More than three years ago, 2% of the world’s population inexplicably vanished. 140 million people, gone in an instant. No country, no state, no city was spared, except for one small town in eastern Texas. Population: 9261. Departures: Zero. This is the setting for a tale of two families: the Garveys, who have moved to this special place, and whose lives were forever changed by the Departure, and the Murphys, a local family, who seem to have been spared from an event that shook the rest of the world. But even in the town of Miracle, you can’t escape your past. This “immersive, deeply satisfying drama” (Jen Chaney, Esquire) delivers profound mystery, heart-pounding action, shocking controversy and startling beauty in all 10 gripping Season Two episodes.
Episodes
1. Axis Mundi
2. A Matter of Geography
3. Off Ramp
4. Orange Sticker
5. No Room At The Inn
6. Lens
7. A Most Powerful Adversary
8. International Assassin
9. Ten Thirteen
10. I Live Here Now
The first season of The Leftovers was interesting and different than any other series on cable and concluded with the viewer having no idea where the story would go from there. I'm happy to say the second season sees the cast move to the town of Jarden,TX. Jarden was spared on October 14th with zero departures, which leads it to having a National Park protecting it from masses of people destroying the town. Of course not everything is at it seems in this miracle place nor the fresh start Kevin Garvey and his family were hoping for.
The cast was stellar and improves this season with the brilliant addition of Regina King. I always enjoyed her work on Southland and here she has the same commanding presence. There are several twists and turns while the pacing of the show has picked up considerably. The second season has many standout episodes but the masterpiece would be episode 8 "International Assassin". Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta have developed the show into of on the absolute best of recent memory and the series will return with a third and final season on HBO sometime this year. 9.5/10
The Leftovers: The Complete Second Season arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 - The shows move to a new location helps brighten the overall look with lush greens and beautiful natural stone colors. Skintones have a natural appearance. Blacks levels were consistent in their richness and depth. There was some light noise in a few brief moments during darker scenes. Fine detail was quite impressive highlighting textures in the wardrobe and all the wrinkles, wear in faces, chipped and worn paint. 9/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue reproduction was perfect, crisp and clear. The show has a number of environmental effects that bring the sounds of birds, crowd din and outdoors to life. The score has excellent fidelity and a wide soundstage. The Pixies "Where's My Mind?" is featured in several episodes and it has never sounded better. LFE performance exhibits extremely deep rumbles for intense effect during pivotal scenes and adds depth and richness to the brilliant score. No pops, cracks or hissing. Near perfection. 9.5/10
