What I’m Watching: The Leftovers (Penultimate Episode)

The Leftovers: Season 3, Episode 7 “The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)” (B+)

Let’s be honest – we’re not going to get a lot of closure in the upcoming series finale. Even if a few questions are answered, this show will forever be shrouded in mystery. As a result, an installment like this, similar to and continuing the plotline of “International Assassin,” is about the best we’ll get, highlighting this show’s themes and the search for some kind of fulfillment in an uncertain world. I’m sure this was true last time too, but I found it very powerful that everyone within the world Kevin goes to when he dies briefly is dead. It was a welcome opportunity for a handful of former regulars and recurring guest stars to show up again, including Ann Dowd, Liv Tyler, and Michael Gaston. Casting Kevin as both the man hired to kill the president and the president himself was intriguing, leading to a very layered scene at the end where he literally cut himself open. Kevin’s president being a member of a more normalized Guilty Remnant was extremely interesting, and Evie showing up as a protester was meaningful. There were some funny moments, like Kevin asking which defcon they were at and whether it was worse and then reacting to the absurdity of the penis scan. Having to look in a reflective surface to switch places with himself also had plenty to say about what it means to really see yourself, and ending with Kevin joining his father on the roof, unsure of what will come next, made this a very poignant and effective hour. Let’s hope the series finale can return to the world of the living in just as strong a way.