I saw my first episode of The Left Overs, which was the Series Finale of the show this past week.
I did not know what the show was about nor did I even give a thought / an inkling to even watch the show. I have seen the trailers being run on HBO these past few months and to tell you the truth I had no idea what the show was even about. All I got was something about Australia, the Outback and an airplane.
I had no interest in the show at all.
Then, I really started seeing the trailer for the final episode of the Left Overs being advertised on HBO. I would not say that it was being over advertised, but perhaps... Well, since I have just watched the entire series in the past three days I do not know the answer(s) and you can hypothesize about what transpired with me and The Left Overs.
Spoiler Alert - If you have not seen the show and do NOT want to know what happened then I would stop reading here.
However, I watched the series finale as my first time ever watching The Left Overs - I got it, in a manner of speaking. And to tell you the truth Readers there were tears in my eyes by the time the first episode I was watched, which was the final episode of the series ended. I have no clue what transpired from the first episode until the series finale. So, why are there tearing running down my cheeks?
In the final episode, I deduced what was going to happen to that woman who entered the semi trailer - probably from the books I read and the movies I watch that it was some sort of machine to transport that woman elsewhere, whom I learn was Nora. I did not automatically think time machine as you might have thought, but a machine that was going to be taking her somewhere else. Even as that man was writing her obit I knew that something was going to happen to her and it was going to be for good (By the way Readers - that man was the actor who played Doctor Who when it brought back again, Christopher Eccleston).
Watching what happened after the shot with her being in a plastic bubble being filled up with a liquid and to the time that she invited that man into her house for some tea I understood everything that was going on and I did not wonder what I was missing for not watching all the episodes before the Series Finale - titled the Book of Nora.
I did not even think this was odd nor did I even think twice about stop watching the last Episode of the Left Overs this past Sunday. This goes against for what I may believe in me not to do.
As Nora was drinking her tea she started to talk about what happened to her. I hung onto every word that was being spoken by Nora. To me as a first time watching The Left Overs I really listened to every word she spoke and I looked at her face as she spoke about what happened to her. The man across the table started to tear up as Nora was talking; as well as I did too. Why did that happen to me? I only invested 70 minutes into this show for the first time and there I was on my couch tearing up as well. I knew nothing about the show, I knew nothing about the characters and I knew nothing about what happened prior to this series finale. Yet, that those thoughts did not occur while I was watching the show.
I am not going to look up on the Internet on what exactly Nora said word for word, but what resonated with me on what she told that man, who later I found out was Kevin, is where Nora went they are orphans. Also, when Nora said she went back and traveled back Home and it took a long time for her to travel back to the States. I understand now what she meant that why it took a long time because what had happened to Nora and to where she went - why there are no pilots and why it took a long time for Nora to get Home. And I understood why Nora went back since where Nora went her family were the lucky ones - they were not orphans. Sad, but true.
I have no regrets watching the Series Finale first. Matter of fact, this past week and multiple viewings of the series finale being played over and over this was the best choice I could have made with a TV show I had no clue what it was about. Even now, this is could be the first episode of the Series. I do not feel that this gave away anything at all.
Like Breaking Bad, which I did blog about watching for watching for the first time - the episode Crazy Handful of Nothing. You see a bald man walking across a street with smoke pouring from a building in the background and sirens in the background. I knew nothing was transpired up to that point.
Four days ago, Monday, I started the first season of The Left Overs and I just finished up watching to the second to the last episode of The Left Overs Season three last night and I have to say that this was an excellent TV show that I am truly sorry that I missed following throughout its run. It is not that I can not wish, but I want to know more. My "more" is secret and I am going to leave it at that.
The Left Overs was... I do not know how to word it. Sad? Love? Family? The End?
Through the past three seasons I just watched this week - it was a powerful show. Maybe a bit slow in the beginning, such as Better Call Saul was, but the show's strength grew with each episode I watched. There are a few characters that I thought were excellent - Matt, Kevin, Nora, Wade, Dean, John and Patti. One that I think that is... Mark Linn Baker - it is amazing how he fit into the show, even though he was in only two episodes of the show. Readers - if you don't know the name, DONT Google please, I think you will rewarded when you find out who that is (Note: this will only pertain to Readers who grew up in the eighties)
There you have it Readers - I have no clue why to blog after so long, but this show was enough to get me to blog and I think I just wanted to tell anyone/someone about how I felt about The Left Overs.
I have read a lot of reviews since Monday. I want to say that I have some questions, but to me, I do not think I have any unanswered questions or questions I want to know the answers to. The series to me is complete and I do not feel cheated or feel like the last episode was a dud.
The ending was near perfect - as just as Six Feet Under was to me. Though Six Feet Under it was sad for me to see the ending of the characters and to me it is probably the best ending to a series finale ever. The Left Overs was ending was sad as well, but complete
The Left Overs Series Finale is touching as one could be for one who never saw the series before.
Daryl
P.S. the song by Aha - Take on Me. This song I now takes on a new... well when I hear this song from now until the end of my days I will not forget. For the lack of a better word.
