The Leftovers (HBO) TV Show • Page 39

I want to watch the whole series again. I want to read the book too.

 

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't see any benefit to Nora lying in the finale. Even if she said "I bailed at the last moment and was too ashamed, so I hid" I can't imagine that would change how Kevin feels. Unless I'm just totally missing the point.

 

Also Kevin talks about having a heart condition and a pacemaker installed. In the previous episode, his chest is cut open and machinery is pulled out.

 

And how does that factor into your interp?

 

I kinda like the second one

 

just thought it was cool

 

This was such an understated, simple finale. I really loved it. I always think back to the Garveys at Their Best episode, when Senior tells Junior that "this is enough" once Junior admits to feeling a little unfulfilled with having a family and career pre-departure. It's just such a good mission statement. The apparent senselessness of the departure leaves people in a position where they're either taking for granted the concept of family/stability (both Kevins) or openly waging war on it (the GR). In the end, it seems as if the world and the characters we've followed during S3 have reached a sort of stasis and found their way back to stability, while those who fought to destroy or rebel against those ideas have died or otherwise fallen off. I think it's great.

With regards to Laurie, I'm reminded of how I felt at the end of Mad Men. I went into the final season picturing some big reckoning for almost every character, that more than one would die, and theorizing ways that other cruelties would fall on them, and at the end I was wondering why I had felt that way. Of course Don Draper didn't have to die. Similarly, of course Laurie didn't have to die for her journey to be meaningful.

(Personally, I assumed she was dead. But I had friends who called themselves "Laurie Truthers")

 

This was probably the best series finale I can recall watching. As to whether Nora was telling the truth or not, I think she was, but perhaps not the truth in terms of the literal sense; rather in terms of the journey, internally, she took. It sort of does not matter. She did change her mind and realized that she didn't belong in the place they claimed she was going, nor the world she and Kevin shared, so she exiled herself. But, despite the damage and their respective journeys, they made it back to each other. I liked that a lot.

 

So much to think about. I believe Nora's story, but I'm also leaning towards the theory that her and Kevin are now in his afterlife world.

 

A beautiful ending to the best show we have ever seen.

 

What about the shoes though

 

I think they're both in the afterlife.

 

I believe her, I really do

 

Perfect finale, exactly what this show should have gone out one. I believe her.

 

thank you both for posting these, really really excellent interviews

 

The entire story was the imagination of an autistic boy.

 

See, I tend to believe it is a metaphorical story because her journey has been one of tearing down the tales by which we find comfort, the ability to live and connect with others. Living like that made those things impossible. But, when Nora tells that story, I think that's her giving into the part of herself that tells the stories that bring folks together. Her rejection of Kevin's story was that it involved erasure, the separation of those connections, whereas she took the facts and reinterpreted them.

 

Cried my eyes out watching this finale. What a beautiful ending.

 

Nora's journey could have been just as "real" to her as Kevin's assassination journeys were to him, in that it wasn't real at all but he still learned a lot from it.

Doesn't really matter. I'm just glad they're together.

 

It's an interesting commentary on faith that at first I immediately believed Nora's story, but as the hours pass and I think about it and more people pick it apart I'm questioning it.

 

I didn't think to question it either, so it could be taken either way:

It actually did happen and that's why it was so straight forward

or

It didn't happen and the scene wasn't done well enough by the director, writers, etc... to make it clear you "should" question it


In the end, I don't really care, haha. But this could be a good example of how discussing shows in depth like this online (for me) can take away from the enjoyment of the show. I'd rather be left to my own devices, but sometimes I can't help but check out other people's thoughts online.

 

i see all the theories and they're fun to read and everything , but for now I'm very satisfied with the ending and don't care to really engage in those discussions. I'm okay with taking what Nora said at face value. These two characters that I care a whole lot about are together and probably going to be okay. That's enough for me.

 

Was there any other symbolism behind the goat scene other than it was choking on the sins of others? And I guess maybe Nora taking those sins on herself to help the goat?? Idk

 

Everyone keeps talknig about how they ended up together and are happy for them, but goddamn...Kevin spent what seems to be 15-20ish years looking for her, and it was probably eating at him that entire time.