Anyone else read the book this show is (loosely) based on yet?

I haven't watched the last couple of episodes because I have been on vacation, but finished the book yesterday. I won't post any real spoilers here--not that I could anyway since there aren't really any to share.

For those wondering if they will get answers to some of the questions that have popped up, I will say this: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT





The book is just about as cryptic as the show and ends abruptly without really resolving any story lines. One thing it does do is explain the GR in more detail as well as the Holy Wayne cult and leave out all the weird imagery (dogs, deer, etc.) I will say that if they continue with more seasons of the show, it will be a complete departure from the book as most of the book (where there has been overlap) has already been covered in the show.

8/11/2014 9:17:52 AM

They've already announced they'll be departing from the book. There will be an explanation for why 2% left. If they explain that, I expect they'll explain more.

8/11/2014 10:13:03 AM

this needs to pick up or I'm not watching any more

8/11/2014 10:19:29 AM

^seriously? I thought last night's episode was pretty intense. Definitely will be watching the final three.

Any idea what the National Geographic meant? And I guess we can assume his dad is able to communicate with the one's who departed (or is just crazy)?

Still want to see somebody fuck the daughter's friend.

8/11/2014 11:27:07 AM

I liked last night's episode a lot, though the two character focused episodes (Preacher and Nora) are definitely on a different level

Still hoping Wayne is just a cult leader who's really good at what he does and that the grandfather is crazy..maybe Wayne is dead now also?

8/11/2014 11:33:21 AM

So the daughter's hot/slutty friend was a Chicago prostitute for a couple episodes in the first season of Boardwalk Empire. That's all I have to add to today's discussion.

8/11/2014 11:42:46 AM

^nice.

yeah Garvey had a bunch of weird flashback/hallucination type issues going on I forgot to comment aobut. I think they're trying to make the audience choose whether he's losing it (like his dad) or if they were a side effect of all the pills / stress / sleep deprivation (hence him flushing them all). I still think the dog shooter guy is real, but he keeps manifesting him in stressful situations. there's definitely a connection with the dogs and I think German Shepherds in general. maybe his own dog turned on him after the departure and he had to put it down.

Are we assuming that all dogs are now feral?

8/11/2014 12:10:05 PM

I'm surprised the town hasn't lashed out with outcry over their dickhead of a police chief. I'm not sure Garvey could be a bigger asshole if he tried. Which is not to say it isn't entertaining

8/11/2014 12:56:48 PM

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"There will be an explanation for why 2% left."

got a link? everything i've read says there will be no explanation.

8/11/2014 1:13:09 PM

Another solid episode

8/11/2014 6:36:07 PM

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"Are we assuming that all dogs are now feral?"

i think they said in the first episode that the feral dogs were with their owners when they departed.

8/11/2014 7:20:42 PM

8/11/2014 9:05:21 PM

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"They've already announced they'll be departing from the book."

Really? Will they really be departing from the book?

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"this needs to pick up or I'm not watching any more"

Must you troll every section on this site?

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"And I guess we can assume his dad is able to communicate with the one's who departed (or is just crazy)? "

That's the question isn't it? It seems like he can, but who knows...he's probably just crazy.

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"Still hoping Wayne is just a cult leader who's really good at what he does and that the grandfather is crazy"

Why? Is the idea of 2% of the world's population disappearing the MOST supernatural shit you can handle in your book reading/TV watching? You must hate a shit-ton of really awesome fiction.

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"got a link? everything i've read says there will be no explanation."

+1

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"i think they said in the first episode that the feral dogs were with their owners when they departed."

Sure about that? I haven't seen a single docile dog on the entire show.

8/11/2014 11:40:39 PM

^ I can't remember the specifics, but at the beginning of the first episode the cop was about to pet a pretty calm dog before that guy shot it.

Watched most recent episode last night and enjoyed it. Nora's tits were fantastic. She's got this Claire Forlani thing going that I'm all about.

The younger Garvey/Wayne story is finally coming around...that was one of my least favorite parts of the show at the beginning of the season. [they all look the same] Did both of the Asian pregger chicks have blue shirts on as well??[/they all look the same].

8/12/2014 6:53:49 AM

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"And I guess we can assume his dad is able to communicate with the one's who departed (or is just crazy)? "

We had a big argument about this a few pages back, I just don't understand why people assume that if he's not just crazy, that it is automatically the departed that he is talking to. Unless I missed it, no one on the show ever said that that is who he thinks he is talking too, so why not angels, or ghosts, or aliens, or god?

8/12/2014 7:54:55 AM

did I fast-forward through something in this episode? how can you guys not think this show is slow as shit? they show a pair of titties and suddenly it's action-packed?

8/12/2014 8:41:16 AM

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"Why? Is the idea of 2% of the world's population disappearing the MOST supernatural shit you can handle in your book reading/TV watching? You must hate a shit-ton of really awesome fiction."

I've explained why I feel the show is more appealing to me if the departure is the lone unexplained supernatural event multiple times in this thread. If you still fail to understand and it just makes you feel better to think my poor brain is incapable of handling multiple supernatural events in the same work of fiction, that's fine with me.

8/12/2014 9:16:32 AM

I don't think it is the departed that the dad is claiming to talk to -- if so there would be people from all over the world coming to try and speak with him to get in contact with their loved ones. Even though most people would just think he's insane, you do get people that see Jesus in their toast or whatever and they end up with a whole following.

Also, Garvey's daughter just mentioned that he heard "voices" but didn't really specify more than that. I'd think that they would say more than just "voices" if that were the case.

Also, what is up with the mayor and the dad? In the episode when Garvey first went to visit him at the mental hospital, the mayor was there and she kissed him before leaving. Why would Garvey think that his dad was at her house?

8/12/2014 9:45:17 AM

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"Also, what is up with the mayor and the dad? In the episode when Garvey first went to visit him at the mental hospital, the mayor was there and she kissed him before leaving. Why would Garvey think that his dad was at her house?"

If that's been fully explained I missed it. Maybe they're leaving it open at this point?

8/12/2014 10:57:00 AM

It wasn't explicitly stated, but it was implied that they were dating

8/12/2014 11:01:22 AM

^^^ I think its pretty obvious that they were fucking at some point. While I find it odd because he looks old as fuck...maybe he looked a little more put together before he went nutso and maybe she likes old white dick.

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"did I fast-forward through something in this episode? how can you guys not think this show is slow as shit? they show a pair of titties and suddenly it's action-packed? "

Garvey's kid got shot in the hand, his daughter got stuck in a refrigerator, he had some drug-induced dreams and captured a rabid dog and might have fucked his daughter's slutty best friend, his dad beat the shit out of his partner...

I'm with you in that it's not a very action packed show, but it has tense moments and all of the "talking" is important and meaningful stuff. I just got finished watching the first season of The Wire and it's slow as fuck. They talk for 90% of the show. Now, I'm definitely not comparing this show to The Wire...but there are shows that move along slowly and bore the shit out of you...and there are shows that move along slowly and are still able to keep your attention. The Leftovers is a little slow...but its definitely keeping my attention and I find it entertaining.

[Edited on August 12, 2014 at 11:02 AM. Reason : .]

8/12/2014 11:02:18 AM

Shit I didn't even put together that he may have slept with his daughter's friend but now that you mention it, it totally makes sense. That would explain why she wants to spend more time there when her friend isn't home.

Also, his dad is totally ripped for a guy that old.

8/12/2014 11:18:53 AM

^the night he may have fucked her, she had planned on being there alone with Garvey.

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"^ I can't remember the specifics, but at the beginning of the first episode the cop was about to pet a pretty calm dog before that guy shot it."

I think that was an anomaly, which is why he was so affected by it. He acted as if it was the first time a dog would let him approach, and then it got shot. I've yet to see a docile dog.

I also think it's pretty strongly implied that the dad is talking to, or at least thinks he's talking to the departed.

8/12/2014 11:34:53 AM

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"I think that was an anomaly, which is why he was so affected by it. He acted as if it was the first time a dog would let him approach, and then it got shot. I've yet to see a docile dog."

I think you're putting way too much thought into the dogs.

8/12/2014 12:20:25 PM

Renewed for a second season

8/14/2014 11:48:20 AM

I missed something here -- what is the significance of Jill finding the gun in Nora's house? Why is it such a big deal to her that Nora has a gun?

8/18/2014 10:00:05 AM

To her it means that no one can ever be ok, which means what's the point of living, which means might as well go join the GR

She's wrong though, unfortunately for her she doesn't have the full story

8/18/2014 10:16:58 AM

So what is this sick shit that the GR is going to do? Dress cadavers in the clothes of the departed, and place them in the homes of the people they left?

8/18/2014 10:51:30 AM

this is probably the most infuriating show I've ever watched and yet it's too late to stop watching

8/18/2014 12:45:01 PM

did Blackout Kevin hang all those shirts up? or was it someone else.

does the dog hunter guy have voices in his head also? at one point it seemed like he was talking to them. maybe he really is a guardian angel?

what was liv tyler watching on the news? something about a mass resurrection? i meant to go back and watch again, but i forgot.

8/18/2014 1:34:57 PM

^probably about those bodies being exhumed.

For being the chief of police, Kevin sure does love to leave evidence all over his own crime scenes.

So did he fuck his daughter's friend, or was she just fucking with the daughter to piss her off?

Also I guess Lori is going to sacrifice herself soon? Not sure how the daughter will play into that

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"this is probably the most infuriating show I've ever watched and yet it's too late to stop watching"

8/18/2014 1:48:55 PM

Patti says Kevin understands, but I sure as fuck don't

8/18/2014 5:39:33 PM

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"So what is this sick shit that the GR is going to do? Dress cadavers in the clothes of the departed, and place them in the homes of the people they left?"

Not cadavers...pretty sure they ordered fake human bodies with the likeness of the departed. so they'll look just like the bodies of the departed.

My biggest question (among many) is was getting taken out to the woods and getting killed part of Patti's plan...and if so, that "ghost" guy must be working with the GR right? When he was leaving Patti was mumbling something and dog killer said "oh shut up, I tried" in response so it seems like they were working together.

It seems nobody in the GR (outside of probably Lori...see how she sits in Patti's seat and seems to enjoy it) know that Patti was planning on offing herself. I found Patti's conversations with Kevin interesting. Shed a little more light on why they do some of the things they do. They remove all distractions from their life so they can focus on the departure. I mean we kinda already knew that, just learned a little more. I guess that explains the lack of talking too.

I guess with the Ambien+alcohol Kevin is turning into a completely different person, doing who knows what, and not remembering even flashes of it? Seems suspect, but I've never had Ambien. The daughter's friend says she saw the dad come home with the stray dog that one night so it's not like they're completely setting him up. I guess we're supposed to assume he's been the one hanging up all those shirts and hanging out in the woods...not sure I buy it though.

I don't think he fucked the daughter's friend...on a pile of guns?

8/19/2014 9:37:27 AM

Yeah I don't think he fucked her.

I thought that he flushed all of his pills down the toilet? Was there anything that mentioned he saved the Ambien?

8/19/2014 11:12:05 AM

Remember in Nora's episode, there was that guy she was hanging out with whose job it was to create the fake bodies. He said all they needed was a picture or two and they can make really realistic looking ones?

GR broke into people's houses and took pictures of their departed. Obvious that they are going to dress them up like the departed and do something with them.

8/19/2014 11:27:46 AM

Yeah you knew it was going to be identical bodies when they pulled the baby out and set it near the baby clothes.

(though in reality i doubt everyone would have kept clothes etc for the departed)

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"I thought that he flushed all of his pills down the toilet? Was there anything that mentioned he saved the Ambien?"

So if it's not the ambien how is he doing all this shit with 0 memory about it? (or is he seeing the occasional flashback...they show them, don't know if that's him seeing them or just us though)

8/19/2014 12:30:35 PM

Maybe he is actually going crazy, like his dad

8/19/2014 12:38:01 PM

^^not doubting the pill theory at all, I was just wondering if it was clarified.

^this is more along the lines of what I'm thinking.

8/19/2014 1:06:06 PM

Who the heck is financing the GR?

8/21/2014 10:45:57 AM

^The only thing I can think of would be that the people who join just give all of their life savings. If they are willing to give up their kids and entire family when they join, giving up all of their money seems fairly likely. What I'd like to know is how exactly they recruit people. Everyone seems to hate them.

8/21/2014 11:04:22 AM

We saw how they recruit people, they stand outside their homes and follow them around. Worked on liv tyler

8/21/2014 11:08:12 AM

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"Who the heck is financing the GR?"

I've wanted an explanation for that one too

^ There's a little more to it than that.

8/21/2014 11:11:56 AM

I don't see how them standing outside someone's house and following them around would make them give up their entire life to join them.

8/21/2014 11:22:32 AM

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"Who the heck is financing the GR?"

Divorcees, like Lori, get funding from their spouses (alimony, settlement, etc.) In fact, the book explains that it was a major factor in actually finalizing the split between her and garvey.

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"I don't see how them standing outside someone's house and following them around would make them give up their entire life to join them."

The standing around and stalking recruits people because we are supposed to believe that there is a good chunk of humans so numb from the pain of losing loved ones that they go slightly crazy with grief and don't want to return to "normal" existence. Instead they are drawn to all manner of cult groups. The GR offers an explanation for the disappearance and a stark, disciplined life with focus.

The overwhelming sadness and grief from everyone is what I find the hardest to believe in this show. Humans are resilient. I could see zombie-like sadness in the months after the event, but its three years later now and everyone is still in a trance of sadness. I just can't see that happening.

8/21/2014 12:23:54 PM

^Yeah I don't buy that either. Humanity bounced back pretty well from WWII and the casualties from that were massive. I realize it's not the same thing, since people just disappearing is different than being killed in a human caused conflict. Still, I'm having a very hard time with people not being able to move on.

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"Divorcees, like Lori, get funding from their spouses (alimony, settlement, etc.) In fact, the book explains that it was a major factor in actually finalizing the split between her and garvey"

Perhaps for some, but I have an extremely hard time believing that some judge is going to award Lori anything. She basically abandoned her family for a cult. No judge would award her shit.

8/21/2014 1:24:22 PM

All they would need is a couple rich mother fuckers to fund the operation. They've also got about 50 people to a house. Half of those people sell everything they own and their own houses and you've got plenty of money.

Its really not that difficult to see how they have enough money.

8/21/2014 1:39:41 PM

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"I have an extremely hard time believing that some judge is going to award Lori anything. She basically abandoned her family for a cult. No judge would award her shit. "

Without getting too far off track from the show. I think you have a misunderstanding of how divorces usually work. Although it seems fucked up, it doesn't matter why the wife left the relationship. If she was there to help build the wealth and business (however indirectly), then she is entitled to a portion of it--usually a large portion.

^Also what he said. It's not as if these people have big expenses.

8/21/2014 2:16:28 PM

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"The GR offers an explanation for the disappearance"

I don't know about the book, but in the show, the GR hasn't offered any explanation outside of "who the fuck knows" which is pretty much most people's explanation.

8/21/2014 2:37:01 PM

^ This.

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"She basically abandoned her family for a cult. No judge would award her shit."

She's not asking for fucking child support. She would still probably get half the marital assets. I doubt she would get any/a lot of alimony, but she could probably get some spousal support if she was unemployed when she first left the house (caretaker/housewife).

8/21/2014 2:37:23 PM

http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/08/the-leftovers-gets-renewed-for-a-second-season-but-which-characters-should-get-raptured-before-then/376032/

8/21/2014 3:42:36 PM