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The Leftovers S2 |OT| We're Going To Texas - [Renewed for 3rd and final season]

AoM

Member
Rewatched S1. The highlights are definitely "Two Boats and a Helicopter", "Guest", and "The Garveys at Their Best".

On to S2.
 

SwolBro

Banned
Ok, i read this thread a bit, and on recommendations of others i finished season 1 and 2. This has to be one of the dumbest shows i've ever seen in my life. WTF is this?

This show is a complete mess... i was thinking "man is this writer just writing this as he goes a long?" especially season 2, it was complete nonsense after nonsense after nonsense. Is there some type of meaning behind this show? Because i doubt the writer(s) know. Seems like they're just throwing shit at a board and seeing what people come up with.

EDIT:

After a wiki search i realized one of the principal writers is Damon Lindelof . I just threw up a little in my mouth. This is the guy from that terrible ending show lost? and the guy responsible for ruining Prometheus' with that awful awful script. How does this dude keep getting jobs? You know he's a con, he pretends to have this grand scheme, this grand plot that will reveal itself but he doesn't. He writes with holes, inconsistencies with these plot devices with no meaning behind them. He then later tries to connect the dots between all the bullcrap he threw together previously. He simply does not know what he is doing lol

My god why did i not research more before plunking down to watch this.

EDIT 2: if someone thinks i'm wrong here, and cares to try and explain this show to me concretely (without bullshit interpretations that has nothing to do with what the writers intended) please do try.
 

AoM

Member
Ok, i read this thread a bit, and on recommendations of others i finished season 1 and 2. This has to be one of the dumbest shows i've ever seen in my life. WTF is this?

This show is a complete mess... i was thinking "man is this writer just writing this as he goes a long?" especially season 2, it was complete nonsense after nonsense after nonsense. Is there some type of meaning behind this show? Because i doubt the writer(s) know. Seems like they're just throwing shit at a board and seeing what people come up with.

EDIT:

After a wiki search i realized one of the principal writers is Damon Lindelof . I just threw up a little in my mouth. This is the guy from that terrible ending show lost? and the guy responsible for ruining Prometheus' with that awful awful script. How does this dude keep getting jobs? You know he's a con, he pretends to have this grand scheme, this grand plot that will reveal itself but he doesn't. He writes with holes, inconsistencies with these plot devices with no meaning behind them. He then later tries to connect the dots between all the bullcrap he threw together previously. He simply does not know what he is doing lol

My god why did i not research more before plunking down to watch this.

EDIT 2: if someone thinks i'm wrong here, and cares to try and explain this show to me concretely (without bullshit interpretations that has nothing to do with what the writers intended) please do try.

Well, could you go into a little more detail with the problems you have with it?
 

SwolBro

Banned
Well, could you go into a little more detail with the problems you have with it?

Ok, so the first season i could almost get. I guess because it was supposed to be a book right? Whole concept of losing someone, coming to grips with it, or not and so joining a religious cult movement, and all that. Yeah, that's all obvious.

But the problems arise when (as i suspect) Lindelof gets a hold of it and starts cutting everything up to shreds. The plot holes, the ridiculous emotional points that don't mean anything, the endless subplots that don't converge or have any fucking point to it at all and it goes on and on and on.

Then season 2 throws everything up into the air, supernatural events a many with little purpose for them. Wtf is the point of kevin going to purgatory twice? There's no point to any of this stuff. That's my main issue. Scenes like when the baby gets taken at the end, "it's not your baby" uhh ok? There's so many of these pointless scenes.

It shocks me that HBO picked this show up. This was more of a basic cable tv show, not a premium channel like HBO show and i'm guessing that's why they're cutting it off at season 3, they know it has nowhere to go.

Maybe Lindelof is trying his hand at convolution? Like religious texts or something. A bunch of little events intertwined and made to try and have a meaning or purpose to them but ultimately just being a case of really bad writing. In that i guess he succeeds greatly because people sure do inject meaning into this show when there is none.
 

SwolBro

Banned
Critics love it.

TV critics love practically everything. I never trust tv critics, they're worse than movie critics. Always have been. Probably because they watch an endless barrage of hospital and cop dramas.

That indiewire review tries to compare this show what David Lynch did with Twin Peaks? REALLY? lol, i mean, fucking come on. Twin Peaks was bonkers for it's time. There's nothing 'ahead of it's time' about this show. It's chaotic noise for the sake of it. Hell, they even rip momentous musical cues from other shows/movies (how many times did they play the ending of Fight Club?).
 

AoM

Member
Ok, so the first season i could almost get. I guess because it was supposed to be a book right? Whole concept of losing someone, coming to grips with it, or not and so joining a religious cult movement, and all that. Yeah, that's all obvious.

But the problems arise when (as i suspect) Lindelof gets a hold of it and starts cutting everything up to shreds. The plot holes, the ridiculous emotional points that don't mean anything, the endless subplots that don't converge or have any fucking point to it at all and it goes on and on and on.

Then season 2 throws everything up into the air, supernatural events a many with little purpose for them. Wtf is the point of kevin going to purgatory twice? There's no point to any of this stuff. That's my main issue. Scenes like when the baby gets taken at the end, "it's not your baby" uhh ok? There's so many of these pointless scenes.

It shocks me that HBO picked this show up. This was more of a basic cable tv show, not a premium channel like HBO show and i'm guessing that's why they're cutting it off at season 3, they know it has nowhere to go.

Maybe Lindelof is trying his hand at convolution? Like religious texts or something. A bunch of little events intertwined and made to try and have a meaning or purpose to them but ultimately just being a case of really bad writing. In that i guess he succeeds greatly because people sure do inject meaning into this show when there is none.

I'm gonna finish a S2 rewatch before replying.
 

Erigu

Member
After a wiki search i realized one of the principal writers is Damon Lindelof . I just threw up a little in my mouth. This is the guy from that terrible ending show lost? and the guy responsible for ruining Prometheus' with that awful awful script. How does this dude keep getting jobs? You know he's a con, he pretends to have this grand scheme, this grand plot that will reveal itself but he doesn't. He writes with holes, inconsistencies with these plot devices with no meaning behind them. He then later tries to connect the dots between all the bullcrap he threw together previously. He simply does not know what he is doing lol
Oh, I'm sure he knows he's writing nonsensical, random shit. He just doesn't care and hopes enough viewers will buy into the idea that the vagueness... sorry, "ambiguity" is what makes it all so "fascinating".
 
Oh, I didn't know you wanted it. It's fine with me.

Best to just send me PM if you ever want to take over a thread, we can always work something out.

I'm confused, since I claimed it in the OT thread in December (http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=450653) and solicited help in this thread a few times for a subtitle. I wasn't aware OT privileges carry over for several seasons of a television show. Sorry about that.

I don't want to make it weird though. If you've been working on something, have at it! No worries! :)
 

TheOddOne

Member
I'm confused, since I claimed it in the OT thread in December (http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=450653) and solicited help in this thread a few times for a subtitle. I wasn't aware OT privileges carry over for several seasons of a television show. Sorry about that.

I don't want to make it weird though. If you've been working on something, have at it! No worries! :)
Oh, I never visit that thread. We usually talk about OT duties in Ratsky's What Are You Watching? threads. Usually the original OT maker gets dibs on the new thread. I don’t mind if somebody else picks it up though, but just ask because I’m always flexible. In this case, it’s fine just go for it!
 
Oh, I never visit that thread. We usually talk about OT duties in Ratsky's What Are You Watching? threads. Usually the original OT maker gets dibs on the new thread. I don’t mind if somebody else picks it up though, but just ask because I’m always flexible. In this case, it’s fine just go for it!

Sounds good, and good to know. If you have anything you want in the OT or that you've been working on feel free to PM!
 

SwolBro

Banned
Oh, I'm sure he knows he's writing nonsensical, random shit. He just doesn't care and hopes enough viewers will buy into the idea that the vagueness... sorry, "ambiguity" is what makes it all so "fascinating".

His excuses for Prometheus were hilarious and thankfully people ripped him apart for it. It's sad there's some people out there that bite into this show. Good thing it's not that many though.

This guy should not be given writing gigs outside of basic cable.
 

AoM

Member
Ok, so the first season i could almost get. I guess because it was supposed to be a book right? Whole concept of losing someone, coming to grips with it, or not and so joining a religious cult movement, and all that. Yeah, that's all obvious.

But the problems arise when (as i suspect) Lindelof gets a hold of it and starts cutting everything up to shreds. The plot holes, the ridiculous emotional points that don't mean anything, the endless subplots that don't converge or have any fucking point to it at all and it goes on and on and on.

Then season 2 throws everything up into the air, supernatural events a many with little purpose for them. Wtf is the point of kevin going to purgatory twice? There's no point to any of this stuff. That's my main issue. Scenes like when the baby gets taken at the end, "it's not your baby" uhh ok? There's so many of these pointless scenes.

It shocks me that HBO picked this show up. This was more of a basic cable tv show, not a premium channel like HBO show and i'm guessing that's why they're cutting it off at season 3, they know it has nowhere to go.

Maybe Lindelof is trying his hand at convolution? Like religious texts or something. A bunch of little events intertwined and made to try and have a meaning or purpose to them but ultimately just being a case of really bad writing. In that i guess he succeeds greatly because people sure do inject meaning into this show when there is none.

Finished the rewatch.

I'll first point out that more people than just Lindelof are involved in the show's development. I assume he would have final say, but regardless.

I think I actually like S1 more than the second (though not by much). Because of how the latter is arranged, it can feel disjointed at times.

To address your two points:

- I assume so he could change his role (become a cop, a family man).

- The feeling I got is that even though the baby isn't Nora's, she loves her like she is her own. Also, the incident gives Tommy a moment to reconnect to the family.

But obviously, if you go looking for the answer/solution/reason for every single creative decision, you'll become pretty irate and annoyed at a television show.
 

Solo

Member
Maaaaan. How did I sleep on this show for so long? My girlfriend and I started S1 a week or two back, and just last night we finished watching S2. I now have a new favorite currently airing show. What a wonderfully harrowing/depressing/uplifting show this is. It's been a complete emotional rollercoaster, and the show has this way of just hitting all these great character moments note-perfect. Trying to recall the last show that hit me in the feels as often and as genuinely as The Leftovers. Such a wonderful set of characters and arcs, brought to life by some exceptional acting. Like, Theroux, Coon and Dowd straight up slay it. I think we'll start S3 this week - would be nice to get caught up and e able to watch the series finale live!
 

SCHUEY F1

Unconfirmed Member
Maaaaan. How did I sleep on this show for so long? My girlfriend and I started S1 a week or two back, and just last night we finished watching S2. I now have a new favorite currently airing show. What a wonderfully harrowing/depressing/uplifting show this is. It's been a complete emotional rollercoaster, and the show has this way of just hitting all these great character moments note-perfect. Trying to recall the last show that hit me in the feels as often and as genuinely as The Leftovers. Such a wonderful set of characters and arcs, brought to life by some exceptional acting. Like, Theroux, Coon and Dowd straight up slay it. I think we'll start S3 this week - would be nice to get caught up and e able to watch the series finale live!

Yup, that's pretty much how I felt Solo. It was my favorite show I watched last year.
 

Catalix

And on the sixth day the LORD David Bowie created man and woman in His image. And he saw that it was good. On the seventh day the LORD created videogames so that He might take the bloody day off for once.
I'm surprised you didn't hop on it sooner, Solo. It's Lindelof unleashed, with all his usual strengths and weaknesses. Fortunately, it's overwhelmingly the former.

Even though I really liked most elements of S1, I thought S2 was a notable improvement. A more engaging, tighter paced journey from one episode to the next.

Season 3 has been pretty wild so far. The character work continues to be extremely compelling. Can't wait to see how it all wraps up.
 

Solo

Member
I'm not sure why I ignored up until now either, honestly. I've read through this thread since I finished watching. I feel like I liked S1 a lot more than most. Obviously there's no question that S2 is a quantum leap forward, and an amazing season of television, but I was plenty engaged and riveted for both seasons. It's hard to pick a favorite scene or character moment in a show filled with so many great ones, but for whatever reason the scene that killed me the most was Patti's Jeopardy monologue in her final scene in the well. Ann Dowd just destroyed it. And Justin Theroux has been a revelation for me on this show. Him and Carrie Coon both deserve awards and exposure.
 

SCHUEY F1

Unconfirmed Member
I'm not sure why I ignored up until now either, honestly. I've read through this thread since I finished watching. I feel like I liked S1 a lot more than most. Obviously there's no question that S2 is a quantum leap forward, and an amazing season of television, but I was plenty engaged and riveted for both seasons. It's hard to pick a favorite scene or character moment in a show filled with so many great ones, but for whatever reason the scene that killed me the most was Patti's Jeopardy monologue in her final scene in the well. Ann Dowd just destroyed it. And Justin Theroux has been a revelation for me on this show. Him and Carrie Coon both deserve awards and exposure.

I think I enjoyed A1 more than most as well. Coon and Theroux are fantastic and dont get the recognition they deserve.
 
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