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Ghost Canyon

'The Leftovers - Complete Second Season' [Blu-ray]
(Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Chris Zylka, et al / 2-Disc Blu-ray / NR / 2016 / HBO)

Overview: 'The Leftovers' revolves around mysterious disappearances, world-wide, and specifically follows a group of people who are left behind in the suburban community of Mapleton. They must begin to rebuild their lives after the loss of more than 100 people.

Blu-Ray Verdict: My God! In truth, if Season One of 'The Leftovers' had you scratching your head, forcing you to recall those desperate moments of total confusion that you felt when watching many years of 'Lost,' well, welcome to Season Two of 'The Leftovers' - a season that beats the confusing nature of both 'Lost' and 'Twin Peaks' by a mile and a half!!!

So yeah, I was a HUGE fan of the first season of 'The Leftovers' and for that I totally understood some people's confusion over certain scenes, certain actions depicted, etc. But wholly what-the-f**k-is-going-on-here-now re: Season Two! From the very moment the first scene of this second season opens, I have no clue what is going on - none at all!

And for the next ten (10) episodes, most all just under an hour long, some over that, I have to say I found it weirdly disjointed and weirdly confusing throughout! Now I truly understand and get why some folks weren't into it from the off as this second season is a cerebral nightmare of the highest orde! Indeed, I even understand why people actually HATE this show, and yet remained glued to it each week nonetheless!

As you may or may not know, 'The Leftovers' isn't based on an entirely original television concept -- it comes sourced from Author Tom Perrotta's book of the same name -- and with that in mind, the first season seemed groomed, tailored to our viewing needs (those for a new kind of TV show, one that made us think, not always have to guess, but ponder, etc.)

But this second season, well, man ... it's a doozy! It flips flops scenes, timeframe's like it's going out of fashion, new character (of which there are en mass) we are expected to either love or hate from the off. And then it throws in completely wasted characters, like the man on the town center steeple, who seems to only accept food via a bucket drawn up to him, and ask for letters to be mailed - ones that don't even have a full mailing address on them!

This second season fixates, primarily on our "heroes" Kevin and Nora and takes them away and out of Mapleton to buy a $3 million, ramshackled home in a small Texas town that suffered no departures whatsoever. A place that had become famous for being something mysteriously, nebulously "miraculous." It could have just been coincidence that no one vanished from Jarden, TX, but the fact that it is surrounded by a national park named Miracle does seem to leave everyone with some optimistic creedance towards such a claim, regardless.

The world Damon Lindelof established back in Season One showed us that there was something going on just underneath the surface of our reality. There was a truth. But just like the characters on the show, we'd probably never fully know it. Or wholly understand it. Season Two FULLY explores all that underbelly, that undercurrent, that madness that lies within all these characters and absolutely, 100% brings it cinematically out, one character at a time.

Trust me when I say that 'The Leftovers - Season Two' is one hell of a messed up, thrown about, what's up is down and what's down is up, backwards is forwards, what you know is not what is real, and what is real is not as it seems show! In truth, for me personally, I never leave a show (no matter how many episodes there are) once I've started it, but after the first looooong one, well, I very nearly jacked this all in and handed it to another reviewer!

But I didn't as you cna tell, but should I have done? For me, the only bright spot of this so-confusing, so-annoying TV show is/was the opening music that supports the credits. Indeed, this opening title music is sung so well, so beautifully, so perfectly that you would have absolutely no idea what the show was truly about - or the deep, dark depression you are about to encounter once they have finished! Complete with a flavorful richness, enveloping surround sound, balanced bass, some stunningly articulated lyrics that reference the true plot of the show, and nicely defined instrumentals, it is highly recommended that you allow it to waft over you each time an episode begins - for the TV show holds none of those qualities, trust me!

In closing, as much as I might paint the picture, 'The Leftovers - Season Two' isn't a bad show, I just think that it is very confused right now. I mean, one episode - in its entirety - focuses on Kevin's :trip" into death, staying in a hotel, having to figure his way back out and into real life! A whole freakin' episode! The fact that in another episode he goes right back to the very same hotel, albeit for a quicker "stay" this time just goes to show me that the producers and various directors of this show just couldn't seem to nail down the same vision for it that each had. A good show, a complicated show to watch, to understand, and one that if it is not renewed could easily end where it does in the tenth episode here. And I can't believe I'm going to say this, but let's hope not! Let's hope there is life still left in 'The Leftovers.' This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

www.SHO.com

Own it on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD February 9th, 2016!





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