The Leftovers - S2E7 - A Most Powerful Adversary
Previously on The Leftovers, ‘Lens’
Kevin’s admission to Nora did nothing to bring them closer. Instead, she waited until he was handcuffed and sleeping before running off with Mary and Lily. Between Patti’s smug “Toldya Sos” and Jill’s bitter accusations that he is ruining their family, it is clear Kevin needs to get serious about separating from Patti if he wants any chance at keeping his family whole.
Kevin’s desperate quest to rid himself of Patti reveals two very different solutions from two unlikely sources.
A chat with Michael leads Kevin to Virgil. However, this is not Kevin’s first visit to the trailer. During one of his sleepwalking episodes, Kevin visited Virgil and accepted his advice for dealing with Patti without question. Virgil suggests that Kevin meet Patti on her ground to do battle… in other words - Kevin has to die to face off with his adversary. The mystery of Kevin’s near drowning at the lake has been solved but he is now awake and hesitant to kill himself on the advice of a man he has never met.
Kevin is pondering the pros and cons of battle by suicide when he gets a call that his wife is at the town gates without a wristband. He is even more surprised to realize it is Laurie and not Nora. She has arrived in search of Tommy, a fact that is soon brushed to the side as the two discuss Kevin’s current crisis. Laurie patiently uses logic to point out that Patti is most likely a manifestation of Kevin’s failing mental health. Kevin’s not as willing to believe her as he is the idea that battle by suicide could be a viable option, but he does acknowledge Patti does not show up when Laurie is in the area. He decides inviting her back to the house would be the best way to keep Patti away.
At this point, Kevin has lost all sense of caution. He has no concern for how Laurie’s presence in the house will affect anyone else. He just wants a break from Patti. Jill is not home when they arrive at the house and Laurie is left to investigate when Kevin receives a call from Nora. When Jill returns, she goes off on a tirade when she sees Laurie. Unfortunately, Kevin has bailed through the window, leaving mother and daughter to face each other on their own.
Kevin is on a mission. He has decided to trust Virgil’s plan and arrives at the trailer ready to face death. Virgil explains that he will give Kevin a poison that will act like an overdose of heroin. He will administer a shot of adrenaline to restart Kevin’s heart well within the 5 minutes necessary for brain damage.
This plan sounds good to Kevin and he chugs the poison. This is not a peaceful death; Kevin is flailing on the floor while Virgil calmly spills the antidote from the injection pen. Virgil then places a gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger. If this wasn’t enough WTF for an ending, Michael walks in and begins calmly tidying the space and dragging Kevin’s body across the floor. WTF?!
Leave your thoughts on the episode below and we’ll read them on tonight’s podcast!
The Leftovers S2E7
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Plot - 8/108/10
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Performances - 10/1010/10
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Dialogue - 8/108/10
Summary
Although this was another fantastic episode, I feel there was a huge hole in the story. Would Nora really leave because Kevin opened up about Patti? I had considered the thought that she was hung up on the Lens theory but if that was the case - why endanger Lily and Mary? She handcuffed Kevin to the bed when he was sleepwalking, adopted the baby on the stoop, cheerfully took over the care of Mary… Would she really sneak out in the night over a psychotic break? Would she leave Jill? It just seems so unlikely. I am hoping a logical explanation will reveal itself in time. Aside from this nagging issue, the episode was fantastic. The bickering between Kevin and Patti is such a guilty pleasure to watch and are a fun break from the overall sense of tension Kevin’s dilemma submerges us in.
Hey girl! FOR THE PODCAST:
Please bear with me because I will be cussing a lot.
Fuck Jill. Fuck her. She never gives her dad a break. He’s clearly going through a lot, and you know he’s on the brink of crazy. You’re going to try and make him feel worse by saying “Don’t fuck it up again?” Fuck you. And then you go into your man’s church cussing up a storm and making fun of his beliefs? Naw, bitch, FUCK YOU. I don’t care if you don’t believe what I do. Respect me enough to not cuss when I ASK you not to. When you say you’re not uncomfortable with his beliefs, ACT LIKE IT. She clearly was only after that chocolate peen. I’m glad Michael put her on the 90 day rule.
Nora is such a bird. Just because things go a little cray cray, you bounce? Just when I thought she was a ride or die chick. I wonder where she went. I hope she comes home before the virus that is Laurie continues to spread throughout Tom Hanks’ house from The Money Pit.
Patti almost killed me with that fake task she said Kevin would have to do. Who thinks of shit like that? Eww. Also, shout out to her for being woke about Magical Negros.
Well, we were all mostly right. Uncle Virgil’s a pedophile. I laughed when Kevin pulled up to his house with all his Christmas lights on. Such a Black thing to do! I wonder if they have to put Kevin in a box and bury him…and see if he pulls a Jesus and wakes up 3 days later…guess we’ll see.
BTW I called it! That dude at the tower DID reference Patti!!
Love y’all.
Interesting to see Kevin in such an emotional crumbles. He is literally falling apart. Laurie, oh Laurie! I was SO relieved when Kevin asked for help. I was trying to imagine what their misfit toys household would look like with both Laurie and Nora and Lily and Mary and Matt and Kevin and Patti all under one roof. Thanksgiving at their house? YES! Please, I’m sure that crazy will be only 1/8 of hanging out with my insane relatives during the holidays. Sign me up! Virgil-hmmmmmm. There are many references on this show to the Bible and to Dante’s Inferno. Virgil leads Dante through the levels of purgatory and Hell to the Garden (Jardin?) of Paradise. Pretty obviously that’s what’s happening here. In fact, I wonder if Kevin IS IN his big battle-and this whole season, with it’s otherworldly and slightly off kilter feel is actually Kevin’s decent into Purgatory because HE WAS successful in killing himself with the brick and drowning, that this whole season has been his descent into purgatory and hell in order to fight his way back. That could explain why the timing of everything seems off and the oddness of characters behaviors. Now that we know what happened during the time that Kevin was unconscious, I actually think that his second death will bring him out of his slumber, and perhaps the last episode will see him slay Patti, to awaken to Nora & Laurie & Tommy & Jill all together again, rejoined in Jardin. I also predict that Mary (um, MARY, Jesus’ confidant and roll dawg) will awaken-it could be that she has been fighting her own adversary while she is catatonic-I wonder who she’s fighting?
Hey Yawl!!!
This show… Where to begin?!? I’m still all up in my feelings — dammit KEVIN!
FOR THE PODCAST:
Ok - let’s start with Laurie. What the HELL did she do to HolyTommy?
Deep down I know Tommy’s hugs were fake, (but I wanted one anyway 😜), & I wanted to believe that she could use her skills to repair her relationship with at least ONE of her children… (Womp! Womp!)
I find Jill’s anger, even when she’s being really shitty &/or petty, to be highly entertaining. So I had no problem with her slinging shade at Michael or Laurie or Kevin in this episode. There’s nothing like a wrong & strong teenage girl — that’s comedy GOLD!
Also, if Patti doesn’t really exist, why didn’t Jill see the sign about the key in the chair when she was in Kevin’s bedroom? She looked right at it. Hmmmm
I think the only reason Kevin didnt have Pops shoot him dead when he first showed up to the trailer in the ep, was because he hadn’t figured out what to do with Jill. So as soon as Laurie showed up talking again, he could’nt WAIT to break out.
So how long do yawl think Kevin has been suicidal?
Clearly his symptoms weren’t exactly like his Dad’s. I think Kevin,Sr was hearing multiple voices but never lost time like Jr.
Has Kevin been suicidal since right before he was prescribed all that medication? He’s been off the medicine for months, yet he’s still losing time & hallucinating. Why didn’t he just resume treatment?
Why didn’t he try Laurie’s suggestion that he try summoning Patti while she was there?
Its too coincidental that soon after Laurie said that, then “Nora called” AND! Jill arrived.
So, did Nora really call? Was Kevin talking to himself on the phone?
Lastly, Michael’s righteous ass ain’t shit.
I’m done.
Sigh, THIS show!!!!
A large theme of this episode is being free:
Patti telling Kevin how she felt free when she killed herself
Kevin wanting to free himself from Patti
Nora running away to be free from her crazy boyfriend
Another theme is needing and/or asking for help:
Laurie asking Kevin for help on finding Holy Tommy
Kevin asking Virgil for help
Kevin turning to Laurie for help on Patti
So much desperation in this episode: Kevin, Virgil, Patti, Laurie, Michael
*** FOR THE PODCAST ***
Fuck this show!
Just when I was starting to like Jill, she fucking curses in church. Beliefs aside, you really should be respectful when in *any* place of worship. And even if that’s still too much to ask, when your friend respectfully asks you to stop fucking cursing, you stop fucking cursing.
Forgive me if this starts getting confusing as it is difficult to write. Do any of you have any confusion on if Patti is a hallucination or a “ghost” (ghost in the sense that Kevin is not “creating” her)?
If Patti is a hallucination that means Kevin is fucking crazy and having a psychotic break. If she’s a ghost that means that Kevin is haunted by his actions and perhaps is punishing himself.
Two things makes me think that she’s a ghost and not created by Kevin: 1) peering over Kevin’s shoulder when Michael is outside the car door watching Kevin talking to himself and 2) when Kevin gets the call about Laurie, Patti asks “who was that.” Would a Kevin-created Patti know what Kevin knows or does not know? Things that make me think that Patti is a hallucination: 1) Patti never appears when he is with Laurie and 2) at the end, Patti screams to stop Kevin from drinking the poison. No more Kevin means to more Patti hallucination. Am I over thinking? Is the natural conclusion that Kevin is having a psychotic break? Am I supposed to be thinking *this* hard?
Fuck this show!
So was that initial voicemail message the first time we heard Kevin tell Nora “I love you?”
John is so damn shady. Never trust a man who sucks on a toothpick looking like a douche.
They are giving out free handi wipes at the fire station when you provide a palm print. Someone call Terrance Howard.
Time to talk about that final scene. I don’t get it. Virgil really seemed earnest in wanting to help Kevin. Oh wait, but before that, I love that Virgil calls the crazy guy on the tower a living success story. If I were Kevin, I would have been like “c’mon Patti let’s get out of here!” But back to the scene… I don’t get it. Virgil had the epinephrine all ready to go. Was ridding Kevin of his pain Virgil’s last but of penance? And Michael knew, right? That Virgil was going to kill himself, which is why he was crying when Kevin arrived and that Virgil was going to kill Kevin, which is why Michael blessed Kevin?
This show turns me all sorts of upside down. Fuck this show!
I am really looking forward to the podcast and hearing your thoughts on this episode. I need your help.
[sorry if this was longer than desired… this show, man, this show!]
FOR THE PODCAST
Virgil ain’t shit to fuck with. He is talking about dying temporarily and shit. I would be stuck with Patty forever then because ain’t no way in holy hell would I sacrifice myself to do battle with anyone. SHEEEIT I’ll be stuck with Patty and we will play cards together, go to restaurants, watch movies, and talk shit with each other because I would not! I can not sacrifice my life like that! I am a heathen and Patty and I would do heathen shit together. I will say that Kevin at this point should be able to tune Patty out long enough to get shit done like getting hand cuffs off from that bait shop owner but smart enough to listen to her when shit like getting your hand print processed is clearly stupid. Then we have on one hand a supernatural explanation from Virgil and we get a level-headed explanation from Laurie. I wanted to believe the “logical” explanation from Laurie but we all know it’s not that simple and not that clear. And we see that when Kevin Tokyo drifting to Virgil’s Bayou trailer to drink dirty water from someone who may very well be the devil only to hope he was going to get pulp fictioned in the heart. And the only thing that may have saved him is the thing that haunts him most so he decided to trust that fucking pedo and die. Knowing this show though, Kevin will come back to “haunt” Nora as a sexy ghost and I’ll still have him in my life or Michael will do something god like to have Kevin raise from the dead like Jesus. If he is really dead, this show is so depressing that I am not too upset to mourn that. Either way, I will be here for anything that comes of this. This was an episode that made me feel shit again.
FOR THE PODCAST:
A couple of things in this episode made me recall “The Garvey’s at Their Best”. Jill was so carefree in that episode listening to her music with headphones and singing out loud. In this episode, she’s wearing her earbuds to walk in and find Laurie. There was also the thing about the crack in the house, where things looked good for the most part, but you could tell the foundation was beginning to crumble. This house now, like a reflection of their lives, is in complete fucking shambles. Their masks that say “I’m ok” on the outside are barely hanging on like that home’s wallpaper. Pretty much everything about that Miracle house has been symbolic to me.
Patti’s numerous trolls in this episode had me rolling, especially the thing about the Cairo chalice! Drink up, Kevin! 🍆🍨
Kevin needs to start his own Eyebrow Acting School like Lettie Mae Daniel’s Lip Acting School. Shout out to Rod & Karen.
Michael seems to be knowing. He knew Virgil was going to kill himself, right? Is he going to bury Kevin like a bird in the woods?
So, Laurie admitted that Holy Tommy was made up. I’m still suspicious though. I don’t get why he wouldn’t hug Jill in that diner.
Where do y’all think Nora is staying? That phone call between Nora and Kevin was heartbreaking. It brought back memories of that sad Breaking Bad phone call scene between Walter & Skylar.
Did Kevin ever believe Laurie or was he just getting her to Miracle so she could look after Jill?
I feel so badly for Jill. She did act out, but she’s surrounded by chaos.
Why did Virgil kill himself?
Do you think we’ll see more of Edward this season?
Can’t wait to hear the podcast! Everybody join up for premium!
This fucking show! I’ll try to be brief
FOR THE PODCAST
Damon Lindelof is not fucking around this year! He gave us answers on top of answers the other night and then mind fucked us at the end with one big question!
From Patti trolling poor bewildered Kevin all day to the acknowledgment of the implied racism of the Magical Negro to the emotional reunion with Lori and the tearful phone call with Nora to the what the fuck shocker at the end. I was a fucking wreck and I’m still processing all of it. I just can’t wait to see the rest of the season play out.
A couple observations:
I bet that Nora is right next door kickin’ it with Erika because nothing squashes the beef between two women than commiserating over niggas that ain’t shit!
Michael more than likely knew about Virgil’s plans which is why he was emotional when Kevin came back to the trailer and he almost immediately sprung into action when he saw what happened.
Nora is probably gonna flip out when she sees’s Lori. Kevin got this raggedy bitch in her house that she paid her 3 million dollars for and sleeping in the bed she rented for her disabled sister in law. If Kevin isn’t dead then Nora is going to kill him.
Jill fast tail ass needed to sit down somewhere!
Looks like we got confirmation that Virgil was a Chester. He probably didn’t go to prison for it for whatever reason but Jon did catch that attempt murder charge. Maybe the town knows the real story which is why Jon is still respected and Virgil is almost treated as a outcast. And I looked it up from last week. If Jon is the chief of the Volunteer Fire Department then he likely gets paid an administrative wage. So he has a job.
Holy Tommy still lost in the game.
That’s it. Sorry I wasn’t as brief like I said. Love you guys, can’t wait for next week!