Conspiracies of the U.S. Mailbox in The Leftovers

Written By: Missy Ortiz

There has to be an explanation about those peculiar mailboxes we saw in season one. We saw Kevin hiding his cigarettes, Tommy stashing money for Wayne's children, and rabid dogs barking out of them.  Have you ever found yourself breaking your head and thinking, "Why Lindelof!? WHY!!!?"
Is the Department of Sudden Departure affiliated with the United States Post Office? If you haven't noticed how often these symbols of the U.S. Mail appear in The Leftovers, you'll be in a for a great surprise. Let's review how often we see mail being represented in this series.

A Quick History Lesson about Design- According to Wikipedia, the first U.S. Mail collection box was suggested in the 1800's by the success of Canadian structure. These metal mail holding bins rapidly became icons on many city street corners. In the early 1900's, they were originally painted a dark olive green color. They decided to paint them this color because the U.S. Army had donated loads of olive green paint to the Post Office. In 1955, they decided to change the color to red, white and blue. Finally in 1971, they solely kept the dark blue with white lettering to give it more of a subtle, business look.

The security of the mail is quite significant in the United States. They designed these collection boxes so that the contents inside would be safe and protected from extreme weather. Locks on the outside of the box are strictly for official Postal employees to open, and the slots were made to only deposit mail and not retrieve it.


Terrorism and Vandalism- There have been numerous reports about terrorism on U.S. Mail collection boxes. During the aftermath of September 11, there were anthrax threats sent through these receptacles in several cities. In March 2010, CBS News released information that several towns in East Texas were targeted with bomb threats. ATF bomb squads found pipe bombs and other homemade devices that were deposited into mail drop boxes. A hate crime, for example, would be described as the four "hangman's nooses" found inside collection boxes around the same time in Gladewater and Tyler, Texas.

Later that year, in Sanger, California, The Sanger Herald, reported stolen drop boxes in the area. The remaining boxes that were left behind were sealed off and prohibited for use. You could say that they were "Living Reminders", so to speak, to the community.  Post office collection boxes were being damaged and stolen, and these issues raised concerns for our nation. Certainly, the purpose and rightful usage of these containers have been misunderstood.

The Sudden Departure of The Mailboxes- According to statistics found at the Save the Post Office Website, over a decade ago, there were almost 400,000 collection boxes in the country. The number today seems to have dropped significantly to a stagnant 160,000. The United States Post Office state that they have begun to remove these boxes for economical reasons, fuel costs, and under use. Other sources claim that they have been disappearing without evidence. It could be people simply stealing them for pranks, or actually trying to interfere with government property. Whatever the case, it would be bizarre if they really were actually departing right?

The Leftovers and The Drop Box Referencing- The first moment I saw a U.S. Mailbox in The Leftovers, I thought nothing of it. I am almost sure that no one else noticed either. However, when a show or movie keeps coming back to a certain icon and it becomes redundant, these recurrences begin to have significant meaning. Here are a few places where I noticed the U.S. Mail represented in this series.  We start with season one. 

Pilot: Postman's Cameo

It's Hero's day tomorrow and Kevin is sitting in his car drinking a beer. At the moment he calls Tommy, you see a U.S. Post Office vehicle pass through across the street. The post office man drives by and this is nothing but the norm, right? What could this signify? Could this be a foreshadowing for the rest of the mailbox appearances? Was Kevin previously a postman before becoming a police officer? I think not.

Gladys Gone Postal

Two members of The Guilty Remnant, one of which is Gladys, are walking the streets when a man drops his groceries and falls to the floor right in front of them. They continue walking on by without helping him or feeling any remorse whatsoever. If you didn't happen to see the mailbox in their path, that's okay. I didn't see it at first either until I binge watched and found it. Was this mailbox purposely set there to introduce something to us? Could it have been just a coincidence that these GR members were just walking past this mailbox? It all seems dandy when you think of it, but believe me, this isn't the first time we see these blue mysterious bins show up in the series.

Kevin, You've Got Mail!

Then it begins to become more prominent in episode 7, "Solace for Tired Feet". We see the first mailbox appear during Kevin's nightmare sequence. Tired from searching for his father, Kevin dozes off while listening to his two-way radio. He wakes up to what sounds like a dog whimpering and scratching at his front door. When he approaches the door, Dean is waiting for him outside by his truck, which is filled with dead members of The Guilty Remnant, including Laurie. He hears the dog barking again, but this time, it sounds like it is coming from the inside of a mailbox, across the street. Kevin attempts to shoot it but apparently feels sympathy for the dog, so he fails. He nears the mailbox, reaches to open it, and out comes the dog ferociously barking in his face. Then, he abruptly wakes up laying naked on the floor, with a new wound on his left hand, that looks to have been bandaged. We all know how weird dreams can be, and how random pieces of information are usually scattered. Why the dog in the mailbox? The Guilty Remnant and Dean were also in his dream. What does this symbolize?

Holy Mail

You might also remember that scene when Tommy is directed by Wayne to deliver a certain amount of money to a particular location. He was very specific when he told him where to stash this chunk of cash. Why does he make him hide it under a U.S. Mailbox? Does this go back and relate to terrorists leaving bombs and nooses in these bins? He doesn't deposit the money into the mailbox, but he tapes it underneath. Could it just be an easy hiding spot? Something tells me it's something much more.

Run. Check the Mail. Smoke. Repeat

The last appearance of the mailbox that I captured in Season One is in episode nine, "The Garvey's at their Best". There are two scenes in this episode where he meets up with the mailbox. We all remember Kevin stopping in the midst of his first morning run for a smoke break. Where does he hide his cigarettes? Yes! You guessed right! Beneath the blue box! While he's having his cigarette, he spots the deer in the woods. The second time he goes for a run, which is departure day, he glances at the mailbox and stops once more for his smoke. This time, no deer watching, but instead, the mysterious ladies in the car show up questioning him. Soon after, the ground starts shaking and the sewer lid explodes off, almost killing him instantly. Very powerful moments after smoking. Very intense sequences after being so close to the mailboxes. 

The Eagle Has Landed 

I have found a couple of connections to the U.S. Mail since we have started Season Two. Episode one, 'Axis Mundi', begins with that strange prehistoric prologue. What do we see? Well besides the brutal birth of the cave woman's baby, we have the pleasure to meet the acquaintance of an eagle. What does the U.S. Mail use for their logo? Yes! An eagle. Kaboom! First match! 

Pillar Man Returns to Sender

Then, we get to meet The Murphy's. Their beloved son Michael seems to be a very spiritual being as he shows his compassion to others. Next, we meet Pillar Man. Michael delivers him breakfast, and in exchange for the bacon and eggs, he sends down a letter. The letter is addressed to Mr. David Burton in Sydney, Australia. Here we go again with the mail. I didn't notice any mailboxes in this episode, but I am hoping we will in the future. Perhaps, this season will reveal some understanding as to why Damon Lindelof is using these constant U.S. Mail recurrences. 

Do you believe these U.S. Mail exhibitions continue to persevere in The Leftovers because they have a literal meaning? 

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.