Emmy FYC: "The Leftovers" for Best Drama Series
Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 7:00PM 
A lot has been made of so-called “watercooler TV”, or what in today’s world we might call “hashtag-worthy TV”. But I’ve never really understood it. Discussions of “watercooler TV” mostly revolve around plot: “OMG did you SEE what happened on show X last night?” “LOL how freaking hilarious was that one moment on show Z?!?” But those watercooler or hashtag conversations rarely go much deeper than “What do you think is going to happen next?” TV shows typically prioritize this kind of storytelling over the much more interesting, engaging kind of storytelling - the kind that asks
What do you think this means?”
By that measure, The Leftovers, created by the formerly Lost Damon Lindelof and author Tom Perrotta, based on the latter’s novel of the same name, is the most deeply engaging show of the new millennium.
The show tells the story of the residents of Mapleton, NY in the aftermath of a terrifying event: The “Sudden Disappearance” of 2% of the world’s population. What exactly happened, no one is sure, and no answers are forthcoming. But what happened, how, and why, isn’t what’s important. What’s important is what people are doing in the present, how they are grappling with that event, and why.
Often ambiguous, deeply symbolic, and allegorical in its storytelling, The Leftovers is one of the most difficult shows to watch that any network has dared to air in quite some time. It also makes for one hell of a hypnotic viewing experience. The show isn’t afraid to barrage you with difficult questions. Not questions of plot or character, but of subtext and theme. Not what a certain action means for the narrative, but what it means to the viewer. This is a television show that invites deep discussion on a weekly basis - discussion that will reach far beyond the show and the (incredibly real) world it creates. And that is something we should be honoring.
Emmy, Screenplays, TV, The Leftovers
Reader Comments (6)
Ugh, I'm sorry but I deeply disagree. Being a fan of Perrotta, I was looking forward to this, but I was very disappointed by the first season (although I must say that Carrie Coon is terrific), where nothing seemed to be propelling the plot forward and nothing ever was at stake. I don't think there's much subtext in it at all, I found it quite empty.
Some episodes are terrific, some a slog and most fall in the middle. With that said, some of the acting is very good.
this show is way too divisive to go anywhere in the series category i think BUT if season 2 is equally mesmerizing in a different way i think a lot more people will decide to challenge themselves with it, and embrace its idiosyncracies. There is just nothing else like it on tv.
@Nathaniel
It still baffles me you're a fan of Malick yet, you have difficulty with Kubrick and latter-day PTA.
Nathaniel is right: This show is WAY too divisive to get anywhere in Best Drama Series, which is exactly why I wanted to write this. It's unlike anything else on TV, and the way it goes about telling its story (which is actually far more impressive on an overall level than on an episode-by-episode level, despite having some of the best episodes of TV this past year) is so special. There were times when I absolutely hated this show, but I found it to be too hypnotic and thought-provoking to ignore. Some of the best performances of the year, some of the best episodes of the year, and one of the more distinctive styles of show in a long time. It may not be one of the greats, but it's definitely among the best of the year.
It is a great show, very disturbing. And then there were those sweatpants...