Summary
The Leftoversauthor Tom Perrotta explains the ending 10 years after the series premiere. In addition to writing the novel that the HBO series is based on, Perrotta worked on the show as a co-creator, writer, and executive producer, as he worked alongsideLost’s Damon Lindelof. Throughout its three seasons, the series garnered critical acclaim, includingThe Leftovers' ambiguous endingthat culminated in the journeys of Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) and Nora Durst (Carrie Coon).
Perrotta and Lindelof spoke withThe New York Timesto mark the 10-year-anniversary ofThe Leftovers' debut.The author was asked to explain Nora’s perspective in the series finale’s pivotal scenein which she reunites with Kevin after the two characters spent years apart from each other. Perrotta addresses Nora’s perspective in this scene and how it emphasizes the true meaning ofThe Leftovers' conclusion and the story’s overarching themes. Check out Perrotta’s comments below:
Nora is offering, in effect, a religious narrative. And Kevin is responding with a narrative of unconditional love. It’s such a simple human declaration, and that is the scale that the show wants to live on. It can live on the scale of Nora saying, “There’s a particle physicist who created the machine that sent me to this other dimension.” But the show really exists on somebody saying, “If that’s what you need to believe to be in my life, I’ll believe it with you.”
It Prioritized The Characters And Themes
GivenThe Leftovers' premise of 2% of the population disappearing in an event that became known as the Departure, the series finale easily could have focused on definitively solving this mystery. Instead,it is more focused on providing a character-driven ending for Kevin and Noraand highlighting the value of faith. Nora does provide an explanation of what happened during the Departure, where the 2% went, and shares details about her journey to reuniting with her family, but these details are not what is most important.
The Leftoversis one of the few series able to deliver an ending that is simultaneously ambiguous, well-received, and narratively satisfying.
DespiteThe Leftovers’mysteries,the ending emphasizes thatwhat matters is how Kevin and Nora choose to put their faith in each other. Even with all the tragedy and heartbreak they and the rest of the world have endured, Kevin and Nora find a way back to each other and are able to move on with their love story. It is a refreshingly hopeful, yet earned ending for an often bleak story that explores the best and worst of humanity in the fallout of widespread and overwhelming catastrophe.
I Can’t Believe It Took Me 7 Years To Finally Watch HBO’s Best Mystery Drama From The Last Decade
It took me until seven years after HBO’s The Leftovers ended before I finally watched it, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
The finale underscores that the series was never about the mystery of the Departure as much as it was about howThe Leftovers' characters, the 98% left behind, responded in the wake of the Departure, and the importance of faith and genuine human connection. In many ways, ultimately prioritizing character development and themes over explicitly solving mysteries isreminiscent of Lindelof’s previous series,Lost, althoughThe Leftovers' ending was better received.The Leftoversis one of the few series able to deliver an ending that is simultaneously ambiguous, well-received, and narratively satisfying.
The Leftovers
Cast
The Leftovers is a three-season drama that follows a group of people as they deal with the effects of the sudden disappearance of 2% of the word’s population. It was created by Lost co-producer Damon Lindelof and Election writer Tom Perrotta, with famous actors such as Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley, and Justin Theroux in the ensemble cast.
