What I’m Watching: The Leftovers

The Leftovers: Season 2, Episode 6 “Lens” (B+)

I’ve always contended that Carrie Coon is the strongest player on this show, with Ann Dowd giving her a run for her money in season one. This was a tour de force showcase of Coon’s abilities, but it also presented someone who could play off her incredibly. Recent Emmy winner Regina King gave it her all in this hour as Erika, who has to deal with being second fiddle to her violence-prone husband and clean up his messes. Exploding at the man who came in to slaughter a scapegoat in the middle of the fundraiser was just the start of things, as she then got to be interrogated by Nora, who read off the new questions to determine whether her daughter had in fact departed. Turning the interview on her by asking her if she remembered the last thing her children said to her was harsh, and throwing a brick through Nora’s window was a cruel final note. Nora being scanned and called to figure out if she was a “lens” took a lot out of her, and there’s something about hearing that she is possessed by a demon that makes this whole world feel even more intense, since such religious fervor has seized people that it’s impossible to equate what’s happening with any logical explanation. Kevin picking that moment to confess that he had been seeing and was continuing to see Patti may not have been superb, but it’s a good thing that he’s decided to start being honest about it since it was going to eat him up inside. The most shocking moment of the episode was when Laurie called Nora, a chance to see two people who barely interacted confront each other at such a strange moment in time for both of them.