The Leftovers, one of my all-time favorite shows, premiered last year and the second season is set to air this Sunday on HBO after a longer than usual hiatus. Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, and based on Perrotta's novel of the same name, The Leftovers tells the story of a global event, in which many people disappeared, called the "Sudden Departure". On the day of the "Sudden Departure" 140 million people, 2% of the world's population, inexplicably disappeared. The story then jumps ahead three years and focuses on the Garvey family and their acquaintances living in the fictional small town of Mapleton, New York.
Season one ended with a satisfying finale and I couldn't wait to see what new mysteries waited for us in the follow-up season. I was fortunate enough to watch the season two premiere and the level of story telling far exceeded my expectations. While we may never know what happened to the town of Mapleton and it's citizens after the final moments of the season one finale I am happy with how the writers brought our favorite characters into a new setting and a new town.
The new location for the story is Jarden, Texas, a small town much like Mapleton, however, unlike any other town, Jarden experienced zero 'departures'. Thinking this is some sort miracle, people of the world are coming in droves likening this town to a gateway to Heaven or a chosen sanctuary for those who remained or as the title of the episode implies, an axis mundi or center of the world. Some citizens take advantage of this fact as you will see, while others simply go about their normal routine as if nothing happened outside their town's limits, much to the dismay of certain people.
The Leftovers new family is the Murphy's, whose matriarch, Erika Murphy, is played by the lovely and talented Regina King. Her husband, John Murphy, has a suspicious background, which I am sure will clash with Kevin's ideals. This is even more certain when we see the Garvey family, with new baby in tow, move in right next door. The Murphys have two teenage children, Michael, who has already caught the eye of Jill, and Evie, who is sort of the focus of the premiere.
I am sure anyone who enjoyed the first season will love the second season premiere. The mystery that is set up for this season is intriguing and I'm looking forward to each and every episode. The score by Max Richter is perfect just as in season one and the music and song selection is amazing.
Things to Notice
- The opening scene is incredible. Grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy...just make sure the little ones are in bed. It's not bad, but maybe just bit graphic.
- The title of the episode is 'Axis Mundi'. I know this term because of Lindelof's other amazing show, LOST. I will go a little more in depth about this term and how it relates to Jarden in my Review, but basically I was imagined the island of LOST as a sort of Axis Mundi. The Axis Mundi, in certain beliefs and philosophies is the center of the world and the bridge or connection between Heaven and Earth. We can discuss how this relates to Jarden in my Review - I would love to read everyone's thoughts on this subject.
- Nora seems to be in a much happier place personally than last season. She seems more at peace and has a generally positive outlook on everything.
- The music in the episode is perfect.
- There is definitely something suspicious going on with the patriarch of the Murphy family, John, but it's difficult to tell what the mystery behind his motives are just yet. There are clues spread out throughout the episode, but just like with the mysteries in season one, the writers are not making it easy to decipher.
- What's with the water?
If anyone has any non-spoilery questions for me I would be happy to answer them in the comments section. If you want to discuss season one at all I would be happy to do that as well.
I will try to get Advanced Previews out as soon as possible as well as Reviews so we can discuss each episode right after they air. I hope you all have a great week and enjoy the first episode of The Leftovers this Sunday night!
