This has been a fantastic year for television. Many great new shows were introduced, and existing shows had superior new seasons. Of all the new shows, The Leftovers is by far my favorite. It is expertly crafted, with superior acting, beautiful music, and fantastic characters.
We Are Living Reminders
When I first heard about this show, I thought the premise was extremely interesting. People just disappearing, and now the world has to deal with that. However, the show does not provide an explanation for the disappearance. This is where the show splits people into two categories: either people will be okay with no answers, or they will resent the show for not providing answers. I personally am perfectly fine with no answers, because it is not important. The show is not some Science Fiction piece, it is a character study. And the characters are all very interesting. The show uses this disappearance to delve into the each character and show how the disappearances have effected them. These characters would not be as interesting as they are if they did not have fantastic actors to portray them. I will not go into every character, but my favorites are Kevin, Matt and Nora. Justin Theroux is the main actor, and he does a fantastic job with Kevin. He handles the complexities of his character very well. He is morbid, he is worn out, and most importantly he is broken. Justin Theroux delivers on every aspect of the character. Christopher Eccleston portrays Matt, and he is my favorite character. Matt has good intentions, but not everyone sees eye to eye with him. He is honest, kind, and faithful. One of the episodes only followed his character, and it was one of the finest episodes I have ever seen on television. The last character worth a mention is Carrie Coon’s Nora. Her character is especially interesting because of how the disappearance effected her. Her character arc was engaging, and left me completely fulfilled.
We Are Still Here
Other than the fantastic character, with actors to match, the score, cinematography and storyline are all top notch. The show is fairly dark and depressing, and the music perfectly matches the tone. However, the music is also breathtakingly beautiful. Max Ritcher composes the score for the show, and he does an absolutely standout job. Along with the beautiful music, the cinematography is great. It really emerges the audience into the show’s world. I mentioned earlier how I liked that the show did not answer the reason for the disappearances. I think the show would have been much less interesting if it revolved around people trying to find out the cause of the disappearances. It may seem like I think the show is perfect, but it had some silly moments with some actors, and some of the story lines needed further explanation.
Closing Remarks
If you have not watched an episode of The Leftovers, I strongly implore you to give it a shot. It is, in my opinion, the best new show on television, and I am incredibly excited to see where the show goes next season.