Directed by: Mimi Leder, Peter Berg, Michelle MacLaren, Daniel Sackheim, Carl Franklin
Writers: Curtis Gwinn, Jacqueline Hoyt, Damon Lindelof, Kath Lingenfelter, Tom Perrotta, Carlito Rodriguez
Series Cast: Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Michael Gaston, Carrie Coon, Frank Harts, Margaret Qualley, Annie W., Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Ann Dowd, Amanda Warren, Chris Zylka
Suddenly, over 100 million people have disappeared worldwide without a trace. Everyone keeps asking the same question- Where are all these people who have vanished within seconds? This question remains unanswered. The residents of Mapleton Community have lost more than 100 people. Now, after three years, they must begin to rebuild their lives after the mysterious disappearances of their loved ones.
HBO`s new series, “The Leftovers”,might remind you of CBS`s “The 4400”, where 4400 people reappear after their inexplicable disappearance. Unlike the “The Leftovers”, in “The 4400”, all the people acquire different abilities and powers, which I am not sure will happen in “The Leftovers”.
“The Leftovers” opens with a woman who talks on the phone constantly while doing Coin Laundry somewhere in Mapleton, NY. When she gets back to her car, we see that she has a baby in the car, who cries constantly. Suddenly, the baby starts staring at something, and begins to cry again. The mother of the baby is still talking on the phone when her attention is diverted by the sudden silence of her baby. When she looks back, she sees that her baby has disappeared. She leaves the car and begins looking outside the Laundromat, while another boy calls his father who has also disappeared. 911 begins to receive countless calls from desperate people who report the sudden disappearance of their loved ones; in the blink of an eye.
Three years later, we find out that many countries, including Iran, Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Vietnam, the U.S., and many others, have lost over 100 million people. They all have vanished into thin air. But the plot of the “The Leftovers” revolves around the residents of Mapleton, New York, who also suffer from this mysterious phenomenon. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), a Chief of police and father of two, faces challenges in both his personal and professional life, as the third anniversary of the “departure” approaches.
As the third anniversary of the “departure” approaches, his wife Laurie Garvey (Amy Brenneman), leaves her entire life behind to join a mysterious cult. As the series continues, we find that they both have lost their kids, but what exactly happened to the Garvey family, we still don’t know.
Liv Tyler (The Armageddon) plays Meg Abbott, who is about to get married when she becomes a target of the cult.
Undoubtedly, HBO can turn silver into gold with one magic touch. HBO has gathered a very talented cast to make “The Leftovers” which is another huge success. After watching the pilot episode, I see that there are many secrets to be revealed, as most likely all the people who have disappeared, will reappear one by one.
And undoubtedly, they will not be as nice as they used to be, or worse. In pilot episode, “The Leftovers” leaves us with many questions, that I hope will be answered very soon.