... but still had(have) interest in Season 2 due to the critical praise, watch this full Season 1 recap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF-ngz-S6lE

(mods, I know there's a S3 post, but hopefully you can let this stand as this is more a "check out S2 before S3 releases" post)

I wasn't familiar with Chris Hartwell before this, but he does a great job of concisely going through the season and highlighting important character and thematic motifs. If you have a bit more time though and you're willing to watch the best of S1, watch the recap up until he finishes E7, then watch episodes 8, 9 and 10. Those three episodes tie up all the loose ends and are what completely flipped my opinion on the season.

So why should you care about watching Season 2, especially since the show moved past the written material and into unknown territory? Here are some quotes from fellow OKP'ers:

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"If you're not watching this season... You are messing up big time. Another amazing episode. Crazy or confused. The show did a good job of making a case for both sides. Great television." - 13Rose

"I'm really liking the varying focus and the new mysteries... I did not think this show could keep momentum going, but man have I been wrong." - phenompyrus

"...the show has become psychologically "deeper" than the book. Especially now that they've gone beyond anything that was written." - mrhood75

"Yo Regina King and Carrie Coon deserve Emmys on just this episode alone. Top notch acting, writing and directing." - bwood

"Season 2 ranks up there with my favorite seasons of any show. Just powerful with acting with emotion, story, and imagery". - Ownzdacourt
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The praise for Season 2 (both critically and here on OKP) was a surprise for some, because there was skepticism Damon Lindelof could shake his reputation for resolving intriguing questions with shitty answers. He hasn't lost his touch for crafting compelling character studies but now he's turned his weakness into a strength: writing endings that *make sense*.

For me, I find The Leftovers particularly noteworthy in a sea of amazing TV options because of its honest exploration of the human spirit. Lindelof and Perotta (author of the source material) have been able to craft a narrative that treads a very thin line between the spiritual and the supernatural... how do people deal with unexplainable loss? When one day everything is fine then the next it's not? While these characters will never know *why* The Departure happened, they must come to grips with picking up the pieces that are left. And this exploration into both the depths and the heights of humanity is what led me to write this post.

As a hyper-logical Catholic that believes in a spiritual "power" but also in evolution and The Big Bang, I find it fascinating when this show deftly portrays scenes that can resonate with both the atheist and the spiritual. I'm almost never affected emotionally by anything I see on screen but The Leftovers has me finding empathy for characters I never knew I was capable of having.

The Leftovers is also deeply researched; the Christian Rapture is the obvious parallel to The Departure but there are multiple references to other faiths, without debasing nor glorifying those beliefs... and the show somehow does this with utmost respect for the perspective of the viewer. From religious scholar Reza Aslan, who consults on the show and is coming out with his own CNN show called 'Believer':

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“For storytellers like Damon Lindelof, who have figured out a creative way to talk about these universal sentiments without necessarily getting too bogged down in specific religious ideas, I think that the reward is going to be astonishing,” Aslan says. “I mean, that’s the reason why ‘Leftovers’ fans are so passionate about it. I have atheist friends who love that show. I have friends who are fundamentalists, evangelical, Bible-believing Christians, and ‘The Leftovers’ is their favorite show. It’s precisely created a new set of metaphors, a new way of talking about faith that allows people to be drawn to it, regardless of how they themselves experience faith.”
________________________________________


And despite really weak ratings, due to big critical and fan praise HBO agreed to have one more season for Lindelof to finish the series:

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“The real blessing was knowing that the show was going to end, and having an entire year to process that emotionally — and also to execute it so that it felt more like it was a celebration of the show, as opposed to watching something wither away and die,” says Lindelof. “As opposed to bittersweet, it’s sweet-bitter.”
________________________________________


So, yeah. If you have time to kill after The Walking Dead and before Game of Thrones, try checking out S2 of The Leftovers before HBO releases S3 on April 16th. If you don't have time for the full series, skip episodes 1-7, watch the recap up to that point (~14:30 mark) then watch episodes 8-10. There is POWERFUL storytelling in these three episodes, and they segue really well into the start of S2.

But, if you'd rather jump straight into S2, then watch the recap and go for it. I still maintain that S2 is one of my favorite seasons of any show of any genre ever. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be staying late at work for no discernible reason but to write a 500 word essay to post to people I've never met before but have an interest in convincing them to watch a television show that never explains the core premise. Cheers!

Lindelof 's name being on the show turned me off (yes I was still mad about LOST..lol) but season 2 was really good. Still on the fence about even watching Season 3 - might check it out though.
_____________________________________________________
"You can win with certainty with the spirit of "one cut". "Musashi Miyamoto

and i meant it in both good and bad ways

lo and behold the person i said it to mentioned who made it and i groaned so hard

but it reeled me in, and i accepted early that we will never know how or why anyone disappeared. it made it much easier to enjoy the show, and now I love it.

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

but it was hard to avoid just randomly hearing about all the backlash from the ending. I actually started watching Leftovers in part because of some random longform about Damon and how it took him a really, really long time to get over the hate for the show. The Leftovers was borne after a long period of self-reflection and other projects... mix that with the Rapture-like premise and my interest was piqued.

> i accepted early that we will never know how or why anyone disappeared. it made it much easier to enjoy the show, and now I love it.

Yup, I love how they're unapologetic about never giving the real reason for the Departure... it helps make the exploration of such so appealing. Humanity has this burning desire to examine and explain the world around them, and I love how The Leftovers gives so many rational (and irrational) possibilities to explain The Departure.

>but it was hard to avoid just randomly hearing about all the
>backlash from the ending. I actually started watching
>Leftovers in part because of some random longform about Damon
>and how it took him a really, really long time to get over the
>hate for the show. The Leftovers was borne after a long
>period of self-reflection and other projects... mix that with
>the Rapture-like premise and my interest was piqued.

man, fuck him lol. there was no end-game for Lost, and even making it up as he went along he had no idea what people liked about the show. if he wanted people to react positively, ANY other direction than "random thing happens to random people and it transcends reality for random reasons".

>Yup, I love how they're unapologetic about never giving the
>real reason for the Departure... it helps make the exploration
>of such so appealing. Humanity has this burning desire to
>examine and explain the world around them, and I love how The
>Leftovers gives so many rational (and irrational)
>possibilities to explain The Departure.

OTOH, he learnes his lessons. there arent any other "Why?" questions other besides the big one, and it doesnt really even matter.

contrast that with the smoke monster, the nature of the island, jacob, et. etc etc. all questions essential to a show whose main character is really its own mythology, and all given 2 mindless pen strokes.

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

but IIRC wasn't Lost a victim of its own success? Like since it was a network TV show and it had bonkers ratings, the network wanted to extend it as much as possible? This meant Lindelof had to extend the mysteries and basically painted himself into a corner.


Edit: But to his credit, Lindelof sorta acknowledges Lost when talking about S3:

“This is it; we left no dangling threads, no to be continued, no spinoff possibilities. We made pretty sure that this was going to be the last season of the show,” Lindelof assured Variety on the carpet before the screening. “The audience deserves as satisfying an ending as we can give them. I don’t think anyone wants to see a question mark at the end of this.”

I loved both seasons for different reasons but I will admit season 2 was better. That said, however you watch, WATCH THIS SHOW.

This post was paid for by the following.

www.twitter.com/13Rose
www.debunkthemyth.org
http://dashaunworld.wordpress.com/
www.mothergreen.com

Remember MJ The Great!
PSN: ThirteenRose

“So back we go to these questions — friendship, character… ethics.”

When releasing the season for reviewers, Lindelof took the unusual step of revealing most of the season (all except the finale). I think this is the first review released so far.

Very minor thematic spoilers for S2, but a few passages are copied below:

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/04/the-leftovers-season-3-review-final-masterpiece-1201801201/

‘The Leftovers’ Review: Season 3 Pushes The Best Show on Television to Evocative New Heights

Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta's final season is a masterpiece more in tune with the moment than anything you'll see this year.

Season 3 is no less than a coup, wrapping up a wild narrative with ambitious new threads and honing in on each character’s fundamental spiritual and psychological beliefs. This final round with the Garvey family is designed to evoke powerful emotional reactions; you’re as likely to startle your dog from cathartic laughter as you are from open sobbing, all within the course of an hour.

This is a cumulative story, and it’s designed to be a cumulative viewing experience. Standalone episodes and arcs are a glimpse of the full story’s power, but dedicated study of both prior seasons will amplify your appreciation of the new year.

Season 1 was better than I remembered. I found it a bit frustrating on first watch, but remember the last 3 episodes being worth the wait. Knowing what I do now, I was able to enjoy the development more and it brings more light to the characters' arcs in season 2 as well.

Season 2 might be the best season of television I've seen. I remember seeing a trailer and thinking it looked awful but the whole story was captivating and I'm really glad they renewed it for a final season.

Based on a few reviews and the trailer, I can't fucking wait for the last season. The only show I'm as excited for this year is Twin Peaks.

The Leftovers is the best show on TV right now, better than:

Better Call Saul
Fargo
Game of Thrones
Westworld
Stranger Things
The Americans
Mr. Robot
Horace and Pete
The Night Of
Black Mirror

..and I love all those shows. Do yourself a favor, catch up with the first two seasons and don't miss the conclusion.