"A Matter of Geography" - Random Takes, Theories and Observations

Written by: Brian Davids

Brian Davids offers up his 'Random Takes, Theories and Observations' following episode 2, "A Matter of Geography."

After my lengthy premiere post, I thought I'd split up my weekly post into two parts: the first one being my Random Takes, Theories and Observations and the second one being the topic-based post.  As mentioned on the mothership podcast, my topic-based post will pose the question of, "What does LOST's Ben Linus teach us about The Leftovers' John Murphy?"

As a reminder from last week, I do not read any other articles/blogs/recaps nor do I listen to any podcasts until I've recorded my "Thought of the Week" on the mothership podcast and written my posts for the week.  That way, you  know you're getting my unadulterated point-of-view.  Obviously, many of you will have similar takes or theories, but at least you know you're hearing directly from me and not the echo chamber.

Here We Go...

One of the few oversights by the writers in S1 was the lack of acknowledgment between Kevin and Nora that he was friends with her older bother, Matt.  Similarly, he never mentioned to Matt that he was dating his sister despite all the time spent together in the Cairo woods.  

These two go way back as Matt also had a friendship with Kevin, Sr. So, it's always perplexed me (more than it should) that this never came up despite all the grilled ribeyes consumed by these local boys. I've been harping on it all offseason and even re-watched S1 to make sure it wasn't my own oversight. (It wasn't.)

You'd think in the high school-hallway scene that Nora would've said, "Oh, you're friends with my brother, Matt, right?" Also, given the size of Mapleton, how did Kevin not know Nora already?

So, all this to say, I'm glad we finally got a mention of Kevin's friendship with Matt during the hilarious confessional scene (the first new scene of the episode), a friendship that includes the burial of a dead Guilty Remnant leader.

• I kinda wish that Jill had chimed in with one of her own crazy stories such as getting locked in an old refrigerator only to be freed by Kevin Garvey, Sr. who had escaped his mental institution in the nick of time. That being said, I appreciate the 180° turn in Jill as a character. She's happy within her new nuclear family, even if it's missing someone she loves dearly (Tommy).

• Before we skip forward two months in the story, you can see some hesitancy on Kevin's face about what he's getting into with Nora and Co. After all, this is everything he tried to escape pre-departure, including the act of raising yet another man's baby.  But, as we saw in 2.01's cold opening, the need to keep the family unit together is a driving force in this post-departure world (regardless of blood relation or how the 'departure' event happened).

• So, after skipping ahead two months, Kevin is having trouble adjusting to his new life. We find out later that Patti continues to haunt him like she did in the S1 finale.  However, the laundromat scene expertly mirrors the pilot's laundromat scene (despite being shot in Austin, TX). It's no accident that Kevin is doing laundry here. Obviously, this relates to the guilt he's feeling over Patti's suicide, thus, he's trying to cleanse his soul. He's even listening to music 'on the reg' to block Patti out of his head.  The editing and sound design really take you inside the frantic mind of Kevin at this time.

• The broken washing machine at the Garvey household is Kevin's 'cricket' as his guilt just won't let him remain idle. So, he takes it out on whatever he can to avoid further reflection; in this case, the broken washing machine. He's even convinced himself that Patti's "spirit" (or whatever she is) is a byproduct of that guilt so he decides to dig her up and get himself arrested with her body in his truck-bed.  This was also his way-out of the new family life that he's clearly regretting at this point.

• "Where Is My Mind?" by The Pixies is a song I've heard three times in major TV/Film properties the last couple months. I was just commenting on this fact during another podcast and sure enough, it was utilized yet again on the same day that I brought attention to it. Strangely enough, I had a brief career in music and the only cover song that our group ever learned/performed was… (Yup, you guessed it.)  

• I learned from The Leftovers' writer, Patrick Somerville, that all of the Mapleton scenes were filmed in Austin. It would be a ridiculous expense to go to New York for only a few short scenes, but that goes to show what TV magic can create or re-create, including Nora's kitchen.  When you add the blue filter and colder wardrobe from S1, Austin sure felt just like Mapleton. 

• What is up with Tommy? Using a word like "infect" is just an awfully strange word choice. I can't imagine that Damon would include a word like that without it being important. Tom didn't even touch his burger that Jill ordered him.  Is he feeling the residual effects from his time with Wayne? In case you didn't notice, Jill still has the ripped up letter from Laurie as Tommy pushed it back  to her.  I'll bet anything that she'll re-tape it together at some point when things go to hell in Miracle (or deeper into it).  Needless to say, I'll be curious to see what's going on with Tommy and Laurie in episode 3 and how the show handles the other side of the story that takes place in New York.
  

• While The Leftovers has no interest in explaining why the departure took place, I like that they're showing us that a segment of the population are still investigating it.  By no means does that obligate the show to answer the "Why?" question since the MIT study would actually happen in this world. By reinforcing this, the show grounds the sci-fi element of this story (the departure) and adds realism to its genre premise. So, of course people are going to be looking into this question even if the show isn't going to tell us why it happened.  

• And to be honest, I couldn't care less about WHY the departure happened at this point.  I love these characters so much that I root for their survival/happiness/well-being just like I did with the characters on LOST.  The fate of Kevin or Jack greatly outweighs an explanation for who Alvar Hanso is. Regardless, the point of this scene is to reinforce to Nora that she, nor her newly-minted family, is safe from another departure. That creates the driving force behind her willingness to leave for Miracle, TX and why she's determined to live there at all costs (literally and figuratively). 

• Some people might be questioning how Kevin was able to walk away from the Patti issue without any punishment but keep in mind, ATFEC has NO sympathy for cults. They raided Holy Wayne's compound in S1 and fired at will, killing anyone and everyone in sight.  I completely buy the idea of Kevin being let loose in this world where cult leaders are treated like rabid dogs.

• Of course, as soon as Kevin leaves the police station, looking somewhat relieved for a change, he's immediately reminded that things are exactly the same; Patti appears for the first time (this season) in his truck's passenger seat.  She was undoubtedly there at the laundromat too if you watch Kevin's eyes in that scene.  That also explains why he's listening to music so much and why he had to dig up her body (in order to rid the guilt and hopefully, himself, of her spirit).
  

• For the record, Patti is dead.  Dead is dead.  She's not real in case anyone is suggesting this.

• My only gripe with the show so far is the contrived plot line involving Kevin Garvey, Sr.  I like that he's off to Sydney which brings us back to The Pillar Man's letter to David Burton in Sydney, Australia. But the notion that he could suddenly stop acting crazy for 8 weeks and get released from the mental institution without Kevin's involvement in the matter is as far-fetched as it gets.  Regardless, I'm fond of the idea that Kevin Garvey, Sr. is roaming the world and causing a ruckus as he pursues David Burton.  What answers does David Burton have?  Is he another Holy Wayne-type that has witnessed or heard what others have not?
• "Well, I still like Laurie. I just like Nora more. Try not to drive her into a f*cking cult, okay?" Kevin Garvey, Sr.

• Ruelle's "Take It All" is the perfect song choice for the journey to Miracle.  It's hauntingly beautiful (sorry to say that again) and it simultaneously creates a hopeful yet ominous vibe to Miracle upon the family's arrival.

• Why do dogs need to be quarantined in a place that is free of departures? If they're truly immune to departures, then dogs wouldn't suffer the radical behavior that we saw from the Mapleton dogs. This might be yet another clue that Miracle isn't what it's supposed to be.

• Patti's random appearances, especially when Kevin is saying goodbye to his dog, are all jarring in their own right. Is there a name for the dog yet? I can't recall one.

• Does the Miracle Visitor center remind anyone of a poor man's Jurassic Park/World?  Besides the gate entrance, museum-like display in the visitor's center and park ranger uniforms, I probably get that vibe given how commercialized everything is. The home auction scene really illustrates how this town profits from the overwhelming demand for safety (or the illusion of it).
• Carrie Coon's acting during the visitor's center scene needs to be commended here as she's adding just the right amount of mania to her performance. Nora is just trying to keep it together without informing Kevin or Jill of what the MIT guys told her. I sense that a breakdown is coming soon.

• Virgil (Steven WIlliams) is what I call a "wildcard" character. I think he's going to play a pivotal role in this story. I'm of the belief that he's John's Father (and Michael's Grandfather) which explains their late-night prayer session that Michael kept hidden from his Dad.  I also think that Virgil is the man who John attempted to murder.  Were Virgil's "abilities" part of the reason why?  Is that why John is doing everything possible to rid the town of such abilities? I think he's involved in Evie's "disappearance" as it's all part of their plan to rid the town of John's tyranny.
  

• I think John is so threatened by people with abilities as they might bring further risk to Miracle or create fear in the mind of its residents who think they're spared. Or, John secretly knows of these powers, believes in them (like we saw in the garbage disposal scene) and wants to protect the town, including people he might care about, from even more worldwide attention.  If the world knew that Miracle had healing powers or the power to resurrect birds (just an example), John would lose his grip on the town, as would his 'shot caller.'  Perhaps that explains why he will do anything it takes to shut gifted people up, even if it involves harming them.  Make no mistake, John is beholden to someone.

• To those of you who think Evie was swallowed up by the water or buried by the earthquake, how do you justify the locked car doors, music running and cell phones left behind?  That scene screams of being staged.  If Virgil or Isaac have abilities of some sort, then they knew the earthquake was coming.  The earthquake helps set the perfect stage for a fake disappearance. At this point, it's either a fake disappearance (or kidnapping made to look like a disappearance) or a real disappearance. Nothing else applies. When Evie's friends welcomed "The Durveys" to Miracle, they still had those mischievous smiles on their faces like they had during choir practice.  They knew something that no one else did; their streak-session through the woods proves that, unless it's post-departure like I initially thought. That means we saw "the other side."

• The fact that everything happened on John's birthday is not a coincidence.  Virgil, if he's John's father like I believe, would know to pick out this day, of all the possible days, to get even with John (as would Evie). John's enemies would also target this day if this is all about stopping John's tyranny. The fact everything happened on John's birthday means it's personal. 

• I love how the show is utilizing point-of-view this season. You're truly seeing the other side of the coin while still knowing what happened regardless of whose POV it is. Compared to shows like The Affair, you actually know what the narrative is despite different points-of-view being shown.

• For those who think the cricket is Evie's gift to John, we heard the cricket to close out episode one while Erika was alone at the kitchen table. We have no idea where the gift box was at that point but I believe the cricket is still at-large.  Once John is brought to justice (willingly or unwillingly), the cricket's crusade against John will cease to be.

• This is such a beautiful composition.
  
  
  

• Lastly, as I pointed out after episode one, we now see the origin of the handprint on the girls' car. It's none other than Kevin Garvey's.  His sleepwalking has put him in an even bigger predicament than it did in Cairo. We are left to assume that Isaac will read the handprint and expose Kevin's presence at the spring plus a whole lot more about Kevin that he doesn't want getting out into the world. This does not bode well for our hallucinating hero who was likely instructed by Patti to do whatever led him to the spring (a la Dean aiding his abduction of Patti).  Did Patti want Kevin to get caught, hence the cinder block, so he'd be blamed for Evie (and the water) being gone?  Or was Kevin trying to kill himself? Also, we didn't see it, but wouldn't Kevin's fingerprints be taken at the police station upon turning Patti's body over to the cops? "Uh oh," indeed.

• What's interesting though is that Virgil already seems aware of Kevin's "situation" when he's in the visitors center. This adds even more weight to my theory that Virgil has deeper involvement in Evie's disappearance.  Did Virgil time Evie's disappearance in conjunction with Kevin's arrival or John's birthday? He has gifts that will likely be unwrapped as the season goes and they undoubtedly connect to John somehow since Michael has a relationship with him already.

I apologize for the delayed posts this week, but I wanted to get my Random Takes, Theories and Observations published before episode 3 airs tonight, October 18th.  I'm still working on my topic-based post for an early week release. Luckily, episode 3 appears to be a "Laurie and Tommy" POV episode and that shouldn't interview with previously established topic.

Questions for You

• Did Kevin try to kill himself? 
• Or, did Patti manipulate him to do so while aware of the fact that he was sleepwalking? 
• Or, did Patti know what would happen to the water as well as Evie and was trying to pin the blame on Kevin?
• What do you think happened to Evie at this point? 
• Were you bothered by Kevin Sr.'s convenient release from the mental hospital like I was?
• Were you surprised by AFTEC's handling of Patti's body? Or, was it understandable given how they treated Wayne in the past?

Do you want more chat about The Leftovers? Get your fix by listening to The Living Reminders Podcast with detailed show discussion and amazing interviews with cast, crew, writers and directors of The Leftovers on HBO.