By: Mike Strong
Taboos have a surprisingly powerful hold on society as a whole. When a topic that is considered taboo is brought up, it is impossible to predict how someone might react. This psychological dilemma is a major focus of the new HBO series “The Leftovers.” The taboo that binds this show’s story is larger than anything we have ever experienced throughout humanity’s existence. Two percent of the world’s population suddenly vanishes on a random October afternoon. It is only proper that the show used this event to tell a laser-focused story about how such a powerful, unexplainable event can shape a town, while hardly ever being discussed at all.
This is not just a show about lead protagonist Kevin Garvey. It is about all of the residents of the small town of Mapleton, NY. It is about the entire town’s struggle to decide whether they want to forget about the pain of those who left them, or to accept that there really is nothing else to think about.
The style that drives this show is typically characteristic of HBO, as it is never afraid to go to dark places in order to accurately represent the characters viewers follow from week to week. Expect to find shocking use of violence, sex, and anger, all working toward the common goal of representing the darkness behind earth’s remaining inhabitants.
These inhabitants could not have been better casted, also a characteristic of HBO’s series. The show features an ensemble cast of actors and actresses that must have studied the art of acting despaired throughout their lifetime. A show so dependent on sadness is, by nature, equally dependent on its actors’ abilities to portray sadness. Here we get Christopher Eccleston as a devout Christian, forgiving in the face of mistreatment and sympathetic in all his actions. We also get Carrie Coon as a vulnerable mother who lost her husband and two kids in the departure and who seeks the worst kinds of pain in order to feel anything at all. We get numerous standout actors and characters that drive home the point that something as powerful as the departure cannot be ignored for a single second and can change the world in more ways than one can imagine.
“The Leftovers” is not at all about exploring what happened, but rather about exploring the profound blows that the departure made to the characters’ minds and souls. At the core of the series’ plot is a group of people who make it their goal to ensure that the departure does not become a taboo. They want everyone to remember what happened, rather than not think about it and try to move on. This really is a show about broken people; it uses that as strength in certain episodes that follow a specific character. This is not just a show about lead protagonist Tom Garvey. It is about all of the residents of the small town of Mapleton, NY. It is about the entire town’s struggle to decide whether they want to forget about the pain of those who left them, or to accept that there really is nothing else to think about.
