The Dip Reviews The Leftovers s03e02

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The Dip

11 min readApr 24, 2017

Ralph Roosevelt and Sadie Halsey, who are definitely real and not fake people, will be reviewing every episode of HBO’s The Leftovers this season. Ralph is a longtime fan. Sadie had never seen an episode until the season premiere. Or at least that’s what they’re telling people. Because they exist. Today, they’re reviewing episode two, “Don’t Be Ridiculous.” Massive spoilers ahead, if you haven't’ seen the episode yet.

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Ralph: Do you think it’s bad we didn’t review last week’s episode?

Sadie: No, actually. It’s probably good. Because it would mostly be me asking you questions about every single little thing. Because it was my first episode. Which, I mean, the questions thing happened in real life — I’m just not sure it would make for good copy.

R: OK

S: OK

R: So where should we start?

S: Let’s start with the opening credits.

R: Your first opening credits!

S: Yes! Sort of. I cheated. I watched credits from last season on youtube because you wouldn’t shut-up about them.

R: Yes, they are good. But, also, brand new theme song.

S: I know you loved it.

R: Yes, very much so did I love it. I don’t think it’s a secret how much I’ve enjoyed the running Perfect Strangers gag, but to see it pay off like it did in this episode? Kissy fingers mwuh!

S: So this is part where you explain the gag.

R: Sure. So it was revealed in season one that the main cast of Perfect Strangers was lifted — all four had departed. Which, statistically speaking, was a rarity. Then in another scene Kevin Sr. was watching Perfect Strangers when he was institutionalized for talking to people who weren’t there. Are you with me so far?

S: Yes.

R: Then, later, in season 2, it was revealed that Mark Linn-Baker had actually faked his departure. While the other three cast members *had* departed, he fled to Mexico. For whatever reason — couldn’t deal with the stress of losing his friends, felt left out, etc. And it was just kind of there, in the background.

S: Until last night.

R: Until last night.

S: So the episode literally starts with the theme to Perfect Strangers playing over The Leftovers credits.

R: Which had a few new shots involved.

S: And heralded the return of Mark Linn-Baker to the program.

R: Even though he had only been involved in a very minor way until this point. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s talk about the Man on the Pillar.

S: The Man on the Pillar. Very Lost-esque.

R: If this were Lost, The Man on the Pillar would have gotten his own episode right before his death, that would have raised more questions than had answers. And for reason reason would have guest starred Allison Janney.

S: Ok, I get that one.

R: But this was not a Man on the Pillar episode. This was a Nora Durst episode.

S: Can I just say how quickly I’ve fallen in love with Nora.

R: Yes! Please!

S: Here is a woman who’s lost so much, and is still so vibrant, if not always calm, cool and collected. In fact, here lack of calm, cool and collected-ness make me love her even more.

R: And I’m so glad they did a Nora-centric episode this soon in the season. In the midst of the Kevins and Matts and the Pattis and the Holy Waynes, Carrie Coon really grounds this show like no other character can.

S: I remember you saying that the first episode of the season felt like a throwback to season 1 at times. How did episode 2 work for you?

R: Really, really well. This was much more in line with what season 2 offered. From the music to the character work to the opening theme to the closing scene.

S: Another thing I love about Nora is that she hates bullshit. In the interview with the widow who claimed Pillar Man departed. Or in the the argument with her brother. Or in her disbelief in the book of Kevin or that Mark Linn-Baker could really help her see her kids again.

R: Which is ironic, considering some of the bullshit she’s been involved in, like mysteriously breaking her own arm or using a work trip as a cover to see Lily.

S: Do you think she took the work trip because she wanted to sniff out Mark Linn-Baker’s bullshit and because she thought there was some chance it might be true?

R: Or as an excuse to drive a few hundred miles out of the way to see Lily? I really don’t know. Like the 2nd to last scene where she agrees to travel to Australia to meet the people who claim they can depart her to wherever her family went, it’s played so ambiguously it’s impossible to tell.

S: Yeah, I especially liked that part. I think, for the most part, she doesn’t believe that people are still be raptured or whatever. But also, she’s still interested in that .001% chance that maybe it’s real. She’s skeptical on the phone, she’s skeptical with Mark in the hotel, but that nagging thought that it *could* be true is too much to pass up.

R: And another reason to love Carrie Coon. Playing that ambiguity so well.

S: For sure.

R: And after seeing so much of Kevin from his POV last episode, seeing him from Nora’s was so striking. Especially when he’s coming on to change and finds Nora on her way out the door. He’s worried she’s about to leave her. But she doesn’t notice it at all. But we do, knowing what he’s been going through.

S: Oh, god. Justin Theroux’s face. I knew what was happening but my heart still sunk. He’s a man on the verge of losing it, or maybe a few miles past losing it, and with Mary leaving Matt, he jumps to that conclusion so quickly. Because it would make perfect sense from his perspective. She’s leaving me. This makes sense. I had this coming.

R: Doubly so knowing all the shit he’s going through. And all the people who’ve left him.

S: But I didn’t even need all his backstory to understand it. To get it. That’s how well Theroux played that scene.

R: So let’s talk about Lily.

S: Let’s.

R: I was ultimately so relieved that something bad hadn’t happened to her. It would have been in line with with the show so far, but also maybe a little too devastating this point.

S: You’re going to have to kind of catch me up here.

R: Right. So Lily was the daughter of Christine, who we saw briefly in Kentucky, and Holy Wayne, who was sort of a cult leader from season one. Christine abandoned her and Tom Garvey dropped her off on his dad’s doorstep. But Nora was the one who actually found her at the very end of season one. It was Lily’s appearance that convinced Nora to stick around — before that she ready to say goodbye to Kevin and her life in New York. To make a fresh start. Which kind of happened but with Kevin and Lily and Kevin’s daughter in Jarden, TX.

S: But in the gap between seasons 2 and 3 Christine came back to claim Lily (who is not Lily anymore), and Nora gave her up willingly.

R: Yeah, per Nora’s conversation with Tom on the bridge leading to into Jarden. But you can tell it still hurts that she did. It’s completely plausible that the whole trip to St. Louis had nothing to do with Mark Linn-Baker and everything to do with taking a side trip to Kentucky to see not-Lily.

S: And the universe wasn’t being helpful, if that was her intent. From the glitch on the check-in screen at the airport to the broken GPS in her rental car — but that trip gave Carrie Coon more opportunities to really Carrie fucking Coon. So much better than a throwaway line like “Oh, Lily? She’s with her birth mom now. I’m still upset by it all but I’m dealing” or something equally lame.

R: Oh, for sure. If there’s one thing the Leftover’s is good at it’s “let’s impart this information as dramatically and emotionally as possible rather than have Giles explain it in the library or something.”

S: So let’s talk about Mark Linn-Baker. Did it surprise you that he showed up in the way that he did?

R: Yes, 100%, yes. It didn’t even register at first, when he said his name on the phone. I didn’t think this was a possibility at all. But then Nora’s boss mentioned the actor and everything clicked — oh, shit this is really happening.

S: It helps that TGIF was such a cultural touchstone for so many people our age — even though I haven’t been following the show like you have, it was still such a kick to see an actor who didn’t seem to fit my preconceived notion of what The Leftovers should be in this sort of space.

R: And not only that, but to fit so well. To turn a running gag into an incredibly heartbreaking scene between two people who lost their entire families on departure day.

S: And at some point, Nora going from “this guy is trying to scam me” to “this guy has been scammed and he’s hurting just like I am.”

R: Maybe even moreso, because Mark hasn’t found a 2nd home like Nora has, even if the 2nd home hasn’t really fixed her heartache.

S: Which goes back to the futility of Nora diagnosing people (“Pillar Man was only coping, Mark is suicidal”) when she’s not ready to deal with her own pain.

R: And sort of mirrors Laurie, Kevin’s ex-wife, in her role as a therapist before season 1 — someone who was also comfortable diagnosing the pain of others but ignored her own pain.

S: Interesting.

R: And for Laurie, that led her to the Guilty Remnant after the departure, because one of her own patients seemed to have the answer she was looking for.

S: But she’s in Jarden now.

R: Yep.

S: So how did that all turn out, her time with the Guilt Remant?

R: Not great for Laurie. Her patient who led the cult killed herself when Kevin kidnapped her. Her daughter almost died when folks came after the Guilty Remnant. Her protege Meg (Liv Tyler) got really terrorist-y after Laurie left. And that led to the death of of Michael Murphy’s daughter, Evie.

S: Yikes.

R: BUT, that being said, Laurie’s journey out of the GR ultimately led to her family being reunited in Jarden. And where we are today, Laurie with Michael, Tom working for Kevin, and Jill Garvey (who is seemingly going to be underutilized this season) in Austin at college.

S: Speaking of Michael, we got a Regina King sighting.

R: Oh did we ever.

S: So I know you were disappointed it didn’t look like she was going to have a role this season. Was this one appearance enough to stem that?

R: I think so. I know you know her from American Crime —

S: — and Southland! And 227!

R: But after her fantastic turn in season 2 , it would have been a huge disappointment not to see her once in this final season. I guess having a little bit of a shorter season (and needing to get Kevin and Nora to Australia) meant some characters were going to get the short end of the stick (like Meg and Jill and Patty ((even though Patty’s story seems to have come to an end)) and to a certain extent maybe even Michael and Laurie depending on how things play out). But having Erika be the person Nora goes to when she’s at the end of her rope, and explaining the tattoo and her struggle with wanting to remember her departed children by not ALWAYS HAVING TO remember her departed children, was just absolutely excellent.

S: And it’s one thing to care about *how* we got to the trampoline scene — from the original tattoo to the cover-up tattoo to Erika explaining that she got to bury her daughter while Nora never really had that chance — but it’s another thing to just experience Carrie Coon and Regina King jumping on a trampoline to “ Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)” in what can only be described as moment of pure joy. Who directed this episode by the way?

R: Keith Gordon, who’s done work on The Leftovers and Fargo and The Killing and Dexter and Rubicon.

S: Rubicon! Well, congrats to Keith Gordon on that sequence.

R: And every sequence, tbh. That this one episode has multiple moments where you could not believe this was happening on television is a testament to how great The Leftovers is.

S: I am quickly coming to agree with that opinion.

R: But we’re immediately brought back to reality with Nora and Tom on the bridge, and Tom (a little hurtfully) telling Nora “I didn’t even know you existed” when he dropped Lily off three or four years prior.

S: Yea, total dick move, Tom. There’s at least a dozen different ways to say that in a way that’s not a massive burn.

R: But she almost needed to be in that headspace for the last scene in Jarden to work.

S: Where she walks in on Kevin…Kevining.

R: Hardocre Kevining.

S: With his shirt off!

R: A Leftovers prerequisite.