The Leftovers - Season 1 Review
This review of Season 1 of The Leftovers is spoiler-free!
HBO has managed to create hit after hit in it's time on premium television. We know them for common hits such as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and The Wire. These shows are most definitely major factors in the daily lives of many TV fans and I have nothing bad to say about any of them. There is one show in my opinion though that has been out there on HBO for a few years now, ending earlier this year. That show, as can be seen by the title, is The Leftovers. Created by the minds behind Lost and led by a star in Justin Thoreux. The Leftovers deals with a complex war with a dark history. Before I even begin though, I believe this is one of HBO's best shows to date. That's without even seeing Season 2 (which I will immediately begin after writing this review). Let's get started with the background and story of The Leftovers.
The Departure. Without any knowledge of this show, that probably means nothing to you. Allow me to explain what that dreaded word means. The Leftovers is the story of normal people who were a part of a life changing and harrowing event known as The Departure. This event is the sudden disappearance of 2.4% of the world's population without reason. The majority of this show focuses on the survivors, and how they pick up the pieces after their loss. I've watched alot of TV in my short time on this earth and while this seems like something you've probably seen before, it truly isn't. The Leftovers' story is deeply moving and mixes points of hope and pain through it's first season.
Kevin Garvey Jr. (Justin Thoreux), is a police chief in the town of Mapleton. Post-The Departure he is a man who is having inner turmoil. His family has broken apart. His son is on the other side of the country working for a man with a mysterious ability. His daughter is without a mother and lives with her friend Aimee at their family home. His wife has joined the town's cult known as the Guilty Remnant. They are a group of people who feel that they deserve only to stay broken after the loss of their loved ones and need to serve as a living reminder of what happened. Kevin's story is powerful and Thoreux's portrayal is both moving and harrowing for the viewer. He's been broken by all of the tragedy around him and the actions he's taken. He blames himself for the family breaking apart and feels he needs to pick up the pieces and put it back together. Seeing his slow descent into madness and his battle back against the darkness is deeply distressing for the viewer and worth every minute of it.
Another major character who doesn't truly get her moment until about 3 episodes in: Nora Durst (Carrie Coon). She has suffered irrevocable loss due to The Departure: having the incredibly bad luck to lose her entire family from this rapture-like incident. Her journey to building herself back up after this loss aligns with Kevin's and their journey together and apart is absolutely stellar. I was hoping for Nora to find her way through the darkness the entire season and the story beats hit by her character are brilliant. Carrie Coon plays her beautifully and it almost feels like she can do no wrong here. If there is one other character on this show that deserves to be happy other than Kevin, it's her.
I think for a show like this, it's important to take time to recognize the themes that are present throughout the show. Loss is a huge theme throughout the show, and people take it differently than each other throughout. Seeing the different means with which people cope, whether it be joining the Guilty Remnant and taking the vow of silence, or choosing to build them self back up, it's simply moving. Along with this, the show has a feeling of sadness and battling demons that manages to attack every character on the show. They all challenge their own ideals and have to face them in order to come through the darkness. Even some don't manage to have the outcome they expect and they have to choose whether to succumb or keep fighting and to be completely honest it's so powerful.
The Leftovers manages to create a dark and harrowing world that grips its audiences and doesn't let go. This is one show that I didn't truly understand right away, but after seeing the deeper world underneath the surface it really clicked with me. Since starting my website I've tried to push myself away from watching multiple seasons of the same show so that I can add variety to my writing, but I simply can't do that with this show. The Leftovers is a beautiful work of television and I think that anyone who has felt the darkness or the pain of loss should look to this show as a means to help them. The Leftovers is something unique and if you ever have time to watch something new, make it this show.
