What an incredible ending to this season of The Leftovers! More shows could use the dash of magic like this one, if only to evoke the type of thoughts that keep you up at night. We may not understand everything that happened, but the overall tone by the very end of the finale was one of relief.
With Meg on the outskirts of Miracle on the anniversary of the Sudden Departure, I’m pretty sure we were all expecting an explosive act of violence. She did threaten that she had a bomb in her trailer before driving it onto the bridge. Out walked Evie and friends, and the rest is history. Everyone’s minds were blown, none more so than John and Erika. Their little girl stood stone-faced and dressed in white, chain smoking like every other Guilty Remnant member. How or why she joined and planned her disappearance isn’t important anymore.
The Murphy family wasn’t perfect to begin with. John has issues of his own, one of which Erika called him out on when they finally opened Evie’s birthday gift for her dad. Inside the box was a dead cricket, the symbolism that only Erika understood. John wouldn’t “let go” of the chirping cricket in the house in the season premiere. Excellent choice of words here, by the way. Moving on and letting go was a huge component of Jack Shepard’s journey on Lost. I got goosebumps hearing those words again in a Damon Lindelof show.
Kevin Garvey has been through a lot in life and beyond. Literally, he’s a pro at death. I would say he can’t be killed, but that’s another conversation entirely. There must be some greater hand at play in the universe that would give him so many chances at life. At least now we know what to expect if we ever happen to wake up drowning in a hotel bathtub with a variety of uniforms in the closet. Always choose the one you’re familiar with, so as not to be confused with an international assassin.
Props to the music department working on The Leftovers, too. The Pixies’ instrumental version of “Where Is My Mind?” is so beautifully haunting and fitting. I also have to mention how absolutely perfect the choice of Kevin’s karaoke song was! “Homeward Bound” never sounded so appropriate as flashes of Kevin’s life and loved ones played along. The original soundtrack scoring has been excellent all along. Most notably, the score in the purgatory hotel scenes sticks out in my mind.
The specifics of the Guilty Remnant’s intentions now that they’ve overtaken the sanctity of the protected park are unclear. I think their job is done now that the rebels and rejects from the campgrounds are setting the streets ablaze. All we know is that at least the Garveys, Jamisons, and Nora are together. Sure, there’s a few loose ends to explore in the event of a renewal, like Mary being awake and speaking again. If that doesn’t happen, though, I would be pleased with this season being the last of The Leftovers. A thrilling drama that’s 2% magic and 98% grounded in reality doesn’t come along often.
What did you think of the season finale of The Leftovers?
[Photo credit: Van Redin/HBO]
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