The Leftovers, “Gladys”

If there’s anything that our current Golden of Age of serialized television tells us, it’s that just as seasons are becoming more like novels, we have to wait and see what the whole picture is before rendering judgment. That’s pretty hard for a show like The Leftovers, which asks its viewers to sit through 13 hours of bleak confusion for the hope of a payoff. However, it seems more likely that The Leftovers will deliver some sense of payoff because of its origins as an already completed book. But who knows what changes Lindelof and his writers have brought to the story?

“Gladys” is a stronger episode than last week’s, mostly because it’s slightly more focused and slightly less heavy-handed, though the fire metaphor is still relentlessly drilled into us and then doesn’t really mean much. Gladys, one of the Guilty Remnant that we’ve seen a few times, is brutally stoned to death by a group of masked figures, even after pleading for them to stop. The murder sets the entire town on edge – no one is really upset, except for Kevin and Matt. Kevin worries – understandably so – that this will escalate the tension between the GR and the town, perhaps prompting something far worse that will result in Laurie getting hurt. Matt, proving once again that he’s the best character in the show, decides not to hate the GR but to try to “bring them back to life”, so to speak.

After hearing about the news of Gladys’ death, Laurie suffers a panic attack and is promptly taken on a brief sabbatical with Patti. The two change out of their regular uniforms and Patti actually speaks, revealing some of her humanity before squashing it away and telling Laurie that the GR is all about getting rid of their ability to feel emotions. On the way back, Patti drops a bag of something (most likely her feces) on the front door of someone named Neil. What was that about? Will we ever know?

The Guilt Remnant remains an odd choice for a television show for one main reason: They’re intensely unlikable. Are we supposed to care about Laurie or Meg or any of the people who just so fully abandon their humanity and any sense of logic for some bizarre cult that we don’t even really understand? Yes, no one deserves to be stoned to death, like Gladys in that brutal opening scene, but from all we’ve seen, most of the Guilty Remnant is composed of horrible people. Gladys just stepped over an old man struggling to stand?

Complicated emotions don’t typically sell well, which might explain The Leftovers is garnering divisive reactions. The show does so well at making us hate the GR, making us hope that someone would just walk up and punch any and all of them in the face. Just when we’re ready to leap into the story ourselves and sock them in the stomach, someone in the show retaliates…harshly. Suddenly we’re the ones feeling guilty. It’s a bold move for a show, and for any story actually, but The Leftovers has yet to really telegraph what it’s all about. What’s the point? It’s clearly not just dealing with characters suffering grief, because we can’t care that much about most of them yet. It’s not solely about the mystery – it’s likely that the disappearance won’t ever be rationalized. Why? We sort of understand what the GR stands for in the world of the show – forcing everyone to remember the tragedy of the Departure – but do we know what they stand for in the overall story? Why choose to make a show about these inherently unlikeable and frustrating characters that we’re not allowed to see as full villains?

Finally, Matt gathers a group of well-meaning people to pray for Gladys outside the house of the GR, encouraging any of them to come out and join him. Laurie runs out first, and Matt breaks into a grin so untypical for this show and therefore so welcomed, only to have Laurie ruin it magnificently by blowing her whistle repeatedly. She’s gone, finally, and it doesn’t seem like anything else can bring her back. Can Matt still remain civil towards these people who have so hurt him?

“Gladys” has succeeded in further alienating viewers and the show’s townspeople from the Guilty Remnant, but for what purpose? Is the government involved in cleaning up the cults? Did the government have something to do with the Departure in the first place? Who is that guy that shoots dogs, and why does he do it? The questions pile up, the confusion grows, and a drunk man forces a laundry owner to give away eight random shirts because he’s scared for his life. The Leftovers, and life, marches on, even if we’re not sure why.

Tidbits:

  • I don’t understand what the show’s trying to do with the American Beauty plot of Jill’s friend eventually sleeping with Kevin. It’s even more heavily hinted at this episode, and it’ll just probably serve to drum up more angst.
  • The Leftovers hasn’t really set itself up as a great show yet, and the jury’s still out on whether it’s even a good one. It’s got an interesting premise, a few great performances, and one fantastic episode, but it’s also suffering from a lack of compelling characters. Jill is a stereotypical television teen, Laurie is kind of reprehensible at this point, same with Meg, and despite Kevin’s status as protagonist, he’s not very original and isn’t a totally great person himself. Personally I only like Matt and Nora so far.
  • I’ve heard that the next episode is a Nora-centric episode. I’m quite excited for that one.