The Leftovers: The Garveys at Their Best

August 25, 2014 11:19 AM - Season 1, Episode 9

Tom connects with his past, even though he knows it's a mistake. Meanwhile, Nora has a job interview; Kevin's father receives an honor; troubling news comes as no surprise to Laurie; and Kevin tracks down a rampaging deer, but can't seem to shake his bad habits.
posted by carmicha (9 comments total)

Because this is television, so an event that occured to 1 in 50 is witnessed in close proximity by all members of the show's first family.
posted by Gyan at 11:40 AM on August 25, 2014

This episode is my favorite to date. I loved the glimpses it provided of life pre 10/14, the slow realization that all was not well and the faint hints about why the departed were chosen and the meaning behind the Guilty Remnant's sobriquet. Seeing the characters pre-event, especially Jill, Laurie and Patty was fascinating and all three actresses were terrific. The small callbacks and flash forwards--the DS kid who we know from Nora's job interviewing survivors will disappear, the Reverend's wife, pre-accident,volunteering to drive so they could celebrate, the echo of Kevin and Tom's use of mailboxes to hide stuff--gave it a lot of texture. And now we know that Kevin was becoming unhinged beforehand. Making the extended flashback the season's penultimate episode--and just before the Labor Day break too--guarantees that people will keep thinking about it. All in all, outstanding.
posted by carmicha at 11:43 AM on August 25, 2014 [5 favorites]

I think I'd be a lot more amicable towards the show if it'd opened with this episode. It reminded me of the high points of LOST.
posted by codacorolla at 12:30 PM on August 25, 2014

Because this is television, so an event that occured to 1 in 50 is witnessed in close proximity by all members of the show's first family.

Well, perhaps there is something special about the Garveys or the town they inhabit.
posted by killdevil at 4:15 PM on August 25, 2014

So I guess the Sudden Departure was Nyan Cat's fault.
posted by homunculus at 6:08 PM on August 25, 2014 [8 favorites]

Random Thoughts:

I really liked that episode. I liked the very slow build up to the episodes final moments, which I thought were very well done.

It seems like everyone is always looking away at the moment of the Departure, but Kevin must have actually seen that woman "poof", as they say.

Also, was that a freaking super deer? What was the significance of the manhole cover exploding?

We finally get some explanation for the bag that Patti left on that doorstep, which I hadn't pieced together previously.

Are we to assume that the Mayor's opponent was taken in the departure?

And lastly, I wish the whole season was as good as this episode, then maybe this thread would have a whole lot more comments.
posted by A Bad Catholic at 6:29 PM on August 25, 2014 [2 favorites]

During the opening jogging scene, I couldn't take my eyes off Kevin's package. He may as well have been running naked. It was almost hypnotic.
posted by MsVader at 7:36 PM on August 25, 2014 [10 favorites]

I think I didn't care much for this episode. It felt a little gimmicky to me, and I hope they don't do another "what was it like before?" episode again (unless maybe for Wayne). I particularly didn't like seeing Patti and Gladys so diminished.
posted by Nelson at 6:56 AM on August 30, 2014

Manhole covers that explode because of gas leaks are a real thing - but used to great effect to convey a sense of unease here.

Putting this episode now, rather than chronologically, seems to work well: it makes much more sense when we know the characters. I like the notion that there is a whole network of people who already seem to have a strong premonition of what is going to happen.
posted by rongorongo at 2:22 AM on August 5, 2022