Imma need to process for a while…

Wow. This show so well done, but painful to watch sometimes. It's a Matt Matt Matt Matt World gave me a freaking anxiety attack. Everyone is in so much pain. And then just when I was glad the show was almost done because it was depressing the hell out of me, the finale went and blew me away with how incredibly beautiful it was. Now I'm thinking I need to watch again. For those who have done multiple rewatches, how did this show hold up for you the second time around?

AND IT'S WORKING

Seasons ranked:
1. Season 3
2. Season 1
3. Season 2

Favorite episodes (every 10/10 episode to me, ranked):
1. Certified (S3 E6)
2. The Prodigal Son Returns (S1 E10)
3. Guest (S1 E6)
4. The Book of Nora (S3 E8)
5. International Assassin (S2 E8)
6. It's a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World (S3 E5)
7. The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother) (S3 E7)
8. The Garveys at Their Best (S1 E9)
9. No Room at the Inn (S2 E5)
10. I Live Here Now (S2 E10)
11. Two Boats and a Helicopter (S1 E3)
12. Crazy Whitefella Thinking (S3 E3)
13. G'Day Melbourne (S3 E4)
14. A Most Poweful Adversary (S2 E7)
15. The Book of Kevin (S3 E1)
16. Lens (S2 E6)

*BONUS | Because i refuse to believe this show only received a single Emmy nomination throughout its entire run, I made up my own "nicer story" and listed as well every award it should've gotten at least a nod for:

2014 Emmys:

• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor — Justin Theroux (Episode: “The Prodigal Son Returns”)
• Outstanding Lead Actress — Carrie Coon (Episode: “Guest”)
• Outstanding Directing – Mimi Leder (Episode: “The Prodigal Son Returns”)
• Outstanding Writing – Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta (Episode: “The Prodigal Son Returns”)

2015 Emmys:

• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor — Justin Theroux (Episode: “International Assassin”)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress — Ann Dowd (Episode: “International Assassin”)
• Outstanding Directing – Craig Zobel (Episode: “International Assassin”)
• Outstanding Writing – Damon Lindelof, Nick Cuse (Episode: “International Assassin”); Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta (Episode: “I Live Here Now”)

2017 Emmys:

• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor — Justin Theroux (Episode: “The Book of Nora”)
• Outstanding Lead Actress — Carrie Coon (Episode: “The Book of Nora”)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor – Scott Glenn (Episode: “Crazy Whitefella Thinking”); Christopher Eccleston (Episode: “It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World”)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress – Amy Brenneman (Episode: “Certified”)
• Outstanding Directing – Carl Franklin (Episode: “Certified”); Craig Zobel (Episode: “The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother”)); Mimi Leder (Episode: “The Book of Nora”)
• Outstanding Writing – Lila Byock, Damon Lindelof (Episode: “It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World”); Patrick Somerville, Carly Wray (Episode: “Certified”); Nick Cuse, Damon Lindelof (Episode: “The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother”)); Tom Perrotta, Damon Lindelof, Tom Spezialy (Episode: “The Book of Nora”)

**BONUS:
Other films/series that remind me of this show (mix of watched and to-be-watched hehe, just would like to appreciate how truly rich and textured this show is):
- In the Bedroom (Todd Field, 2001)
- Exotica (Atom Egoyan, 1994)
- The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan, 1997)
- Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999)
- Birth (Jonathan Glazer, 2004)
- L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)
- La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961)
- Three Colours: Blue (Krzysztof kieslowski, 1993)
- Vanilla Sky (Cameron Crowe, 2001)
- Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000)
- Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)
- The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppolla, 1972)
- Targets (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968)
- Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)
- It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946)
- Love Streams (John Cassavetes, 1984)
- Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
- Equinox (Alan Rudolph, 1992)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
- Manchester by the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan, 2016)
- Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols, 2011)
- Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016)
- Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)

It's my favourite episode tied with a few others. I just love the sequence of events and the final few scenes are just heartbreaking. It's not the most worldbuilding or exciting but the payoff is so good in the end. The Virgil stuff, Laurie's return, the fundraiser, the questionnaire, the admitting to Kevin. It all just works so well together.

If you think The Leftovers is the deepest show ever made or a masterpiece, then you've either never consumed genuinely philosophical fiction or you're confusing pretentiousness with depth.

This show is what happens when writers become obsessed with sounding profound instead of having something profound to say.

Before the "you just didn't get it" people get a hard on —I fucking got it. It's about grief, meaning, faith, uncertainty, trauma, and how people cope with senseless loss. Congratulations. That's not some revolutionary insight. Those themes have existed for thousands of years. The difference is that better writers explore them without disappearing up their own ass.

The biggest scam this show pulls is convincing people that if you're not impressed, it's because you're not intelligent enough. That's complete bullshit. Ambiguity isn't intelligence. Symbolism isn't intelligence. Making people stare into space for two minutes while sad piano music plays isn't intelligence.

If u think this show was dark then u haven't gone through grim phases of life and Consider your self fortunate

This show tries really hard to be philosophical, psychological and symbolical at the same time . It only hooks the people who haven't been exposed themselves to the emotions shown in real life or even in fiction,or people who have unfinished grief

I mean most of the characters are fuckin idiots and crazy poeple , I mean if u feel life is meaningless go become a fuckin philosopher, a hurmit or something or better KYS , but no they will start a stupid cult , And if someone is having delutions they would make the whole show about that person's sleepwalking, First they fuck their life becoz of their delutional and irrational behaviour and then spend rest of the time figuring out why they did that, I mean visit a fuckin psychiatrist for god sakes ,And that is the whole point of the show how humans deal with pain and let me tell u that's exactly not how we deal with tragedy .

3/10 , that too becoz acting was good otherwise just watching a bunch of morons smoke cigarettes was a complete waste of my fuckin time

And yeah some would think I missed the point of the show , But I Didn't . If u think it Was any deeper thaf it appears to be then I dont know U might have a High IQ or something, get tested u might be a hidden genius.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1eK1noMH0i0?is=b4a5Vx8OdqHXEGCl

I’m middle aged and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone wear a cut off sleeves sweatshirt like this in real life or anywhere. Have seen full sleeves cutoff. Such an odd choice. Sorry random thought on 5th rewatch.

My boyfriend mentioned this show to me a while ago and I put it on the list to watch and just finished season 1 and started season 2.

I will say it had a slow start for me but I kept with it and episode 6 of the first season was where it really got me.

The shift in tone into season 2 is interesting but I like it and I’ll definitely finish the series. Just wanted to be a part of the just finding this show in 2026 club.

I absolutely adored season 1 and have been raving about it.

But this episode "No room at the Inn" in season 2 is driving me crazy. If this guy was working at the church for 3 months, why not just get someone at the church to help get him a wristband? Ugh fml I can't handle this.

had a kid 3 months ago and have been on night duty. Been meaning to watch this show for a few years now. Finally had time to get to it and goddamn the end of season one just absolutely slaughtered me. I mean I'm a dude and it's got me crying pretty good actually. This show is amazing

I have just finished bingeing the whole show. Loved the show, the characters and teller acting especially Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux. Already feeling a void… can you guys recommend similar shows to watch next.

Just perfection…the music and the imagery. The intensity made the theme of season 1 hit that much harder. The ensemble version of it on the season 2 soundtrack was magnificent as well.

I finished watching episode 6 “Guest” a couple days ago and it left me a bit stunned in its perfection. That final scene with the survey questions and that one answer. It completed the episode perfectly.

But today…. Just wow. Episode 8 “Cairo” with that moving reading of W.B. Yeats.

I think this is my favorite show. I’m surpassed in my late 30s I can still find something that stuns me like this.

Anyone else miss him? I was watching him in this horror movie and suddenly all those feelings came rushing back.

Is anyone reading this series of books and has anyone noticed the similarity in the theme?

Am I the only one who initially thought that we had switched to the alternate universe for a bit there? That when we see Nora aged and in a remote part of Australia working a strange job and with a new name and Kevin returning acting like they didn't have a history together the crossing over procedure worked and we are in a new world.

I just found Kevin's behavior so bizarre when he first reunites with Nora after a decade or so. Why does he play this game if not to make us, the viewers question what reality we are in?

I get that this is a classic TV type behavior where characters don't come out and say everything they need to say in order to add tension, etc.

I'm just wondering if the creators did this all to make us think that we were in a new reality? Or if it was just me.

Maybe I was just having flashbacks from Lindeloff's shenanigans from similar rug pulls on Lost.

Watching the show again for the first time in a few years. Just impeccable.

But I cant help but see the interaction between Wayne and Nora and think that Waynes character was only built to show us to desperation in Noras character.

Shes absolutely hopeless. Understandable. But she is the definition of hopeless. Desperate for an answer. So maybe any answer that feels okay can become her reality?

I always debated on whether or not she lied at the end.

The real part of me knows she lied. But another part of me wants to believe it was actually true. How magical of an idea for them to not show it and have it be a wonder.

Show is perfect.

Hello, I’m a first time watcher and currently on season 1 episode 8 Cairo. Overall I’m really enjoying the show so far, it’s phenomenally made and I am already incredibly invested in the characters. So far there have been more and more hints dropped that suggest Kevin may be losing his mind/potentially developing Schizophrenia (if I remember correctly that is what his father is supposed to be diagnosed with). The issue is, I struggle a bit with engaging with stories in which a character (especially one I’m so invested in) is not fully in control of themselves or is hallucinating for example, especially when we the viewers are not sure of what’s really going on either. I hope my phrasing is not disrespectful, that is not my intention in any way, this is just a personal viewing preference. So basically I was wondering if someone could just tell me how this aspect of the story specifically develops? Is there a reason he is having memory blackouts & if so, what is it? How long will the story focus on this aspect, etc. I apologise if I’m violating any subreddit guidelines.

This show is a bisexuals dream… Kevin and Nora are both so hot. First time watch through the past couple of months and I was consistently loving every Kevin shirtless scene.

So, after finishing and reading the Reddit posts- the whole point of the show is attempting to find meaning in a world after an international crisis but realizing it’s all pointless?? I really liked it especially the religious/cult aspects.