M. Leary

The Leftovers (Season 1, Ep 9-10) False-Alarm Raptures

In 70s and early 80s, a small subculture of American kids shared a very odd and traumatic experience. This was the era of Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth, which helped popularize the idea that a literal reading of Old and New Testament prophecy matched current events – all signs pointing to the imminent return of […]

M. Leary

The Leftovers (Season 1, Ep. 7-8) – The Problem With A Weak Apocalypse

Two of the show’s greatest Lindelofian mysteries have been resolved in the last few episodes of The Leftovers, but the now 3 1/2 year distance from the Departure itself indicates there is more to come. For those unfamiliar with classic Dispensationalism (see below for handy chart) – this is the span of time marked for peace during the seven […]

M. Leary

The Leftovers (Season 1, Ep. 3-6)

    So far, The Leftovers has struggled to capitalize on the human scale of its Rapture narrative. The series has built up a few story arcs, spent a bit of time exploring the backstory of The Guilty Remnant, and nodded toward the big Holy Wayne plot. But I remain skeptical of the show in the […]

M. Leary

The Leftovers (Season 1, Ep. 1) Not Surprised By Hope

  “…hope is subversive, for it limits the grandiose pretension of the present, daring to announce that the present to which we have all made commitments is now called into question.” (W. Brueggemann) — The gist of the apocalypse of The Leftovers finds its origin in the pre-exilic prophets of Israel, whose images of judgment and […]