Should You Set Your Table For The Leftovers?

What Is This Thing?

One October 14, with no apparent logic (or warning), 2% of the world's population just...vanishes. Three years later, we follow the changed world primarily through the experiences of the Garvey family, of Mapleton, USA. Spoiler alert: people are still pretty upset!

When Is It On?

Sundays at 10 PM on HBO.

Why Was It Made Now?

Lately the network's been moving away from its usual MO of building "events" around biopics (your Mrs. Harrises, your Elizabeth Is) and turning to literary material, like last month's The Normal Heart and the just-announced MaddAddam adaptation; this miniseries take on Tom Perrotta's 2011 novel fits that trend nicely. Plus it reminds the world that Justin Theroux was a good actor even before he was Jennifer Aniston's fiancé.

What's Its Pedigree?

Lost's Damon Lindelof is credited with Tom Perrotta as series creator, which depending on how you felt about his last show (and/or Prometheus) will probably prejudice you one way or another. The pilot is directed by Peter Berg, with future installments helmed by Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones director Michelle MacLaren; ER's Mimi Leder; feature director Carl Franklin; and Daniel Sackheim, who's directed basically every TV show ever.

...And?

I have loved Justin Theroux for years, not just because he is a fox (on this, My New Plaid Pants and I are in complete agreement) but because he'll do an interestingly weird project like playing Jesus in The Ten and then write Tropic Thunder. Here, he's Kevin Garvey, Mapleton police chief (a job he took over when the last chief went crazy -- and also that guy was his dad) and married father of two. Except, not really: his wife Laurie has left him to join the Guilty Remnant, a cultlike group that arose after The Incident to remind those left behind that normal life is pointless now; and his son Tom has dropped out of college to become the acolyte of a completely different cult started by Holy Wayne, who lost his son. Kevin's daughter Jill is still living with him while she finishes high school, but while Kevin and Jill are still trying to be normal, they kind of can't, just like everyone else. It's sort of an apocalypse story -- a singular event has occurred that has claimed millions of victims; the survivors have to figure out how to go on -- but all the trappings of ordinary American life are still in place. Everyone on earth is grieving, but they're not sure what for or why, all of which is interesting to me.

...But?

Well, everyone on earth is grieving. Basically every character we're going to meet is living with depression; the only difference is how they choose to cope. But this shit is BLEAK. If you already have Sunday-night gloom, maybe just save this to watch until a Tuesday so that you don't cry yourself to sleep right before you have to go back to work.

...So?

Is here where I get to say I read the book, one of maybe three books I've read since the late aughts? I read the book, guys. And assuming that the series doesn't deviate dramatically (which I presume it won't, since Perrotta is involved), things don't particularly pick up in terms of cheerfulness (understatement). Saying that the series really captures mourning on a global scale is an endorsement of its ambitions if not for the enjoyment you might get out of watching it? I will definitely be watching -- I read the book, after all -- but I recommend it only for those whose tolerance for Grim with a capital Gr is quite high. Or who really need a weekly look at Justin Theroux's crank in track pants. Or both!