About twenty minutes in to the episode, I’m as nonplussed than ever. At this point, I’m questioning why I’m watching The Leftovers, even bothering to keep up… maybe it’s the hope that this is just extremely slow to set up and my mind’s going to get blown to smithereens at all the plot twists that are in the mix. As I said in a previous review, I suppose I could just read the book then I won’t even have to watch the show every week… but reading is for squares. I suddenly remember that I watch this just to convince you, our loyal readership, of how unforgivably unsatisfying this show is. Every episode so far acts as if the previous one hasn’t even happened. It feels so jagged. It’s like going down a pothole riddled road, watching this show. It’s smooth as butter one moment and the next your head hits the side of the window from the bump.
I don’t want to elongate this review any longer than I have to because there’s only so much you can say. I trudged through this episode, hoping something would be elucidated, hoping there was some reason to the things they do the things they do but no. Tom and Christine make me want to bash my head in to a wall – their idiocy and inessential nature to the story thus far knows no bounds. Kev’s daughter pulling her stunt… was it because she doesn’t get enough attention at home? There’s not even a remote explanation. It comes off as some plot device they came up with right before they started filming to take up time. The GR visiting all the homes in the dark of night while everybody’s at the reunion… perhaps that gets explained later on, perhaps it doesn’t – at this rate, I’m going to be betting on the latter. Is there just something I’m not understanding here? Justin Theroux and Liv Tyler, as far as I can see, are the only other reasons aside from my obligation to review this that keep me watching it. What is going on here? This show has the transitional grace of a socialist coup d’état.
