Damon Lindelof remains one of the most divisive storytellers working in both film and television today. Alongside J.J. Abrams, Lindelof mastered the “mystery box” concept in marketing which has drawn both praise and backlash. His work onLostleft many viewers upset due to what they perceived as an underwhelming series finale, and his contributions to screenplays such asStar Trek Into Darkness, Tomorrowland, Prometheus,andSuper 8drew similarly divisive responses. However, Lindelof’s science fiction seriesThe Leftoversreceived almost universal praise for telling a concise, emotionally riveting story and reaching a satisfying conclusion.
The Leftoverstakes place three years after an unexplained event known as the “Sudden Departure,” in which 2% of the world’s population disappeared into thin air. In the beginning, the series establishes how police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) must aid his mentally disturbed father (Scott Glenn), who has been relocated to a mental facility. However, Kevin’s wife Laurie (Amy Brenneman) has joined the religious cult “The Guilty Remnant,” leaving him to raise their teenage daughter Jill (Margaret Qualley). The woman Nora Durst (Carrie Coon) lost her children in the departure, and her brother Matt Jamison (Christopher Eccelston) helps her grieve as he hopes to revitalize their city’s religious spirit. While they’re all great, here is every season ofThe Leftovers, ranked.
The first season ofThe Leftoverswas the only installment in the series that was directly based on Tom Perrotta’s 2011 novel of the same name; the later seasons incorporated additional storylines that Lindelof andhis writer’s roomcreated. As a result, the first season has to manage a fair amount of exposition to unpack what the “Departure” was, which characters were affected, and the subsequent cultural shifts and movements that have developed since. The season does an excellent job at working in flashbacks in a way that feels emotionally satisfying; it perfectly explains how this world operates, and gives insight on the various residents of Mapleton, New York. It’s a true ensemble show.
The Leftoverswould grow more surrealist and experimental as it continued, but having a firm emotional basis was necessary starting out. In fact, the season only ranks as low as it does because at some points it can simply get too overwhelming; the later seasons had a greater sense of hope, but Season 1 is such a hard hitting-examination of trauma and grief that it might be difficult to stomach for some audiences. Those that were turned off by the emotional realism might want to give the series another chance to see where the story continues.
However, there’s a subtle elegance to the poetic ways that events sync up, but there are enough teases about the future that viewers were left intrigued. The relationship between Nora and Kevin is simply beautiful; Coon and Theroux show how love can emerge in the wake of tragedy, and their chemistry really makes them feel like an actual couple. Eccelston delivers a magnetic, tragic performance that is much more restrained than he ever got to be inThor: The Dark WorldorDoctor Who; his performance in the episode “Two Boats and A Helicopter” in particular was Emmy worthy.
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Reaching a universally beloved conclusion is difficult for any series; while shows likeBreaking BadandMad Menfound a perfect way to close out their characters’ stories, series finales likeHouse of CardsandGame of Throneswere sharply criticized by fans that felt they had simply wasted their time getting invested in the first place. Nonetheless, Season 3 ofThe Leftoversattained nearly universal acclaim, even from those that doubted the show initially.IndieWireranked it as the best show of 2017, stating that “there are so many moments packed into the eight-episode final season one would be forgiven for thinking it’s much, much longer.” Similarly,Pastealso ranked the season as 2017’s best, praising it as “inexplicable and as beautiful as a lost scrap of scripture.”
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Season 3 is the most reflective installment ofThe Leftovers; much of the season revolves around Kevin and Nora’s reaction to the anniversary of the Departure and the evolution of their relationship. They both experience significant shifts within their lives; Kevin begins to think that it’s his destiny to prevent a coming apocalypse, and Nora finds an intriguing scientific breakthrough that could potentially allow her to reunite with her children. Both journeys provoke serious questions: is Kevin driven to the same madness that had plagued his father, and would Nora sacrifice her current family in order to save her children that disappeared in The Departure?
There are brief hints early on as to what everyone’s fates might be, but the answers are saved for the final episode “The Book of Nora.” Unlike the rest of the season, which highlightedthe entire ensemble, the last episode is almost singularly about Kevin and Nora. It shifts the timeline a decade later and focuses on the two character’s reunion in Australia; it’s among the most riveting scenes that has ever aired on television.
It is incredibly close between the second and third seasons in terms of quality, but while Season 3 is ultimately a gorgeous coda, Season 2 is where the real core of the character development takes place. While the original location of Mapleton is featured occasionally, the majority of the episodes take place in the enigmatic town of Jarden, Texas, which is also referred to as “Miracle.” Miraculously, no one in Jarden disappeared, and both Kevin and Nora feel like they can be safe there.
The introduction of their new neighbors, the Murphy family, does a great job at showing interactions between two different cultures. Erika (played by Regina King) and her husband John (Kevin Carroll) bond initially with Nora, but Kevin’s growing madness begins to disturb them. His altered reality is perfectly shown in the standout episode “International Assassin.” It’s a powerful story of how even a place as seemingly perfect as Miracle can quickly devolve due to fear and hatred.
