The Leftovers: Pilot Recap
The Leftovers premiered last night. If you’ve listened to any of the Barstool DVR episodes you know this is a show that I, and a lot of other people, were looking forward to. 2% of the world mysteriously disappears in a Rapture sort of situation and the show picks up 3 years later as everyone is trying to make sense of the Departure and recover. Its the first major project from Damon Lindeloff since LOST so its got a lot of buzz surrounding it. The pilot was some wacky and weird ass shit, and I think its gonna be a show that offers up a lot of discussion and analysis and shit so I figured we’ll fire it up here. Its definitely got a major unrealistic sci-fi feel to it – so its either gonna be a show that you like or you hate. Not sure there will be much middle ground. But if you’re into it, we can talk about it here.
Also my top choices for people I would like to be Raptured right off the face of the earth.
Maybe its just because I have Lindeloff on my brain as I watched this pilot, but I can’t remember a show with as much mystery and intrigue as this since Lost. From the minute I saw the trailer I wanted to know more. And even more so now after watching 1 episode. The hook is the Rapture-like situaton, just like the hook in Lost was the plane crash on an extraordinary island. But I want to know more about who everyone is and what their back stories are just the same way Lost told its tale with the flashbacks. The Leftovers is obviously a fictional plot that leaves the audience in the dark for a lot of the first episode, but theres enough teasing and alluding during each individual story line that I’m roped in wanting to see how it all plays out. The pilot had the daunting task of setting the stage and introducing major characters and how they all fit into to this completely wacky situation, so even at the conclusion of 75 minutes you’re still unsure as to what is really going on with these characters and with this post Rapture society. Some random, split second flashbacks offer up minimal insight as to who the characters are or what they were doing when the disappearance happened 3 years ago, but for the most part you’re watching episode one saying “What the fuck is going on?” Which I, for one, like. This is very much gonna be a “What the fuck?” type of show. As it should be. Its almost like the viewer is in the same boat as the characters in the show, trying to make sense of everything. Who is Wayne and why is he so secretive and powerful? Why is Tom Garvey with him? Why is Why did Laurie join the GR? Who the fuck elected Buddy Garrity a Congressman? And, is that spin-the-bottle iPhone app that involves fucking and choking real and can I download it right now?
I think the prevailing theme here is that an event like this would throw the world into intense amounts of chaos and confusion, and thats what we got in this pilot. Its not straight up Lord of the Flies, post apocalyptic type of madness, because only 2% of the population is gone. But the circumstances in which they were taken leads everyone to question everything. Religion, science, love, life, death, happiness, right & wrong – all of it is thrown into question. Any semblance of organized life is gone. Thats why you see the Garvey family completely split up even though nobody from their family was taken. We see people joining cults. Congressmen seeking spiritual guidance from mystery men. Government in disarray with no answers for the people. The threat of violence looming (“The grace period os over.”) Teenagers jerking off while girls choke them out. People shooting fucking dogs for Christ’s sake. They threw a lot at us in the pilot that I think jives with how utterly fucked up society would be if something like this happened. And I for one want to know more and want to see how it all plays out.
My favorite 2 parts of this episode was – 1) Kevin Garvey’s flash that leads you to believe he was fucking a chick (Obviously not his wife) when she disappeared in the Rapture. One of the funnest (maybe not the best choice of words, consider how dark of a topic it is) things about this show is envisioning how people would disappear. We see babies disappear from car seats and drivers disappear from behind the wheel. But what other ways could you be snatched? Right off the toilet? Right in the middle of crackin stick? Right as you were balls deep in a chick like Garvey? Like Stoolie @Boobie_styles said, if I was fucking a chick and mid-session she disappeared, I am giving my dick all the credit. Like your dick game was so vicious you just fucked this chick right out of existence. Its the easiest one night stand ever. Definitely don’t need to worry about talking to her ever again. And yes, you obviously finish the job yourself before worrying about her disappearance if you hadn’t busted your nut yet.
2) The quick references the news made about the celebrities who disappeared during the departure. Poor Gary Busey and Shaq. Just snatched from this earth. I think that bitch Mariah Carey was taken too. Got me thinking which people I would want to be a part of that 2% that was taken. If I was going to have to be one of The Leftovers here’s who I would want gone from this earth:
Chris Broussard – If I have to hear him talk about DUH-White Howard, DUH-Wayne Wade, LUH BRAWN and where they will all end up this JOO LYE I’m going to fucking kill myself. Please takehim from this planet.
Amare Stoudemire – I’ve always said it would take an act of God to move him and get the Knicks out of that contract. Well, this would do it. Not sure if its God taking these people but its the only way to get out from under that albatross.
The Wilpons – At this point Mets fans either need someone to record the Wilpons saying some really racist shit so we can Donald Sterling their asses, or they need to be taken in some sort of Rapture. Thats the only way we’re getting rid of those cheap, incompetent assholes.
Tom Brady – Just to fuck with all of New England. The Golden Boy, poof, gone. No longer around to choke in Super Bowls for the fans of Boston teams. I asked Feits what he would do if it happened to Tom Brady and his answer was “If Tom Brady disappeared I would for real spend the rest of my life looking for him.” I just want to witness this sort of chaos in the hearts of Boston fans.
Trebek – I don’t know exactly why I’d wanna see Alex Trebek taken off this earth. Maybe its because I know he’s leaving Jeopardy soon and I want him immortalized forever. Not like Bob Barker fading into obscurity while Drew Carey ruins his legacy. Trebek gets taken and his remembered forever as the greatest, most smug TV show host ever.
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And yea I thought about Jeter but the last thing I want is Yankees fans to talk about him for eternity like he was one of the Chosen Ones.
PS – The GR (Guilty Remnant) gave me nightmares last night #barstoolconfessions.
PPS – How many dudes out there wake up every day hoping their wives have been raptured away? Get out of jail free, folks!