The Leftovers (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

I realize these people are actors but there are points when I wonder if these roles are leaving mental scars on Justin Theroux or Carrie Coon.

Nice theme song, assholes.

 

[joshEH]

Travis just hit everything I was thinking, heh.

 

[MarkMel]

The music in this show is a character in itself! Perfect Strangers theme and then Mark Lynn Baker, crazy. The rest of the episode's music was fantastic as well.

 

[MarkMel]

I realize these people are actors but there are points when I wonder if these roles are leaving mental scars on Justin Theroux or Carrie Coon.

Nice theme song, assholes.

Yes and the acting is fantastic!

Feel good show of the century - lol

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Such a weird mix of comic moments and agonizing grief, but I enjoy it. That's what life can be.

 

[joshEH]

According to Alan Sepinwall, this episode's writing credits ("Tha Lonely Donkey Kong & Specialist Contagious") are Damon Lindelof and Tom Perotta after they plugged their names into a Wu-Tang Clan name-generator website.

 

[TravisR]

I saw the tattoo when Nora got her cast off and thought "That looks like the Wu-Tang logo" but I dismissed it as a different/real tattoo on the actor that I just never noticed.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

OMFG, that new opening-title music. LOLOLOLOL.

I just about pissed myself laughing when that started playing. Somehow, the fact that it was paired up with the season two style credits made it even better.

I wonder if they're going to keep that the rest of the season, or switch it up with each episode. It's interesting that the cast members credited as series regular credits for the first episode matched the the list of series regulars for the second season, while the credits for this week dropped Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley and Janel Moloney and added Scott Glenn. Made me think that the season premiere was actually part of the season two order. It makes sense that the show would drop Liv Tyler (since she's fucking dead via drone strike) and Janel Moloney (since she moved back to upstate New York with the miracle baby), but presumably we'll see Qualley again before the end.

I realize these people are actors but there are points when I wonder if these roles are leaving mental scars on Justin Theroux or Carrie Coon.

No actor or actress working today does a better job conveying anger floating on vast reservoirs of pain better than Carrie Coon. It's criminal she doesn't have a Supporting Actress Emmy for this role.

Such a weird mix of comic moments and agonizing grief, but I enjoy it. That's what life can be.

I think it's part of what makes this show hit me harder than anything else on television. Even when the events transpiring are utterly absurd, it feels complete and achingly true to me. Just when I thought they were overusing the series-long "Perfect Strangers" gag, we get that incredible scene where Mark Linn-Baker shares how he really feels about being the only series regular on that sitcom not to Depart, and damned if it doesn't touch upon those same existential struggles that all of our characters are dealing with. Yes, it's more superficial than what Nora's lost, but she know exactly what he's describing and how it feels.

The plot continues to thicken with these ending scenes set in Australia. It feels right somehow that there would be disciples of the Book of Kevin already, and that they'd accidentally kill a stranger out of a mistaken belief that he is the One True Kevin. I think the scene at the station existed to accomplish two tasks: 1) show the false Kevin being an obnoxious tool to his deputy, so we don't feel too bad when he gets murdered; and 2) establish that this scene takes place in the present and not some future point. Now I'm wondering if the scene at the end of last week's episode wasn't a flash forward too but somehow actually the present day.

It looks like we're in for a Kevin Sr.-centric episode next week, which I've basically been waiting for my entire life.

 

[joshEH]

Jazz Depeche Mode™ for this week's opening music, LOL. Alan Wilder is rolling around in his grave.

 

[TravisR]

This show is deeply moving to me. Also, I almost fucking barfed when Scott Glenn removed his catheter.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Visually stunning episode using those Australia landscapes so perfectly. I wasn't quite sure why Kevin Sr. rips a page out of the book to wrap the money before he even read any of the book to decide whether to discard it or not. And, of course, that's the random page the woman gloms onto as a sign to build her new faith around after overwhelming grief. That really is the theme of this series; grief and what people reach for to get through it.

 

[joshEH]

Haha...someone just pointed out that the Aussie woman who shot Kevin Sr. with a trank-dart is the same actress who plays the bitchy theater-critic out to destroy Michael Keaton in Birdman.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I always figured an episode revolving around Scott Glenn as Kevin Garvey Sr. would be amazing, and wouldn't you know it, it was.

My new theory: Kevin Jr. will need to die and come back to life again to speak with Christopher Sunday in the in between place, to learn the final segment of the song so his father can stop the rains.

Jazz Depeche Mode™ for this week's opening music, LOL. Alan Wilder is rolling around in his grave.

I would better that Alan Wilder was a Sudden Departure. He reached out and touched faith.

Not only does it seem that we're getting a different theme song each week, but the cast list in the main credits does change subtly. Most of the cast seems to be credited regardless of whether they appear in the episode, but Regina King was in last week's credits and not in this week's, and Janel Moloney was not in last week's credits but was in this week's. If there's an episode with everybody in it, presumably they'll just choose a longer song to fit everybody in.

This show is deeply moving to me.

Me too. I feel every episode very deeply.

Visually stunning episode using those Australia landscapes so perfectly.

I love how each season has a strikingly different visual look about it. The first season in upstate New York, which happened to be shot during one of the coldest most brutal winters in my lifetime. The second season in suburban Texas, green and alive and as different as you can get from Mapleton. And now, with Australia, a look that's completely different from both of them.

I loved the Walkabout homage with the man killing himself and setting his VW bug on fire.

Haha...someone just pointed out that the Aussie woman who shot Kevin Sr. with a trank-dart is the same actress who plays the bitchy theater-critic out to destroy Michael Keaton in Birdman.

I caught a matinee of Gifted yesterday, it was bizarre seeing Lindsay Duncan play two completely different characters in such a short amount of time.

 

[Paul D G]

Jazz Depeche Mode™ for this week's opening music, LOL.

Even better, it was Richard Cheese. His whole act is sleazy Vegas lounge covers of songs.

 

[Stan]

Three episodes behind on the DVR, but will do a quickie binge this weekend. I don't mind the spoilers, unless it's a show I really look forward to I'll avoid them, but this is silly popcorn movie night stuff.

Like Adam mentioned earlier, "utterly absurd". Hard to believe "actors" go through this and recite those lines.

It's fun, it's totally forgettable, but I tolerate it. Definitely not the type of show you'd see Meryl Streep doing, but these are "D" grade actors, so anything for a paycheck.

 

[Josh Dial]

Three episodes behind on the DVR, but will do a quickie binge this weekend. I don't mind the spoilers, unless it's a show I really look forward to I'll avoid them, but this is silly popcorn movie night stuff.

Like Adam mentioned earlier, "utterly absurd". Hard to believe "actors" go through this and recite those lines.

It's fun, it's totally forgettable, but I tolerate it. Definitely not the type of show you'd see Meryl Streep doing, but these are "D" grade actors, so anything for a paycheck.

Are you sure you meant to post this to an episode of The Leftovers? Nothing about this show is silly popcorn-esque (and very little of it is fun), and the acting is some of the finest ever on the small or large screen. None of these actors are D-list by any definition: Carrie Coons is one of the best around these days.

 

[TravisR]

Are you sure you meant to post this to an episode of The Leftovers? Nothing about this show is silly popcorn-esque (and very little of it is fun), and the acting is some of the finest ever on the small or large screen. None of these actors are D-list by any definition: Carrie Coons is one of the best around these days.

Even the day players are great.

 

[Stan]

Are you sure you meant to post this to an episode of The Leftovers? Nothing about this show is silly popcorn-esque (and very little of it is fun), and the acting is some of the finest ever on the small or large screen. None of these actors are D-list by any definition: Carrie Coons is one of the best around these days.

No, I meant what I said. I really like Justin Theroux, but he's done much better things than this. Amy Brenneman is also very good. Maybe not "popcorn" video, but it does push the boundaries.

Honestly never even heard of Carrie Coon, I'll pay more attention as I catch up.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Do yourself a favor and don't watch if you think it's unworthy.

 

[Stan]

Do yourself a favor and don't watch if you think it's unworthy.

Sorry guys, I'll behave from now on. Didn't mean to upset anyone.