The Leftovers

When Lost was on, I wanted to like it, but the contrivances used to extend the mystery and conflict well past the point of tolerance were a turn off. In The Leftovers the aspects of Lost I didn't like are put to much better use because there's never any resolution promised for the events that transpire and it's more a character study of how broken people deal with extraordinary circumstances which they have no control over. Each season feels unique in how it gives us a view into a world that is shaken to its foundation. Not every aspect of the show works for me as I was never fond of the Guilty Remnant cult or Liv Tyler's character in relation to it, but given how they're a cult and they're not the focal point I was more forgiving of this plot point than The Others in Lost. At its core The Leftovers is a show about broken people trying to fix themselves in a world that is almost as broken as they are and it exceeds what it sets out to do.

I watched the first episode of The Leftovers when the series debuted and found it intriguing but not that engaging. So I gave up on it until, many years later, I read an article about how the series turned itself into one of the best series ever in season 2. After after finding this is the general consensus, I decided to check it out.

And yes, season 2 of this show about the aftereffects of a day where 2% of the population is riveting. It's this insane, intense, mysterious thing that keeps you off-balance. It was like a whole new series (be warned, you'll need to find a guide to the characters if you start on season 2; there's a lot you'll be wondering about).

Season 3 is also good, although in a different way. The series actually gets nuttier (telegraphed by the strange collection of opening-credits songs). It's a weird shift, since season 2 was pretty emotionally intense throughout, but it generally works.

Much of the power of the series is that it never lets you be sure of anything. There was one supernatural event years before that freaked people out, but the supernatural events in the series itself can be seen as fakes or hallucinations. Much of the series concerns what we believe and how we choose to believe.

There are some things I am not completely sold on. 2% of the population would mean a lot of people wouldn't have been directly effected, and people really do adapt pretty quickly to horrific disasters, but in the series everyone is traumatized for years and everyone's lives is centered around this single event. I don't find this entirely realistic. The third season centers on the belief that something big is coming that seems pretty random. And the ending ... well, it's consistent with the series, but it ultimately feels a little unsatisfying.

But overall well worth watching.

I watched the first two seasons and liked it, but I didn't really get it. I was intrigued, but very confused. And then my 35 year old husband dropped dead suddenly when I was pregnant with our 2nd daughter. I saw the 3rd season after that massive loss and suddenly it all made so much sense.

Profound grief is what you need to understand and appreciate this show. Those of us on this side will get it, but if you don't know what we do, if you've never lost someone suddenly long before you expect them to go, it probably won't make much sense to you.

I rarely watch a show again, but now I plan to watch it all again.

The Leftovers is one of my favorite shows of all-time. Everything about this show is great but the writing and acting is what really makes this show so special. All you have to do is read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is. Every review has one thing in common and that's they almost all mention how underrated this show is. It doesn't get mentioned when people name the best show ever but it absolutely belongs among them. It may be a little slow for some people but it does pick up. This isn't a show where you can just have it on in the background while you do other things. You need to sit and pay attention and if you do that then I promise you'll enjoy it.

The Leftovers is not only one of the most underrated TV shows of all-time but it's one of the best tv shows of all-time! It takes place three years after the disappearance of 2% of the world population and follows the lives of people in a small town near New York and how they cope with fall out of the event and try to figure out what happen to their loved ones. I have to admit that it's not for everyone, if your looking for a fast pace show with a lot of action the this isn't for you. This is one of the best written & acted shows of all-time. All you have to do is read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is. If you haven't seen this amazing show yet then do yourself a favor and go watch this as soon as possible!