Distributor: Warner Home Video
Episodes: 8
Duration: 55 min (per episode)
The Leftovers: Season 3 (Blu-ray) – Series Review
After the second season of The Leftovers we already concluded that this series had a lot up its sleeve and that at occasions it also turned into a true mindfuck. The topic of 140 million people just disappearing in thin air was an intriguing one, especially when seeing how those who had lost loved ones had to deal with the aftermath was portrayed beautifully. At the end of season two, things got out of hand at Miracle, because of the Guilty Remnant, the somewhat cultic faction that stood for never forgetting what happened. The town was now overrun with those desperately trying to get into Miracle, but of course, things could not go unpunished for the group, as law enforcements were sure to intervene. We were ready to visit the town of Miracle one more time for the conclusive third season.
It has been three years since the town of Miracle was overrun by al the pilgrims waiting outside of the gates. The flood was caused by the Guilty Remnant, who infiltrated the town, and threatened with a possible bomb attack. Soon after the chaos ensued, the Guilty Remnant members that were holed up together in the main office of the town were bombed by the military wiping them out in one ‘clean’ hit. The public story was slightly different though, as it was reported to be a gas leak that blew up the building. Now the city has been a place for pilgrims to come, especially now the seven year anniversary was coming of when 140 million people just vanished into thin air. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) still works as a sheriff, trying to keep things calm, together with his son Tom(my) (Chris Zylka) who is now an officer of the law as well. People are sure something will happen when the seven year anniversary is upon them, and Matt (Christopher Eccleston) is trying to convince everyone of such.
Meanwhile Nora (Carrie Coon) receives a rather suspicious phone call that she can reconnect with her ‘departed’ children. While it’s clear that she doesn’t believe the offer, she still investigates the matter and it’s easy to see that she is actually filled with doubt and would like nothing more than to see her beloved children again.
All the way in Australia, Kevin’s father, Kevin Garvey, Sr. (Scott Glenn), who was previously determined to be a nutcase, is trying to learn how he can save the world from a great flood, which he believes will unleash during the anniversary. The rugged man is all but friendly, and this gets him in a heap of trouble more than once.
The flow of the third season is pretty much all over the place, as you’ll be dealing with events that are being scrambled. You’ll often have to deal with flashbacks, events that happen at the same time, or some flash-forwards that will be explained afterwards. Nonetheless, while sometimes things feel a bit incoherent or nonsensical, the series does a great job at surprising you when it starts clearing out the fog that covers everything that is going on. This format proves to be very interesting and has worked in the previous seasons as well, albeit in a less omnipotent sense than the third season.
Cast wise not much has changed, safe for the fact that Scott Glenn’s character, Kevin Garvey, Sr. is getting a lot more screen time, as he is convinced he is doing all he can to save the world. Other than that, the cast of this series still remains surprisingly strong and interesting. With everything coming to an end, character evolution is the key to keeping things interesting, and again the cast adapts to their roles in an amazing fashion, making sure you’re entertained from start to finish during this third and last season.
It’s rather disappointing that this conclusive season does not come with any extras whatsoever. While there isn’t all that much to clarify or to add to the series, it would have been nice if there was something at least, perhaps to enlighten us why some choices were made, how certain events were filmed or even some insights of the acting crew. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the series as it is, but for a final season it’s always nice when it comes with some bonus material.
Conclusion
Truth be told, the beginning of season 3 had us doubting if the series would go out with a big bang, as some events were a bit incoherent, nonsensical and complicated, but before we knew it, things started falling into place, the buildup was grand and the ending was spectacular. We are somewhat disappointed this series did not go on for any longer, but we are also pleased it didn’t get dragged out too much and that it ended when things were still going strong. The series has a proper ending, making sure all questions are answered, which is more than we often get with other series.
Related Items
1 Comment
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] Gilded Age boasts a five-star cast including Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Morgan Spector (Boardwalk Empire) and Jeanne Tripplehorn (Big Love). Other cast members include […]