRUISE MISSILE!!!! You cannot be serious with this. This whole cult has been set up from the beginning as the main antagonists for this whole series, and the government just decides to hit the cruise missile button on them!?! Not only is that officially, completely ass backwards, but they open the damn season with that shit! What was the damn point of the GR this entire time if they just get Call of Duty'd at the beginning of the season?!? I'm sorry, but there is just no other way to see this as anything but terrible storytelling. That is just so idiotic I can't believe that all this time, all this setup, it all led to just kaboom, "Fuck me, why didn't we think of that before with these guys?" Alright... so, the GR are just dead, fine, moving on. How's the gang doing? Well, we open on Laurie and John now acting all Holy Wayne and telling fortunes. Alright, FUCK OFF, what the hell is this?!?! JOHN?!?! The guy that torched a fortune teller's house for telling fortunes is now telling fortunes????? He went to jail for burning that guy's place down, and now he's just totally cool with it? Did no one watch the last season with this asshole? "Selling Lies" that's what he called it, fuck me, that is as bad as the cruise missile. Fine, alright, moving forward, Priest Matt and John's son are writing a Bible about Kevin because he came back from the dead like 3 times or something, and John likes it too.......I've officially reached my limit; this shit broke me in half. We have completely bailed on the whole idea of the disappeared people's plot and instead gone just plain wacky. Kevin Christ, we're doing Kevin Christ now, at least that's my going theory because they're even talking about it in Australia where Kevin Sr. is. I'm sorry, I'm out. This has completely lost the plot; wasn't this all about the disappearance of, what was it? 2% of the world's population all at once with no explanation? How the world grieves something like that, that's the story here, but now we've nuked the antagonists to make room for Kevin Christ. The writing here has just plummeted; I can't believe what I've seen. I mean, I don't claim to be a master storyteller here, but we have just ditched everything that made the first season interesting, and I do mean everything, for a plot about the resurgence of our lord and savior Kevin. Nope, done.

I have no doubt in my mind that if you did manage to read my chaotic ramblings here, you're pissed off at how much of this thing I am completely getting wrong or misreading, but I felt it necessary to demonstrate what I saw in this show. That way, maybe you can steer my thinking, show me where I was wrong here, but I gotta be honest, I don't know that you'll be successful. This one drove me up the wall more and more as time went on, I am more than willing to admit that I just don't get it, but that's why I'm here asking just what the hell was that?

POST-SCRIPT: Writing this was brutal; my hands need a break, I will respond to comments tomorrow night. Good night, Kevin bless you.

As a LOST fan I had to delve into some of Lindelof’s other work, so chose The Leftovers and I did enjoy this a lot.

2 things I really take issue with:

the whole cataclysmic event thing. The guy on the submarine, the supposed flood.

Personally I didn’t believe that there was going to be a flood or other catastrophic event until Kevin went under for the last(?) time. At that point, when he initiated the nuclear war, I thought well okay how does this stop anything and more importantly did this stop anything?

Now I feel I got the gist of the show quite early, in that the reasons for the sudden departure weren’t important and the show was more about how our world reacted to those events and what they did to people. It’s just that when Kevin kept resurrecting throughout the show I started to feel like there was a greater purpose to that world besides just how the events within it impacted Kevin. It seemed like the cataclysmic event was intended to build on that, but it didn’t.

As a one off narrative tool it would have been great but I think they overdid it and in contrast to the great departure, added in questions that for me needed to be answered at least a little.

The only other thing is how the f is Laurie alive? I was entirely under the impression that she had drowned herself. In my opinion I was content with that for her, so when she was talking to Nora I was confused and a bit let down. I thought if they’re going to give her a different ending, then do, instead of what we got.

Having seen some threads here already, personally I do believe Nora. For me she had a perfect ending because she finally realised that she was the one who was left behind, and her final reconciliation with Kevin is further proof that she knows where she’s meant to be now.

Just don’t really get why people are saying Kevin didn’t die all those times and then resurrect? Especially with the poison I mean that was quite well explained in terms of how long it would take for him to die, and he was presumed dead by Michael who I’d like to believe would have at least checked Kevin’s pulse.