Season two of
The Leftovers just turned in a superb third episode. I went into it dreading it: the “previously on” bumper featured a lot of Laurie, so I knew she would be heavily featured, and I was really uninterested in a full episode immersed in the world of the Guilty Remnant, but by the midway point, I was completely invested. It was very smart to turn her character from a cult member into a cult liberator and recovery therapist. Rather than a morose, impish (if conflicted) nihilist, she’s now a crusader against an organization that has rather clearly taken on an air of menace beyond the cruel pranks they played on other characters last season. This character turn is a smart move not only because it makes Laurie more sympathetic and interesting, but also because it helps us see the Guilty Remnant as a disease preying on people either too empathetic or too traumatized to get on with their lives after the departure, rather than a curious or perhaps even valid response to the departure’s devastation. Moreover, Laurie’s recovery also provides her with great motivation for her intense reaction to the Guilty Remnant: searing, poorly-concealed rage.
