Well, that was depressing. The Leftovers is all about the misery and punishment this week – even when redemption presents itself, it’s a cruel bait-and-switch just waiting for someone to invest hope before it snaps shut. Does Matt think he’s being punished for brutally beating his attempted assailant? Or is he ready to renounce faith at this point altogether? I did enjoy “Two Boats and a Helicopter” more than previous installments of this show, mostly because I’ll watch anything with Eccleston in it, but I am getting tired of a lot of the narrative trickery. Last week, we learned that Mayor Lucy Warburton was in a relationship with Kevin’s father, the previous Chief of Police who went crazy. It was a nifty little twist, but also a cheap one because it doesn’t really seem to mean anything in the overall arc of the show. Now, this week, we find out that Matt is Nora’s brother, and it doesn’t really evoke any reaction but a patient sigh.
That’s not to say that “Two Boats and a Helicopter” is without merit – thanks to the unyielding focus on Matt this week, The Leftovers finally has a character viewers can relate to and get behind (that hasn’t happened with Kevin yet, unfortunately). I’m also growing to appreciate Lindelof’s overall vision a little more. As Matt said in this episode, the Sudden Departure wasn’t a “test for what came before, but for what came after. It was a test for what comes now.” Are the ones left behind in the Sudden Departure all going to eventually prove themselves worthy of damnation? Are all of them going to give into their demons, or “go primal” as one of the twins said in the premiere? Matt entered this episode as a holier-than-thou figure, so convinced of his innate goodness in bringing the world news of others’ sins that he didn’t give a second glance to himself. Now, he’s been forced to realize that he is a flawed person as well, not to mention one capable of great violence if properly motivated. Matt also started this episode as a punching bag, almost like a GR member. He was willing to take a beating for his cause – the only real difference between him and those white-clad weirdos was that he’s being loud about his message. Now he’s woken up in a sense, having realized that his actions are dictating what happens to him, not any outside force.
Nothing for Jill, Tom, Wayne, Aimee, Meg, Kevin or Dean this week – though we do know now that Laurie is lurking outside Kevin’s house, missing him and Jill as they miss her. Other take-aways? The Guilty Remnant is one cruel, callous group of individuals. After all, even though Matt risked his own skin to protect them, they still took his church without a second thought. Also, pigeons? Are they symbolic of the GR, always stalking around and getting under everyone’s feet? Or do they have a different purpose, relating somehow to the deers, dogs and penguins of episodes past? Who knows.
I’m not really liking The Leftovers so far, though I appreciate Eccleston and Carrie Coon’s (Nora) performances this week. If this show is going to be great, it’ll have to use its actors in compelling ways to tell a strong story. Right now, it’s settling for borderline-good, bringing in talented actors and letting them do their thing without really injecting any energy into the greater narrative. It’ll have to do better if it wants to be worthy of HBO’s other series – though I’m willing to give Lindelof a little more time to prove that The Leftovers is worthy of our attention. The big question is, are you?