Feeling or acting like...THE LEFTOVERS

There has been several events a long the history that had transformed the way life used to be. Every new one brought a change and defined a new pattern for some species. Some of them have a scientific explanation, others don't. So what would happen if we'll face another major event, worldwide, that will change the lives of the world population? That's the base of the new tv show "THE LEFTOVERS" (2014), the new big card under the HBO studios for their summer calendar.

Based on the popular novel, the story evolves as a human essay of what if, after  a major event has just happened. 2% of the world population has just disappear. Randomly, they just vanished, no clothes left, like an alien abduction, they were here 1 second ago and now they are not, only thing they left are memories for their significant others or beloved ones. There is no explanation yet about why this happened or how were they selected, no age, race, gender, nothing in common but the fact that they are gone.


So what would happen to the rest of us? well the story focus in  few group of people in a small town at New York state while they are struggling with life after the event. At the center of everything we meet the sheriff of this town called Cairo. This guy didn't lose anyone but his life has been transformed and even his family is still around, he might lost it in other terms. His wife abandoned him and their kids to join this new cult that has raised as part of a new religion that devotes to what happened to a supreme god. As new believes have been created and no rational explanation for the event, humans need answers and when not, they give it to a supreme force in order to bring some peace to the suffer. So this new cult has been built with a pact of silence and all dressed in white, and she was feeling empty since before so now she might get the answers to their personal emptiness through finding a purpose.

But also there are other cults, more liberal, that use the need of answers to give a false hope to their followers using them for their own cause. This is were the sheriff's son has joined, as he always showed signs of being a rebel and independent, so joining this hippies is giving him finally a sense of responsibility and matureness that was lacking of, until things start to get difficult and help and support of family is needed. Like his sister, a young girl that has to deal with the usual growing up stuff while tries to manage the fact of feel abandoned by her mom and her dad is too busy trying to maintain control where there is no control anymore. Even this young sheriff tries to maintain order and security to his town, the fight of his ideals and pursue of law against the anarchy and unstability of its habitants might turn him into insanity and wonder what's left worth to live and fight for when feelings seem to not exist anymore only ruled by emotions.

People has many questions and feeling that have no answer. Why my family disappeared and i'm still here? are those who were chosen the good people and we were left as a punishment ? why i couldn't say a proper goodbye? The feelings of lost usually fade out and heal with time and the sense of logic, someone dies cause was sick or old or an accident and then we grieve them to bring peace to us but if this wasn't an option we are left only with anger and frustration that if we sum with others then turn into chaos.

People start to carry guns and take it into others or animals. Our own existence is now a big question mark, what i'm doing here? why should i continue studying, working, if i can disappear at anytime. the show brings a lot of questions with no answers thanks to the writing of the hand of another show with similar questions: "LOST" (2004-2010). Just that in this case we have less action and more drama. There are times when it feels too deep and it takes itself too serious. this whole exercise about human behavior and human nature has been suffering damage in his translation from the pages to the screen, and maybe has to do the fact that when trying to turn a single book to a long run series, things have to slow down with might affect the storyline and the characters development but if looking for a drama with post apocalyptic setting, that make you embrace why we are still alive and what dos that actually means, this might caught your eye and mind or just save it for the next day when in the mood of have nothing else to watch and enjoy the leftovers of the prime time.