Top 35 Shows of 2014: No 24 The Leftovers

I went from watching this show, to liking this show, to being obsessed with it. I am so drawn towards a series which on the surface is incredibly bleak and hard to watch because once you get to know the characters and realise how incredibly messed up they are you also get a sense that maybe just maybe there is hope left.

And that is what is at the heart of The Leftovers, people trying to move on from this terrible event and feeling like they might never and dealing with it in their own ways.  Some try and get better like Nora (whilst deep inside realising they never will), some go through a series of unfortunate events but cling to their faith like Matt. Others like Megan seem perfectly ok until one day they snap and become true believers of the intriguing Guilty Remnan cult.

At the centre of the show are the Garveys, who find themselves in a much better state come the end of the first season but had a long journey getting there.

Whether you believe that hope is futile in a world where 2% of the world’s population disappeared without explanation or not will probably determine how you see The Leftovers. It is easy to write the show off as being depressing and pointless but you can also see it as a series that is dealing with depression and grief and trying to say that perhaps things aren’t entirely screwed.

Favourite episodes: Guest /  The Garveys at Their Best