This might be my favorite episode of the series. It is the one that I think of whenever this show is brought up. It is one of the most memorable episodes of television I've ever seen.
It's like an initiation rite. Welcome to the other side of "International Assassin." Now the metaphors of Kevin's internal journey have glued themselves together into a Rosetta Stone, and you can more clearly understand the significances and translate many things that have happened before. Give yourself time: I watched it three times before going forward, letting it sink in and letting my mind play through it repeatedly. An astonishing writing and acting achievement. And it was an absolute blast to experience it again through your eyes.
I've always enjoyed how Patti told herself she needed 50,000 to leave Neil, and that is exactly how much Kevin donated to her campaign. It's like he was freeing her, but also freeing the side of himself that agrees with Patti. This whole series it seems like Kevin has been at war with himself, one side wanting to save his town and be the family man, the other wanting to forsake his family and wear white. As for trying to figure out what the show is saying and what you want to understand, Just let the mystery be. Eventually you'll feel the answers.
Simply one of the greatest hours of TV ever made. I actually watched this 3 times before watching 2x9 and you just get more and more out of it. And still, the orphan well never occurred to me in relation to 2x1! On the cleaner in Kevins eyes: He gets it when he lies, the cleaner is making him see more clearly? You spotted so much in this episode- minor things you brought up good to keep in mind. Excellent editing to get this to 30 mins and good analysis right after episode! Bravo 👌🏻
Great review and analysis. The episode takes place in purgatory and Virgil / Virgilius is the guide. The river Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and its water makes the souls forget their former lives. The man on the bridge was Charon, the guard on the river leading to the land of the dead. My thesis is that each Patti is a layer of Kevin himself. He has to get rid of his false self and false commitments. He has to forgive himself. Thats why qhen he says he feels sorry for Patti it rings so true. He has to get rid of his self pity in order to move on. The recurring chorus is from Verdi's opera Nabucco where the Hebrew exiles moan their fate. Kevin is in spiritual exile
Excellent observation. I had read about all the references to Dante and Greek mythology to which you refer. Glad you so eloquently shared those thoughts. Also see the literary relationships between purgatory and atonement (Virgil). The realization that the hotel is purgatory perfectly explains the reference to Mary Jamison.
@@7954astro thanks! The music is also a huge metatext in this series. Lots of verdi, using la traviata to symbolize the sacrifice of the prehistoric mother and later on, having Allegri's Miserere for Matt's false epiphanies vs Schubert's Deutsche Messe for the genuine moments of grace and on it goes. It needs mapping out.
i've seen this episode a bunch and only just now realized that the fire alarm going off in kevin's world is because kevin sr set it off in the real world. neat detail.
Of all your reactions on the channel, series The Leftovers turned out to be the best. During the editing, you left all the critical and powerful scenes for the plot, and your reaction did not overlap the narrative of the series. And there are no huge inscriptions covering everything that is happening. And your admiration and thoughts while watching are always interesting and never annoying. Finally, an adult who reacts to cool movies and TV shows. Thank you for your work. I hope someday, you will make a reaction to the TV series Dexter or Hannibal. They are absolutely perfectly executed both in the visual part and from the point of view of the narrative. You won't be disappointed.
I love this episode, because it feels like it captures the way a human mind might try to perceive cosmic planes of "afterlife" existence on its own limited terms. Sort of like when a supernatural being tells humans, "this isn't what I really look like, this is just a form that your human minds can comprehend" - except it's happening with an entire environment, not just one being.
Neil, did you also make the connection with the flowers that the first assassin delivered to Kevin? They came with a card that Kevin's father said he sent...("Get well soon")? That was Kevin Sr. trying to tell Kevin to "Take her to the well"
So excited you made it to this episode! One interpretation (may or may not be true - Let the Mystery Be!) is that where Kevin & Virgil was IS the afterlife/purgatory. Therefore, the bird Virgil killed WAS one of Erika's shoebox birds, and because he killed it in the "hotel," it died in the shoebox. But who knows?
Definitely my favourite episode of the show, and one of my favourites in tv in general. Not that the rest of the show isn't good, because it is. But this one shines in a different way. I love everything about it, the writing, the music, the acting, the symbolism. You need to rewatch this one and pay attention to every single detail. You'll find so much more ;)
It's only on this rewatch of the episode that I realized that the importance of the water is due to his mind using Michael's vials of magic water in a creative way. Most of the stuff in the hotel has a relation to stuff we've already seen in the show (Erica's bird, Mary's baby balloons, etc.) so Michael's fixation on the water of Jardin being "magical" is probably his mind warning him not to give in to trusting magical thinking and trusting his own intuition instead.
On the Lost connections: the Leftovers book Kevin is nothing like TV Kevin at all. So much closer to Jack in Lost in character. In hindsight a lot of Jack and his arc looks like a dry run for Kevin here. Also Miracles population is 9261- multiple those numbers together and you get….
When this ep 1st started I thought "Nah, we're not going to get the afterlife, it's just a dream or something" but what an afterlife we got! I love the fact it made no sense, people running round in fantasy scenarios from a choice of clothes (bit like a video game), not drinking the water, high Grandpa contacting him through the telly. I was really worried he wasn't going to get back at all, the relief when Michael appears out of the woods! The best part was the unexpectedness, it wasn't anything like any world religion describes the afterlife, more like an alternate reality with twisted rules. The reason this is my 2nd fav episode, despite it being so good is that we loose Patti ;( The whole well bit was making me well-up!
Any film, tv series, music or book that stays in your head afterwards and makes you think and wonder, is worth your time and attention.
This might be my favorite episode of the series. It is the one that I think of whenever this show is brought up. It is one of the most memorable episodes of television I've ever seen.
Absolutely. Even better on the second watch for me this one.
It's like an initiation rite. Welcome to the other side of "International Assassin." Now the metaphors of Kevin's internal journey have glued themselves together into a Rosetta Stone, and you can more clearly understand the significances and translate many things that have happened before. Give yourself time: I watched it three times before going forward, letting it sink in and letting my mind play through it repeatedly. An astonishing writing and acting achievement. And it was an absolute blast to experience it again through your eyes.
I've always enjoyed how Patti told herself she needed 50,000 to leave Neil, and that is exactly how much Kevin donated to her campaign. It's like he was freeing her, but also freeing the side of himself that agrees with Patti. This whole series it seems like Kevin has been at war with himself, one side wanting to save his town and be the family man, the other wanting to forsake his family and wear white.
As for trying to figure out what the show is saying and what you want to understand, Just let the mystery be. Eventually you'll feel the answers.
Simply one of the greatest hours of TV ever made. I actually watched this 3 times before watching 2x9 and you just get more and more out of it. And still, the orphan well never occurred to me in relation to 2x1!
On the cleaner in Kevins eyes: He gets it when he lies, the cleaner is making him see more clearly?
You spotted so much in this episode- minor things you brought up good to keep in mind. Excellent editing to get this to 30 mins and good analysis right after episode! Bravo 👌🏻
Great review and analysis. The episode takes place in purgatory and Virgil / Virgilius is the guide. The river Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and its water makes the souls forget their former lives. The man on the bridge was Charon, the guard on the river leading to the land of the dead. My thesis is that each Patti is a layer of Kevin himself. He has to get rid of his false self and false commitments. He has to forgive himself. Thats why qhen he says he feels sorry for Patti it rings so true. He has to get rid of his self pity in order to move on. The recurring chorus is from Verdi's opera Nabucco where the Hebrew exiles moan their fate. Kevin is in spiritual exile
Excellent observation. I had read about all the references to Dante and Greek mythology to which you refer. Glad you so eloquently shared those thoughts. Also see the literary relationships between purgatory and atonement (Virgil). The realization that the hotel is purgatory perfectly explains the reference to Mary Jamison.
@@7954astro thanks! The music is also a huge metatext in this series. Lots of verdi, using la traviata to symbolize the sacrifice of the prehistoric mother and later on, having Allegri's Miserere for Matt's false epiphanies vs Schubert's Deutsche Messe for the genuine moments of grace and on it goes. It needs mapping out.
i've seen this episode a bunch and only just now realized that the fire alarm going off in kevin's world is because kevin sr set it off in the real world. neat detail.
Of all your reactions on the channel, series The Leftovers turned out to be the best. During the editing, you left all the critical and powerful scenes for the plot, and your reaction did not overlap the narrative of the series. And there are no huge inscriptions covering everything that is happening. And your admiration and thoughts while watching are always interesting and never annoying. Finally, an adult who reacts to cool movies and TV shows. Thank you for your work. I hope someday, you will make a reaction to the TV series Dexter or Hannibal. They are absolutely perfectly executed both in the visual part and from the point of view of the narrative. You won't be disappointed.
This is the episode where the show went from great to epic!!!!!
The episode we've all been waiting for! I loved it. It's an amazing experience every single time.
I love this episode, because it feels like it captures the way a human mind might try to perceive cosmic planes of "afterlife" existence on its own limited terms. Sort of like when a supernatural being tells humans, "this isn't what I really look like, this is just a form that your human minds can comprehend" - except it's happening with an entire environment, not just one being.
Neil, did you also make the connection with the flowers that the first assassin delivered to Kevin? They came with a card that Kevin's father said he sent...("Get well soon")? That was Kevin Sr. trying to tell Kevin to "Take her to the well"
Easily my favorite episode of any television show ever. Television has never been done like this before or after.
So excited you made it to this episode! One interpretation (may or may not be true - Let the Mystery Be!) is that where Kevin & Virgil was IS the afterlife/purgatory. Therefore, the bird Virgil killed WAS one of Erika's shoebox birds, and because he killed it in the "hotel," it died in the shoebox. But who knows?
Welcome to the true potential of The Leftovers. Truly my favorite show.
Definitely my favourite episode of the show, and one of my favourites in tv in general. Not that the rest of the show isn't good, because it is. But this one shines in a different way. I love everything about it, the writing, the music, the acting, the symbolism. You need to rewatch this one and pay attention to every single detail. You'll find so much more ;)
Outstanding reaction. I think your emotional / logical reaction is right on track..
Write that down! That is FUCKING brilliant!
It's only on this rewatch of the episode that I realized that the importance of the water is due to his mind using Michael's vials of magic water in a creative way. Most of the stuff in the hotel has a relation to stuff we've already seen in the show (Erica's bird, Mary's baby balloons, etc.) so Michael's fixation on the water of Jardin being "magical" is probably his mind warning him not to give in to trusting magical thinking and trusting his own intuition instead.
🤯 welcome to the hotel California
Huh huh that's pretty good
Been waiting for this one!
I GOT A NOTIFICATION ON MY PHONE AT THE EXACT SAME SECOND THE TV DURING THAT FIRST SCENE GOES OFF AND I ALMOST PISSED MYSELF LMAO
On the Lost connections: the Leftovers book Kevin is nothing like TV Kevin at all. So much closer to Jack in Lost in character. In hindsight a lot of Jack and his arc looks like a dry run for Kevin here.
Also Miracles population is 9261- multiple those numbers together and you get….
Maaaaake your own kind of music...
You all, everybody.
When this ep 1st started I thought "Nah, we're not going to get the afterlife, it's just a dream or something" but what an afterlife we got! I love the fact it made no sense, people running round in fantasy scenarios from a choice of clothes (bit like a video game), not drinking the water, high Grandpa contacting him through the telly. I was really worried he wasn't going to get back at all, the relief when Michael appears out of the woods!
The best part was the unexpectedness, it wasn't anything like any world religion describes the afterlife, more like an alternate reality with twisted rules.
The reason this is my 2nd fav episode, despite it being so good is that we loose Patti ;( The whole well bit was making me well-up!
oh man, I've been looking forward to your reaction to this episode 🤗
Hope you enjoyed it!
WE MADE IT TO 208 PEEPS ♥