Finally! Just rewatched the series and while I still have a ton of criticism, it is a very good show. And I agree that Nora lied. She is known to lie and we see her scream (I think to stop) before the water fills up. We know that had Nora actually went she never ever would have not said something and not gone to her kids. She couldn’t ever keep her mouth shut or herself out of confrontations. It’s fine Nora is lying and needs that to accept her fate. Edit: lots of clarifications
I'm just rewatching this - for like the 5th time, and just commented the same, Heather, not realizing your own observation was pinned here. With all of Macabre's observations, it's kinda the nail in the coffin. She did not make the attempt.
The writers claimed they planned on people being 50-50 on believing Nora`s story. However Carrie Coon was so good that 80% of the viewers in pre screenings believed Nora.
Nora was "suicidal and depressed" from the moment we met her. Her newfound relationship was not enough to fill the hole left behind after the loss of her entire family. She was looking for answers, yes, but also wanted an escape from her guilt, grief, and pain. She knew what the device was from the start but went along because she "thought" that she wanted to die. This is not uncommon with suicidal people who change their minds before committing the act. Nora realized that she preferred to live rather than die, but the shame of that would not allow her to admit it. The story she created allowed her to go on living, and Kevin accepting it was an act of kindness that communicated the love between them. The Leftovers is many things but I think, mostly about love. The love we lose, finding it again and the things we do for those we love. It also shows how empty the lives of those without love are and the importance of moving on after love is lost.
@@TheFangforn Which is, of course, the story of humanity isn't it? In the end, what gives you the greatest comfort is what you come to terms with, not necessarily the actual truth itself. But then again, what exactly is the _actual_ truth? Everyone has a version of this _truth_ and it is what allows them to go forward in life. But we must remember that the concept of truth is like a 3 edged sword --- there is _your_ truth, there is _my_ truth and then there is the _actual_ truth, whatever that might be --- the one that is floating ethereally out there in the cosmos totally and forever out of our reach, totally and forever unknowable --- at least on this plane of existence. We find meaning where we can.
That's kind of the point, in my opinion. Nora can't handle the guilt of leaving her life and Kevin behind, so she came up with an elaborate story as a coping mechanism. Kevin believes her because he chooses to believe her, because he loves her. And that's all she needs, and all that he needs.
@@godofdeadlydeath I agree but I also think bc of that lie and he knows it’s a lie even if they get back together it’ll never work out between them bc they’re both always keeping secrets and lying about important stuff. They could never just BE together. It was always some drama! (Which makes for good tv)
@@HeatherHolt you may be right. I think at that point in their lives, with all the mistakes they've made, just being together and loving each other, to quote Kevin Sr. "IS enough."
The point isn't if she lied or not. The point is you have to find your truth to cope, that is the only way we can get through such pointless, unfair trauma.
There ya go. The entire show is about trauma response. Are there supernatural things happening too? Absolutely but interesting enough that's not the point. The point is everything around it. That's the focus. What do YOU think happened and what do YOU do to cope. As we see, some ways of coping are "healthier" than others. Another example, is the australian lady obsessed about her dead children's shoes; showcasing obsessing about minute details when in fact there is no explanation or an explanation so benign it's irrelevant. I don't even think its entirely about believing Nora as it is thinking about all the reasons how and why people chose how to cope in the ways they did with nuances of humanity.
Exactly. Nora’s story being true or not doesn’t matter, her story (true or false) is her way of coping and accepting life, and kevin’s way of coping and accepting life is being with nora, him believing nora means he’s with her and that’s all that matters to him. I see nora’s story as symbolism for religion, you don’t know if it’s true or not but it depends on what you choose to believe and accept. I don’t think the writers even have a set idea on if she was lying or not because that wasn’t the point of it.
I would argue the opposite. It is one of the most overrated series. If you find the boring, contrived and illogical subplots interesting, good for you, but this is just you projecting something into the show, that just isn't there. While it is kind of a good thing, that the show managed to do that for many people, I would still argue, that there is no real substance in there to warrent the love the show gets. Something in the cultists, religious group dynamics, psychological overdramatisation just seems to click with many viewers. For me, it's just to shallow and once you try to get under the surface, you find it was all just flashy painted garbage.
@@christoph4977 "But this is just you projecting something into the show, that just isn't there" lol, maybe it's there, but you haven't noticed or liked it? Typical behavior of stupid people whose opinion is always an objective analysis, and the opinion of others when it differs from yours is your own projection.... Grow up dude.
@@thotslayer9914 There is mystery and then there is pseudo-mystery. There are plenty good shows, movies or books that either resolve the mystery in a satisfying manner or leave enough to be open for interpretation but manage to satisfy your curiosity. And then there is the part, where you have to make the rest of the show interesting, where The Leftovers clearly fails for me. This and Lost are two examples of how it's not done (in my opinion anyway) But I mean, it's Lindelof, what did I expect. From his writing only Lost was decent in the first few seasons and I kinda liked World War Z. All the rest is just garbage.
"One of the most underrated TV show of all time" lol. It far from underrated. The Leftovers won several awards, appeared in 50+ critic's top ten lists, and got universal acclaim on Metacritic. *Not underrated* by a long shot, let alone "one of the most underrated ... of all time." This show is outstanding.
If anyone would be able to find the scientist, it'd be Nora, right? Wasn't her whole job to find people who supposedly departed? She's like a crazy good investigator
technically it wasnt afterlife, it was all in his mind. and when he solved his mind-problems he blew up its "mind demention" cuz he dont need it anymore so...
I wanted to believe her story. I think we all do really. It’s about making things “right” in our heads to make us feel comfortable with what we don’t understand. Last year after my mom died, i heard it every time someone said “she’s in a better place now.” My rational side doesn’t know for sure where or even if she is now. My irrational side wants desperately to believe. For me, The Leftovers might be the most authentic story about grief I’ve ever seen. And I didn’t know that until now - years after I saw its finale.
While watching this I was thinking to myself “I really should find a full analysis of the entire show” and then when you said you were working on one I became soooooo happy
I like the theory that nora died in the process and this is the afterlife. This is why she sees laurie and the line of dialogue where kevin brings up his heart condition makes alot more sense if you see it as the reason for his death
I disagree I think the line about his heart and him offering to show her his pacemaker scar was meant to parallel with him going into the afterlife or other world or whatever in the second to last episode when he drowned, his “identical twin” had the nuclear launch key implanted in his chest and the scar looks extremely similar to a pacemaker scar.
@@TheAtl198 Shut up Go outside and dont be a youtube comment grammar nazi i was very tempted to type out a thousand word paragraph with zero punctuation lolz Be happy my friend life is beautiful
Yes!! Also: notable how the scene cuts right before the water enters her mouth. In International Assasin the way to not get stuck in the Undead World is by not drinking the water.
I LIVE for The Leftovers videos. Thank you for keeping one of the best tv shows on the frontrunn of discussion. The final episode is not really ambiguous as you said, it's kinda like The Sopranos, the clues of what happened are all there. And with Nora, what story we choose to move on, is her arc for the whole season.
That’s a great comparison - Leftovers and Sopranos both have a technically ambiguous ending, implying things without outright telling the viewer what happened. It’s an extremely effective approach because it makes the ending live on in one’s imagination, much more so than if everything was neatly explained/shown.
just finished my 3rd rewatch of the year of the show and coming back to these two videos every time hahaha I love them, can't wait for the full recap video 😍😍😍
I'm late to the party, but one other point to mention is that earlier in the season the wife of the tower guy tries claiming that he departed, and Matt tried to convince Nora to let the wife have her story. Nora, of course, doesn't. She puts a picture of his autopsy on full display. But as you stated, by the end of the series Nora finally understands why people choose to believe in something that may or may not be actually true. And so when she finds herself in the same boat as that wife, she does the same thing that the wife did. She lies. Thats the way I see it, anyway.
The show isn't about truth or about lie: it is about what we choose to believe in in order to keep living and move on. There's a saying which goes : "we are who we believe we are". Searching for the truth and telling ourselves (or to others) lies are the things that will always misguide us in life. On the other hand, belief is what makes us go on. Nora's story is beyond truth or lie, it's about BELIEF.
I think the beauty of this is that it really doesn't matter at all whether she's telling the truth or not. It's utterly immaterial. Most often the problem with ambiguous endings in fiction is that one option tells a better story than the other. That was my issue with the Green Knight for example. I've never seen an open ending executed as well as in this show.
Looking forward to the series analysis. I watched The Leftovers because of you, and it's been of the most touching pieces of fiction I've ever seen on TV.
The leftovers is one of the best tv shows ever produced and i've always believed not only that Nora lied but also that Kevin knows she's lying but decides to believe her story anyway
Holy shit this is so great and vindicating. A few months after I finished the series, I rewatched the finale again just to feel something and then my brain started to go "this honestly feels a bit like lazy writing to just give us some crazy story in the last few minutes of the show." Then I started to think back to the shows themes, going all the way back to the guilty remnant, Wayne's "powers," Matt's religiousness, Miracle, everything... and to me, perhaps most importantly, the whole arc of Tommy manipulating people just to heal them. If you break down this shows themes to the most bare-bones level, every arc is all about the power of belief over grief. I think back to the final moments of Christopher Nolan's Memento, too... "do I lie to myself to be happy? in your case Teddy, yes I will." These are themes that just really resonate with me. This video profoundly articulates it in a way I couldn't, especially with pointing out the Australian woman's arc.
She gave Kevin an allegorical response when he asks her about what happened when she was in the machine. Its her letting go, but now accepting her soul-mate, or did they both lie, and finish happy, but still bringing out the worst in eachother. Maybe.
I was saddened that I could not find a " London City Girl " review of this series,; that's my go to for any analysis and breakdown of mind bending presentations. I went through at least 4 other RUclips posting, supposedly offering analysis/explanation of the show. I could not make it past several minutes into any of them. They were all more just like recaps than actual breakdowns. I also perceived them as mostly frivolous band standing of the presenter rather than understandings offered to the viewer. However you sir, you were the real " analytical and explanatory " deal. I look forward to seeing your other reviews to this series and other mind bending presentations.
Excellent video. I am very excited for your longer analysis of the show. This video was the first one to make me come to terms with the fact that Nora lied and Lindelof' statement that the show has a happy ending.
Everyone has their story. We tell ourselves the story that lets us move past the things that hold us back. Kevin's experiences help him get over his setbacks. Regardless of whether it was a true experience or not, we get to see it on screen. In this case, we are the story listeners/gospel consumers but with Nora and Grace, Kevin just has the choice to believe or not. Of course Nora has the bias of being with a man who has had DIVINE-like experience that let HIM move on, she has adapted to rejecting her whole life (hence her job and upbringing with Matt and bible camp) now Nora has HER own story. Frankly, I think Kevin knows she is lying but exactly what you said, she needs this to move on and he needs her. Thank you for doing the ambiguity justice. Genuinely culminates everything this show means to demonstrate. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This video makes a very strong case for Nora's story being true. But the conclusion, that therefore it is the more likely explanation, also depends on how supported the alternative is. And I think it has quite a lot of support as well. Some notes: First, it fits the theme perfectly. This show looks at loss, and mystery, and human reactions to both, and one of its biggest messages is that some things will always remain unexplained. What actually matters is not the answer to those mysteries, but everything else. Namely, it doesn't really matter whether the Departure was god or aliens or whatever, what matters is that those people are gone, and we've seen 3 seasons about how people try to recover from that. Why does the ending fit the theme? Because "You're here." "I'm here." That is them pointing out that what actually matters is that they are together, regardless of anything else. And to drive that point home, the explanation given - a parallel world where the Departed are the Leftovers - is the least-satisfying answer, certainly compared to god or aliens or whatever. The explanation is almost nothing at all. There are no followup questions to ask about it, because it doesn't matter. It's plausible, but empty. Second, it is true this show worked for 3 seasons to show us again and again that the skeptical answer is generally right, or at least plausible. And it is plausible that Nora is lying (or lying to herself). But the show also began with the actual Departure, a verified supernatural event. The Departure happened! So it is possible a machine can transport people to where the Departed are, in this story. And it fits quite well to bookend the show with another verifiable supernatural event, closing the book so to speak. But do I believe that she's telling the truth? No, I think the point is that both are plausible, but that it doesn't matter which of them it is, or even if there is a third possibility (if the second season had a lesson for us, it is that an alternative always exists: it wasn't another Departure, and it wasn't natural causes; it was a third thing). None of those possibilities really matter, no matter how much we care about such mysteries. What matters is that Nora is there with Kevin. That she didn't Depart, and was found. "Let the mystery be."
There are a couple other things that support the conclusion of Nora lying. In season 2, we hear Nora being told by the scientists researching The Sudden Departure tell her that she is the mortal vessel of The Demon Azrael and that is the reason why her life and the lives of those around her are chaos. At the time of hearing this she doesnt take it seriously but its possible that Nora deep down believed this and in going into exile was saving those around her from the chaos she brings. At first I was wondering why this plot point never went anywhere but its possible that they never intended on exploring it any further. Also, if 98% of the human population dissapeared out of knowhere, its likely that it would trigger a worldwide economic and logistical collapse that would kill the remaining 2% or at least cause them to mostly starve to death. Those remaining would not even be able to find each other and restore functioning communities or societies, it would be awful.
That was a interesting point. Despite watching the show a couple of times i couldn't understand why Nora has been living a solitary life whether her story true or lie, that was the most depressing part for me. On the other hand her story about paralel universe (make believe or not) is nothing to with demon Azrael
Just remembered the scene when Tommy catches Nora coming back from visiting Lilly and they have a conversation in her car. Tommy then tells her how he would have preferred his parents not to have told him that Kevin wasn't his biological father and how he wishes to have lived in a lie.
Great video, you make a strong argument. The Leftovers finale was one of the most beautiful episodes of TV I’ve ever seen. Whether the viewer believes Nora or not, its the emotional truth of it rather than the literal truth that makes Kevin and Nora reuniting so moving. Kevin ‘decides’ to believe her, or at least accept her as she is and reconcile, and it makes for a gloriously cathartic scene that nicely sums up the main themes of the series - faith/belief vs rationalism, loss and how to move on, love and the sacrifices and compromises required to keep that love strong. Maybe the best series finale, or closely tied with Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.
Great video! I loved this show while I watched it, haven’t rewatched but I appreciate videos like these because I somehow remember most of the series. I watched it while it was airing and whew 😮💨 what a privilege. I can’t imagine binging the show the first time through, it definitely benefited from having time to breath in my mind. I had a whole week to really think about each episode.
I fucking love this show. It brings me to tears constantly but I've never really watched anything written like this. The attention to every little detail in that present heaps of meaning in not only the writing but the acting, the cinematography and the music is masterful. I hadn't realised the parallels between the final scene and the one with Grace but I always thought she was lying (simply because it brings her arc to such a sad yet satisfying conclusion). Despite clarifying the ambiguous being antithetical to the point of the show I love that there's enough for the audience to make a good guess at it. Just wish I could recommend it to more people but most that I've suggested it to have found the ambiguity frustrating. Always great to see more people making videos on the leftovers, it deserves it.
Throughout this series, all of the principle characters experience unexplainable phenomena and their lives are complicated by the reality that the people around them don't believe them because they don't experience the phenomena, however we the audience know it's real because we get to see it. This makes this moment critical - it's the first time something crazy happens (or doesn't happen) to Nora and we don't get to see it. Kevin's journey leads him to a place that he can accept her story as true, generally because of his growth/arc, but also specifically because that's what she offered to him when he was in his great struggle. Now, in this moment, we the audience are presented with the same situation all the characters in the show struggled with - namely that Nora, a character we love, tells us something that we are inclined NOT to believe, because we didn't see it! (And to OP's credit, there are lots of themes about disbelief/lies in this ep - which doesn't mean that she's lying necessarily). All this to say, we the audience are presented with the same situations the characters struggled with throughout the show - can you believe someone's inexplicable story when they insist it's true, despite a lot of evidence to the contrary and your gut saying it's a lie? I know my answer - I choose to believe.
Great video! There was one point you didn’t bring up that I think points more towards Nora telling the truth. After the wedding with Kevin and after Nora talks to the nun (so this is after the show shows us all the people lying and avoiding the truth) Nora finds the scape goat with all the beads around it’s neck stuck to a fence post. Nora walks up to the scape goat frees it, then takes all of its bead (which the wedding-goers placed on it as a relinquishing of their sin) and puts it on herself. In my mind this shows Nora rejecting the premise of Kevin and the Nun, and to always live by the truth, sins and all (also important to note that this scene has the most dramatic music of the entire episode, so I don’t think it’s some meaningless side thing) Also, if Nora is lying, then it seems confusing that she would reject Kevin’s lie, if the show presents Kevin’s attempt at faith in something that’s not true as bad and insufficient, then it would be weird for it to turn around and have Nora’s triumphant moment be her doing the exact same thing. I think she told the truth but I can see how someone would see it differently. Thanks for the great video!
Awesome stuff, bro. This was such a great (and confusing) show, but much like your point about personal stories & faith, even when I didn't understand exactly what was going on plotwise in the show, it always managed to touch me in the feels in ways nothing else could
I agree. Just picture it though - if her story was true, a fetus just plopped into an empty obgyn exam table in an empty office. The horror of that makes me wish I believed her
lol I actually mentioned that in my first draft but thought it was too morbid. Especially if Laurie was told the truth by Nora. Would’ve messed her up.
This reinforces my belief that The Leftovers is one of the best shows of all time. I wonder if they would ever consider a S4. But I don’t even know what they would do with it
You should watch station eleven now, and bring kleenex. I am very picky about putting TV shows in my favorite list but the leftovers and station eleven are both in them. Also twin peaks, undone, and dark.
I think the whole point isn't Nora telling the truth or not. It's that Kevin believes her. Kind of like the point of the show isn't what happened to the departed people, but how people react to it.
Leftovers is one of my favorite shows. Definitely not for everyone. As far as Nora went to the other side or not, I don’t think she did but the world the show created has things happen that shouldn’t so I think it’s plausible. I know it doesn’t actually matter if Nora went or not but sometimes it can just be fun talking about.
The show is about the lies/faith we tell ourselves to cope with the fact we are terrified that we dont know anything. How do you love in a world where they can just disappear in a moment (death)
I think Kevin is very inclined to believe anything, his experience on the series has been very weird and Nora story is also a tool for Kevin to accept what happened to him, also, accepting that his dementia might not be so "out of reality".
@@EPICNE55 Yeah, but for some odd reason those didn't satisfy me. I think it sucks how there are barely any The Leftovers analysis videos on RUclips despite being one of the most deeply symbolic TV shows ever.
@@vllls642 hmm interesting, I thought they were pretty good. I'm planning to make videos in the future talking about the leftovers. It's my absolute favorite show of all time
I have just a few minutes ago watched the finale and come straight here and watched your video having seen the thumbnail of your video weeks ago before I had seen season three. The funny thing is I had been wandering what you meant with "Yes, Nora Lied" and now I do. I actually thought that I would see in the final season a flashback were it was revealed that Nora in fact killed her husband and children and pretended that they disappeared in the Sudden Departure and she had been lying the whole time through the series , LOL. I think your right anyway, with your analysis that she lied in the final episode.
All the crazy crap that happened on this show and you choose this hill to stake your flag? The show is a philosophical road trip! And I loved every minute of it!
"A Safe Place to Land," is also a book on Nora's shelf - just saw that to in real time as I'm watching; capsulizing the theme of Nora and Kevin overall but particularly for the last episode.
I know this is 2 years too late but I just seen the series recently and I noticed 1 thing, again this may already be well known among longtime fans and just haven’t seen or heard it been mentioned yet but I think she is telling the truth, if she didn’t actually go to the other place I do still think it exists and the clue to why I think this is in the very 1st scene we see in the beginning of season 1. When the scene is ending before the time jump we hear a bunch of 911 calls following the departure, it’s hard to make them all out but for the most part they are all from people reporting the sudden disappearances, all except for 1 almost near the end you can hear 1 female voice and you can hear her saying “I don’t know where I am?”. It’s just such a weird thing to say if only a few people around you have disappeared but it would kinda make sense to say something like if everyone around disappeared. As from that perspective you would initially believe that what has happened only happened to you until you actually find another person, so it’s not hard to assume that if everyone around you vanished right in front of you that instead of concluding that everyone else disappeared your 1st thought maybe that you alone have ended up somewhere else. This does however run into a few issues and I know this is long enough so if anyone wants to know my explanations to them I’d be happy to share and reply.
I also checked if she still had the Wu Tang tattoo in the episodes after she got it, and she does! If you look closely it's there even when she gets into the "machine" incredible consistency there.
I guess you aren’t an attorney. That was entertaining but none of your points challenge artistic license. Perhaps Nora did lie, but you didn’t come any closer to proving it in my opinion. Nice work though.
It's genius. Faith in the story allows the story to move, and the goose that lays the golden egg is inconsequential. It may not be a true story, but it's true that it's a story. You don't have to give the answers in order for the story to be worth it. It's such an inverse to the problems with LOST, and they complement each other so well.
Fucking love all your videos man keep it up! I look forward to each new post and I literally spoil great shows for myself just to hear you talk about them
What really maters is that Nora is now in peace and found answers by her own. Even if maybe she didn't go there, if this place exists, she realised her place was here with Kevin. That's why the birds came back at this moment, when they are together again.
Great analysis. I don't think Nora went through either but i would LOVE to see another season from the 2pc pov. I also don't believe Kevin had a heart attack. I think he just wanted to shrug off the previous messiah belief so he could reconnect with Nora.
I love this wonderful show I watch it 3 years ago and do it the same time until I get the 3th time and i just get cry because the show i finished it and i will miss it i hope i will could do watch it for 4th the next year
Finally! Just rewatched the series and while I still have a ton of criticism, it is a very good show. And I agree that Nora lied. She is known to lie and we see her scream (I think to stop) before the water fills up. We know that had Nora actually went she never ever would have not said something and not gone to her kids. She couldn’t ever keep her mouth shut or herself out of confrontations. It’s fine Nora is lying and needs that to accept her fate.
Edit: lots of clarifications
this is v interesting !! i always thought she shouted YES when she was about to go under but i never thought of her wanting it to stop
But how do her character flaws imply that she didn't go through?
@@akshayhere that shout is de facto her character flaw. Screamed at us.
@@judiecakes given the emotion there, and you can hear the "s" and almost t in stop, no, it's definitely not yes.
I'm just rewatching this - for like the 5th time, and just commented the same, Heather, not realizing your own observation was pinned here. With all of Macabre's observations, it's kinda the nail in the coffin. She did not make the attempt.
The writers claimed they planned on people being 50-50 on believing Nora`s story. However Carrie Coon was so good that 80% of the viewers in pre screenings believed Nora.
Nora was "suicidal and depressed" from the moment we met her. Her newfound relationship was not enough to fill the hole left behind after the loss of her entire family. She was looking for answers, yes, but also wanted an escape from her guilt, grief, and pain. She knew what the device was from the start but went along because she "thought" that she wanted to die. This is not uncommon with suicidal people who change their minds before committing the act. Nora realized that she preferred to live rather than die, but the shame of that would not allow her to admit it. The story she created allowed her to go on living, and Kevin accepting it was an act of kindness that communicated the love between them. The Leftovers is many things but I think, mostly about love. The love we lose, finding it again and the things we do for those we love. It also shows how empty the lives of those without love are and the importance of moving on after love is lost.
That's a beautiful interpretation.
Very good explanation.
Wonderfully put my friend
I love the analysis but I choose to believe Nora, its just a nicer story.
me too.
I see what you did there.
Damon Lindelof the showrunner of the show too, soo...?
That's the point though... It's up to you to decide what you believe. Whatever gives you the greatest comfort
@@TheFangforn Which is, of course, the story of humanity isn't it? In the end, what gives you the greatest comfort is what you come to terms with, not necessarily the actual truth itself. But then again, what exactly is the _actual_ truth? Everyone has a version of this _truth_ and it is what allows them to go forward in life. But we must remember that the concept of truth is like a 3 edged sword --- there is _your_ truth, there is _my_ truth and then there is the _actual_ truth, whatever that might be --- the one that is floating ethereally out there in the cosmos totally and forever out of our reach, totally and forever unknowable --- at least on this plane of existence. We find meaning where we can.
the music in this show always gets me in the feels especially when kevin says “i believe you”
One big thing about that show is the music always queues when they want you to feel something
Omg I thought the same exact thing at the same exact moment. This theme is so efficient
That's kind of the point, in my opinion. Nora can't handle the guilt of leaving her life and Kevin behind, so she came up with an elaborate story as a coping mechanism. Kevin believes her because he chooses to believe her, because he loves her. And that's all she needs, and all that he needs.
@@godofdeadlydeath I agree but I also think bc of that lie and he knows it’s a lie even if they get back together it’ll never work out between them bc they’re both always keeping secrets and lying about important stuff. They could never just BE together. It was always some drama! (Which makes for good tv)
@@HeatherHolt you may be right. I think at that point in their lives, with all the mistakes they've made, just being together and loving each other, to quote Kevin Sr. "IS enough."
The point isn't if she lied or not. The point is you have to find your truth to cope, that is the only way we can get through such pointless, unfair trauma.
There ya go. The entire show is about trauma response. Are there supernatural things happening too? Absolutely but interesting enough that's not the point. The point is everything around it. That's the focus. What do YOU think happened and what do YOU do to cope. As we see, some ways of coping are "healthier" than others. Another example, is the australian lady obsessed about her dead children's shoes; showcasing obsessing about minute details when in fact there is no explanation or an explanation so benign it's irrelevant. I don't even think its entirely about believing Nora as it is thinking about all the reasons how and why people chose how to cope in the ways they did with nuances of humanity.
@@rayrayz4667 Indeed. The show is about what is leftover
Well said. I agree.
@@freakfire74 You guys all summed it up so well :)
Exactly. Nora’s story being true or not doesn’t matter, her story (true or false) is her way of coping and accepting life, and kevin’s way of coping and accepting life is being with nora, him believing nora means he’s with her and that’s all that matters to him. I see nora’s story as symbolism for religion, you don’t know if it’s true or not but it depends on what you choose to believe and accept. I don’t think the writers even have a set idea on if she was lying or not because that wasn’t the point of it.
One of the most underrated TV shows of all time . Great acting and story. Max Richter’s music seriously made the show. 🚬
I would argue the opposite. It is one of the most overrated series. If you find the boring, contrived and illogical subplots interesting, good for you, but this is just you projecting something into the show, that just isn't there. While it is kind of a good thing, that the show managed to do that for many people, I would still argue, that there is no real substance in there to warrent the love the show gets. Something in the cultists, religious group dynamics, psychological overdramatisation just seems to click with many viewers. For me, it's just to shallow and once you try to get under the surface, you find it was all just flashy painted garbage.
@@christoph4977 "But this is just you projecting something into the show, that just isn't there" lol, maybe it's there, but you haven't noticed or liked it? Typical behavior of stupid people whose opinion is always an objective analysis, and the opinion of others when it differs from yours is your own projection.... Grow up dude.
@@thotslayer9914 There is mystery and then there is pseudo-mystery. There are plenty good shows, movies or books that either resolve the mystery in a satisfying manner or leave enough to be open for interpretation but manage to satisfy your curiosity. And then there is the part, where you have to make the rest of the show interesting, where The Leftovers clearly fails for me.
This and Lost are two examples of how it's not done (in my opinion anyway)
But I mean, it's Lindelof, what did I expect. From his writing only Lost was decent in the first few seasons and I kinda liked World War Z. All the rest is just garbage.
lost is really good to
"One of the most underrated TV show of all time" lol. It far from underrated. The Leftovers won several awards, appeared in 50+ critic's top ten lists, and got universal acclaim on Metacritic. *Not underrated* by a long shot, let alone "one of the most underrated ... of all time." This show is outstanding.
If anyone would be able to find the scientist, it'd be Nora, right? Wasn't her whole job to find people who supposedly departed? She's like a crazy good investigator
Just no
Haha , she could not find the two physicists, and Laurie did
Right
I think it’s wild to say Kevin didn’t believe Nora when the man literally died, spent time in an afterlife, and came back. He believed her. 100%.
technically it wasnt afterlife, it was all in his mind. and when he solved his mind-problems he blew up its "mind demention" cuz he dont need it anymore so...
@@platonomania if that’s the story you’re telling about it. The man survived a gun shot and came back.
YE, he is kinda immortal :D but that dont meen he seeing afterlife
I wanted to believe her story. I think we all do really. It’s about making things “right” in our heads to make us feel comfortable with what we don’t understand. Last year after my mom died, i heard it every time someone said “she’s in a better place now.” My rational side doesn’t know for sure where or even if she is now. My irrational side wants desperately to believe. For me, The Leftovers might be the most authentic story about grief I’ve ever seen. And I didn’t know that until now - years after I saw its finale.
While watching this I was thinking to myself “I really should find a full analysis of the entire show” and then when you said you were working on one I became soooooo happy
"It's not a lie if you believe it" George from Seinfeld
I like the theory that nora died in the process and this is the afterlife. This is why she sees laurie and the line of dialogue where kevin brings up his heart condition makes alot more sense if you see it as the reason for his death
Maybe, if Matt was there too or Evie
I disagree I think the line about his heart and him offering to show her his pacemaker scar was meant to parallel with him going into the afterlife or other world or whatever in the second to last episode when he drowned, his “identical twin” had the nuclear launch key implanted in his chest and the scar looks extremely similar to a pacemaker scar.
@@jpeg204 It's really annoying when people write a sentence that is an entire paragraph long, with no punctuation.
@@TheAtl198 Shut up Go outside and dont be a youtube comment grammar nazi i was very tempted to type out a thousand word paragraph with zero punctuation lolz Be happy my friend life is beautiful
@@TheAtl198deeeeeewsh
Yes!! Also: notable how the scene cuts right before the water enters her mouth. In International Assasin the way to not get stuck in the Undead World is by not drinking the water.
Awesome
WHOA. Great find 👀 never even thought twice about the water comments.
I LIVE for The Leftovers videos. Thank you for keeping one of the best tv shows on the frontrunn of discussion. The final episode is not really ambiguous as you said, it's kinda like The Sopranos, the clues of what happened are all there. And with Nora, what story we choose to move on, is her arc for the whole season.
That’s a great comparison - Leftovers and Sopranos both have a technically ambiguous ending, implying things without outright telling the viewer what happened. It’s an extremely effective approach because it makes the ending live on in one’s imagination, much more so than if everything was neatly explained/shown.
I watched the whole series twice and after this video I want to watch it again. Such a masterpiece of a show.
"Working on a full series retrospective on the Leftovers" -- yessss I literally can't wait
just finished my 3rd rewatch of the year of the show and coming back to these two videos every time hahaha
I love them, can't wait for the full recap video 😍😍😍
Glad to find someone still making videos on this show! I'm getting ready for a rewatch and am happy to be going through your vids first.
Strongly agree, except everyone in Australia offers you tea at every opportunity
Also really looking forward to your next, love your work and I thoroughly agree that The Leftovers is a banger
I'm late to the party, but one other point to mention is that earlier in the season the wife of the tower guy tries claiming that he departed, and Matt tried to convince Nora to let the wife have her story. Nora, of course, doesn't. She puts a picture of his autopsy on full display.
But as you stated, by the end of the series Nora finally understands why people choose to believe in something that may or may not be actually true. And so when she finds herself in the same boat as that wife, she does the same thing that the wife did. She lies.
Thats the way I see it, anyway.
Looking forward to your retrospective.
The show isn't about truth or about lie: it is about what we choose to believe in in order to keep living and move on. There's a saying which goes : "we are who we believe we are". Searching for the truth and telling ourselves (or to others) lies are the things that will always misguide us in life. On the other hand, belief is what makes us go on. Nora's story is beyond truth or lie, it's about BELIEF.
I think the beauty of this is that it really doesn't matter at all whether she's telling the truth or not. It's utterly immaterial.
Most often the problem with ambiguous endings in fiction is that one option tells a better story than the other. That was my issue with the Green Knight for example. I've never seen an open ending executed as well as in this show.
I choose to believe Nora’s story, it’s just so perfect that I want to believe it :)
Looking forward to the series analysis. I watched The Leftovers because of you, and it's been of the most touching pieces of fiction I've ever seen on TV.
The leftovers is one of the best tv shows ever produced and i've always believed not only that Nora lied but also that Kevin knows she's lying but decides to believe her story anyway
If you know that someone is lying, it is impossible to simultaneously "believe" it. You can only pretend to believe it.
@@davidtu3594 you are underestimating the brain's capacity to lie to itself
I rewatched after all these years and I’ve never cried so much. Every episode was super emotional for me. One of the best shows ever made!
It’s made for a certain type of person, I think. I found it incredibly cathartic but almost everyone I know can’t finish it.
Yeah it was arollercoaster
Love you either way, Nora.
There was alot of weird stuff going on the whole series, but Kevin did comeback to life several times. I mean that happened right?
Holy shit this is so great and vindicating. A few months after I finished the series, I rewatched the finale again just to feel something and then my brain started to go "this honestly feels a bit like lazy writing to just give us some crazy story in the last few minutes of the show." Then I started to think back to the shows themes, going all the way back to the guilty remnant, Wayne's "powers," Matt's religiousness, Miracle, everything... and to me, perhaps most importantly, the whole arc of Tommy manipulating people just to heal them. If you break down this shows themes to the most bare-bones level, every arc is all about the power of belief over grief.
I think back to the final moments of Christopher Nolan's Memento, too... "do I lie to myself to be happy? in your case Teddy, yes I will." These are themes that just really resonate with me.
This video profoundly articulates it in a way I couldn't, especially with pointing out the Australian woman's arc.
Great show. Watched it like 4 years ago and loved it
Another excellent analysis, thank you Mac. Keep up the great work! Can’t wait for the long form retrospective.
She gave Kevin an allegorical response when he asks her about what happened when she was in the machine. Its her letting go, but now accepting her soul-mate, or did they both lie, and finish happy, but still bringing out the worst in eachother. Maybe.
Not a lot of Vids out there on The Leftovers, which is criminal
I was saddened that I could not find a " London City Girl " review of this series,; that's my go to for any analysis and breakdown of mind bending presentations. I went through at least 4 other RUclips posting, supposedly offering analysis/explanation of the show. I could not make it past several minutes into any of them. They were all more just like recaps than actual breakdowns. I also perceived them as mostly frivolous band standing of the presenter rather than understandings offered to the viewer.
However you sir, you were the real " analytical and explanatory " deal. I look forward to seeing your other reviews to this series and other mind bending presentations.
Excellent video. I am very excited for your longer analysis of the show. This video was the first one to make me come to terms with the fact that Nora lied and Lindelof' statement that the show has a happy ending.
Everyone has their story. We tell ourselves the story that lets us move past the things that hold us back. Kevin's experiences help him get over his setbacks. Regardless of whether it was a true experience or not, we get to see it on screen. In this case, we are the story listeners/gospel consumers but with Nora and Grace, Kevin just has the choice to believe or not. Of course Nora has the bias of being with a man who has had DIVINE-like experience that let HIM move on, she has adapted to rejecting her whole life (hence her job and upbringing with Matt and bible camp) now Nora has HER own story. Frankly, I think Kevin knows she is lying but exactly what you said, she needs this to move on and he needs her. Thank you for doing the ambiguity justice. Genuinely culminates everything this show means to demonstrate. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thanks a lot. The Leftovers are a so great show and so much to think about it. So, one of my next re-watches will be The Leftovers!
Doesn't matter to me. I believe her.
This video makes a very strong case for Nora's story being true. But the conclusion, that therefore it is the more likely explanation, also depends on how supported the alternative is. And I think it has quite a lot of support as well. Some notes:
First, it fits the theme perfectly. This show looks at loss, and mystery, and human reactions to both, and one of its biggest messages is that some things will always remain unexplained. What actually matters is not the answer to those mysteries, but everything else. Namely, it doesn't really matter whether the Departure was god or aliens or whatever, what matters is that those people are gone, and we've seen 3 seasons about how people try to recover from that.
Why does the ending fit the theme? Because "You're here." "I'm here." That is them pointing out that what actually matters is that they are together, regardless of anything else. And to drive that point home, the explanation given - a parallel world where the Departed are the Leftovers - is the least-satisfying answer, certainly compared to god or aliens or whatever. The explanation is almost nothing at all. There are no followup questions to ask about it, because it doesn't matter. It's plausible, but empty.
Second, it is true this show worked for 3 seasons to show us again and again that the skeptical answer is generally right, or at least plausible. And it is plausible that Nora is lying (or lying to herself). But the show also began with the actual Departure, a verified supernatural event. The Departure happened! So it is possible a machine can transport people to where the Departed are, in this story. And it fits quite well to bookend the show with another verifiable supernatural event, closing the book so to speak.
But do I believe that she's telling the truth? No, I think the point is that both are plausible, but that it doesn't matter which of them it is, or even if there is a third possibility (if the second season had a lesson for us, it is that an alternative always exists: it wasn't another Departure, and it wasn't natural causes; it was a third thing). None of those possibilities really matter, no matter how much we care about such mysteries. What matters is that Nora is there with Kevin. That she didn't Depart, and was found. "Let the mystery be."
There are a couple other things that support the conclusion of Nora lying. In season 2, we hear Nora being told by the scientists researching The Sudden Departure tell her that she is the mortal vessel of The Demon Azrael and that is the reason why her life and the lives of those around her are chaos. At the time of hearing this she doesnt take it seriously but its possible that Nora deep down believed this and in going into exile was saving those around her from the chaos she brings. At first I was wondering why this plot point never went anywhere but its possible that they never intended on exploring it any further.
Also, if 98% of the human population dissapeared out of knowhere, its likely that it would trigger a worldwide economic and logistical collapse that would kill the remaining 2% or at least cause them to mostly starve to death. Those remaining would not even be able to find each other and restore functioning communities or societies, it would be awful.
That was a interesting point. Despite watching the show a couple of times i couldn't understand why Nora has been living a solitary life whether her story true or lie, that was the most depressing part for me. On the other hand her story about paralel universe (make believe or not) is nothing to with demon Azrael
Just remembered the scene when Tommy catches Nora coming back from visiting Lilly and they have a conversation in her car. Tommy then tells her how he would have preferred his parents not to have told him that Kevin wasn't his biological father and how he wishes to have lived in a lie.
Great video, you make a strong argument. The Leftovers finale was one of the most beautiful episodes of TV I’ve ever seen. Whether the viewer believes Nora or not, its the emotional truth of it rather than the literal truth that makes Kevin and Nora reuniting so moving. Kevin ‘decides’ to believe her, or at least accept her as she is and reconcile, and it makes for a gloriously cathartic scene that nicely sums up the main themes of the series - faith/belief vs rationalism, loss and how to move on, love and the sacrifices and compromises required to keep that love strong. Maybe the best series finale, or closely tied with Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.
This seems like a loooooooonnng and painful way to work yourself into a form of denial.
This is a very well analysis of the question
Great video! I loved this show while I watched it, haven’t rewatched but I appreciate videos like these because I somehow remember most of the series. I watched it while it was airing and whew 😮💨 what a privilege. I can’t imagine binging the show the first time through, it definitely benefited from having time to breath in my mind. I had a whole week to really think about each episode.
I fucking love this show. It brings me to tears constantly but I've never really watched anything written like this. The attention to every little detail in that present heaps of meaning in not only the writing but the acting, the cinematography and the music is masterful. I hadn't realised the parallels between the final scene and the one with Grace but I always thought she was lying (simply because it brings her arc to such a sad yet satisfying conclusion). Despite clarifying the ambiguous being antithetical to the point of the show I love that there's enough for the audience to make a good guess at it. Just wish I could recommend it to more people but most that I've suggested it to have found the ambiguity frustrating. Always great to see more people making videos on the leftovers, it deserves it.
Holy Wayne. For a sec I thought you gonna give the answer to the most crucial question of the show: where are the shoes of those dead children.
Throughout this series, all of the principle characters experience unexplainable phenomena and their lives are complicated by the reality that the people around them don't believe them because they don't experience the phenomena, however we the audience know it's real because we get to see it. This makes this moment critical - it's the first time something crazy happens (or doesn't happen) to Nora and we don't get to see it. Kevin's journey leads him to a place that he can accept her story as true, generally because of his growth/arc, but also specifically because that's what she offered to him when he was in his great struggle. Now, in this moment, we the audience are presented with the same situation all the characters in the show struggled with - namely that Nora, a character we love, tells us something that we are inclined NOT to believe, because we didn't see it! (And to OP's credit, there are lots of themes about disbelief/lies in this ep - which doesn't mean that she's lying necessarily). All this to say, we the audience are presented with the same situations the characters struggled with throughout the show - can you believe someone's inexplicable story when they insist it's true, despite a lot of evidence to the contrary and your gut saying it's a lie? I know my answer - I choose to believe.
Great video! There was one point you didn’t bring up that I think points more towards Nora telling the truth.
After the wedding with Kevin and after Nora talks to the nun (so this is after the show shows us all the people lying and avoiding the truth) Nora finds the scape goat with all the beads around it’s neck stuck to a fence post. Nora walks up to the scape goat frees it, then takes all of its bead (which the wedding-goers placed on it as a relinquishing of their sin) and puts it on herself.
In my mind this shows Nora rejecting the premise of Kevin and the Nun, and to always live by the truth, sins and all (also important to note that this scene has the most dramatic music of the entire episode, so I don’t think it’s some meaningless side thing)
Also, if Nora is lying, then it seems confusing that she would reject Kevin’s lie, if the show presents Kevin’s attempt at faith in something that’s not true as bad and insufficient, then it would be weird for it to turn around and have Nora’s triumphant moment be her doing the exact same thing.
I think she told the truth but I can see how someone would see it differently. Thanks for the great video!
So glad I found this channel. I'm the only person I know who watched and love this show. Looking forward to your upcoming series on it.
Bravo! Thanks for this, and looking forward to the retrospective, whenever it's ready.
This was great. Can't wait for more Leftovers analysis ❤
Awesome stuff, bro. This was such a great (and confusing) show, but much like your point about personal stories & faith, even when I didn't understand exactly what was going on plotwise in the show, it always managed to touch me in the feels in ways nothing else could
This is a pretty good video I loved the series super underrated
I agree. Just picture it though - if her story was true, a fetus just plopped into an empty obgyn exam table in an empty office. The horror of that makes me wish I believed her
lol I actually mentioned that in my first draft but thought it was too morbid. Especially if Laurie was told the truth by Nora. Would’ve messed her up.
Damn I forgot all about that 🤯
This reinforces my belief that The Leftovers is one of the best shows of all time. I wonder if they would ever consider a S4. But I don’t even know what they would do with it
The other world with the 2 % would be good.
Just finished watching it, thank you this never crossed my mind!
It is funny how many people need to know after seeing the series. Almost like the characters.
I think that the Leftovers was and is the only series in which I ever cried
You should watch station eleven now, and bring kleenex. I am very picky about putting TV shows in my favorite list but the leftovers and station eleven are both in them. Also twin peaks, undone, and dark.
@a known wizard thanks for the advices !
I think the whole point isn't Nora telling the truth or not. It's that Kevin believes her. Kind of like the point of the show isn't what happened to the departed people, but how people react to it.
Can’t wait for your analysis of the series!!
Leftovers is one of my favorite shows. Definitely not for everyone. As far as Nora went to the other side or not, I don’t think she did but the world the show created has things happen that shouldn’t so I think it’s plausible. I know it doesn’t actually matter if Nora went or not but sometimes it can just be fun talking about.
So happy your doing content on this, I watched it a couple years ago and there was one good video on it.
Incredible analysis, thank you!
I had fun watching this series. The intro music takes me back
I had to double check seing this thumbnail omg I love this show
The show is about the lies/faith we tell ourselves to cope with the fact we are terrified that we dont know anything. How do you love in a world where they can just disappear in a moment (death)
Ya, its just a Metaphor, she basically says she's accepted the loss of her Family, think of how she explained that monologue.
It's such a beautiful thing that that it doesn't matter.
"Faith is a choice.."
Very Kierkegaardian. Brilliant analysis!
I think Kevin is very inclined to believe anything, his experience on the series has been very weird and Nora story is also a tool for Kevin to accept what happened to him, also, accepting that his dementia might not be so "out of reality".
Please Mac, please do a character analysis on Kevin. He’s fascinating to me.
Have you seen Kirby Yardley's video series on Kevin? You probably already have :)
@@EPICNE55 Yeah, but for some odd reason those didn't satisfy me. I think it sucks how there are barely any The Leftovers analysis videos on RUclips despite being one of the most deeply symbolic TV shows ever.
@@vllls642 hmm interesting, I thought they were pretty good. I'm planning to make videos in the future talking about the leftovers. It's my absolute favorite show of all time
@@vllls642 but yeah there's so much depth to the show.
@@EPICNE55 Agreed. I would recommend Why The Leftovers Ending Is Perfect by Studio Ersatz.
This is great because i just watched S3E3 and i totally was reminded of nora's story in the finale. Then i watched this!
I have just a few minutes ago watched the finale and come straight here and watched your video having seen the thumbnail of your video weeks ago before I had seen season three.
The funny thing is I had been wandering what you meant with "Yes, Nora Lied" and now I do.
I actually thought that I would see in the final season a flashback were it was revealed that Nora in fact killed her husband and children and pretended that they disappeared in the Sudden Departure and she had been lying the whole time through the series , LOL.
I think your right anyway, with your analysis that she lied in the final episode.
All the crazy crap that happened on this show and you choose this hill to stake your flag? The show is a philosophical road trip! And I loved every minute of it!
writign in this show is so good
Wow, I definitely wasn’t expecting a video on The Leftovers, sadly seems like everyone just forgot about that show.
Super excited for this! :)
Carrie has said she was never told the "truth" by the writers, and she also has never shared what she believes.
My theory is the procedure was just a scan and the physicists ditched while she was in the tub
"A Safe Place to Land," is also a book on Nora's shelf - just saw that to in real time as I'm watching; capsulizing the theme of Nora and Kevin overall but particularly for the last episode.
I think I believed Nora in the sense that this other world existed. I had to believe something happened to those people.
I know this is 2 years too late but I just seen the series recently and I noticed 1 thing, again this may already be well known among longtime fans and just haven’t seen or heard it been mentioned yet but I think she is telling the truth, if she didn’t actually go to the other place I do still think it exists and the clue to why I think this is in the very 1st scene we see in the beginning of season 1. When the scene is ending before the time jump we hear a bunch of 911 calls following the departure, it’s hard to make them all out but for the most part they are all from people reporting the sudden disappearances, all except for 1 almost near the end you can hear 1 female voice and you can hear her saying “I don’t know where I am?”. It’s just such a weird thing to say if only a few people around you have disappeared but it would kinda make sense to say something like if everyone around disappeared. As from that perspective you would initially believe that what has happened only happened to you until you actually find another person, so it’s not hard to assume that if everyone around you vanished right in front of you that instead of concluding that everyone else disappeared your 1st thought maybe that you alone have ended up somewhere else.
This does however run into a few issues and I know this is long enough so if anyone wants to know my explanations to them I’d be happy to share and reply.
I believe her, and that's what matters 😊
#WeBelieveNora
I agree. Great writing. I'm surprised you didn't mention the parallel to the tattoo story/lie.
I also checked if she still had the Wu Tang tattoo in the episodes after she got it, and she does! If you look closely it's there even when she gets into the "machine" incredible consistency there.
I guess you aren’t an attorney. That was entertaining but none of your points challenge artistic license. Perhaps Nora did lie, but you didn’t come any closer to proving it in my opinion. Nice work though.
The noble lie/the noble kayfabe
I can’t wait to watch this video I’m sure that I will enjoy that I also know will not change my mind on the matter
I believe her as well.
Damn straight first! Still pumping out great work!
Oh my god! Cant wait for the full analysis!!! Great video as always
It's genius.
Faith in the story allows the story to move, and the goose that lays the golden egg is inconsequential.
It may not be a true story, but it's true that it's a story.
You don't have to give the answers in order for the story to be worth it.
It's such an inverse to the problems with LOST, and they complement each other so well.
This calrified by how Nora reacts when Kevin tells her he believes her
Fucking love all your videos man keep it up! I look forward to each new post and I literally spoil great shows for myself just to hear you talk about them
What really maters is that Nora is now in peace and found answers by her own. Even if maybe she didn't go there, if this place exists, she realised her place was here with Kevin. That's why the birds came back at this moment, when they are together again.
At this point I consider hearing the name "Majin Weabuu" to be an integral part of the experience of watching your videos
Great analysis. I don't think Nora went through either but i would LOVE to see another season from the 2pc pov.
I also don't believe Kevin had a heart attack. I think he just wanted to shrug off the previous messiah belief so he could reconnect with Nora.
We need a Holy Wayne Prequel Spin off show lmao
I love this wonderful show I watch it 3 years ago and do it the same time until I get the 3th time and i just get cry because the show i finished it and i will miss it i hope i will could do watch it for 4th the next year