I really enjoyed season 1 of The Leftovers. For the second season, I expected to get answers to questions left from last season. Instead, with the pilot episode of the second season, more questions piled up to be answered. But that's okay, because I believe that with the upcoming episodes these questions are going to be answered.
6 Reviews
Off To An Impressive Start
General_Haberdashery5 October 2015
From the heavy handed metaphoric opening scene, to the spoon in the disposal, everything seemed very ominous and tense. Like something terrifying was being held at bay behind a very thin curtain and you can see it pushing towards you, shapes and all, only to have it rear back into the abyss.
The tension was playful at times, then outright shocking as we slowly got to know the people of Miracle, but what I think I liked best was that this episode showed just how uncertain the world is now in a more subtle way. There were signs (some violently/graphically bloody, others innocuous like the hidden cricket) that kept the viewer in a state of unease yet left us wanting more.
The new additions to the main cast were phenomenal. Such powerful and believable performances particularly from Regina King and Kevin Carroll. The way he casually brought up his time in prison as a way to warn the new neighbors not to cross him and his family was very well played and well written.
Director Mimi Leder knocked this one out of the park, and the script had just the right beats to bring us back for more.
I cant wait to see where this show takes us next.
10 out of 10.
The tension was playful at times, then outright shocking as we slowly got to know the people of Miracle, but what I think I liked best was that this episode showed just how uncertain the world is now in a more subtle way. There were signs (some violently/graphically bloody, others innocuous like the hidden cricket) that kept the viewer in a state of unease yet left us wanting more.
The new additions to the main cast were phenomenal. Such powerful and believable performances particularly from Regina King and Kevin Carroll. The way he casually brought up his time in prison as a way to warn the new neighbors not to cross him and his family was very well played and well written.
Director Mimi Leder knocked this one out of the park, and the script had just the right beats to bring us back for more.
I cant wait to see where this show takes us next.
10 out of 10.
A Great Season Opener! Well-Written And Marvellously Acted!
nomis946 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"Axis Mundi" is a brilliant episode and offers great writing as well as superb acting! One episode in and we already have a decent introduction of the Murphy family. Not every TV series or film can claim that for itself. The cinematography is amazing and I love the story-telling without any fillers. Every scene is significant and delivers new information and details. The music is great. The dialogues are great. And wow, Evie Murphy can REALLY sing! I loved that short musical performance. Miracle is an odd town and we will learn more from it in the following episodes. The scenes with Isaac Rayney are interesting and he might play an important role in the future. I enjoyed this episode throughout! It's entertaining in its own way and everything is so well-executed! To see the (new) Garvey family was also delightful. I loved the barbecue scene. The actors are really into this TV series. I'm truly enjoying it!
No, I don't like it
ajd43 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
To be fair, I went back and re-watched this episode after I watched the entire season. I wanted to give it a chance. Now I am going to review it. I didn't like it. First off, I don't like the new theme song and the new opening. It is way weak compared to the first season (as was the season itself, for the most part). Next, there were no Europeans in prehistoric America and/or prehistoric Texas. This was irritating right from the start. Clearly, the pregnant woman, her compatriots and her child are of European descent and not Native American. Then, she is bitten by a non-poisonous snake. It appears to be a boa constrictor whose bite is NOT poisonous. Finally, I don't like the new family, especially the father. What a nasty, dangerous jerk he is and he never gets better. I don't want to seem negative. The symbolism is fantastic: the soaring birds, the Geneisis references, the cleansing waters, a Fahrenheit 451 reference, etc - clever, well written. And there is some very cool stuff in this season: Kevin's journey through purgatory reminded me of Tony Soprano's, but this new family and new setting never really did it for me. The first season was phenomenal and while this is still probably the best show on television, I hoped for more in the second. Well I have high hopes for the third. I assume this can't be the end.
This is where I gave up on this show
gabore9-428-22267027 January 2021
Well produced and acted, but slightly underwhelming
TheDonaldofDoom25 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
First of all the new theme song is nowhere near as good as the first season's. They should have just kept it. If the theme song summarises the season's tone as it did in the first season, that's bad news.
Until Matt Jamison's appearance I was confused about why I was being introduced to all these new characters. With this type of show though you just have to go with it and you see why later on, and sure enough, you find out near the end why- Evie's disappearance, which is obviously going to be the driving force behind this season. I'm a little worried about this as it seems contrived to have a tragedy like this happening just after the Garveys moved into the neighbourhood. I had assumed Season 2 would continue exploring plot threads started in Season 1 so to start on what appears to be a clean slate. It feels like this would have worked better as an anthology à la True Detective. Either way, wrapping up last season's mysteries, most of all Matt's condition, would have been a good idea.
With that said, intriguing new mysteries are set up. What exactly did John do to land him in prison for attempted murder? There's definitely a dark side to him, most obvious when he burns down a charlatan's house. Who is that Jesus guy? The bird in the box is... strange. I can't work that one out. And then there's the town itself... for such a happy place, John asking if a pie is poisoned suggests something underneath the surface. Or maybe people just don't like him.
Until Matt Jamison's appearance I was confused about why I was being introduced to all these new characters. With this type of show though you just have to go with it and you see why later on, and sure enough, you find out near the end why- Evie's disappearance, which is obviously going to be the driving force behind this season. I'm a little worried about this as it seems contrived to have a tragedy like this happening just after the Garveys moved into the neighbourhood. I had assumed Season 2 would continue exploring plot threads started in Season 1 so to start on what appears to be a clean slate. It feels like this would have worked better as an anthology à la True Detective. Either way, wrapping up last season's mysteries, most of all Matt's condition, would have been a good idea.
With that said, intriguing new mysteries are set up. What exactly did John do to land him in prison for attempted murder? There's definitely a dark side to him, most obvious when he burns down a charlatan's house. Who is that Jesus guy? The bird in the box is... strange. I can't work that one out. And then there's the town itself... for such a happy place, John asking if a pie is poisoned suggests something underneath the surface. Or maybe people just don't like him.
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