HBO's "The Leftovers" was one of the more polarizing television series in recent memory. Considering that former "LOST" showrunner Damon Lindeloff is at the helm, maybe that shouldn't come as a surprise. Though season one was heavy on mystery and light on conclusions, "The Leftovers" was undoubtedly an interesting show with a unique tone and realistic world building. It dealt with the fragile emotional states of several characters following an event known as the Sudden Departure in which two percent of the world's population disappeared.
But season two will not be the same as season one (depending on your point of view, that's either really good or bad news). Just how different will this new season, which premieres this Sunday night at 9:00 PM ET, be?
"First and foremost, 'it's still The Leftovers,' assures leading man Justin Theroux," TVLine.com's Michael Ausiello wrote. "'It still takes hard, jerky turns and is very emotional and very dark in spots.' Now for the changes. In addition to a new setting (Texas!) and a slew of new cast members (Regina King! Family Matters' Eddie!), 'the themes feel very different than the themes of last season, which were almost exclusively grief and loss,' notes Theroux, adding that exec producer Damon Lindelof 'opens the show up in a way this season where he can go down different avenues, and it's beautiful.' (He speaks the truth. I've seen the first two episodes and the show remains the same yet different. And really beautiful.)"
The new setting and the infusion of new characters will certainly inject this season with a sense of different. As will, I'm assuming, the definitive relationship between Theroux's Kevin Garvey and the fantastic Carrie Coon's Nora Durst. But it sounds like the intense focus on characterization and emotion will still be present.
If you want a more in depth breakdown of "The Leftovers" then check out this amazing interview Lindelof gave to HitFix's Alan Sepinwall. You won't get many straight forward answers about the show's biggest mysteries, but you will receive an extensive first-hand crash course in the composition of "The Leftovers" and the goal of its primary storyteller.
